Hurricanes

Find out everything there is to know about hurricanes and stay updated on the latest news with the comprehensive articles, interactive features and pictures of hurricanes at LiveScience.com. Learn more about these natural disasters as scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about hurricanes.

Related Topics: Ocean, Natural Disasters, Global Warming, Weather

Latest Updates

The GeoEye-1 satellite captured this image of flooding in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on Sept. 2, 2021.

Satellite images show extreme flooding in New Jersey in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida

By Chelsea Gohd

The epic storm that swept across the eastern United States this week hit New Jersey so hard that satellites saw the damage from space.

The massive Hurricane Ida is easily visible on Earth from 1 million miles away as seen by NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory in orbit at a stable Lagrange point on Aug. 29, 2021 as the storm made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 4 storm.

See Hurricane Ida from 1 million miles away in this NOAA satellite view

By Tariq Malik

The sheer size of Hurricane Ida when it made landfall on Sunday was clearly visible from a NOAA satellite 1 million miles away.

A man seeks shelter at a bus stop on Canal Street in New Orleans as Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 29.

Why did Hurricane Ida stay so strong for so long?

By Stephanie Pappas

Coastal Louisiana provided Hurricane Ida with enough fuel to power major hurricane winds for hours.

Hurricane Ida picks up steam in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021.

'Extremely dangerous' Hurricane Ida makes landfall in Louisiana with 150 mph winds

By Tia Ghose

Hurricane Ida, an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane, made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, at 11:55 a.m. local time on Sunday.

Hurricane Ida picks up steam in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021.

Hurricane Ida could slam into Louisiana just shy of Category 5

By Jeanna Bryner

Short clip shows tropical storm ida passing over western cuba

Storm Ida could slam into Louisiana as a Category 3 hurricane

By Nicoletta Lanese

The Governor of Louisiana has declared a state of emergency in advance of the storm.

Hurricane Henri churns in the Atlantic Ocean as it nears the U.S. northeast coast near Long Island, New York in this photo by NASA astronaut Megan McArthur taken on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, from the International Space Station.

Astronauts and satellites watch Hurricane Henri from space as US Northeast braces for storm

By Tariq Malik

As parts of New England brace for Hurricane Henri to make landfall in New York Sunday (Aug. 22), astronauts and satellites are tracking the historic storm from space.

Hurricane Elsa, seen here in a photo captured by an astronaut on the International Space Station on July 4, was the first hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season, and the earliest fifth named storm on record.

This hurricane season will be even more active than previously predicted, NOAA says

By Mindy Weisberger

Storm formation during the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season will be higher than previously predicted, according to an update by NOAA scientists.

Tropical Storm Elsa approaches Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday, July 7, 2021.

Tropical Storm Elsa churns toward Florida's Gulf Coast

By Jeanna Bryner

Tropical Storm Elsa is approaching north Florida's Gulf Coast, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h).

Iota, the last storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, was the season's 13th hurricane and the 30th named storm. It reached Category 5 strength on Nov. 16, 2020.

Hurricane season 2021: How long it lasts and what to expect

By Tia Ghose

Here's a guide to the Atlantic hurricane season of 2021, including predictions, naming conventions and how to prepare for a storm.

Elsa reached hurricane status on Friday, July 2, 2021.

Hurricane Elsa, 1st of season, could hit Florida next week

By Laura Geggel

Elsa, The first hurricane of the 2021 season, formed on Friday (July 2).

A satellite image of Hurricane Florence, which hit the East Coast in 2018, causing a lot of damage in the Carolinas.

Hurricane season kicks off. Expect higher-than-normal storm activity.

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season has officially begun, and it's expected to bring a higher-than-average number of storms in the months ahead.

A satellite image shows five tropical cyclones churning in the Atlantic basin on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. The storms, from left, are Hurricane Sally over the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Paulette over Bermuda, the remnants of Tropical Storm Rene, and Tropical Storms Teddy and Vicky.

Brace yourself for an 'above normal' hurricane season in 2021, NOAA predicts

By Mindy Weisberger

NOAA has adjusted its count for an "average" hurricane season, but 2021 storm formation will still be above average.

A satellite image of Hurricane Iota taken on November 16

Hurricane Iota will slam into Nicaragua as a 'catastrophic' Category 5

By Nicoletta Lanese

The massive storm is the strongest ever observed this late in the season.

Infrared satellite imagery of Hurricane Dorian as it made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane over three islands in the Bahamas on the morning of Sep. 2, 2019.

Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones: Earth's tropical windstorms

By Tiffany Means

Hurricanes and typhoons — or more broadly, tropical cyclones — begin as clusters of thunderstorms over tropical ocean waters, taking anywhere from several hours to days to become organized.

Post tropical storm Paulette captured on Sept. 23. after it returned from the dead.

Zombie storms are rising from the dead thanks to climate change

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

Wildfires are burning the West Coast, hurricanes are flooding the Southeast — and some of those storms are rising from the dead.

Tropical Storm Beta nears the Texas coast on Sept. 21.

Hurricane season is so active in 2020, we ran out of names

By Mindy Weisberger

With the formation of Tropical Storm Wilfred on Sept. 18, the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season reached the end of its storm names list and will now "go Greek."

Hurricane Sally captured over Alabama and the Florida Panhandle on Sept. 16 at 9:30 am ET

Hurricane Sally makes landfall as Category 2 storm, bringing extreme winds and flooding

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

The slow-moving storm is toppling trees, cutting power and dropping extreme amounts of rain.

Five storms in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific can be seen in a satellite image from today (Sept. 15)

Hurricane Sally expected to bring 'historic flooding' to the Gulf Coast

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

"Extreme life-threatening" flash flooding is likely through Wednesday along the central Gulf Coast.

During the early morning hours of August 27, 2020, NOAA's GOES-East saw Hurricane Laura make landfall at Cameron, Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane.

La Niña may brew a more active hurricane season, worsen drought in the Southwest

By Mindy Weisberger

La Niña conditions — cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures across the equatorial Pacific Ocean — could promote a more active Atlantic hurricane season.