Misbehaving Weather

The list below are of eight storms. Weather misbehaving. But, what's the difference between them? How is a storm labeled? With Hurricane Matthew taking a tour of the Atlantic coast, I decided to look up the formal definition of these storms.

Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Monsoons
Typhoons
Tropical Storms
Cyclones
Blizzards
Blazes

Full Definition of hurricane    

1 :  a tropical cyclone with winds of 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour or greater that occurs especially in the western Atlantic, that is usually accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightning, and that sometimes moves into temperate latitudes — see beaufort scale table

2 :  something resembling a hurricane especially in its turmoil

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hurricane

 

 

Full Definition of tornado    

plural  tornadoe or  tornados

 

1.  archaic :  a tropical thunderstorm
2. a :  a squall accompanying a thunderstorm in Africa
b : a violent destructive whirling wind accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud that progresses in a narrow path over the land

     3 :  a violent windstorm :  whirlwind

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tornado


Full Definition of monsoon

1. a periodic wind especially in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia
2. the season of the southwest monsoon in India and adjacent areas that is characterized by very heavy rainfall
3. rainfall that is associated with the monsoon

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monsoon

Full Definition of typhoon

1.  a hurricane occurring especially in the region of the Philippines or the China sea
2.  whirlwind a typhoon of activity.

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/typhoons

 

 

Full Definition of tropical storm

1. :  a tropical cyclone with strong winds of over 39 miles (63 kilometers) per hour but less than hurricane intensity

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tropical%20storm

 

 

 

Full Definition of cyclone

 

1 a :  a storm or system of winds that rotates about a center of low atmospheric pressure, advances at a speed of 20 to 30 miles (about 30 to 50 kilometers) an hour, and often brings heavy rain

   b :  tornado

    c :  ⁴low 1b

 

2 :  any of various centrifugal devices for separating materials (as solid particles from gases)

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cyclone

 

 

Full Definition of blizzard

1.  a long severe snowstorm
2. an intensely strong cold wind filled with fine snow
3. an overwhelming rush or deluge blizzard of mail around the holidays.

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blizzard

 

Definition of blaze

1. a :  an intensely burning fire

    b :  intense direct light often accompanied by heat blaze of TV lights
    c :  an active burning; especially :  a sudden bursting forth of flame  

2 :  something that resembles the blaze of a fire: as
    a :  a dazzling display blaze of color
    b :  a sudden outburst blaze of fury blaze of glory
    c plural :  hell blazes blazes

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blaze


I was in a hurricane once. It was my first year of college. Four weeks into the first semester was my birthday. Hurricane Edward decided to drop by to my campus in South Carolina. I remember the evacuation. Almost the entire school lived west and had to drive home. A group of us had to hide out in the basement/club. My roommate at the time grew up in South Carolina and showed me how to prepare the room. Locking the sheets in the closet for example.

I remember getting Burger King alone for my birthday dinner. My friends had all left. We had to be down in the basement by 6pm. At one point, an upperclassman who lived in South Carolina had the door open watching the storm. It was almost over at that point.

I was the teacher later that year when in snowed. No biggy but it was the first time in 9 years for them! 3 inches were treated like a foot of snow up here. I was the one teaching other kids how to handle snow. I still remember my new roommate walking to the student center in sneakers......tiptoeing with every step. "Are you sure it's okay?" Classes were canceled for three days.

Misbehaving weather. Why can't wind and rain stay annoying but harmless? Why must nature do so much damage?

When any of these hit, I pray. I pray for everyone that might be effected. Their fears become my fears. I learned something interesting about that experience in hurricane Edward. Sometimes my fears for what might happen to others are bigger then their fears for themselves. But, it's something no one can control. It's misbehaving weather.