In the Atlantic Basin, they are called hurricanes, a term that echoes colonial
Spanish and Caribbean Indian words for evil spirits and big winds. These awesome
storms have been a deadly problem for residents and sailors ever since the early
days of colonization. While hurricane damage costs billions of dollars,
the number of people injured or killed during tropical cyclones
in the United States has been declining. Nonetheless, our risk from hurricanes
is increasing. With population and development continuing to increase along
coastal areas, greater numbers of people and property are vulnerable to
hurricane threat. Large numbers of tourists also favor coastal locations,
adding greatly to the problems of emergency managers and local decision makers
during a hurricane threat.
Hurricanes cannot be controlled, but our vulnerability can be reduced through
preparedness.
Prepare for a Hurricane
Hurricane History
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Heat kills by taxing the human body beyond its abilities. In a normal year,
about 175 Americans succumb to the demands of summer heat. Among the large
continental family of natural hazards, only the cold of winter -- not lightning,
hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or earthquakes -- takes a greater toll. In the
40-year period from 1936 through 1975, nearly 20,000 people were killed in the
United States by the effects of heat and solar radiation. In the disastrous
heat wave of 1980, more than 1,250 people died.
And those are the direct causalities. No one can know how many more deaths are
advanced by heat wave weather -- how many diseased or aging hearts surrender,
that under better conditions would have continued functioning.
More on Heat Dangers
What is the Heat Index?
How do we alert you of dangerous temperatures?
How does my body handle the heat?
Why cities make the problems worse
Heat Disorders and Symptoms
How to protect yourself
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www.srh.weather.gov 
National Weather Service Forecast Office