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• Potable water system loss or disruption; <br />• Sewer system outage; <br />• Public health and safety: increased rates of diarrhea <br />(including cholera and dysentery), respiratory infections, <br />hepatitis A and E, typhoid fever, leptospirosis, and <br />diseases borne by insects; <br />• Psychological hardship; <br />• Economic disruption; <br />• Disruption of community services; <br />• Agricultural/fisheries damage; <br />• Damage to critical environmental resources; <br />• Damage to identified historical resources; <br />• Fire; <br />• Toxic releases; and <br />• Stormwater drainage impairment. <br />b. Tropical Storms/Hurricanes — Hazard Identification <br />A tropical storm is a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained <br />winds of at least 39 mph. Tropical storms are given official <br />names once they reach these wind speeds. Beyond 74 mph, a <br />tropical storm is called a hurricane, typhoon, or cyclone based <br />on the storm location. A tropical cyclone has a defined cyclonic <br />rotation and severe thunderstorms around a central low- <br />pressure zone. A tropical cyclone is one step above a tropical <br />depression, but a step below a hurricane in terms of intensity. <br />A Tropical Storm Watch is issued by the National Hurricane <br />Center (NHC) when tropical -storm conditions are possible <br />within the specified area. A Tropical Storm Warning is issued <br />by the NHC when tropical -storm conditions are expected within <br />the specified area. <br />Hurricanes are tropical cyclones with winds that exceed 74 <br />mph and blow counter -clockwise about their centers in the <br />Northern Hemisphere. They are essentially heat pumping <br />mechanisms that transfer the sun's heat energy from the <br />tropical to the temperate and polar regions. This helps to <br />maintain the global heat budget and sustain life. Hurricanes <br />are formed from thunderstorms that form over tropical oceans <br />with surface temperatures warmer than 81'F (26.5°C). The <br />ambient heat in the sea's surface and moisture in the rising air <br />column set up a low pressure center and convective conditions <br />that allow formation of self-sustaining circular wind patterns. <br />Under the right conditions, these winds may continue to <br />Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 12 <br />