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Gulf of Mexico. The second most hurricane-prone state is Texas, mostly because it borders the Gulf of Mexico, which is known to produce strong hurricanes. North Carolina, a state whose coastline reaches out into the ocean, is the third most hurricane prone state even though it doesn’t border the Gulf of Mexico. Although there is a Pacific hurricane season, hurricanes very rarely impact the West Coast of the United States. The water in the Pacific Ocean is not warm enough, so it is difficult, but not impossible, for hurricanes to form along the west coast. The last recorded significant hurricane that struck the West Coast hit San Diego, California, in 1858.

WEATHER WONDER

An average of ten tropical storms develop over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico every year, but many of these remain over the ocean. Approximately six of those ten tropical storms will turn into hurricanes.

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Facing the Weather: Hurricanes