With hurricane's topping the national weather headlines, let's talk about some facts and myths of these powerful storms.
Hurricane's form over warm tropical waters. The water in the tropics is about 80 degrees. That's about as warm as bath water.
It takes longer for water to warm, and it also takes longer to cool. This is why hurricane season lasts deep into the fall. Hurricane season in the Atlantic begins June 1 and ends November 30.
Once the hurricane makes landfall, it starts to lose it's fuel; warm water. The storm also weakens because the storm encounters friction when it moves over land. Out in the open waters the storm has no barriers, so it can swirl and grow without interruption.
The eye of the hurricane is an area of relative calm. The important word there is "relative". The eye is not a beautiful area of calm winds and blue skies. It's still windy, though less windy, and there's still cloudy conditions. Just outside the eye is the eye wall. This is the strongest part of the storm. Think of an ice skater spinning around with her arms spread out. When she brings her arms in, she spins faster. That's why the eye wall is so strong; it's the closest area to the center of rotation.
