Hurricanes, Climate and Socioeconomic Impacts

Hurricanes of the North Atlantic Ocean have left their imprint on the landscape and human cultures for thousands of years. In modern time, fewer lives have been lost due, in part, to the development of modern communication systems, and to improved understanding of the mechanisms of storm formation and movement. However, the immense growth of human populations in coastal areas at risk to hurricanes, has resulted in large increases in the amount of property damage sustained over the last decade in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean regions. This book is of interest to climatologists and meteorologists and a source of information for policymakers and emergency management planners.