Eye Of The Storm V Hurricane Movement example essay topic

I. What will this season bring and will you be prepared? II. Hurricanes can happen at any time of the year, but there is an official "Hurricane Season". In the United States, this season is from June 1st - November 30 when the water temperature is relatively high. There are an average of 85 tropical storms and 45 hurricanes globally per year. About nine named storms form per year in the tropical Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico area, with around six of those becoming hurricanes and two of those becoming intense hurricanes..

A hurricane is well defined as a severe tropical storm that exceeds winds of 64 knots (74 mi / hr ). Hurricanes are born in warm tropical oceans, where they gather heat and energy through contact with the water. Evaporation from the seawater increases their power. If the right conditions last long enough, a hurricane can produce violent winds, incredible waves, torrential rain and floods.

When hurricanes move onto land, the heavy rain, strong wind and waves can damage buildings, trees and cars easily. This storm serge is very dangerous and a major reason why you MUST stay away from the ocean during a hurricane. Now, lets look at some of the truths and dynamics of a hurricane. Hurricane eye: A region typically 20-50 km in diameter found at the center of a hurricane where skies are often clear and winds are light. The storm's lowest pressure readings are found here.

An Eye wall is a wall of clouds and intense thunderstorms that surround the eye. Spiral rain bands are bands of thunderstorms that wrap around the hurricane. IV. A hurricane develops when a cold air mass is located above an organized cluster of tropical thunderstorms. This results in an unstable atmosphere. This instability leads to the development of the convection theory.

Fueled by convection, strong vertical updrafts (red arrows) lift air and moisture upwards, favoring the development of large masses of clouds. The air exits at the top of the cloud and begins to sink back downward (blue arrows). These spiraling masses require a complex combination of atmospheric processes to grow, mature, and then die. Hurricanes go through a set of developmental stages. 1.) Disturbance. Tropical disturbance is the beginning of a hurricane, and it has no strong winds around an area of low pressure containing cloudiness and some precipitation.

2.) Tropical depression is the next stage of a developing hurricane. It has at least one strong wind that accompanies a drop in pressure in the center of the storm. As the surface pressure begins to fall and the winds increase, tropical disturbances become tropical depressions. 3.) The third stage is a tropical storm. This is stronger than a depression because the central pressure drops and the circulation around the center of the storm intensifies. Winds increase and the storm becomes more organized and the appearance begins to resemble a hurricane.

4.) A hurricane is the final stage. Surface pressure continues to drop while strengthening the rise of the storm. The storm takes on a familiar hurricane appearance and a rotation develops around the central core. Spiral rain bands start to rotate around the eye of the storm. V. Hurricane movement is strongly related to the global winds. The easterly winds in the tropics usually steer the hurricanes southwestward rotating the winds clockwise around their centers.

The prevailing westerlies steer it northeastward with counterclockwise rotating winds. Day to day course changes in a storm are partly affected by upper level winds, water temperature, the relative proximity of high pressure systems and other low pressure areas. Meteorologist can now feed the location and predicted movement of these upper level winds, high and low pressure systems, water temps and more into a computer with Hurricane modeling software. This software will predict the influence these systems might have on the storm. You might think that they would then be able to predict the future course of the storm, but we are not that far yet. VI.

The difference between a watch and a warning is very crucial to the approach and preparedness of a hurricane. A hurricane watch indicates the possibility that you could experience hurricane conditions within 36 hours. The areas listed in a Hurricane Watch are fairly wide. If your neighborhood is included in a Hurricane Watch area, you can count on some bad weather at a minimum, winds at about 30 mph, rainfall, and possibly tornadoes that are spawned by the hurricane. If you are in an area where a Hurricane Warning is issued, you need to take immediate care to protect your life and property. A Hurricane Warning means you are extremely likely to see hurricane conditions in your area within 24 hours or less, with wind travel at least at 74 mph.

VII. The Safir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a 1-5 rating based on the hurricane's present intensity. This is used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast from a hurricane landfall. Wind speed is the determining factor in the scale. Category 1: Winds 74-95 mph.

Storm surge generally 4-5 ft above normal. No real damage to building structures. Damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, trees, poorly constructed street signs. Category 2: Winds 96-110 mph. Storm surge generally 6-8 feet above normal. Some roofing material, door, and window damage of buildings.

Considerable damage to shrubbery, trees, mobile homes, poorly constructed signs, and piers. Coastal and low-lying escape routes flood 2-4 hours before arrival of the hurricane center. Category 3: Winds 111-130 mph. Storm surge generally 9-12 ft above normal. Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings. Damage to shrubbery and trees with debris blown off trees and large tress blown down.

Mobile homes and poorly constructed signs are destroyed. Low-lying escape routes engage in rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the hurricane center and may cause need to evacuate. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by battering of floating debris. Category 4: Winds 131-155 mph. Storm surge generally 13-18 ft above normal. Some complete roof structure failures on small residences.

Shrubs, trees, and all signs are blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Extensive damage to doors and windows. Low-lying escape routes have rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the hurricane center. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Category 5: Winds greater than 155 mph.

Storm surge generally greater than 18 ft above normal. Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. All shrubs, trees, and signs blown down.

Severe and extensive window and door damage. Low-lying escape routes also have rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the hurricane center. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5-10 miles of the shoreline may be required. V. The main hazards associated with hurricanes are storm surge, high winds, heavy rain, and flooding, as well as tornadoes. The intensity of a hurricane is an indicator of damage potential. However, impacts are a function of where and when the storm strikes.

These hazards can bring other consequences not directly related to the storm. For example, hurricane-related deaths and injuries are often the result of fires started by candles used when the electricity fails. Heart attacks and accidents frequently occur during the clean-up phase. And depending on the industrial facilities in your area, hurricane damage might cause chemical spills that could make the disaster even worse. IX.

Short distinctive names are given to hurricanes to help us identify storms and track them as they move across the ocean. It is quicker and easier than the older latitude-longitude identification methods. This advantage is especially important in exchanging detailed storm information b / w hundreds of stations, coastal bases, and ships at sea. Both men and women's names are used and one name for each letter of the alphabet is selected. So who decides what names are used each year? The World Meteorological Organization uses 6 lists in rotation.

The same lists are reused every 6 years. The only time a new name is added is if a hurricane is very deadly or costly and the future use of the name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. This then means that name is retired and will not be used again. X. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also know as the NOAA weather radio, broadcasts the latest updates and news about the weather 24 hours a day. The NOAA Weather Radio network has more than 480 stations. How does this radio work? National Weather Service forecasters provide weather programming all the time to help you plan.

The radios also send out a special alarm tone to alert you to a life- threatening situation. This is important because sometimes weather can turn deadly very fast. With the NOAA Weather Radio, you will be alerted to dangerous weather with time to take shelter and get prepared. These radios broadcast more than just warning about natural hazards. They also broadcast warnings and information disasters, such as chemical releases or oil spills. XI.

Disasters happen. There is not much that we could do about that. But there are things that we can do to protect our homes and reduce the risk of damages. Listen to the radio or TV for weather updates; stock up on supplies such as food, water and batteries; shut off utilities; gas up your car; put shutters up; board up your windows; bring patio furniture in; and know if you are in an evacuation area, and if you are, do not go back home until you are advised that it is safe and you are told to do so. Every family should have a Disaster Supply Kit in their home. The kit will help you and your family during a disaster.

You probably may never need to use your disaster supply kit, but it is always better to be prepared. XI. Hurricanes are huge killer storms that have minds of their own aiming on the destruction of mankind. Hurricanes are not the largest storm systems in our atmosphere or the most violent, but they are among the most powerful climatic events to occur on our planet.

Thankfully, the number of people injured or killed during hurricanes in the US has been declining, largely because of improvements in forecasting and preparedness. Hurricanes are relatively slow to develop and can be fairly well forecast with modern computer modeling techniques. Hurricanes cannot be controlled, but our vulnerability can be reduced through preparedness. Forecasters are predicting a busy season this year with twice as many storms than last year. There are eleven to fifteen named tropical storms expected. Six to nine of these storms are predicted to become hurricanes, and two to four of those hurricanes could become intense.

Now that you have the facts, it's up to you to be prepared. Merger, Martin. "Forecasters See a Busy Season for Hurricanes". The Miami Herald. 20 May 2003: 1 b-2 b Kaye, Ken. "A Busy Season".

South Florida Sun- Sentinel. 20 May 2003: 1 a, 4 a "National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration". Hurricanes: Nature's Greatest Storms. 21 May 2003.22 April 2003. "FEMA". Hurricanes.

21 May 2003.24 February 2003.