How Hurricanes Form
Most hurricanes in the Atlantic basin form as a wave or piece of energy off the west coast of Africa. They tend to move East to West because of upper level steering winds and trade winds that blow out of the northeast about 10-15 degrees north of the equator.

Once over the ocean, the tropical wave becomes a cluster of thunderstorms and disturbed weather as evaporation begins to take place. This is where the storm begins organizing into what could be a tropical system.


Tropical systems get their power from the evaporation of warm ocean water. That’s why they diminish substantially and eventually die when they hit land. Their water source or power source gets cut-off. If these warm core systems can reach wind speeds of 39 miles per hour, they will be given a name. If they can intensify enough and reach wind speeds of 74 miles per hour, they become hurricane status.
Once out over the warm waters of the Atlantic, tropical systems generally take one of three paths. Upper level steering winds can drive them into the north Atlantic where they will do little to no harm. A path on course for the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, or Northeast United States is across the south-central Atlantic toward Florida and the Bahamas. Finally, these systems can track into the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico where they become a threat to the southern United States, Gulf Coast, Central America, and Mexico.
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