Download Hurricanes:

Hurricanes:
General Information
Information obtained from the following web sites:
www.about.com and www.usatoday.com/weather
Hurricanes are one of nature’s most amazing yet destructive
phenomenon. The word hurricane comes from Huracan, the name
of a Caribbean god of evil. Certainly people living in tropical areas
such as the Caribbean know the awesome power and the terrible
destruction that a hurricane can bring. People living in the path of
a developing hurricane know to take every safety precaution, for
hurricanes can be truly devastating.
Hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 30 in the
Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Central Pacific. In the
Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins earlier, on May 15. During
this time, the weather and water are warm and conditions are
right for the birth of a hurricane.
A hurricane begins when the hot sun evaporates a large
amount of seawater. As the warm, moist air rises into the sky, an
area of very low pressure is created. The surrounding air is
sucked in quickly to replace the rising air. This movement of air
causes a whirlpool of warm, moist air. The air spirals around the
calm center, called the eye of the storm.
When the whirlpool of air has just begun, and the winds are
not yet very fast, forecasters call this a tropical depression.
Tropical depressions are given numbers, and many form during
hurricane season. Many times these tropical depressions do not
get stronger, and they eventually die out in the sea. If a tropical
depression intensifies and winds reach an average of 39 m.p.h.,
the depression is called a tropical storm, and it is given a name.
If the storm continues to grow and winds reach 74 m.p.h., the
storm is officially called a hurricane.
Hurricanes are classified by name and category by
meteorologists. Before hurricane season begins, a list of names is
made for that year’s possible hurricanes. The list is in
alphabetical order, and forecasters go down the list as new
tropical storms are formed. Hurricanes are also classified by
categories as to their strength. The categories are based on wind
speed as follows:
Category 1: winds 74-95 m.p.h.
Category 2: winds 96-110 m.p.h.
Category 3: winds 111-130 m.p.h.
Category 4: winds 131-155 m.p.h.
Category 5: winds over 155 m.p.h.
There were only two category 5 hurricanes that struck the
United States in the 20th century. One of these hurricanes hit
the Florida Keys in 1935, and the other, Hurricane Camille, hit
the Mississippi gulf coast in 1969. These hurricanes destroyed
almost everything in their path.
There are 3 main causes of damage from a hurricane:
1) Storm Surge: The storm surge is the dome of water at the
center of the hurricane caused by the area of low pressure.
When the hurricane makes landfall, the surge floods the coastal
areas very quickly. A storm surge can flood the land with
anywhere from 3 to 20 feet of water, depending on the strength
of the hurricane. About 90% of all deaths are caused by the
storm surge.
2) Wind Damage: The winds inside of a hurricane are so powerful
that they will destroy homes and buildings even far inland of
coastal areas.
3) Freshwater Flooding: When the hurricane reaches land, it
dumps so much rain over a large area over a short amount of time
that rivers and streams overflow. People who are not cautious
may lose their homes or their lives when a flood rises quickly.