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.
Sunday, June 16 2013 1:14 AM EDT2013-06-16 05:14:35 GMT
(CNN) – Severe weather like that of Superstorm Sandy is unforgettable. It caused $38 billion in damage to Jersey Shore area alone. Add those numbers to the damages caused by other hurricanes, tornadoes,
The damages caused by other hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and floods, 2012 was the second costliest year ever in terms of damage, according to the National Climatic Data Center.
After bringing rains, heavy winds and even tornadoes to parts of Florida, Tropical Storm Andrea was moving quickly toward the coast of Georgia and the Carolinas early Friday, promising sloppy commutes and...
The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season drenched the Southeastern U.S. but caused no major damage on Friday, marching up the East Coast as it brought the threat of weekend flooding as far north as New England.
The first named storm of the Atlantic season hammered Florida with rain, heavy winds, and tornadoes Thursday as it moved over land toward the coast of Georgia and the Carolinas, promising sloppy commutes and...
The first named storm of the Atlantic season hammered Florida with rain, heavy winds, and tornadoes Thursday as it moved toward the coast of Georgia and the Carolinas, promising sloppy commutes and waterlogged vacation...
The first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has gotten a little stronger as it heads toward Florida's western coast and a new tropical storm warning has been issued for a swath of the U.S. East...
The first named storm of the Atlantic season hammered Florida with rain, heavy winds, and tornadoes Thursday as it moved over land toward the coast of Georgia and the Carolinas, promising sloppy commutes and waterlogged...
Thursday, June 6 2013 7:51 AM EDT2013-06-06 11:51:47 GMT
(RNN) – Less than a week into the official hurricane season, the first storm of the year has formed in the Gulf. Tropical Storm Andrea has sustained winds of 40 mph and is sitting 320 miles SSW of Apalachicola,
Less than a week into the official hurricane season, the first storm of the year has formed in the Gulf.
The first named storm of Atlantic season, Andrea, has formed over the Gulf of Mexico and was likely to bring wet weather to parts of Florida's west coast by the end of the week.
The first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, Andrea, formed Wednesday over the Gulf of Mexico and was expected to bring wet weather to parts of Florida's west coast over the next few days.
Saturday, May 25 2013 7:00 AM EDT2013-05-25 11:00:14 GMT
(RNN) - An active six months is predicted for the 2013 North Atlantic hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center has called it an "extremely active"
An active six months is predicted for the 2013 North Atlantic hurricane season.
Friday, May 24 2013 9:46 PM EDT2013-05-25 01:46:35 GMT
The list of the names is a part of rotating lists of names. For example, the list used in 2012 is used in 2018. Each storm will be named alphabetically. The lists of names are chosen by World Meteorological
The names for the 2013 North Atlantic hurricane season.
