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With
mean winds of 150 MPH, gusts of 200 MPH, up to 30 mm of rainfall
and tidal waves 5 metres high ensure there’s no doubting the
destructive powers of hurricanes.
They can cost us dear both in financial and human terms. Hurricane
Andrew caused more the $30 million damage caused in Florida
in 1992. And the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 was responsible
for the death of around 10000 people.
Hurricanes form over very warm tropical waters, close to the
equator. Our bad weather systems - or depressions - form off
the eastern seaboard of North America and are totally different
in character - no matter how windy it gets.
So
remember - we don’t get hurricanes in this country - as Michael
Fish pointed out one fateful evening back in October 1987….
But
what Michael did not have time to make clear, is that although
we don’t get hurricanes in the West Country, we can get hurricane
force winds. What was later to become known as the
Great Storm was being referred to on the 15th and 16th October
1987 as a Hurricane.
With
damage on the scale that occurred that day it is easy to see
how the distinction between a storm and a hurricane can be
lost. But in fact any wind above 73 MPH is of hurricane force.
And once winds become that strong then damage can be spectacular.
The West Country was lucky to have missed the worst of the
Great Storm with the south coast, Southeast and East Anglia
taking the brunt of the Storm. But damage was still pretty
severe in our region and our reporters were struggling manfully
to bring us details of what was happening.
Hurricane force winds can cause major problems in the West
Country and they do so on a fairly regular basis. But we should
all be very grateful that the worst that Mother Nature throws
at us is a depression. Now if it was a hurricane, that would
be a very different matter.
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