length of a hurricane?

if a hurricane hits, how long does it last? is it always dangerous? i have never been in a huricane. i will be in miami from the 9th to the 14th of august. if a hurricane hits will it completely ruin my vacation?

length of a hurricane?

Depends on it%26#39;s strength when it makes landfall.

Also depends on how fast it is moving. No one can predict. If electricity is lost - a good possibility - it will feel very very uncomfortable, unless you can stay in the pool or ocean.

length of a hurricane?

I can tell you, as someone who was in all three of the hurricanes that hit Orlando (Charley, Freances, Jeanne) in 2004, that you do not want to be anywhere near one! Each storm is different and you will not know, until it has passed, how bad it will be. Once the storm passes many of the problems just begin. Roads can be closed, making it difficult to get in or out of the city, if you lose power it is miserably hot, you may not be able to get gas, or ice, or groceries, sinkholes may open up, wild animals are driven into urban areas sometimes...it%26#39;s just not worth being there. In planning a trip to an area with a hurricane risk, keep in mind that it is MOST risky from mid-August to mid-September but that you can have a hurricane any time between June and December. On the other hand, the media is very good at keeping you informed when there is a hurricane approaching, and will give you a few days notice, but it is ALWAYS dangerous.

Some are very fast but very strong. Some are weak but slow which means they have longer to do the damage. If you are directly in the path, like I was in Charley, all you can do is hide and pray for the best because it is out of your hands!

I hope this helps. I don%26#39;t mean to scare you for no reason, but I was very lucky, and hurricanes are ALWAYS serious!

Oh, I see I did not answer the actual question! Sorry. the hurricanes I was in lasted from 2 hours to 3 days.

';Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale'; from www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/laescae.html

';All Hurricanes are dangerous, but some are more so than others. The way storm surge, wind and other factors combine determines the hurricanes destructive power. To make comparisons easier and to make the predicted hazards of approaching hurricanes clearer to emergency managers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration%26#39;s hurricane forecasters use a disaster-potential scale which assigns storms to five categories. This can be used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast with a hurricane.

The scale was formulated in 1969 by Herbert Saffir, a consulting engineer, and Dr. Bob Simpson, director of the National Hurricane Center. The World Meteorological Organization was preparing a report on structural damage to dwellings due to windstorms, and Dr. Simpson added information about storm surge heights that accompany hurricanes in each category.

Category Winds Effects

One 74-95 mph No real damage to building structures. Damage primarly to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Also, some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage

Two 96-110 mph Some roofing material, door, and window damage to buildings. Considerable damage to vegetation, mobile homes, and piers. Coastal and low-lying escape routes flood 2-4 hours before arrival of center. Small craft in unprotected anchorages break moorings.

Three 111-130 mph Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Mobile homes are destroyed. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 feet ASL may be flooded inland 8 miles or more.

Four 131-155 mph More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof strucutre failure on small residences. Major erosion of beach. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain continuously lower than 10 feet ASL may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas inland as far as 6 miles.

Five greater than 155 mph Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 feet ASL and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5 to 10 miles of the shoreline may be required. ';

you guys gave the best information! thanks. so what are my chances of being in a hurricane from the 9th to the 14th of august? more than 50%? if it%26#39;s more than fifty i guess i%26#39;ll cancel. i know you can never predict but anyone who has much experience on the matter.

Ciao again Alexia!

In my opinion, you really can%26#39;t say what the the percentages are for a hurricane. Prior to 2004, Florida didn%26#39;t see a hurricane in quite a few years! The chance is always there.

I can understand your worries. I didn%26#39;t want to come here either. We usually go to Las Vegas in July. It%26#39;s rare to get rain there. But I have a home in Naples, Florida and took the chance and drove across to SoBe for a while. So far the weather has been incredible!

Good luck whatever you decide. Personally, I%26#39;d love to be in Sorrento in August but that%26#39;s next years trip for me.

Ciao...mama

The best website, in my opinion is the noaa.gov website. Here is how to find historical information on hurricanes. I think you will find the probability answered there. …noaa.gov/noaa.answers/consumer/kbdetail.asp…

Like Mama says, you can%26#39;t place a percentage of risk on that. When I was in the 2004 hurricanes I had been living there for 3 years (I am originally from Michigan, where there are none) and actually believed that hurricanes could not come that far inland. This was supported by the fact that it had not happened in 40 years, so everyone I knew was unaware of that possibility also. It may be another 40 years, or it could be next week. I am going to be in South Beach July 20-25, and I am a little nervous about it, but am not going to change my travel plans. If it happens while I am there I already know from experience that I can trust the local authorities and media and will do everything they say to be safe.

miami here i come! thanks guys! i have to be positive. i think i will be okay. thanks to everyone.

No problem! Now tell me how to get to Italy for cheap! HA HA!