Although the word hurricane was originally used to describe any localized tropical storm in the West Indies, it now classifies the powerful tropical cyclones that develop in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, or the Pacific Ocean east of the international dateline and north of the Equator. A hurricane's life cycle passes through three distinct stages, tropical depression, tropical storm and finally, a hurricane. A tropical storm must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour to be classified as a hurricane. The eye of a hurricane is usually between 20 and 30 miles wide and may extend over 400 miles. The 74 to 160 mile per hour winds of a hurricane can extend inland for hundreds of miles.
Hurricanes can spawn tornadoes, which add to the destructiveness of the storm.
Floods and flash floods generated by torrential rains also cause damage and loss of life. Following a hurricane, inland streams and rivers can flood and trigger landslides. The surge can devastate coastal communities as it sweeps ashore. Nine out of 10 hurricane fatalities are attributable to the storm surge. Hurricane Season begins June 1 and ends November 30 of each year.