What should you do in a hurricane, typhoon or cyclone, and how dangerous are strong winds?


What are the travel destinations with the most hurricanes, typhoons and tropical cyclones, and when is the hurricane season?

Note: storms don't care much about storm seasons, they can occur earlier or later depending on annual climate variations (and accompanying water temperatures). Climate change makes predicting these extreme storms also more difficult

  • Caribbean: Hurricane season: June 1 - November 30, with most storms forming in September and October. Islands of Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Cuba and Dominican republic are more likely to be struck than Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao
  • United States (including Hawaii): Hurricane Season: June 1 - November 30
  • Mexico: Hurricane Season: May 15 - November (East Pacific) or June 1 - November 30 (Atlantic/Caribbean)
  • Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, China: Typhoon season: Year Round
  • Philippines: Typhoon season: Year Round, peaking in May to November
  • Australia: Cyclone season: November to April
  • Madagascar: Cyclone season: November 15 - April 30, with peak activity in February

Check beforehand whether your country of residence has an official site with reliable information in regards to natural disasters.

  • are hurricanes, typhoons or cyclones common in your country of living?
  • in which months is the highest activity of typhoons?
  • what are the most common areas impacted?

What should you do before a hurricane, typhoon or tropical cyclone?

  1. When booking a visit to a hurricane destination during storm season be aware of the risks, accommodation might be cheap, but it comes with a prize
  2. Inspect your house for possible repairs (esp. roof).
  3. Clean drainage to avoid clogging.
  4. Store supplies; food, water, flashlight, batteries, and medical supplies. Canned goods are ideal for food.
  5. When living in a hazard prone or risk area, you should evacuate as early as possible.
  6. Keep up-to-date with the weather forecast (radio/tv/internet).
  7. When living in a flood prone area, move electric appliances to safe, high-up areas.

What should you do during a hurricane, typhoon or tropical cyclone?

  1. Stay inside and stay calm. Avoid travel.
  2. Keep up-to-date with the weather forecast (radio/TV/internet).
  3. Don't operate electric appliances during flood.
  4. Avoid wading through flooded areas to avoid water-transmitted diseases.
  5. Close the windows and turn off the main power switch.
  6. Avoid the way leading to or along the river.

What should you do after the storm struck?

  1. Keep up-to-date with the weather forecast (radio/tv/internet).
  2. If your house was damaged, make sure that it is already safe and stable when you enter.
  3. Watch out for live wires or outlet immersed in water.
  4. Boil water before drinking it to avoid diseases.
  5. Do not let water accumulate in tires, cans or pots to avoid creating a favorable condition for mosquito breeding that can cause dengue.

What are cyclones, hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms and typhoons, and what's the difference?

  • Hurricanes, tropical storms and typhoons are forms of a tropical cyclone. They are extreme storms that arise above the sea in tropical areas, and are characterized by rare strong winds, very hard rain and sometimes a lot of damage. They often last several days to sometimes one or two weeks. Tropical cyclones can be up to 1000 km wide, and move depending on local weather conditions
  • A tropical storm is the weakest form of a cyclone.
  • The words hurricane, cyclone and typhoon mean the same thing but are used depending on where the storm originates. Above the Atlantic Ocean and the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere we speak of hurricanes. Above the western half of the Pacific Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere we speak of a typhoon. Above the Indian Ocean and in the Bay of Bengal we speak of a Cyclone.
  • A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air at the bottom of a thundercloud. A tornado is no wider than 3 km and lasts less long than a cyclone. This column of air is often visible as a trunk because water vapor condenses into clouds. A tornado also often becomes visible because it causes damage and you therefore see objects, such as sand, leaves and branches, flying through the air.
 
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