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Hurricanes

Hurricanes. What’s the difference???. A hurricane is a massive rotating storm that forms when warm, moist air rises over tropical waters. What is a Hurricane?. Up to 600 miles across Strong winds spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph

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Hurricanes

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  1. Hurricanes What’s the difference???

  2. A hurricane is a massive rotating storm that forms when warm, moist air rises over tropical waters. What is a Hurricane?

  3. Up to 600 miles across • Strong winds spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph • Gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters • Usually lasts for over a week, moving 10-20 mph over the ocean • Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around an “eye” in the Northern Hemisphere, and a clockwise direction in the Southern hemisphere. • The “eye” of the storm is the center and the calmest part of the hurricane. Characteristics of Hurricanes

  4. The most devastating element in a hurricane • A massive wall of water that builds up at sea and blows into land • As a hurricane’s winds spiral around in the ocean, water is pushed into a mound at the storm’s center. • This mound of water become dangerous when the storm reaches land because it causes flooding along the coast. The water piles up, unable to escape anywhere but on land as the storm carries it landward. What is a storm surge?

  5. The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, but most hurricanes occur during the fall months. Hurricane Season

  6. 1950-1952 • Identified by the phonetic alphabet • Able, Baker, Charlie…etc. • 1953 • The U.S. Weather Bureau switched to women’s names • 1979 • The World Meteorological Organization now has naming rights • Different sets of names are used depending on the part of the world. • The list now alternates both male and female names. • There are 6 different name lists that alternate each year. If a hurricane does significant damage, its name is retired and replaced with another. Hurricane Names

  7. Hurricane Typhoon Western Pacific Ocean • Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Eastern Pacific Ocean • Cyclone • Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Australia What’s the difference?

  8. How are Hurricanes categorized?

  9. Tropical Wave--These are the most common of tropical disturbances with about 100 forming each season. They lack a closed circulation, which is when there are winds in every direction. Wind speeds are less than 20 knots, or 25 mph.Tropical Depression--A wave becomes a depression when there is a presence of a closed circulation, and sustained winds are 20 knots, or 25 mph. At this point, the system is still quite disorganized.Tropical Storm--A depression becomes a tropical storm when shower and thunderstorm activity moves over the closed circulation, and sustained winds reach at least 35 knots, or 39 mph. At this point, the system is capable of causing minimal damage.Hurricane--A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when the closed circulation becomes an eye, and sustained winds reach at least 65 knots, or 74 mph. At this point, the system is capable of causing significant damage. Stages of a Hurricane

  10. Category 5 • Max Wind Speed -150mph • August 23-31, 2005 Hurricane Katrina

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