Natural Disasters: Hurricanes

Leon Drew

Natural Disasters!

Natural disasters are natural weather events. Today we'll be focusing on the natural disaster; hurricane. They look like this.

Hurricanes are really BIG! But also very harmful, so be careful! 

If you think a hurricanes is coming, remember they have very strong winds, rain, hail, sometimes tornadoes and may even sound like a train whistle. 

Hurricane Causes

When the ocean is warm and the air above the ocean is warm, it makes a tunnel. This tunnel turns into a cycle. And the cycle turns into a cyclone or circle-ish form. When mixed with winds the circle starts turning, making a swirl. The swirl picks up the water and even sand and moves it around in the now tall and large cyclone, turning around and around. Examples↓

Before, During, & After

Before a hurricane there might be lots of thunderstorm/cloudy activity. 

During a hurricane tornadoes, flooding, and a lot of flying things can come at you. There is also an 'eye', which is the middle of the hurricane. It is calm and sunny but not the end, so make sure to stay ready if in this situation!

After a hurricane there is going to be a big path of broken things like houses, buildings, maybe even hurt people. 

Example of the 

'eye' and flooding. 

Specific Needs

Everything needs something for certain things to happen. Like a reaction for an action. Well for a hurricane the 'action' or things needed for it to occur are: warm water (80°F or above), high levels of humidity/moisture (50% or more), and the Fall season (not all the time but mainly). Tropical areas get a lot of hurricanes because many 

times they meet the standards. 

Example

and 

diagram

World: Where

Hurricanes are most likely to occur 5°-30° (345-2070 miles) of the equator because of the Coriolis Effect.

The Coriolis Effect is when the gases in the atmosphere move in a circular motion creating wind and currents. These currents turn differently depending on which parts of the world you're in and make things like hurricanes to switch over to a new current is very difficult and has yet to happened.  

Hurricanes move along above sea level gaining power. They can also move along land, losing energy the longer it stays on land, causing a lot of harm. 

World: Where

Hurricanes happen in a lot of places. In some places hurricanes aren't even called hurricanes. Like in the southern hemisphere, in the South African Australian area (Indian Ocean), they are called Cyclones and in the Asian area (Pacific Ocean) they are called Typhoons. Surprisingly the South American portion of the world doesn't get a lot of tropical cyclones even though it's known for it's hot temperatures.

Key 

and

 example

Data: Tools

Just like anything else today, hurricanes are recorded with data. There are many ways of collecting data. Like the usage of satellites to take pictures from space to measure how big the storm is. Or how the Saffir-Simpson Scale (SSS) rate hurricanes by their wind speed to help predict damage. Even collecting data from an Ocean Thermostat, which measures water temperatures to predict, along with other factors, if a hurricane may appear and travel, is effective.

   SSS 

 Ocean 

Thermostat

Data: Types & Use

There is two main types of data; quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative is data with numbers, while qualitative is data with words or anything not numeric. Like with the satellite example of collecting pictures of a hurricane or tracking it, that would be counted as qualitative because it doesn't necessarily base it's data on numbers. While with an example of using a Storm Tide Sensor the data it collects would be quantitative because it is measuring the how long (duration) and how deep (depth) storm surges or flood 

waters are. 

Satellite is right

USGS Storm Tide Sensor is left

Data: Patterns 

Have you ever heard of patterns? Well if not, patterns are when the same or similar occurrence happens over and over again. Hurricanes have a few of those. An example of a pattern would be hurricanes forming in the more tropical areas. Sure, we know the science behind it but that's still classified as a pattern. Another pattern would be how climate change is making the ocean and air warmer more often, allowing hurricanes to happen more often and stay for longer when they do. These would all be an example of qualitative data.  

                                Images of examples 

                                                              Pattern 

                                            Climate

Data: Money Pattern 

Money is a lot of things, and data is one. Money is qualified as quantitative data because of its numeric value. Now hurricanes cost a lot of money. Not because people can pay for them to happen, but because of the damage it causes. From the 1900's to the 2000's the hurricane damage and costs have skyrocketed. Though there is also the means of inflation to blame. Look at the 

graph to the right of the page. 

Hurricane costs may have gone 

up but the losses caused by one

has lowered.

Graph example

Water Cycle 

Hurricanes have a lot of after affects. In this chapter we're going to talk about the ones that effect the water cycle. 

Hurricanes start by pick up water from the ocean and condensation makes clouds. Water also vaporizes easier because of the heat the hurricane brings and is based of. Then it falls back down as heavy precipitation. This means that

 everything gets watered and 

when the hurricane clears or 

even during it, the water cycle

starts again.

As mentioned in past pages, hurricanes can be very destructive and harmful. The amount of water hurricanes give off can cause erosion and flooding. The intensity of winds can cause building to fall and people to get hurt. Homes, schools, items, and even humans and pets may be lost to intense storms like these. And though in the moment it may seem harmful but have a good outcome in the future. Flooding can replenish soil and revive old rivers and streams. Winds can power windmills and help seeds get to new places. The buildings lost can be rebuilt better than before. 

Hazards of a Hurricane

Impacts: Socially

With the mix of perspectives in a community, hurricanes can either bring in or destroy communities. Some communities may lose people whether it be to move to safer areas or because of the hurricane. People's homes can be demolished either making them wanting to stay and rebuild WITH the community or leave. Some people may gain trauma or lose loved ones and may decide to move away OR heal with the communities help. It's a 50/50 so there's no

way of knowing for certain 

without context, which way 

some people may go.