Hurricane and Tropical Cyclone-related Health Effects
| Hurricane and
Tropical Cyclone-Related Fatalities in the CARA Region 1998-2002 http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hazstats.shtml |
|||||
| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
| Connecticut | |||||
| Delaware | |||||
| Maryland | |||||
| Massachusetts | |||||
| New Jersey | |||||
| New York | |||||
| Pennsylvania | |||||
| Rhode Island | |||||
| Virginia | 2 | ||||
| Washington, D.C. | |||||
| Total | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Hurricanes are severe tropical storms that usually form in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane winds are at least 74 miles per hour. There are on average six Atlantic hurricanes each year, but less than two strike the United States coastline (Texas to Maine) per year. When hurricanes move onto land, they bring strong winds, torrential rain, and heavy waves (storm surges [link to previous definition]). About half of all hurricanes spawn at least one tornado [link to previous definition], and some spawn more than a hundred. High winds can destroy poorly constructed buildings and mobile homes. Debris such as signs, roofing material, and small items left outside become flying missiles in hurricanes.
Credit: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/images/hurricane_gloria_19850926_g6ir.gif
Hurricanes can also have indirect harmful consequences. For example, hurricane-related deaths and injuries can result from fires started by candles used when the electricity fails. Heart attacks and accidents frequently occur during the clean-up phase. Loss or contamination of water supply and sewage infrastructure can spread diseases, and chemical spills can complicate the situation.
For more information
http://hurricanes.noaa.gov/
http://hurricanes.noaa.gov/prepare/title_hazards.htm
http://hurricanes.noaa.gov/prepare/winds.htm
Map Showing Hurricane Activity in the Conterminous United States. The areas
shown reflect the number of hurricanes per 100 years expected to pass
within 75 nautical miles (159 km) of any point in the colored regions.
The highest-risk area (red line) shows where 60 hurricanes per 100 years
hit the east coast. The high-risk area would see 40-60 hurricanes per
100 years, and the moderate-risk area would see 20-40 hurricanes per
100 years. The period of observation is 1888 to 1988. http://www.usgs.gov/themes/map5.html