Hurricane Andrew: The King of Destruction

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Imagine sitting in your room, and on the phone. Maybe you are playing a game, like Angry Birds, or Cookie Clicker. Out of the blue, a hurricane rips apart your newly built house! Hurricanes can be deadly, and can cause a lot of damage if attention is not paid. “Anyone who says that they’re not afraid at the time of a hurricane is either a fool, a liar, or a little bit of both”-Anderson Cooper . Mr. Cooper is not alone on that quote. Natural disasters affect hundreds of thousands of people each year. People prepare in advance, and warnings are given. Natural disasters can destroy buildings, cars, and even whole towns! Hurricanes are a type of natural disaster. Hurricanes form over water, preferably warm water that is at least 26 degrees Celsius and form near the equator . These are huge spinning storms which bring strong winds, heavy rains, flooding, and even tornados. Before it becomes a hurricane, it starts as a body of air when the atmospheric pressure is lower than the surrounding air, resulting in these beasts. Hurricanes spin counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere, and clockwise in the southern hemisphere . Hurricanes are also classified into categories that range from 1-5 on the Saffir- Simpson scale. Category 1 hurricanes are the weakest, at 119-153 kph winds. Category 2 hurricanes range from 154-177 kph winds. Category 3 and above are considered major hurricanes, which inflict incredible damage to the landscape, forestry, and lives. Category 3 hurricanes range from 178 to 208 kph winds. Category 4 hurricanes go from 209-251 kph winds. Finally, Category 5 hurricanes have greater than, or equal to 252 kph winds and cause total destruction . Hurricane Andrew was a Category 5 hurricane that affected mostly the continent...

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... Feb. 2014. .

Netting, Ruth. How Do Hurricanes Form?. NASA, 8 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .

Which Way do Hurricanes Spin?. OpenHazards, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .

Rappaport, Ed. Hurricane Andrew. NCEP, 10 Dec. 1993. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .

Hurricane Andrew 1992. NOAA, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .

Allen, Greg. Hurricane Andrew's Legacy: 'Like A Bomb' In Florida. NPR, 23 Aug. 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .

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