violent winds driving rain killer waves
these are the hallmarks of a hurricane
also called cyclones or typhoons
hurricanes are giant storms prowling the
world’s tropical seas an average
hurricane releases as much energy in a
day as the explosion of half a million
small atomic bombs hurricanes form in
the summer and fall when the Sun heats
vast stretches of tropical ocean to over
82 degrees warm moist air rises over
these hot spots creating thunderstorms
upper-level winds and surface winds then
come together forming a circular pattern
of clouds known as a tropical depression
when the winds exceed 39 miles per hour
a tropical storm has developed when the
winds reach 74 miles per hour a
hurricane is officially born inside the
storm bands of rain up to 300 miles long
meet in the eyewall the most violent
section here winds of up to 200 miles
per hour spiral upward within the center
of the hurricane downdrafts of dry air
create a strangely calm area called the
eye fully formed a hurricane may stretch
over 500 miles in diameter that’s a
storm nearly the size of Texas and reach
a height of nine miles most of these
storms spin out over the open sea but in
an average year two or three will strike
the mainland of North America and when
they do the damage can be catastrophic
most dangerous is the storm surge a wall
of water that sweeps across the
coastline where hurricane makes landfall
a
45,000 people were killed by hurricanes
in the 20th century including some
15,000 in the United States hurricanes
are also costly in dollars 1992 s
Hurricane Andrew was the most expensive
natural disaster in US history causing
more than 25 billion dollars worth of
damage scientists are searching for
better ways to predict the path of a
hurricane special planes called
hurricane hunters fly directly into
these monster storms and dropped sensors
to measure wind speed temperature and
air pressure providing vital clues to
the Hurricanes direction new 3d models
are also helping scientists understand
this awesome force of nature and provide
quicker and more accurate warnings to
anyone unlucky enough to be caught in
its path
these are the hallmarks of a hurricane
also called cyclones or typhoons
hurricanes are giant storms prowling the
world’s tropical seas an average
hurricane releases as much energy in a
day as the explosion of half a million
small atomic bombs hurricanes form in
the summer and fall when the Sun heats
vast stretches of tropical ocean to over
82 degrees warm moist air rises over
these hot spots creating thunderstorms
upper-level winds and surface winds then
come together forming a circular pattern
of clouds known as a tropical depression
when the winds exceed 39 miles per hour
a tropical storm has developed when the
winds reach 74 miles per hour a
hurricane is officially born inside the
storm bands of rain up to 300 miles long
meet in the eyewall the most violent
section here winds of up to 200 miles
per hour spiral upward within the center
of the hurricane downdrafts of dry air
create a strangely calm area called the
eye fully formed a hurricane may stretch
over 500 miles in diameter that’s a
storm nearly the size of Texas and reach
a height of nine miles most of these
storms spin out over the open sea but in
an average year two or three will strike
the mainland of North America and when
they do the damage can be catastrophic
most dangerous is the storm surge a wall
of water that sweeps across the
coastline where hurricane makes landfall
a
45,000 people were killed by hurricanes
in the 20th century including some
15,000 in the United States hurricanes
are also costly in dollars 1992 s
Hurricane Andrew was the most expensive
natural disaster in US history causing
more than 25 billion dollars worth of
damage scientists are searching for
better ways to predict the path of a
hurricane special planes called
hurricane hunters fly directly into
these monster storms and dropped sensors
to measure wind speed temperature and
air pressure providing vital clues to
the Hurricanes direction new 3d models
are also helping scientists understand
this awesome force of nature and provide
quicker and more accurate warnings to
anyone unlucky enough to be caught in
its path
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