Hurricane Season 2014: 10 Myths Debunked

By: By Jon Erdman
Published: June 1,2014

 

Myth: Winds are the deadliest aspect of hurricanes.

Percent of U.S. tropical cyclone fatalities by phenomenon from 1963-2012.

Fact: Three out of four U.S. deaths from tropical cyclones are from water.

   Let's apply some truth serum to some stubborn myths about hurricanes and tropical storms, starting with the impacts that are most likely to claim lives.
Tropical cyclones are categorized by wind speed, but it's the storm surge – the water rise generated by a hurricane or tropical storm – that is the greatest U.S. tropical cyclone killer, making up 50 percent of all tropical cyclone-related deaths.
(Incidentally, storm surge is generated in large part by the tropical cyclone's wind field pushing water toward shore. The storm's central pressure is only a tiny contributor to storm surge.)
Rainfall flooding (not from storm surge) claims another one in four U.S. lives from tropical cyclones.
Wind accounts for only 5 to 10 percent of U.S. tropical cyclone fatalities. While winds can be destructive – like those from Hurricanes Charley, Andrew, and Alicia – it's the water that is more likely to threaten lives.
A good rule of thumb for hurricane preparedness is "hide from the wind, run from the water." Do you know if you live in an evacuation zone?