Are you aware that hurricanes are called by different names in other parts of the world? In tropical regions of the North Atlantic Ocean or eastern North Pacific Ocean, such storms are called hurricanes. In the Pacific Ocean ,a storm is called a typhoon. And one in the Indian Ocean is called a cyclone.

Hurricanes are powerful, whirling storms around an eye measuring 200 to 300 miles in diameter. They occur in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Ocean from June to November.

They actually develop from age-old ocean winds called trade winds. In the days of sailing ships, sailors depended greatly on trade winds. The paths of these winds were so regular, especially over the oceans, that early navigators named them trade winds, which means course - or track - winds.

It seems that trade winds are part of a great system of winds that blow over the earth. Differences in temperature in low latitudes and the Polar Regions cause trade winds. The air heats up in low latitudes, expands, becomes light and rises. Cooler, heavier air from the Polar Regions tends to flow in to fill the area of low pressure. Because of the way the Earth turns, these winds blow from the northeast and from the southeast.

The doldrums are mild winds and calms in the belts of air between regions of trade winds. Sailing ships of early days were often stranded for many weeks at a time in the doldrums.

Hurricanes develop from easterly waves of trade winds and can grow into a tropical depression of winds up to 31 miles per hour, a tropical storm with winds up to 74 miles per hour, and finally, into a hurricane.

The Saffir-Simpson Scale assigns hurricanes to five categories based on wind speed and damage potential: Category One are winds 74-95 with a storm surge 4-5 feet above normal; Category Two winds are 96-110 with a storm surge of 6-8 feet; Category Three has winds 111-130 and a storm surge 9-12 feet above normal; Category Four winds are 131-155 with a storm surge of generally 13-18 feet, and Category Five winds are greater than 155 miles per hour and a storm surge of generally greater than 18 feet above normal.

Hurricane Wilma grew to a Category Five before striking the Yucatan Peninsula, and was a Category Three when it made landfall at Cape Romano, a few miles to the south of Marco Island.

The World Book Encyclopedia lists famous hurricanes of the 1900s:
A hurricane and storm surge killed about 6,000 people in Galveston, Texas.

1928 - About 1,800 people died in a hurricane and floods in the Lake Okeechobee area of Florida. The storm also killed 300 people in Puerto Rico.

1935 - The hurricane that struck Tampa, Florida had a barometer reading of 26.35 inches, the lowest ever recorded in the western hemisphere. The storm killed 400 people.

1955 - Hurricane Diane caused about $1.75 billion in damage from North Carolina to New England. The storm killed 184 people. Hurricanes became named in alphabetical order and the names of famous hurricanes are taken off the list never to be reused.

1957 - Hurricane Audrey struck Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, killing 550 people.

1960 - Hurricane Donna became the first recorded storm to strike Florida, the Middle Atlantic States and the New England states with hurricane force winds.

1963 - Hurricane Flora killed about 5,000 people in Haiti, over 1,700 in Cuba, and over 400 in the Dominican Republic.

1965 - Hurricane Betsy killed 76 people and caused more than $1 billion in damage to the Bahamas, southern Florida and Louisiana.

1967 - Hurricane Beulah hit Caribbean islands, Mexico and Texas, causing 58 deaths and over $1 billion in damage.

1969 - Hurricane Camille killed more than 250 people in seven states from Louisiana to Virginia. It caused about $1.5 billion in damage.

1970 - Hurricane Celia battered the Texas coast near Corpus Christi, causing 11 deaths and $467 million in damage.

Floods of Hurricane Agnes killed 122 people and caused $2 billion in damage from Florida to New York.

1974 - Hurricane Fifi struck Honduras, killing 8,000 people and causing $1 billion in damage.

1976 - Hurricane Liza struck Baja California Sur, Mexico, causing over 400 deaths and $9.75 million in damage.

1979 - Hurricane David battered the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the southeastern coast of the United States. It caused more than 2,000 deaths and nearly $2 billion in damage.

1980 - Hurricane Allen struck several Caribbean islands, killing 272 people and causing extensive property damage.

1983 - Hurricane Alicia struck near Galveston, Texas, killing 21 people and causing $2 billion in damage, the most in Texas history.

Hurricanes in 2005 have been called Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Dennis, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irene, Jose, Katrina, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Philippe, Rita, Stan, Tammy, Vince and Wilma
The hurricane season is not over yet, having already broken into the Greek alphabet category of names (an unprecedented event), beginning with Alpha and Beta.

Betsy Perdichizzi, a 14-year island resident, is past president of the Marco Island Historical Society and past president of SWFAS Southwest Archaeology Society. She is a winner of a Golden Quill, a journalism award given by the Florida Historical Society for excellence in writing about Florida's history. She welcomes comments and questions at
betsyperd@naples.net.