Hurricane Warning Trivia Quiz

Answer: Location

Tropical systems beyond tropical storm strength are called hurricanes in the North Atlantic Ocean, as well as in the Pacific Ocean, east of the International Date Line in the north, and east of 160° East Longitude in the south. In the Northern Pacific (west of the Date Line), they are called typhoons. Other terms used, depending upon location, include severe tropical cyclone, severe cyclonic storm, and tropical cyclone.
(Information from noaa.gov)

Answer: Galveston

Also called the Great Galveston Hurricane, estimates of the deaths caused range from six to twelve thousand. The category four storm brought about a storm surge of around fifteen feet, while Galveston itself was under nine feet above sea level. First estimates of the death toll were reported as about five hundred - a drastic understatement as around 20% of the population, around eight thousand people, perished.

Answer: 74 mph (119 kph)

A Category 1 hurricane has wind speeds between 74-95 mph (119-153 kph). Category 2 hurricanes carry winds of 96-110 mph (154-177 kph). Beginning with Category 3, the storms are called "major hurricanes," with winds of 111-130 mph (178-209 kph); Fran was Category 3 when it hit North Carolina in 1996.

A Category 4 hurricane carries winds of 131-155 mph (210-249 kph); when Charley landed on the west coast of Florida in 2004, its 145-mph winds placed it as a Category 4 storm. The strongest hurricanes are Category 5, with winds exceeding 155 mph (249 kph); two of the most memorable Category 5 hurricanes that affected the United States were Hugo (1989) and Andrew (1992). (Information from noaa.gov)

Answer: A hurricane in the Southern Atlantic

In March 2004, a hurricane in the Southern Atlantic Ocean made landfall in Brazil. Though Brazilian officials called the storm "extra-tropical," this was the first hurricane-strength storm to appear in the Southern Atlantic since satellite tracking began in 1966. Tropical storm systems normally occur in the Northern Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, and throughout the Pacific Ocean (Information from usatoday.com and noaa.gov).

Answer: Six

Lists of tropical storm names are rotated every six years for the Atlantic season. Whenever a name is retired, another one will be assigned to take its place (Information from the Weather Channel).

Answer: 1978

The first storm with a male name was Tropical Storm Bud, in the eastern Pacific, in 1978. Also, that year saw the first male hurricane in the same region, Daniel. The next year, male names began appearing in the Atlantic lists. Male names were incorporated into the lists to make up for a shortage of available female names (Information from the Weather Channel and noaa.gov).

Answer: June 1 - November 30

Though it is possible for tropical systems to form in the Atlantic outside the normal hurricane season (In fact, it does happen once in a while), the period of activity is accepted as the month of June through the month of November. The peak of the hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean occurs from late August to late September (Information from weather.com).

Answer: 39 mph (63 k/ph)

When a system (known as a "tropical wave") begins to show signs of organization and wind speeds of at least 30 mph (48 k/ph), it becomes a tropical depression and it is given a number (for example, "Tropical Depression Five"). From this point, the system will either die out because it is in an area not favorable for development, or it will gain strength and earn a name.
NOTE - Areas favorable for tropical storm/hurricane development have warm water (usually over 80°F, or 27°C) with no weather fronts in the way to cause the system to break up.

Answer: Carol and Hazel

Both Hurricane Carol and Hurricane Hazel occurred in 1954. Carol made landfall in the Northeastern United States, while Hazel struck the Antilles and the Carolinas. Both of these storms are among the costliest and deadliest in U.S. history. The name "Carol" was re-used one more time, in 1965; at the time, a "retired" name was not to be used for at least ten years, mostly for convenience in insurance settlements. After 1965, the name "Carol" was never used again.
Any hurricane that causes significant damage and/or loss of life may be considered for retirement upon request of the country (or countries) affected by it. Once a name is retired, then a like-gender name (male for male, female for female) replaces it. Tropical system names in the Atlantic may be in English, Spanish, or French. Some of the more notable retired names include Betsy (1965), Agnes (1972), Hugo (1989), Andrew (1992), and Mitch (1998).
(Information from noaa.gov)

Answer: 1953

Legend has it that the first named storms were those that were unofficially named for Australian politicians in the early 20th Century by a disgruntled weather forecaster there. During World War II, American forecasters in the Army Air Corps named tropical systems after wives and girlfriends back home. The first official list of named storms began in 1953, with Tropical Storm Alice. The first official list of names for Eastern Pacific storms appeared in 1959.
(Information from noaa.gov)