Have you ever wondered what a hurricane was? What makes a hurricane? What are the different types of hurricane? My name is Travis Kellum. I have lived on the ocean my whole life. I have weathered many hurricanes, some of them very destructive. Not many people know that North Carolina is one of the worst hit areas in the country for hurricanes so I have decided to create a blog on the destruction of hurricanes that have hit my home town of Wilmington North Carolina. I am going to post different hurricanes that have hit in the past and hurricane safety. You can call it hurricane 101. The National Hurricane Center near Miami, Florida constantly monitors the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico looking for tropical disturbances. These disturbances develop in open ocean areas, and move across the seas. If wind speeds within such disturbances reach thirty nine miles per hour and move in a circular pattern in a counter-clockwise direction, they are categorized as tropical storms. Tropical storms that continue to grow are designated hurricanes when their wind speeds exceed 74 miles per hour. Hurricanes generally occur between June 1st and November 30th. Hurricanes generate a series of threats to lives and property. The most obvious is the threat posed to buildings, equipment, and people by the high winds which characterize such storms. Another serious threat to life and property comes from the storm surge, which occurs in coastal areas. Storm surges consist of huge domes of water and storm driven waves, which are pushed inland ahead of a hurricane. Hurricanes often generate heavy rainfall, which can cause severe flooding over wide areas. Hurricanes also may spawn deadly tornadoes. Flooding and tornadoes may affect areas well inland. The National Weather Service rates hurricanes by their intensity, using a scale of one to five. The scale categorizes storms according to their sustained winds; the storm surges produced, and expected damage. A “Hurricane Watch” means a hurricane has become a threat to coastal areas. Residents and businesses in those areas should monitor the situation and be prepared to take precautionary action promptly if a hurricane warning is issued. A “Hurricane Warning” indicates that hurricane force winds, dangerously high water, and rough seas are expected in a specific coastal area within 24 hours and precautionary actions should begin immediately. A hurricane’s intensity, speed, and direction can change rapidly, so the threat to particular areas of the coast may also change quickly.