In the fall of 1998, Hurricane Mitch ripped through Central America, killing thousands of people and leaving millions of others homeless. In Nicaragua, mudslides buried whole villages, and in Honduras, raging flood waters swept away bridges and devastated crops. Mitch was rated a Category 5 disaster on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. In only 10 days, it caused an estimated $5 billion in damages.
Disaster in the making: The birth of a hurricane
Hurricane season in the Atlantic lasts from June through November. Hurricanes are born from tropical (warm) ocean waters. Energy from these warm waters is converted into thunderstorms. As these thunderstorms gather together, they can begin to rotate in the same direction, forming a spiral with an eye in its center. This early swirl-shaped system is called a tropical depression. As a tropical depression begins to spin and gain power, it can become a hurricane.
Not all tropical depressions become hurricanes, though. Those with wind speeds of 39-74 miles per hour are categorized as tropical storms. When a storm’s wind speeds reach 74 miles per hour or greater, it is categorized as a hurricane.
A hurricane’s destructive potential
A hurricane’s destructive potential comes from its strong winds, storm surges, and heavy rains. Winds can tear roofs off of houses or knock down trees and power lines. Heavy rain can ruin crops, damage buildings, cause flash flooding, and spark deadly landslides. During some hurricanes, torrential rains of up to two feet per day have been reported.
Hurricanes and tropical storms are ranked on a damage scale called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, which takes into account their wind speed and pressure. While a Category 1 hurricane has wind speeds of 75-95 miles per hour, a Category 5 hurricane like Mitch has wind speeds of over 155 miles per hour.
Both hurricanes and tropical storms are named when they are categorized. Each year, world meteorologists come up with an alphabetical list of names that can be used for hurricanes and tropical storms that year. There is one name for each letter, except for Q, U, X, Y, and Z. For instance, in 2025, the first storm to hit was named Andrea, the second Barry, the third Chantal, and so on. Particularly devastating hurricanes have their names retired from use.
(adapted from source)