The word “hurricane” comes from the name of a Central American idol. People thought the made-up god caused storms. The god was “Hurakan.” Christians and scientists know that no idol causes hurricanes. They are the result of God’s laws at work in nature.
Starting Up
Hurricanes start when hot sun shines down on the ocean near the equator. Water evaporates. This warm, moist air then rises until it is cooled by the atmosphere. That turns it into tiny drops that form clouds. If a cloud gets heavy, the water can fall as rain. But if a cloud keeps on growing, it can turn into a thunderstorm. With even more growing, it can become a “tropical disturbance.”
When a tropical disturbance occurs, workers at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, start keeping track.
Getting Worse
National Hurricane Center officials watch all year. But tropical disturbances usually come between June and November. Some disturbances break up. Others get bigger and their winds make clouds spin in a larger circle. That’s called a “tropical depression.”
As the depression moves over water, it picks up more vapor. Winds speed up. Now it’s a “tropical storm.” This means its winds move at 39 miles per hour (mph) or more.
To the Max
For a storm to be a hurricane, its wind speeds must reach 75 mph. About one-half of all tropical storms turn into hurricanes. Many hurricanes die at sea, causing no damage. Others hit land. That usually means damage and possible loss of life.
Atlantic hurricanes are most likely to hit the United States. Pacific hurricanes are called typhoons. They usually hit Asia, especially the Philippines. Filipinos call them “bagios.”
Name that Hurricane
Hurricanes have been named for hundreds of years. That helps with confusion if more than one happens at once. A name is also a lot easier to remember than the location of latitude and longitude.
The World Meteorological Organization names hurricanes. The first hurricane of the year gets a name beginning with “A,” and so on. Male and female names are alternated in the list available for each year. There are no names for the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z. If a storm is especially hard or damaging, that name will be “retired.” A new name starting with the same letter will replace it.
Great in Power
There are five categories of hurricanes, based on their wind speed. Category “one” is 75-95 mph; “two” is 96-110 mph; “three” is 111-130 mph; “four” is 131-155 mph; and “five” is speeds above 155 mph. Category five hurricanes are rare, but even a category four can do major damage.
We don’t always know how God is using hurricanes in His plan—especially when they do so much damage. But we can pray for the people and places in their path. God is always in control. He uses all things for His good and eternal purposes.
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. ― Nahum 1:3
