Why are hurricanes destructive?

Question

Why are hurricanes destructive?

Answer 1

high winds, waves, lots of rain.

basically floods destroy thing and wash things away and promote disease

the gales rip buildings apart etc

Answer 2

because people ain't smart enough to build stronger buildings

Answer 3

Two major factors are their size and duration. The widespread strong winds over a long period cause destruction.

Related to the extent and strong winds is the storm surge, a term that refers to the rise in sea level as the storm moves on shore. This, plus all the rain, causes flooding.

Overall you could say that hurricanes are destructive because they carry so much energy.

Answer 4

Hurricanes are destructive for many reasons; 1) They are massive 2) They affect a large area 3) They have lots of energy.  

From a meteorological perspective hurricanes feed off of very warm ocean waters.  Water temperatures need to be ~80F in order for tropical activity to form.  You need favorable winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere as well.  As the system travels over warm waters in continues to intensify and it gains lots of energy.  Depending on the storm the wind fields can cover quite a large area as well.  Hurricanes are low pressure systems which means air is rising rapidly and since it is a fairly intense system the air is rising with tremendous force.  

The strong winds help to create large waves and storm surge near coastal areas.  As the system nears land the threat for tornadoes begins to exist, especially in the right front quadrant of the storm.

Answer 5

WOOOSH!

Answer 6

There are a variety of issues with a Hurricane.  They have sustained wind speeds of 75mph,  heavy rains and associated flooding.   And not least of all, they cause quite a few tornadoes.   With all of that some people lose electric from weeks and even months.   The drinking water is contaminated and far too many are left homeless.

Answer 7

It is a combination of the continues rain, strong winds, and the consistanty of it.

Answer 8

They rip things apart.

Answer 9

Winds do a lot of damage by ripping things apart, but the most destructive thing is the storm surge because that is what causes flooding and tears down whole houses.

Answer 10

Because what they destroy is designed and built for less wind-force, less storm-surge-resistance, and less water-proofing.

The biggest and most common excuse is cost, but since a new continuous reinforcing system that makes buildings and structures hurricane-windforces-proof, and water-proofable,  came out in 2005, that is even more affordable than what is being designed and built currently with, your gonna have to tell me as to what the new excuses are.