For those who don't live in hurricane alley, what does influence what way a hurricane moves? Gulf Stream? Heated waters? I know the latter can strengthen them.
I'm no weather geek, but I always thought that the direction of the hurricane's movement was caused by the barometric pressure of the area around it. For instance, a high pressure ridge will prevent the hurricane from moving in that particular direction. It more or less follows the path of least resistance. Someone more knowledgable could probably add to that, as it is probably more complicated. But hurricanes certainly aren't pushed around by wind like a tumbleweed.