Hurricanes By: Henry

What are Hurricanes? Hurricanes are large tropical storms with heavy winds. They contain winds in excess of 74 miles per hour and large areas of rainfall. In addition, they have the potential to give off dangerous tornadoes. The strong winds and excessive rainfall also produce irregular rises in sea levels and crazy flooding.

How Do Hurricanes Form and Where? Hurricanes form in the warm waters near the equator. They are counter-clockwise spinning weather patterns that can travel at speeds up to 60 mph but that more commonly move at about mph. Three things must happen for a hurricane to form : the surface water temperature needs to be 80+ degrees down to a depth of 150 feet; there must be weather disturbances, such as thunderstorms, at the formation point; and there should be no sheer wind. When these three things happen at sea you still have no guarantee that a hurricane will form. If the weather patterns continue and the seas remain steady, the storm system can build and, once the winds reach 74 mph, the system will enter the hurricane stage.

Hurricane Season Atlantic: June 1 st -November 30th Eastern Pacific: May 15 th - November 30th

Hurricane Categories 1- Wind speeds of mph. No real damage to buildings. 2- Wind speeds of mph. Some roofing material, door, and window damage and some flooding. 3- Wind speeds of mph. 4- Wind speeds of mph. More extensive complete roof structure failure on small residences. Major erosion of beach areas. Terrain may be flooded well inland. 5- Wind speeds of 155 mph+. Complete roof failure. MAJOR building destruction. MAJOR flooding. People may have to evacuate their city or town.

An Example of a Category 5 hurricane.

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina of 2005 was the most costly hurricane in U.S. It costs America over 170 billion dollars. It mostly effected New Orleans causing thousands of people to die. Stats: Formed: August 23, 2005 Dissipated: August 30, 2005 High wind speeds: 175 mph Lowest pressure: 902 mbar

The End!

Credits