9781422269558

FACING THE WEATHER

BLIZZARDS EARTHQUAKES FLOODS HURRICANES TORNADOES

FACING THE WEATHER

KIMBERLY SPROUSE

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Copyright © 2024 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-4861-4 Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4222-4865-2 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-6955-8 Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress Developed and Produced by National Highlights, Inc. Editor: Jacqueline Havelka—Inform Scientific Cover and Interior Design, and layout by Priceless Digital Media, LLC Publisher’s Note: Websites listed in this book were active at the time of publication. The publisher is not responsible for websites that have changed their address or discontinued operation since the date of publication. The publisher reviews and updates the websites each time the book is reprinted.

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Chapter 1: What Makes a Hurricane.......................................................7 Chapter 2: Interesting Facts about Hurricanes......................................19 Chapter 3: The Greatest Hurricanes of All Time....................................29 Chapter 4: Monitoring Hurricanes........................................................41 Chapter 5: Staying Safe in a Hurricane.................................................61 Series Glossary of Key Terms...............................................................72 Further Reading and Internet Resources..............................................74 Organizations to Contact......................................................................76 Index....................................................................................................77 Author’s Biography and Photo Credits..................................................80

KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills.

Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more!

Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there.

Research Projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Series Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

astronomical tide: refers to the rise and fall of water due solely to gravitational interactions between the Earth, Moon, and Sun hurricane: tropical cyclone originating in the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific Oceans that have sustained winds of 74 mph (119 kph) or higher low-pressure system: lower pressure at the center of a storm, often forming clouds and precipitation mudslide: a common type of fast-moving landslide that tends to flow in channels tornado: a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system

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CHAPTER

WHAT MAKES A HURRICANE

Who doesn’t enjoy the sound of rain hitting the roof and the windows? The rain often cools off hot summer days and helps us sleep better. However, when rain is accompanied by significant weather, it causes concern. Tropical cyclones are rapidly rotating storms that form over oceans that provide the energy cyclones need to develop. Tropical cyclones have an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms and a low-pressure center with clouds spiraling toward the center of the storm. Tropical cyclones have different names depending on where they originate. For example, tropical cyclones that form in the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific Oceans are called hurricanes , while a tropical cyclone that forms in the western North Pacific Ocean is called a typhoon. Tropical cyclones that form in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans are called cyclones.

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Tropical cyclones fall into one of three categories based on their maximum sustained wind speeds: “ tropical depression: maximum sustained winds less than 38 mph (61 kph) “ tropical storm: maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph (62.7 to 117.5 kph) “ hurricane, typhoon, or cyclone: maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (119 kph) or higher Hurricanes are divided into further categories Hurricane Categories The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is used to rate a hurricane based on its maximum sustained wind speed and does not take into account other deadly hazards a hurricane can cause. The hurricane wind scale ranges from category 1 to category 5, and are as follows: Category 1: Very dangerous winds between 74 and 95 mph (119 and 152.9 kph) that will cause some damage and power outages for a few days are likely. Category 2: Extremely dangerous winds between 96 and 110 mph (154.5 and 177 kph) that will cause extensive damage and a near-total power loss that could last up to a few weeks. Category 3: Devastating damage will occur from winds between 111 and 129 mph (178.6 and 207.7 kph). Electricity and water will be unavailable for up to several weeks, and trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking roads. Category 4: Catastrophic damage will occur from winds between 130 and 156 mph (209 and 251 kph). Even well-built

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Facing the Weather: Hurricanes

framed homes will lose most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Fallen trees and power poles will likely isolate residential areas, and power outages could last possibly months. Category 5: Catastrophic damage will occur from winds 157 mph (252.7 kph) or higher. A high percentage of homes will be destroyed, and most areas will be uninhabitable for weeks or months. Effects of Hurricanes The most common dangerous conditions caused by hurricanes include storm surge, storm tide, heavy rainfall, inland flooding, high winds, and tornadoes.

Depending on where a storm originates, it is called a hurricane, cyclone, or typhoon. Wind strength dictates whether a storm is classified as a tropical depression, a tropical storm, or a full-blown event.

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What Makes A Hurricane

Watch this video explaining the differences between hurricane categories.

Storm surge poses the greatest threat to life and property along the coast. A storm surge is a significant rise of water, capable of reaching over 20 feet (6 meters), pushed inland by a storm’s winds. A storm tide arises when a storm surge occurs at the same time as an astronomical tide . The combination of storm surge and large waves can result in loss of life, destroyed infrastructure, beach and dune erosion, and the destruction of roads and bridges along the coast. If the storm surge is powerful enough, it can travel several miles inland, causing saltwater to mix with freshwater, endangering public health and the environment. Hurricanes cause torrential rains in excess of six inches; these rains can lead to deadly and destructive floods. For people living inland, flooding is the biggest threat from hurricanes. Flash flooding is a rapid rise in water levels; these floods occur quickly due to significant rainfall.

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Facing the Weather: Hurricanes

Excessive rainfall causes dams and levees to break, making flash flooding even more possible. Flooding of rivers and streams can occur for several days even after the storm is over. Flooding accounts for nearly 90% of deaths during a hurricane. Hurricane-force winds, 74 mph (119 kph) or more, can destroy mobile homes, shatter windows, and cause doors to blow in. The wind in a hurricane can also take shingles off a roof and even cause the roof to rip apart. Debris, such as signs, roofing material, the siding on homes, and items left outside can be launched into the air in hurricane-force winds. Unlike the storm surge, winds can stay above hurricane strength as far inland as the storm reaches. For example, Hurricane Charley

When a storm surge occurs simultaneously with an astronomical tide, a storm tide occurs. Large waves can result in loss of life and extensive property damage and flooding.

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What Makes A Hurricane

made landfall on the southwest coast of Punta Gorda, Florida, and produced major damage with hurricane-force winds of 100 mph (160.9 kph) or higher, well inland across central Florida. For reference, Punta Gorda, Florida, is approximately 90 miles (144.8 km) away from Central Florida. Hurricanes can also spawn tornadoes and cause landslides or mudslides . Tornadoes produced by hurricanes are typically weak and don’t last long, but they can still be life-threatening. Landslides and mudslides are caused by the heavy rainfall that occurs during a hurricane. These acts of nature can cause loss

Heavy rains can cause inland flooding, like in the Asian village pictured here. These boys are riding their bikes in shallow floodwaters after rain brought a small inland flood to their village. Typhoons, however, bring much heavier flooding than is pictured here.

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Facing the Weather: Hurricanes

of life, destroy infrastructure and land, and jeopardize natural resources. People who live in areas that are regularly hit with hurricanes see the impact these storms have. For many people who are affected, hurricane season only lasts a few months out of the year, but for one country hurricane season lasts all year round. Hurricane Seasons The Atlantic hurricane season is active from June 1 to November 30 and includes storms from the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Most activity occurs during the Atlantic hurricane season between mid-August and mid October. Wind factors, temperature, and moisture are perfect during this time, which encourage cyclonic activity. There have been a few hurricanes that occurred before or after hurricane season, with seven storms occurring in May (the most off season month) over the last 10 years. The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 to November 30 and extends from Mexico and Central America westward. Hurricanes occasionally occur before and after the typical eastern Pacific season, but this peak is less pronounced than the peak in the Atlantic. High levels of activity are usually spread out over a longer period of time in the eastern Pacific season, with most hurricanes occurring between late June and early October. Different geographical locations are impacted by hurricanes at different times and frequencies. The location and frequency of these storms depend on the weather conditions.

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What Makes A Hurricane

Can you imagine being in hurricane-force winds? This scene is from Key West, Florida. Since Key West is the southernmost part of Florida, it experiences many hurricanes.

Geographical Location For a hurricane to form it needs warm ocean surface water, moist air, and a low-pressure system . Hurricanes frequently find these ideal weather events in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, eastern North Pacific Ocean, and occasionally the central North Pacific Ocean. Wind currents often set most tropical storms on a course from Africa toward the Caribbean, Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico. Some hurricanes drift north where winds shift from west to east and make them turn back into the Atlantic Ocean, while other storms can encounter cooler ocean temperatures, which cause them to die off. This explains why hurricanes rarely hit northern states. Europe (cyclones), China (typhoons), and the United States (hurricanes) are commonly hit with tropical cyclones. Cyclones

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Facing the Weather: Hurricanes

are common in Europe and so are ex-hurricanes. Ex-hurricanes are hurricanes that can still have powerful winds and lots of rain but have traveled east from the Atlantic Ocean and weakened due to cooler ocean temperatures. China’s typhoon season lasts all year, and they average about 16 typhoons a year. However, the United States is the most prone to getting hit with hurricanes, and the top hurricane-prone states may, or may not, surprise you. Florida has been hit by more hurricanes than any other state because it sits in between the Atlantic Ocean and

Look at this massive mudslide! This occurred on the hillsides of Washington State following heavy rain on top of snow. Look at how it completely covers the road!

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What Makes A Hurricane

Gulf of Mexico. The second most hurricane-prone state is Texas, mostly because it borders the Gulf of Mexico, which is known to produce strong hurricanes. North Carolina, a state whose coastline reaches out into the ocean, is the third most hurricane prone state even though it doesn’t border the Gulf of Mexico. Although there is a Pacific hurricane season, hurricanes very rarely impact the West Coast of the United States. The water in the Pacific Ocean is not warm enough, so it is difficult, but not impossible, for hurricanes to form along the west coast. The last recorded significant hurricane that struck the West Coast hit San Diego, California, in 1858.

WEATHER WONDER

An average of ten tropical storms develop over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico every year, but many of these remain over the ocean. Approximately six of those ten tropical storms will turn into hurricanes.

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Facing the Weather: Hurricanes