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2008
Hurricane Names 
Below
are the 21 planned storm names for the 2008 Atlantic Ocean hurricane
season, which runs June 1 through Nov. 30. The World Meteorogical
Organization oversees the list, which repeats every seventh year unless a
storm is particularly severe, in which case the name is retired.
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Arthur
Bertha
Cristobal
Dolly
Edouard
Fay
Gustav
Hanna
Ike
Josephine
Kyle
Laura
Marco
Nana
Omar
Paloma
Rene
Sally
Teddy
Vicky
Wilfred |
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Before a hurricane arrives is the best time to
prepare your home and yard for one.
If a hurricane does
approach, be sure to bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys, and garden
tools and anchor objects that cannot be brought inside.
Secure buildings by closing
and boarding up windows. Be sure to remove outside antennas and anything else that
may have the potential to become a lethal projectile.
Be sure you
have a supply of batteries, fuel, water, food, medicine,
and anything else you feel you may need if you cannot
get out to a store to make purchases because of storm
damage and power outages.
Do not
forget about your pets. Make sure they have the food,
medicine, litter, and so on that they will need to see
them through the storm and its potential aftermath.
Be SMART.
Do not go out in the storm, do not go near downed power
lines. If the situation seems dangerous, move away!
Hurricanes are tropical
cyclones in which winds reach constant speeds of 74 miles per hour or more, and blow in a
large spiral around a relatively calm center -- the eye of the hurricane. Stated
simply, hurricanes are giant whirlwinds in which air moves in a large tightening spiral
around a center of extreme low pressure, reaching maximum velocity in a circular band
extending outward 20 or 30 miles from the rim of the eye. Hurricanes are nothing to
fool around with.
The Hurricane Intensity
Scale
Hurricanes are rated in
intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. This
scale rates hurricanes by their wind speed, barometric
pressure, storm surge height, and damage potential.
| Category |
Wind Speed |
Barometric
Pressure |
Storm Surge |
Damage Potential |
1
(Weak) |
74 - 95 mph
65 - 82 kts |
28.94" or
more
980.02 mb or more |
4.0' - 5.0'
1.2 m - 1.5 m |
Minimal damage to
vegetation |
2
(Moderate) |
96 - 110 mph
83 - 95 kts |
28.50" -
28.93"
965.12 mb - 979.68 mb |
6.0' - 8.0'
1.8 m - 2.4 m |
Moderate damage to
houses |
3
(Strong) |
111 - 130 mph
96 - 113 kts |
27.91" -
28.49"
945.14 mb - 964.78 mb |
9.0' - 12.0'
2.7 m - 3.7 m |
Extensive damage
to small buildings |
4
(Very strong) |
131
- 155 mph
114 - 135 kts |
27.17"
- 27.90"
920.08 mb - 944.80 mb |
13.0'
- 18.0'
3.9 m - 5.5 m |
Extreme
structural damage |
5
(Devastating) |
Greater
than 155 mph
Greater than 135 kts |
Less
than 27.17"
Less than 920.08 mb |
Greater
than 18.0'
Greater than 5.5m |
Catastrophic
building failures possible |
Emergency
Link:
FEMA
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