How does storms affect people

In a nine-foot storm surge from Hurricane Sandy hit New York City at high tide, making the water 14 feet higher than normal at the tip of Manhattan. Flooding destroyed neighborhoods and beaches in outer boroughs. The sea level in this area is rising by more than an inch each decade—twice as fast as the global average—and is predicted to rise 11 to 21 inches by To prepare, the city is implementing coastal resiliency measures: A multiuse project will create more green spaces for city residents as well as a system of floodwalls, berms, and retractable barriers for enhanced storm protection.

Costly storm and flood damage to burgeoning coastal infrastructure is growing. Innovations such as building floating villages and relocating vulnerable assets away from rising seas can reduce risk and losses.

Around the world, about 10, people die each year in hurricanes and tropical storms. While hurricanes have intense winds, waves and even tornadoes, floodwaters are their most dangerous aspect. If a hurricane is approaching the area where you live, check for hurricane warnings. Evacuate to a safe location if it is recommended. If you live in an area prone to hurricanes, consider making a hurricane safety kit. The Hurricane Preparedness web site at the U. National Hurricane Center offers tips on how to prepare for a hurricane.

When a hurricane is over the ocean and far from land, they are still a hazard to boats at sea. Before modern weather forecasting, hurricanes were the cause of many shipwrecks including several in the Bermuda Triangle, an area known for disappearing ships. But with forecasting and warning systems, boats can steer clear of hurricanes. Unlike boats, oil and gas platforms over the water are unable to move out of harms way and can be damaged by the fierce wind and waves.

The central Pacific , which includes Hawaii, typically sees four to five hurricanes a year during its season—June through November—with most storms appearing in August and September. Fewer than two hurricanes make landfall in the United States in a typical year, according to data from to , with an average of three major hurricanes pummeling the coastline every five years. About 40 percent of hurricanes make landfall in Florida, while nearly 90 percent of major hurricanes hit either Florida or Texas.

Hurricane Michael in October was the first category 4 storm to strike the Florida Panhandle since record-keeping began in —and the strongest to make landfall the United States in more than 25 years.

The fact that hurricane , typhoon , and cyclone are all used for the same weather phenomena can be confusing. Typhoon A typhoon is tropical cyclone that occurs in the northwestern Pacific basin, covering eastern and southeastern Asia and Micronesia. Tornado Although both storms are known for their spiraling, violently destructive winds, the similarity between tornadoes and hurricanes ends there. A hurricane forms over tropical waters and can span several hundred miles, last for days to weeks, and be predicted well in advance.

A tornado, on the other hand, forms over land as a tall, rotating column of air that extends from the base of a thunderstorm including those produced by hurricanes to the ground. The largest tornadoes are just over a quarter mile wide and typically last for no more than an hour, though they can pack a punch in terms of wind speed— as high as mph. Most hurricanes top out around mph.

Advance warnings for tornadoes are typically less than 15 minutes. Monsoon Similar to a hurricane, a monsoon can produce torrential rains that lead to damaging floods, injury, and death. But while a hurricane is basically a single weather event, a monsoon is a seasonal change in the prevailing winds that move from ocean to land—and vice versa—and can produce months of wet or even dry conditions.

Although most often associated with Southeast Asia, monsoon winds exist around the world, including the U. Hurricanes leave a trail of devastation in their wake, piling up costs in terms of lives and livelihood.

Here are some of the ways these storms impact communities and the surrounding environment. Hurricanes create a range of short- and long-term health and economic woes, with socially vulnerable populations often shouldering the greatest burden. In fact, flooding was the main cause of damage for many of the costliest hurricanes. Economic loss Hurricanes are the costliest form of weather disaster, accounting for more than half of the total damages from billion-dollar U.

That figure includes everything from wrecked homes and waterlogged hospitals to mangled material assets such as cars and boats. It also includes damage to public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and power lines, along with lost wages and income-generating assets such as crops, livestock, and businesses.

It does not include health-related costs or values related to lost lives. Climate change is expected to further increase the tab, with potential future losses from hurricanes and other extreme weather events projected to as much as double by Health toll Hurricane Maria , which struck Puerto Rico in and is considered the deadliest hurricane in recent U. The second-most deadly storm in recent years, Hurricane Katrina struck the U.

Southeast in and claimed more than 1, lives. Flooding from rainfall is the second-gravest danger, resulting in about a quarter of immediate deaths. Drownings, either near shore or out at sea, account for 12 percent. Flood-induced sewage overflows from wastewater treatment plants can dump fecal bacteria into floodwaters and waterways, increasing the risk of skin, eye, ear, and gastrointestinal infections. Runoff from toxic waste sites and factory farms can expose nearby residents to hazardous waste.

After the storm has passed, flooded, water-damaged homes can harbor bacteria and mold, making the air unhealthy to breathe. Mold can be a particularly pervasive health hazard , since it starts growing immediately and can be hard to detect and remove. Who are the most vulnerable? Low-income communities, people of color, and the elderly are disproportionately exposed to storms. Warmer sea temperatures also are causing hurricanes to wetter, with percent more precipitation from cyclones projected in a 2 degree C scenario.

Recent storms such as Hurricane Harvey in dropping over 60 inches in some locations , Florence in with over 35 inches and Imelda in 44 inches demonstrate the devastating floods that can be triggered by these high-rain hurricanes.

Sea level rise is likely to make future coastal storms, including hurricanes, more damaging. Globally averaged, sea level is expected to rise by feet in low and moderate emissions scenarios during this century , which will amplify coastal storm surge. Much of this damage was related to coastal flooding. Areas affected by hurricanes are shifting poleward.

This is likely associated with expanding tropics due to higher global average temperatures. The changing patterns of tropical storms a shift northward in the Atlantic could put much more property and human lives at risk, but much more research is required to build a better understanding of how these patterns might change. The connection between climate change and hurricane frequency is less straightforward.

It is likely the number of storms will remain the same or even decrease, with the primary increase being of the most extreme storms. For the 21 st century, some models project no change or a small reduction in the frequency of hurricanes, while others show an increase in frequency.

More recent work shows a trade-off between intensity and frequency — that as warmer oceans bolster hurricane intensity, fewer storms actually form. A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone , which is a general term for a low-pressure system with activity like thunder and lightning that develops in the tropics or subtropics.