ANATOMY OF A HURRICANE

Hurricanes are generally defined as tropical cyclones with winds that reach sustained speeds of 74 mph or more. There have been a few that have caused major damage to the Hawaiian Islands in the past 50 years. Experts say hurricanes are rare occurances here because the islands are a relatively small target, far from areas prone to tropical storm genesis. Hawaii is also protected by vertical wind shear (change of wind speed and direction from near the ocean surface up to an altitude of about 8 miles), which is a major disrupter of hurricane formation.

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RESEARCH AND GRAPHICS BY KIP AOKI / KAOKI@STARBULLETIN.COM

RESEARCH AND GRAPHICS BY KIP AOKI / KAOKI@STARBULLETIN.COM

THE STORM SURGE

A storm surge is a dome of water 50 miles wide that sweeps the coastline near the area where the hurricane hits land. The low pressure in the hurricane acts like a plunger, pulling up the water level and unleashing massive waves. Storm surges are responsible for 90 percent of all hurricane-related fatalities.

RESEARCH AND GRAPHICS BY KIP AOKI / KAOKI@STARBULLETIN.COM