Damaged homes are shown from the 1991 Halloween Storm, also called the Perfect Storm, that killed 13 people. (Source: NOAA)
(RNN) – No one should allow Hurricane Sandy's temporary downgrade to lull them to sleep, especially those that live on the East Coast.
This "Frankenstorm" – as has become its popular nickname – has all the makings of a nor'easter, a weather phenomenon that can include part hurricane, part snowstorm and is completely destructive.
Nor'easters usually begin in the Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast of the U.S. and move toward Canada. They form when winds from the north move downward and meet warm air that travels up from the Gulf of Mexico.
The Atlantic Coast from fall until spring provides the perfect timeframe and location for these powerful super storms because the changes in temperature and constant air movement cause several such meetings.
Those meetings of the hot and cold air fronts produce the rotation that creates more severe weather, however nor'easters don't always classify as hurricanes.
The most destructive nor'easter in recent memory was the 1993 Superstorm that affected the entire eastern half of the United States, Canada and Cuba. The storm produced snow, wind speeds near 100 mph and more than 50 tornadoes. Estimates of damage in terms of property and lives reached as high as $6 million and more than 300 people.
The "Perfect Storm" of 1991 killed 13 people – including an entire ship crew of six and a National Guard member – and inspired a book and subsequent movie. This storm lasted an unusually long five days and eroded 1,000 miles of coastline by sending 15-foot waves ashore.
The Great Blizzard of 1978 devastated New England and killed more than 10 people, many of whom were trapped in their houses or stranded in their cars on roadways barricaded by snow.
Copyright 2012 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
An internal review says federal weather forecasts for Superstorm Sandy were exceptionally accurate last fall. But the warnings themselves were confusing.
Federal weather forecasts for Superstorm Sandy were exceptionally accurate last fall, but the warnings themselves were confusing, an internal review found.
Workers are set to begin demolishing perhaps the most famous symbol of Superstorm Sandy's devastation along New Jersey's shoreline.
Riding the Jet Star roller coaster as a girl vacationing at the Jersey shore, Nicole Jones said there was always that one breath-catching moment when the passenger cars swerved toward the ocean, as if threatening to dump...
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Six months since the Superstorm Sandy hit Connecticut's shores and tore down a number of homes in Milford this past November, the cleanup efforts continued Monday. Crooked porches, hanging roofs and busted
Six months since Superstorm Sandy hit Connecticut's shores and tore down a number of homes in Milford this past November, the cleanup efforts continued Monday.
Friday, April 26 2013 7:03 AM EDT2013-04-26 11:03:49 GMT
(RNN) - Most natural disasters come as a surprise to all homeowners, but not being covered can be surprising and costly when you aren't sufficiently insured. One major insurance company is aiding homeowners
For homeowners, the instance of having insurance is not the only part in being prepared for severe weather when it strikes.
Monday, April 15 2013 9:06 PM EDT2013-04-16 01:06:27 GMT
A new audit released Monday by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor says the state could be on the hook for hundreds of millions in disaster relief payback. The money was supposed to help property owners
A new audit released Monday by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor says the state could be on the hook for hundreds of millions in disaster relief payback. The money was supposed to help property owners recover from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.
Monday, April 8 2013 7:09 PM EDT2013-04-08 23:09:50 GMT
MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – Hurricane Season officially starts June 1st, but emergency management and disaster relief organizations are already hard at work getting ready for the season, saying the risk
Hurricane Season officially starts June 1st, but emergency management and disaster relief organizations are already hard at work getting ready for the season, saying the risk of a big storm is always there.
(RNN) - As Hurricane Sandy continues its roll towards the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, people in some of the nation's most populated cities have either evacuated hunkered down to ride out what has become
Sandy, no longer a hurricane, has made landfall along the southern coast of New Jersey.
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You may have the luxury of seeing a hurricane coming, but that doesn't mean you can wait until it arrives to prepare. Days before a hurricane arrives you should plan for the major weather event to keep
Days before a hurricane arrives you should plan for the major weather event to keep you and your family safe.
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(RNN) - After crashing into southern Louisiana Tuesday evening, Hurricane Isaac erratically continues its course across several southern states, bringing torrential rain and power outages to areas in its path. Although
Hurricane Isaac continues to dump double-digits of rain over some parts of Louisiana and Mississippi.
