In this paper I will talk about what is a hurricane. How they are formed. What time of the year they happen. Inform the reader on the different categories that a hurricane have. Also I will inform about the major hurricanes that happened in the United States.
A hurricane or a tropical cyclone is an intense, rotating oceanic weather system that possesses maximum sustained winds exceeding 119 km/hr (74 mph). It forms and intensifies over tropical oceanic regions. Hurricanes are generally smaller than storms in mid-latitudes, typically about 500 km (311 miles) in diameter. At the ocean’s surface, the air spirals inward in a counterclockwise direction. This cyclonic circulation becomes weaker with height, eventually turning into clockwise outflow near the top of the storm. Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters. Evaporation from the seawater increases their power. Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around an "eye." The center of the storm or "eye" is the calmest part. It has only light winds and fair weather. When they come onto land, the heavy rain, strong winds and large waves can damage buildings, trees and cars. Hurricane season is from June 1st to November 30th.
Hurricanes form in tropical regions. They form there because they need warm water of at least 80º Fahrenheit, high humidity with moist air, light winds, and very warm surface temperatures. Summer and the early fall months are perfect for hurricanes to brew up in the oceans around us. Most of the Atlantic hurricanes brew up on the coast of Africa. For that the northern hemisphere hurricane season is considered through the months of June and November.
The first sign of a hurricane is a cluster of thunderstorms over tropic...
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...f the strongest storms to impact the coast of the United States during the last 100 years. With sustained winds during landfall of 125 mph (110 kts) (a strong category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale) and minimum central pressure the third lowest on record at landfall (920 mb), Katrina caused widespread devastation along the central Gulf Coast states of the US. Cities such as New Orleans, LA, Mobile, AL, and Gulfport, MS bore the brunt of Katrina's force and will need weeks and months of recovery efforts to restore normality. Hurricane Katrina developed initially as a tropical depression (TD #12 of the season) in the southeastern Bahamas on August 23rd. This tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Katrina the next day. It then moved slowly along a northwesterly then westerly track through the Bahamas, increasing in strength during this time.
Hurricane Katrina began its formation above the tropical oceans of the Bahamas. As it traveled to Florida, Katrina became classified as a tropical storm, and then a category one hurricane. With its southwestern path, Hurricane Katrina raged to the east portion of...
Once there was, as never before, a hurricane of great might and strength. As never before, there once was a hurricane of many names: storm, cyclone, tempest, typhoon, and flood. Yet it has lived on in history as the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900. Humanity has glorified and immortalized the hurricane. The Great Galveston Hurricane has been the subject of numerous articles, novels, plays, and poems, as well as four major nonfiction studies (Longshore). It is truly one of hurricane lore’s greatest of storms.
Imagine the horrors that accompany a great hurricane. Visualize the wind, rain, and waves. Hear the piercing screams through crashing waves, crushing buildings, and trees falling. Picture the great devastation. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 was caused by abdominal weather conditions, and led to great destruction. Many lives were lost, and colossal rebuilding of the city had to take place. New city laws and plans were adopted from the hurricane.
Hurricanes are extremely large area’s of low pressure that are over the ocean in either the North Atlantic ocean, or the eastern North Pacific Ocean. If a hurricane is in the western Pacific Ocean than it is called a typhoon. One in the Indian Ocean is called a cyclone. The danger region of a hurricane is normally in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane season is the six month time period from June-November. The peak month of hurricanes is September.
New Orleans by far felt the biggest effect of Hurricane Katrina. Many people were rescued but had nowhere to go and the government was not prepared for the disaster. There was no plan for recovery. Communication failures were one of the major problems which included power failures and broken telephone lines. Homes were destroyed and many were left stuck on the roof of their broken homes. Most of the city’s major roads and buildings suffered extensive damage. Countless people were left unemployed and homeless. Above all, the worst effect caused by Hurricane Katrina was the final death toll of 1,836 people with 705 still reported
According to the “ The handy weather answer book” by Kevin Hile a hurricane is defined as a tropical storm formed in the Atlantic Basin. Winds reach speeds of 74 miles per hour or more. Frequently, hurricanes occur during the months of summer. This allows energy to build from the warm surface of the ocean. Wind speeds, clouds, and the Coriolis effect all contribute to the formation of a hurricane (123). Hurricanes produce fierce winds. Nonetheless, it is the water that creates the most harm. “They can raise tides as high as 20 feet, and dump as much as 20 inches of rain inland,” (Douglas, 107). In fact, the development of Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Katrina caused a tremendous amount of destruction to the Untied States. Analyzing both of these hurricanes will allow a better understanding of the damage they caused. Comparing occurrence of the event, the intensity, and damage. Examining the differences will display how unique each hurricanes are and the danger they bring.
Hurricanes are “long-lasting ocean storms with spinning clouds full of rain and wind. They are the largest storms on the planet. Hurricane winds can blow buildings over, topple trees, and toss boats into the air.” according to Inside Hurricanes by Mary Kay Carson. According to Weather Wiz Kids “each hurricane usually lasts for over a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour over the open ocean.” Hurricanes “don’t happen in an instant, like a tornado or a lighting strike. A storm only grows into a hurricane if all the right ingredients come together,” according to Mary Kay Carson the author of Inside Hurricanes. Hurricanes need heat and the correct kinds of winds to grow and create a powerful storm. According to Inside Hurricanes by Mary Kay Carson, in a hurricane there is an “eye, eyewall, rainbands, sinking cool air, and rising warm air. The eye of a hurricane is usually between 20-40 miles across and has no clouds overhead.
Firstly hurricanes, otherwise known as tropical-cyclones, are formed over warm ocean waters of at least 26.5ºC through depths of at least 45m. There must also be a high Coriolis Effect present such as there is just north and south of the equator. (Moran, 2011) Hurricanes begin as smaller storms called tropical disturbances, if the storm experiences a sufficient loss in surface air pressure coinciding with a strengthening sustained wind the storm is then upgraded to a tropical depression. As the storm continues to intensify and the wind speeds reach 63km/h it then becomes a tropical storm and is finally given a name. When the storm continues to grow in strength and reaches wind speeds of 119km/h it then becomes a hurricane. (Moran,2011)
Hurricanes are large tropical storms occurring near or on the equator with large amounts of wind and rainfall, accompanied by high humidity and possible flooding. By definition, they must have a wind speed of 119 km/hr, or 74 mph. Technically, only tropical cyclones (the scientific term for hurricane) that form in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific are deemed “hurricanes”. They are formed in a chain reaction that starts with the ocean warming the moist air on its surface. Because warm air rises, the air heated by the ocean rises, leaving a low pressure gap underneath, allowing surrounding air to flow in. This process continues with the new air, and eventually, new air begins swirling into the low pressure zone. The previously-warmed air, now pushed up by the new air, begins to condense and form clouds. This is the nascent form of a hurricane, which may or may not fully develop. Hurricanes were first
Some of the topics that will be addressing in this essay are: What is a Hurricane, what are the
Hurricanes are powerful and destructive storms that involve great rain and wind. The United States of America has dealt with many hurricanes that have cost a great amount of damage. However, there is one hurricane that happened in 2005 that stands out among the others, Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst hurricanes to hit the United States, a category 5 on the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale. An estimated 1836 people died because of the hurricane and the floodings that happened after (Zimmermann 1). Katrina initially beg...
Hurricanes are one of the deadliest and most expensive natural disasters around. They are more common in areas of humid yet moist weather so they are very foreign to certain places. But to the places were hurricanes are the norm, the people take them extremely seriously because they kill people and ruin countless amounts of property. Hurricanes can attack and harm people in so many ways they can kill people, leave them homeless, it leaves children orphaned and disable them. On the west coast of the United States and other places hurricanes aren’t taken as seriously as other more common disasters, such as, earthquakes and volcanoes yet the hurricane can be a lot more damaging that both of those. Hurricanes are cyclones that develop over warm oceans and breed winds that blow yup to 74 miles per hour.
Hurricanes are powerful atmospheric vortices that are intermediate in size. Hurricanes are unique and powerful weather systems. The word “hurricane” comes from a Caribbean word meaning “big wind”. Views of hurricanes can be seen from a satellite positioned thousands of miles above the earth.
Hurricanes occur all over the world, at different times, but commonly through June first and late November. However in late August 2005 a catastrophic hurricane struck. This was Hurricane Katrina. With winds traveling over one hundred miles per hour making it a category five on the Saffir- Simpson Hurricane Scale it was said to have cause billions of dollars’ worth of damage. Hurricane Katrina flooded nearly forty thousand homes, and killed at least two thousand people (“Hurricane”). An average category five hurricane has enough energy to power street lamps for more than twenty seven thousand hours (Williams 58). Knowing about Hurricane Katrina, and the devastation of the city in New Orleans would be beneficial. Also, general information on hurricanes can help civilians and people of higher authority better understand and prepare for damage that could once hit their town and community. Because experts know the general information on these storms they can help explain to the public why and how Hurricane Katrina and other hurricanes occur. Hopefully, in the future civilians will know and use this information to their advantage against hurricanes.