We haven't had a CAT 5 hurricane hit the US in a while. What happened to the CAT 5's?

Question

Yahoo wanted me to post this in Pets>Cats. Go figure.

Answer 1

I hope we can keep things that way. no more cat 5 hurricanes, please.

Answer 2

A hurricane's strength is almost directly related to the energy available to it (and a number of other factors of course.) Many hurricanes that develop to category 4 or 5 storms weaken before hitting land. This is because there is more energy available to them in the open ocean rather than closer to shore. There are two reasons for this:

First, the water is deeper in the open ocean, which allows it to store more energy.

Second, the water is generally warmer in the open ocean due to ocean currents that bring water from further south. You can see an example of this here:

http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/flm.html

The warmer water is part of the "Loop Current" (http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/atl... ) that flows through the Gulf of Mexico, entering from the south between Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula, and exiting the Gulf south of Florida. The shape of this current has a huge effect on hurricane forecasts which we usually don't hear about.

Answer 3

I've been pissin' God off a lot lately.  I wouldn't count out Hanna or Ike before it's over.

Answer 4

Like F-5 tornadoes they are extremely rare.  

Answer 5

Do you know what kind of damage a category 5 can cause???  Why would anyone want a cat 5 to hit??  I live in Florida and that would be devastating.

Answer 6

In the last 50 + years only 2 have come ashore as a Cat 5. (camille and andrew) Do you really want more?

Answer 7

Well, in case you didn't notice, you have the word cat (which is short for category obviously) in the question. Yahoo answers doesn't know the difference.

Category 5 hurricanes are rare, and the ones that do exist are very likely to make landfall as a category 4 hurricane or less because of weakening.

I do hope you aren't asking for another one to strike the U.S.

Answer 8

Global warming.  

Answer 9

lol

what, are you wishing for a CAT 5?

Answer 10

What?? DO you want one?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????? If you want a Cat 5 then usa is going to get some of there states destroyed.

Answer 11

We don't want any of those at all.

Not today anyway or in the near future.

We almost had one, but Gustav died down, before US landfall.