Hurricanes- Deadly and Destructuve
Facts about hurricanes
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The Weather Machine
All though it might sound like a machine in a factory that creates weather, the weather machine is just the product of natural forces working together to create weather! It works by taking energy from the sun, atmosphere, and the Earth to create different types of weather such as rain, wind, or in this case, hurricanes.
How a Hurricane Forms.
The process of a hurricane forming doesn't even start with a deadly storm, it starts with warm water. Most hurricanes form of the coast of Africa. Warm, moist air rises over the ocean and form thunderclouds. But, if more warm air begins to come in from the sides and the storms start spinning, it is classified as a tropical depression. Tropical depressions aren't that destructive. But if the conditions are correct, the storm can become a deadly hurricane such as Katrina or Sandy. As soon as wind speeds in a tropical depression reach 34 mph, it is classified as a tropical storm. If the tropical storm continues to grow and the winds reach 74mph, it becomes a hurricane. Once it becomes a hurricane, it's not a hurricane forever, it might loose some wind speed when it hits land and become nothing more than a tropical storm again.
Q: Do all tropical storms become hurricanes?
A: No, not all storms become hurricanes. In order to become a hurricane, wind speed in the storm must reach at least 74mph. However, not all storms will reach that. Some storms will hit land or islands before becoming a hurricane a dissipate. Some might loose the warm water they need to continue growing.
The names of a hurricane.
Depending on where in the world the hurricane forms, it can be called many different things. If the storm forms over the Atlantic or eastern Pacific Ocean. But, near the North Pacific and Philippines, they are called typhoons. And finally, in the Indian and South Pacific Ocean, they are called cyclones.
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Meterology: Tracking A Monster
Meteorologists have an important job: tracking a helping people prepare for dangerous storms. But how do they track a monster like a hurricane? Well, they team up with people called "Storm Chasers" that brave high winds and pouring rain to fly through a hurricane and collect data. Meteorologists use this info, as well as satellite images, to predict the strength of the storm and where it will hit.
Strength of a hurricane
In order to determine the strength of a hurricane, Meterologists turn to the wind speed. A category one hurricane can have winds from 74 mph to 95 mph. Category two is from 96-110, category 3 has to be at least 111mph and at most 130mph, category four is 131-155 mph, and category 5 is anything above 155
Preparing for a disaster
Hurricanes are scary, and there are a few thing you should do to prepare for the oncoming storm. First, you should gather a blanket, food, water, a flashlight, a battery powered radio, and clothes. Then stay inside for the duration of the storm. Or, if the storm is category five, try to leave the house and area.
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Hurricane Sandy
On October 29th, 2012, The eastern US and Canada got hit by a category 3 hurricane named Sandy. Sandy, with a maximum of 115 mph wind speeds, destroyed houses and flooded cities. She also caused over $20,000,000,000 in property damage alone! In order to be more prepared for a monster like Sandy, people who live in hurricane prone areas should have a "Hurricane Survival Kit" containing the items I listed earlier(see Preparing For A Disaster). People should also listen for a hurricane warning if they know there is a hurricane approaching. If people do this, then there will be less deaths caused by hurricanes.