Headings ---------- 05. Hurricanes is on this page.
Page Text ---------- Mango Tango Art Gallery HURRICANES KATHY CARLSON HURRICANE - A spinning mass of strong storms with minimum sustained surface winds of at least 74 mph circulating around a calmer center area. HURRICANE SEASON - The period from June 1 to November 30 when hurricanes are most likely to form in the Atlantic. TROPICAL DEPRESSION - A mass of storms and warm air with potential to develop into a tropical storm. TROPICAL STORM - A spinning mass of strong storms with minimum sustained surface winds ranging from 39 mph to 73 mph circulating around a calmer center area. When a tropical storm intensifies, it becomes a hurricane. HURRICANE WATCH - A hurricane may strike within 24-36 hours. HURRICANE WARNINGS - A hurricane is expected to strike in 24 hours or less. TROPICAL STORM WATCH - A tropical storm may strike within 24-36 hours TROPICAL STORM WARNING - A tropical storm is expected to strike in 24 hours or less. HURRICANE EYE - An area of relative calm at the center of the storm. The closer to the eye of the storm, the higher the winds and the lower the barometric pressure. STORM SURGE - A rapid rise in the water level as the eye approaches. HURRICANE SCALE - The category of the storm does not necessarily relate directly to the damage it will inflict. Lower category storms, and even tropical storms, can cause substantial damage depending on what other weather features they interact with, where they strike and how slow they move. CATEGORY 1 - Minimal damage: winds 74 to 95 mph and a storm surge four to five feet above normal. No real damage to buildings is likely. Some damage expected to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery and trees. Some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage may be expected. CATEGORY 2 - Moderate damage: winds 96 to 110 mph and a storm surge six to eight feet above normal. Buildings will receive some roof, door and window damage. Considerable damage to vegetation, mobile homes and piers. Costal and low-lying areas will likely flood two to four hours before the arrival of the hurricane s center. Small crafts in unprotected anchorages will lose moorings. CATEGORY 3 - Extensive damage: winds 111 to 130 mph and a storm surge nine to 12 feet above normal. Structural damage to residences and utility buildings. Mobile homes frequently are destroyed. Flooding near the coast destroys small structures, and larger structures are damaged by floating debris. Terrain lower than five feet above sea level is flooded. CATEGORY 4 - Extreme damage: winds 131 to 155 mph and a storm surge 13 to 18 feet above normal. Extensive outside wall failure with complete roof failure on small residences. Major erosion of beaches and major damage to the lower floors of buildings near the shore. Terrain lower than 10 feet above sea level may be flooded. CATEGORY 5 - Catastrophic damage: winds 156 mph and greater and a storm surge greater than 18 feet above normal. Complete roof failure on many residences and buildings can be expected. Major flooding damage likely to lower floors of structures. Typical hurricanes are about 300 miles wide although they can vary considerably in size. The eye at a hurricane s center is a relatively calm, clear area approximately 20-40 miles across. The eyewall surrounding the eye is composed of dense clouds that contain the highest winds in the storm. The storm s outer rainbands (often with hurricane or tropical storm force winds) are made up of dense bands of thunderstorms ranging from a few miles to tens of miles wide and 50 to 300 miles long. Hurricane force winds can extend outward to about 25 miles in a small hurricane and to more than 150 miles for a large one. Tropical storm force winds can stretch out as far as 300 miles from the center of a large hurricane. Frequently, the right side of a hurricane is the most dangerous in terms of storm surge, winds and tornadoes. A hurricane s speed and path depend on complex ocean and atmospheric interaction, including the presence or absence of other weather patterns. This complexity of the flow makes it very difficult to predict the speed and direction of a hurricane. Do not focus on the eye or the track. Hurricanes are immense systems that can move in complex patterns that are difficult to predict. Be prepared for changes in size, intensity, speed and direction. - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration HURRICANE WEB SITES National Hurricane Center - www.nhc.noaa.gov The Caribbean Weather Center - www.caribwx.com Disaster Message Service - www.viexpo.com Intellicast - www.intellicast.com The Weather Channel - www.weather.com The Weather Underground - www.wunderground.com 20
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