According to the National Hurricane Center, the terms hurricane and typhoon are regionally specific names for a strong tropical cyclone. Cyclones with maximum sustained surface winds of less than 39 miles per hour are usually called tropical depressions. If the cyclone reaches winds of at least 39 miles per hour, then it is called a tropical storm (or in Australia a Category 1 cyclone with an assigned name). If winds reach 74 miles per hour, then the cyclone is called

• a hurricane in the North Atlantic Ocean region and in parts of the Northeast Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean regions.
• a typhoon in parts of the Northwest Pacific Ocean region.
• a Category 3 cyclone in parts of the Southwest Pacific Ocean and the Southeast Indian Ocean regions.
• a very severe cyclonic storm in the North Indian Ocean region.
• a tropical cyclone in the Southwest Indian Ocean region.

Hurricane Katrina reportedly caused $81 billion in damage, which is roughly double the previously most expensive storm, Hurricane Andrew. The American Red Cross began the Hurricane Recovery Program to help individuals and communities affected by storm damage. To donate or volunteer to the Red Cross, visit their website.

1. This voting pattern is very unlikely. There is almost no chance that every state above the given dividing line in the continental United States would vote Democratic (blue) and every state below the line would vote Republican (red). It is very unlikely even that Idaho would vote Democratic or California would vote Republican. If this scenario actually happened, the Republican Party would win with 291 electoral votes. (270 votes are needed to win the election.)
2. This voting pattern is also very unlikely. There is almost no chance that every state west of the Mississippi in the continental United States would vote Democratic and every state to the east would vote Republican. It's very unlikely even that New York would vote Republican or Texas would vote Democratic. If this scenario actually happened, the Republican Party would win with 311 electoral votes.