Most hurricanes that are big and make the most distruction form near the equator, why is that?

     The reason why, is because a hurricane is just a big mass driven by heat. The equator is very hot, so the waters near it get very warm , perfect for a hurricane. The tropics North and South of the equator are warmer places, where they will normally form. Without the Coriolis Effect though, this wouldn't be possible.
     What is the Coriolis Effect and what does it do for these types of hurricanes? Well, the Coriolis Effect is a force, that is close to the earth's surface, that causes the hurricane to go to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere due to the earth's rotation. The forces include global winds, ocean currents, and anything else that moves all across the Earth's surface. 
     If not for the spinning of the Earth, global winds would blow in straight lines running from the South to the North! Although really, global winds blow diagonally, like from the Northwest to the Southeast. The Coriolis effect goes in the direction of winds around the world. As in the Northern Hemisphere, it curves them to the right and in the Southern Hemisphere, it curves them to the left. 

     Below is a picture of a hurricane forming: