A hurricane, also called a tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center. This spiral mass of clouds originate from warm waters near the equator and gradually gather force as it moves. It moves at a speed of at least 74 miles per second or 119 km per hour.

A hurricane has what is called as an ‘eye’, which is a circular spot in the middle which is free of clouds. The area immediately surrounding the eye is called the eye wall, where the strongest thunderstorms are located. When the hurricane eye passes through an area, there is calm, but is then immediately followed by the strongest part of the hurricane. The saying ‘calm before the storm’ refers to this process.

A tropical cyclone is given different names depending on their origin, and hurricane is just one name. A tropical cyclone is called a hurricane when the storm system originates from the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean sea, the North Atlantic Ocean, or the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Some of the most destructive hurricanes include Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Ike.