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Intense Low Pressure Causes Storm Surge
Many people believe that the intense low pressure within the eye, or center of the storm, causes storm surges. The large waves crashing ahead of the center of the storm are what are known as storm surges. Intense winds pushing the ocean's surface before the storm, on the right side of the storm's track, make up 85 percent of a hurricane's storm surge. Many factors determine the height of these waves, including air pressure, wind speed, topography and storm speed.
Land Kills Tropical Cyclones
One of the prevailing myths is that land friction kills hurricanes. In fact, when a hurricane moves over land, it decreases the overall wind speed, but increases wind gusts at the ground surface. A tropical cyclone will lose strength and eventually die over land due to the lack of energy and heat from the ocean provides.
Strong Tropical Cyclones Are Large
A popular myth says that strong tropical cyclones tend to come in large sizes. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center could find very little association between the size of the storm and the intensity. For example, Hurricane Andrew had 145 mph sustained winds at landfall, but those winds only extended out 91 miles from the center.
Experiments to Reduce the Strength of the Hurricane
Beginning in 1961 with Hurricane Esther and ending with Hurricane Ginger in 1971, the United States government sanctioned a project called Project Stormfury. Scientists believed they could decrease a hurricane's intensity by seeding the storm clouds with silver iodide. Experts thought by seeding in convective clouds just outside the hurricane's eyewall, it would weaken the storm by forming a complete circular motion naturally. However, scientists could not find any difference between seeded and unseeded storms in the long run, so the project was discontinued.