Hurricanes and Jim Cantore

Hurricanes are the most violent storms on Earth. They form near the equator over warm ocean waters. Actually, the term hurricane is used only for the large storms that form over the Atlantic Ocean or eastern Pacific Ocean. The generic, scientific term for these violent storms, wherever they occur, is tropical cyclone. Other names they are given, depending on where in the world they are born, are typhoons, cyclones, severe tropical cyclones, or severe cyclonic storms. Whatever they are called, the same forces and conditions are at work in forming these giant storms, which can and do cause significant damage or devastation when they hit land where people live.

Living as I do in Emerald Isle on the North Carolina Outer Banks, I’ll refer to these tropical cyclones as hurricanes. Hurricanes require TWO essential ingredients. The first is warm, moist air. The only source for this warm moist air is, quite naturally, warm, ocean water. But, this warm ocean must be at least 80 degrees F from the surface to a depth of about 165 feet. In the Atlantic Ocean Basin, only the Gulf Stream, a swift ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and follows the eastern coastline of the United States, can reliably supply this essential ingredient.

The second ingredient for a tropical cyclone is wind. In the case of hurricanes that form in the Atlantic Ocean, the wind blowing westward across the Atlantic from Africa provides the necessary ingredient. As the wind passes over the ocean's warm, moist surface, water evaporates (turns into water vapor) and rises. As it encounters cooler air at higher elevations, the water vapor cools, and condenses back into large water droplets, forming large cumulonimbus clouds. These clouds are just the beginning.

When the water vapor from the warm ocean condenses to form clouds, it releases its heat to the air. The warmed air rises and is pulled into the clouds. Evaporation and condensation continue, building the clouds into a column. A pattern develops, with the wind circulating around a center (like water going down a drain). We have what meteorologists call a tropical disturbance. Most tropical disturbances don’t even warrant a mention on the Weather Channel.

As this column of clouds grows higher and larger, it continuously sucks warm, moist air upwards. We now have a low pressure center or “eye” developing. As the pressure in the eye continues to drop, more and more surface air is sucked up into this eye. After all, nature abhors a vacuum. The lower the air pressure in the eye, the faster this surface air moves, creating winds whipping around in a circular motion. When the winds reach between 25 and 38 mph, the storm is called a tropical depression. Now, the Weather Channel starts paying attention. When the wind speeds reach 39 mph, the tropical depression becomes a tropical storm. This is also when the storm gets a name. At this point, this development is Weather on the Ones material. The winds blow faster and begin twisting and turning around the eye, or calm center, of the storm. Wind direction is counterclockwise (west to east) in the northern hemisphere. This phenomenon is known as the Coriolis effect.

When the wind speeds reach 74 mph, the storm is officially a hurricane. Now, the Weather Channel is talking about the storm 24/7 and Jim Cantorre is being sent on assignment. At this point, the storm is at least 50,000 feet high and around 125 miles across. The eye is around 5 to 30 miles wide. The trade winds (which blow from east to west) push the hurricane toward the west—toward the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, or the southeastern coast of the U.S. where the storm meets the Gulf Stream and BAM!!! A lot more warm, moist ocean producing a lot more warm, moist air. If all these winds and the low air pressure were not enough to generate destruction, they also cause a huge mound of ocean water to pile up near the eye of the hurricane, which can cause monsterous storm surges when all this water reaches land.

And, landfall is where you will find Jim Cantore. If you live anywhere near the Gulf or ATlantic Coast, you never want to see Jim Cantore, especially during hurricane season which runs from June 1 thru November 30. Thankfully, hurricanes winds usually weaken when they hit land, because they are no longer being fueled by the energy from the warm ocean waters of the Gulf Stream. However, once on land, they dump many inches of rain. This causes a lot of local flooding which creates more damage and lingers far longer than the winds which are the hallmark of a hurricane. Heck, parts of eastern North Carolina are still digging out from under the effects of tremendous flooding following Hurricane Florence in 2018!

So, there you have it. Mix warm moist air forming over a warm moist ocean. Add wind and you have the makings of the most violent storm on earth, what we on the Crystal Coast call a hurricane. If you liked what you learned go to www.EmeraldIsleHomesforSaleNC.com and sign up for my blog. Ready to buy or sell? Call me at 919-308-2292.Explore the video tab for my weekly uploads to my YouTube channel. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and receive free donuts at my Flip Flops Donut shop. Text your email address to 919-308-2292 and subscribe to my newsletter. My book, "Live Where You Vacation" is available on Amazon.com.