What is a Hurricane like?

I dream of living in New Orleans (and I will). I want my brother to live with me, but he says he doesn't want to die in a hurricane. He thinks that every hurricane is like Katrina. I know that is not the truth, or the atlantic coast would be destroyed. I tell him that they're not all like that, that they're just like a thunderstorm that last for a few days. I've expierenced many tornadoes and severe storms, so I'm just guessing that's what they're like. If every single hurricane destroyed roofs, blew out windows and caused floods what would be the whole point of living there? So, people who have expierenced hurricane (not read about them), what is it like? Every single one that spawns each year can't cause such terrible damage, or can it?