# Just spit-ballin' here, but nuclear weapons vs. hurricanes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063 "2017-08-29T22:40:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/1 "2017-08-29T22:40:16Z")
Somebody at work a couple nights ago posed the question of whether strategically applied nuclear weapons might be able to disrupt the formation of hurricanes in their early formative stages or dissipate one altogether after it’s reached hurricane force. As for me, I have no idea, but I imagine either that they wouldn’t work at all or that radiation damage would be too great on populations and shipping traffic near the target area. But really I have no substantive idea. So I thought I’d toss it out here and see what those better educated in the pertinent areas have to say. I’m about to leave and will be gone for most of the night so thanks in advance for any answers. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/2 "2017-08-29T22:44:59Z")
> **[Hurricanes: The Greatest Storms on Earth](https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Hurricanes)** > > Few things in nature can compare to the destructive force of a hurricane. Called the greatest storm on Earth, a hurricane is capable of annihilating coastal areas with sustained winds of 155 mph or higher and intense areas of rainfall and a storm... “In fact, during its life cycle a hurricane can expend as much energy as 10,000 nuclear bombs!” If that’s true, seems like a couple of nukes, unless somehow deployed very strategically, cannot derail the hurricane. What’s worse than a hurricane? A radioactive hurricane. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/3 "2017-08-29T22:59:56Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > What’s worse than a hurricane? A radioactive hurricane. Coming this Fall: Radioactive Hurricane vs Sharknado (I really wish that sounded less plausible.) I’m curious if the original question referred to nuclear bombs (like A bombs) or thermonuclear bombs (H bombs). An H bomb can be more powerful (up to 1,000 times more) so it might be more likely. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/4 "2017-08-29T23:00:18Z")
This is one of those topics that keeps coming up on this board. The answer is still no. [ul][li] [Can nuclear weapons be used to stop a hurricane?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=255086)[/li][li][Could an atomic bomb stop a hurricane?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=274485)[/li] [li][Could a 20 megaton nuclear bomb](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332574) dropped into the eye of a hurricane wipe it out?[/li][li][Can a nuclear explosion set off in the eye of a hurricane disrupt its intensity?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=794771)[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/5 "2017-08-29T23:19:11Z")
You would have more luck building a giant heat dissipation device. No heat, No hurricane, and no fallout ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/6 "2017-08-29T23:21:16Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Coming this Fall: Radioactive Hurricane vs Sharknado > > (I really wish that sounded less plausible.) > > I’m curious if the original question referred to nuclear bombs (like A bombs) or thermonuclear bombs (H bombs). An H bomb can be more powerful (up to 1,000 times more) so it might be more likely. [Atomic Twister](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_Twister) > [@](#): > > The plot revolves around a series of tornadoes that damage a nuclear reactor in a small town in western Tennessee, in turn causing a near-meltdown at the plant. Although an F2 tornado did hit the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Ohio on 24 June 1998 resulting in the loss of off-site power, and this appears to be the inspiration for the film, the film bears no resemblance to the actual events at Davis-Besse. Strangely enough, this was _not_ a SyFY movie. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/7 "2017-08-30T00:06:28Z")
The short answer is that a nuclear explosion would disrupt the hurricane flow just in the localized area … and only for a short period of time … the flow would resume quick enough it would only be the radioactivity to show for the effort … ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/8 "2017-08-30T00:22:52Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > You would have more luck building a giant heat dissipation device. > No heat, No hurricane, and no fallout A hurricane _is_ a giant heat dissipation device. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/9 "2017-08-30T00:56:53Z")
I’m posting from my phone so I’ll just say it looks like the question has been answered. Thanks all for your comments. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/10 "2017-08-30T01:50:51Z")
This question comes up so often that [NOAA](http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/C5c.html) actually has a page about it. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/11 "2017-08-30T02:30:06Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > This question comes up so often that [NOAA](http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/C5c.html) actually has a page about it. Makes you wonder what kind of people work at the NHC … ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/12 "2017-08-30T05:53:50Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > You would have more luck building a giant heat dissipation device. > No heat, No hurricane, and no fallout Where are you going to put the heat? The several-nuclear-weapons-worth of heat? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/13 "2017-08-30T09:51:05Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > A hurricane _is_ a giant heat dissipation device. So what you’re saying is we need an _anti_-hurricane. A cold one that spins in the opposite direction? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/14 "2017-08-30T13:17:33Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Makes you wonder what kind of people work at the NHC … The kind who have learned, through repeated hard experience, that there \*is \*such a thing as a dumb question. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/15 "2017-08-30T13:31:04Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Coming this Fall: Radioactive Hurricane vs Sharknado > > (I really wish that sounded less plausible.) In the documentary Sharknado, they did dissipate a fairly large tornado with nothing more than a propane tank, so a nuke for a hurricane seems reasonable. (Reasonable in the sharknado universe, that is.) But, yeah, in the end, if the nuke did actually do anything, it would just be adding to the energy of the storm. You’d be better off dumping ice cubes in the ocean, though it would probably take at least a couple of large coolers full. Completely estimated math tells me that it would probably take one of those icebergs they compare to states to really make a difference. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/16 "2017-08-30T13:45:34Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Where are you going to put the heat? The several-nuclear-weapons-worth of heat? Back in the ocean where it came from? 🙂 Seriously … In fact a hurricane that’s over open ocean and becomes stationary will choke out on its own exhaust heat. It only takes a few days. So if we’re brainstorming on how to “fix” hurricanes, maybe the better thing is to learn how to steer them to a standstill in a safe spot, not how to impede their operation. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/17 "2017-08-30T14:14:44Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Back in the ocean where it came from? 🙂 > > Seriously … > > In fact a hurricane that’s over open ocean and becomes stationary will choke out on its own exhaust heat. It only takes a few days. > > So if we’re brainstorming on how to “fix” hurricanes, maybe the better thing is to learn how to steer them to a standstill in a safe spot, not how to impede their operation. A hurricane naturally returns the heat back to the ocean where the ocean is much colder, in part … some heat is used to warm the air where it is colder, and some is radiated out into space … it’s part of the heat transport mechanism moving heat from the equator to the poles and eventually out into space … There’s nothing inherent in a stationary position that breaks down a hurricane exhaust mechanism … that’s a high pressure system aloft: air flows into the low pressure at the surface, rises in the air column, and exhausts out the high pressure at the top … as long as the steering winds are zero from top to bottom, the hurricane can just sit there chugging right along … it’s wind shear (different steering wind speeds at different altitudes) that can rip hurricanes apart … Steering winds are caused by the Earth’s rotation and solar flux … momentum and energy levels are a little beyond human’s ability to control … Houston got lucky … Harvey stalled out when his eye moved over land and quickly slowed down to a Tropical Storm … Wilma (2005) stalled out over the waters off the Yucatan Peninsula and maintained her Category 5 winds … some locations there received 60" of rain in just 24 hours … far far worse than Harvey’s 50" during the entire storm event … Although Harvey’s motion doesn’t happen very often, it does happen … so no real surprises … ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/18 "2017-08-30T16:15:07Z")
Yeah. It wasn’t meant as a serious suggestion. Moving \*that \*much hot air around at will must wait until we’re at least a Kardashiansub[/sub] Type I civilization. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/19 "2017-08-30T16:18:36Z")
Now I’m wondering if, in all his crazy stories, Superman has ever dealt with a hurricane. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063/20 "2017-08-30T17:25:57Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > So what you’re saying is we need an _anti_-hurricane. A cold one that spins in the opposite direction? Sure, that would work. Have fun making one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-spit-ballin-here-but-nuclear-weapons-vs-hurricanes/795063.md?page=2)