These storms are called hurricanes when they develop over the Atlantic or eastern Pacific Oceans.
They are called cyclones when they form over the Bay of Bengal and the northern Indian Ocean.
They are called typhoons when they develop in the western Pacific.
Most Atlantic Ocean hurricanes form near the Cape Verde Islands off Africa's west coast.
Once a tropical storm's winds hit a constant speed of at least 74 miles (119 kilometers) an hour, it becomes a hurricane.
The eye is the low-pressure center of the hurricane. Air sinks inside the eye, clearing the skies and making it relatively calm.
A ring-shaped eye wall surrounds the eye and carries the storm's most violent winds and its most intense rains.
Hurricane season in the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and central Pacific is from June 1 to November 30. In the eastern Pacific, it is from May 15 to November 30.
Hurricanes can cause floods,flash floods, tornadoes, and landslides.
Storm surge, an abnormal rise in sea level, is usually the most dangerous part of a hurricane. Surges can cause beach erosion, wash out roads, and decimate homes.
Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Florida use satellite imagery, airborne reconnaissance, and computer-model projections to track storms.
Hurricanes
Typhoon Toraji Taiwan, China, July 2001
Dead: Estimated at more than 200
Damage: More than $100 million (U.S.)
Hurricane Floyd North Carolina, September 1999
Intensity at landfall: Category Two
Dead: 57
Damage: About $6 billion
Hurricane Georges Gulf of Mexico, October 1998
Intensity at landfall: Category Two
Hurricane Mitch Central America, October 1998
Intensity at landfall: Category Five
Dead: Nearly 10,000
Hurricane Pauline West coast of Mexico, October 1997
Intensity at landfall: Category Three
Dead: Over 200
Hurricane Fran Southeast United States, September 1996
Intensity at landfall: Category Three
Damage: $5 billion
Hurricane Opal Northwest Florida, Alabama, October 1995
Intensity at landfall: Category Three
Damage: $3 billion
Hurricane Iniki Kauai, Hawaii, September 1992
Intensity at landfall: Category Four
Damage: $1.8 billion
Hurricane Andrew South Florida, August 1992
Intensity at landfall: Category Five
Dead: 43
Damage: $25 billion (1992 dollars)
Hurricane Hugo South Carolina, North Carolina, September 1989
Intensity at landfall: Category Four
Dead: 82
Damage: $7 billion
Hurricane Gilbert Puerto Rico, Eastern Caribbean, September 1988
Intensity at landfall: Category Five
Dead: 318
Damage: $5 billion
Hurricane Liza West coast of Mexico, September 1976
Intensity at landfall: Category Four
Dead: At least 630 people
Hurricane Agnes Florida, entire Atlantic coast of U.S., July 1972
Intensity at landfall: Category One
Damage: $3.1 billion (record flooding from New York to Virginia—1972 dollars)
Hurricane Camille U.S. South, August 1969
Intensity at landfall: Category Five
Dead: 256
Damage: $1.4 billion (1969 dollars)
Hurricane Beulah Texas, September 1967
Intensity at landfall: Category One
Dead: 38
Damage: $100 million
Unnamed Hurricane West coast of Mexico, 1959
Intensity at landfall: Category Four
Dead: More than 1,000
Hurricane Diane Northeast United States, September 1955
Intensity at landfall: Category One
Damage: $831 million
Hurricane Hazel South Carolina, October 1954
Intensity at landfall: Category Four
Damage: $2.8 billion (1954 dollars)
Galveston Hurricane Galveston, Texas, September 1900
Intensity at landfall: Category Four
Dead: At least 10,000
Injured: At least 5,000
Damage: $30 million (1900 dollars)
Great Hurricane Eastern Caribbean, October 1780
Dead: Estimated between 22,000-30,000
