Ever wondered what makes a hurricane so destructive? RiaNovosti breaks it down for you with their hurricane infographic, detailing how we measure their strength and how they start spinning, peppered with tidbits of hurricane trivia.

So when people start talking about Sandy around the water cooler, you can tell them that the word “hurricane” actually comes from a mischievous Native American deity.

Check out the full-size infographic courtesy of Popular Science.