NORFOLK, Va. — As we head towards the peak of hurricane season in September, it's always important to understand the devastating effects hurricanes can have when they approach land.
Every hurricane season, meteorologists use the term 'dirty side' to describe the most dangerous part of the hurricane. But what is the dirty side of a hurricane and why is it so dangerous?
The "dirty side" of a hurricane refers the right side of a hurricane or more specifically, the right-front quadrant of the storm.
This side is usually the most intense and dangerous part of the hurricane due to the stronger winds, heavier rain, and a significantly higher chance to see tornadoes.
The dirty side is where the storm's forward motion combines with its rotational winds, which increases wind speeds and enhances the storm surge. For example, if a hurricane is moving north at 15 mph and its rotational winds are 100 mph, the winds on the right side can reach 115 mph.
This side of the hurricane tends to produce the most significant impacts, including severe flooding, structural damage, power outages and storm surge.
According to the National Hurricane Center, storm surge refers to the abnormal rise in seawater level during a storm, primarily due to the wind pushing water onshore.
There are a lot of factors that determine how high storm surge will be including the storm's intensity, speed, size, and the shape of the coastline. The storm surge leaves low-lying areas particularly vulnerable.
During a storm surge, water levels can rise rapidly, inundating coastal regions and leading to severe property damage, loss of life and environmental destruction. The combination of storm surge and high tide can be especially devastating, resulting in what is known as a storm tide, which can reach heights of 20 feet or more.
During Hurricane Katrina back in 2005, New Orleans saw the highest storm surge ever recorded, reaching a maximum height of 28 feet.
After Debby made her second landfall in South Carolina, she trekked her way north up through North Carolina and eventually through Virginia. Debby tracked far west from Hampton Roads as a tropical storm and depression, but left the area on the right side, or 'dirty side,' of her path.
Debby left a plethora of tornado warnings as she passed by to our west and was a prime example as to why being on the 'dirty side' of a tropical system can be the most dangerous, yet another example to understand that it does not take a major hurricane or even a 'weak' hurricane for tropical systems to bring dangerous weather.
