Storm Science, Explained
Short, accurate explainers for the questions every storm season raises — written to pair with the live tracker. No fluff, sourced from NOAA/NWS definitions.
The forecast cone shows where a hurricane's center will probably track — not where impacts stop. How to read the cone correctly, and the mistake that gets people hurt.
A watch means conditions are possible within 48 hours; a warning means they're expected within 36. What each one should trigger in your preparations.
What Category 1 through 5 actually mean in wind speed and damage, and why the category understates flooding hazards.
Storm surge is the abnormal sea-level rise a hurricane pushes ashore — historically the deadliest hurricane hazard. How it works and why elevation, not distance, is what matters.
Six rotating alphabetical lists, maintained by the World Meteorological Organization — and permanent retirement for the deadliest storms.
A derecho is a long-lived, straight-line windstorm that can produce hurricane-force gusts across hundreds of miles. How they form and why they're so destructive.