Hurricanes are tropical storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean with wind speeds of at least 119 kilometers (74 miles) per hour. Hurricanes have three main parts, the calm eye in the center, the eyewall where the winds and rains are the strongest, and the rain bands which spin out from the center and give the storm its size. Meteorologists use the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to classify hurricanes into categories one to five. Categories three to five are considered a major storm. A category five hurricane has wind speeds that exceed 252 kilometers (157 miles) per hour. Coastal areas are often most heavily impacted by the damaging winds, rains, and storm surges as the storm collides with or brushes land.

Use this curated collection of resources to teach your classroom about hurricanes.