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

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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.

The powerful Hurricane Katrina, a Category-5 storm, is seen here in a satellite image from Aug. 28, 2005.

Hurricane Season: How Long It Lasts and What to Expect

By Tia Ghose

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

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.

Satellite image shows Hurricane Laura swirling over the Gulf of Mexico on Aug.26 at 10 a.m. ET

Laura is now a monster Category 4 hurricane

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

Hurricane Laura "continues to rapidly strengthen" over the Gulf of Mexico.

A satellite image of Isaias on Aug. 4 shows the storm moving north over the East Coast of the U.S. It made landfall in North Carolina on Aug. 3 as a Category 1 hurricane, but within hours had weakened to a tropical storm. 

'Busy' hurricane season is about to get a whole lot busier, NOAA says

By Mindy Weisberger

NOAA experts predict an "extremely active" hurricane season, with as many as 25 named storms.

Tropical storm Isaias on Aug. 4 at 10:10 a.m. ET

Isaias treks up the East Coast, threatening strong winds, tornadoes

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

Tropical storm Isaias strengthened into a category 1 hurricane before hitting North Carolina last night, bringing rapid flooding

Tropical Storm Isaias on Aug. 3 at 11:40 am ET

Tropical storm Isaias forecast to strengthen into a hurricane before hitting the Carolinas

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

Isaias is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall from the Carolinas to the Mid-Atlantic coast

Tropical Storm Hanna, after it made landfall in Texas, shown here on Sunday, July 26, 2020.

Hanna weakens to tropical storm, wallops southeast Texas with heavy rains, flash flooding

By Jeanna Bryner

Hanna, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, is walloping southeast Texas and northeast Mexico with heavy rains and dangerous flash flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Hanna seen from above on Saturday, July 25, 2020.

Hanna becomes 1st Atlantic hurricane of the season, as it treks toward Texas

By Jeanna Bryner

Tropical Storm Hanna, now packing maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h), has become the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, as it treks west toward the coast of Texas

Satellite imagery of Tropical Storm Arthur, as seen on May 17, 2020.

Arthur becomes the Atlantic's 1st named tropical storm of 2020

By Meghan Bartels

Government satellites have spotted the first named storm of the 2020 Atlantic Ocean hurricane season, Tropical Storm Arthur, swirling off the coast of North Carolina.

Satellite images captured by NOAA's GOES-16 (GOES-East) showed Hurricane Lorenzo as it rapidly intensified from a Category 2 storm to a Category 4 storm on Sept. 26.

Hurricane Lorenzo, Strongest Storm Ever This Far East in the Atlantic, Roars Toward the Azores

By Mindy Weisberger

Hurricane Lorenzo, a powerful storm now bearing down on the Azores, is the strongest hurricane to form this far east in the Atlantic.

Extremely dangerous Hurricane Dorian closes in on the Northwestern Bahamas on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019.

How Strong Can a Hurricane Get?

By Live Science Staff

The Saffir-Simpson hurricane only goes up to Category 5. But in theory, winds from a powerful hurricane could blow the scale out of the water, scientists say.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch captured this image of tropical storm Barry on July 11, 2019.

Barry Becomes a Hurricane, Barrels Toward Louisiana Coast

By Jeanna Bryner

Barry is now packing winds of 75 mph. Life-threatening flash flooding will become increasingly likely later today and tonight as Barry moves inland.