A typical Cape Verde hurricane will form as a tropical depression just south of the Cape Verde islands. They normally reach hurricane strength in the mid-Atlantic, but sometimes will strengthen closer to Cape Verde or the Caribbean.
Once it begins approaching North America, a Cape Verde hurricane has several basic tracks.
Note that while these tracks are typical, Cape Verde hurricanes are not bound to follow them and often do not.
Because this type of hurricane takes a near-westward path that starts in the eastern Atlantic, they can avoid the two situations that typically end the life of a tropical cyclone: interaction with land, and movement over cool water. Since they can go for several weeks without having either affect them, Cape Verde-type hurricanes are some of the longest-lived storms. Hurricane Faith, the third longest lasting Atlantic hurricane on record, was a Cape Verde hurricane. It lasted 16 days total and was a hurricane for 13.
|1899||1899 Hurricane San Ciriaco||4|
|1900||Galveston Hurricane of 1900||4|
|1926||1926 Miami Hurricane||4|
|1928||1928 Okeechobee Hurricane||5|
|1938|| New England Hurricane of 1938, |
or the Long Island Express
|1947||1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane||5|