Hawaii Hurricanes

Tropical storm, cyclone, typhoon, tornado, these may all seem to be similar conditions.  To an extent, they are.  At the same time, each of these storms has their own, particular facets that cause them to be different.  Hawaii is no stranger to hurricanes or tropical storms, but what makes them different from one another?  What makes a hurricane in Hawaii a hurricane?

A hurricane occurs east of the International Dateline and over the Atlantic Basin.  Over the Indian Ocean, the same storm would be called a cyclone and hurricanes that threaten the Pacific Northwest such as Japan and the Philippines are called typhoons.

Hurricanes are a severe sort of tropical cyclone, which is a generic term.  Tropical cyclones are grouped into three categories of storms.  The tropical depression is an loosely organized storm front with clouds and thunderstorms accompanied by winds of up to 38 mph.  A tropical storm is an organized system of clouds and strong thunderstorms with circulating winds that reach speeds between 39 and 73 mph.  The hurricane is an intense storm system with strong circulating winds that measure 74 mph or greater.

There are actually 5 different categories of hurricane, on a scale known as the Saffir-Simpson, ranging from category 1 to category 5, each category adding to the defined intensity of the hurricane.  Most hurricanes that have hit Hawaii are of the category 1 variety.  Even as less intensive storms, there are dangers, and those dangers rise pending on the exact area they hit, based on topography and population.