Hurricanes

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Summary

About hurricanes

Causes

Effects

People and Animals

Famous hurricanes

How can we protect ourselves

My family and hurricanes

Find out more

What is a hurricane?

A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone which is a heavy storm with a low pressure centre and a spiral of thunderstorms that produce strong wind and rain

A hurricane has winds of at least 119 km/h

Pictures of Hurricanes

What Causes Hurricanes

Hurricanes are intense low pressure areas that form over warm ocean waters in the summer and early fall. Their source of energy is water vapor which is evaporated from the ocean surface.

But it is not fully understood why hurricanes form!

There are several things that scientists think are involved: Sea temperature, air temperature and humidity.

Effects

Waves: very high they affect ships and boats.

Rain: causes flooding.

Damage: wind can blow off the roof of buildings.

Death and Injury: people get hurt and killed.

Costs: people have to take time off work, shops have to close.

Trees: they fall down damaging buildings.

People and Animals

People

Their houses get destroyed, their cars get flooded and if it is really bad they can't go outside.

Animals

Their habitat gets badly damaged, and they find it hard to hunt food.

Funny fact

One member of my family thought that insects are the worst affected!!

Famous Hurricanes

Year Name Fact

1970 Bhola 315,000 people killed in India and Banghladesh

1975 Nina It destroyed several dams in China

2002 Kenna Caused $101,000 of damage

1997 Pauline Massive landslides in Mexaco

1992 Iniki $1,18 billion of damage

1900 galveston Deadliest natural disaster in the USA 6,000 dead

2008 Ike Cost $32 billion in the Carribean

1780 The great hurricane

Over 22,000 died

1992 Andrew 26 people died

2005 Katrina It flooded 80% of New Orleans

How can we Protect Ourselves

By covering your windows with wood.

Or by putting flood barriers against your door.

Even some countries put flood barriers on their rivers.

Intervewing Gran!!!

My Gran remembers Hurricane Charley which hit Ireland in August 1986

In August 1986 after charley became extra-tropical. The UK Met Office issued severe weather alerts warning of heavy rain which would cause flooding.

All ferries were cancelled.

Hurricane Charley moved across Ireland and the UK with winds of 85 km/h.

Interviewing Gran

The waves in the English channel were as high as 8m.

The storm past south of Ireland on August 25 bringing heavy rain and winds of up to 105 km/h.

The hurricane spread through the country with up to 80 mm of rain.

There was flooding in many places were rivers burst there banks. In Dublin 451 buildings were flooded some to a depth of 2.4m.

At least 5 people died. Lots of crops were destroyed.

It cost 1.5 million irish pounds [1986] to repair the damage!!!

Interviewing Helen

Helen is my aunty [and she lives in New York]

She was there during hurricane Sandy

The electricity wires exploded and it looked like lightening.

A big crane fell over and hit a big building

Because the wires fell over the electricity went out. My aunty lives on the 17th floor and she had to walk down the stairs in the dark.

She took some pictures of New York after Sandy and sent them to me

My Family Survey

My dad helped me send an online survey to my family. I got 15 replies. Two members of my family were in a hurricane. Two members of my family are terrified of hurricanes. Everybody thinks that global warming affects the

hurricanes. Half the people think the government can do some

thing about the hurricanes. Most think that hurricanes will get worse in the future.

To find out more

To find out more about hurricanes go to the website below

http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-hurricane.htm

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