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There is nothing like them in the atmosphere. Born in warm tropical waters, these spiraling masses require a complex combination of atmospheric processes to grow, mature, and then die. They are not the largest storm systems in our atmosphere or the most violent, but they combine these qualities as no other phenomenon does. In the Atlantic Basin, they are called hurricanes, a term that echoes colonial Spanish and Caribbean Indian words for evil spirits 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. The Richelieu Apartments before Hurricane Camille The Richelieu Apartments after Hurricane Camille Community Hurricane Preparedness is courtesy of the COMET Program, a partnership between NOAA, FEMA and UCAR (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.