Weather Phenomena

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Weather Phenomena

• By Eleanor Joyce
• City of Salem Schools

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Hurricane activity in the United States.
http//www.usgs.gov/themes/hurricane.gif
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Satellite view of a hurricane in the Caribbean Sea
http//topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/science/images/hurri
cane.jpg
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Parts of the storm
Winds are breezy at the edge of the storm and
increase to a maximum in the eyewall. Winds are
relatively light in the eye itself.
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The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Table
Sustained Storm
Resulting Winds
Surge
Damage Category 1 74-95 mph 4-5ft
Trees/Power Down Category 2 96-110 mph
6-8ft Sign, roof building
damage Category 3 111-130 mph
9-12ft Widespread damage/flooding Cate
gory 4 131-155 mph 13-18ft
Buildings destroyed/damaged Category 5
155 mph 19ft
Catastrophic damage/flooding
Categories 3,4 5 are major hurricanes!
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Hurricane Facts

• Tropical storms need warm water(at least 80
  degrees) to grow
• The average hurricane uses as much energy in a
  day as the entire US in 6 months
• Hurricanes can not be stopped with nuclear
  weapons or cloud seeding

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Why are hurricanes so destructive?

• 1. Wind
• 2. Rain
• 3. Storm Surge
• 4. Tornadoes

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Wind damage
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No Utilities
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No Utilities

• Including lights, air conditioning,
  refrigeration, cooking, fans, television,
  stoplights, gasoline pumps, computers, clocks,
  banks (ATMs), freezers, refrigerators.
• Water and sewage treatment centers are also
  disabled. This creates major health problems.
  Getting drinking water is a problem

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HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING
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• IT RAINS ONE INCH PER HOUR

Slow moving storms can easily dump 15-20 inches
of rain over a wide area. Debris clogs sewers
and drainage ways. Flood waters contaminate
drinking water High water forces insects, snakes
and other wild animals to higher ground (your
home). Flood damage not covered by home owners
insurance.
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Storm Surge

• Low pressure and converging winds raise sea
  levels under the hurricane. When the hurricane
  makes landfall, so does the higher sea level.
  Powerful waves ride on top of the surge.
• Storm surge destroys coastal buildings and
  inundates barrier islands.
• Storm surge can travel well inland through
  harbors, rivers, creeks and canals.
• Storm surge is responsible for the greatest loss
  of life from a natural disaster in US history,
  Galveston Is.

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Storm Surge
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Tornadoes
Hurricanes often create tornadoes bringing even
more severe damage to regions struck by hurricanes
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Regions in the U. S that are in tornado alley.
http//www.usgs.gov/themes/hurricane.gif
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Tornadoes are called funnel clouds
usgs photo
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Map of South Asia and Southeast Asia showing the
wind patterns of the winter and summer monsoons
http//www2.crl.go.jp/ck/ck121/windprof/image/mons
oon.gif
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Working in the rice paddies
Residents of Asia and Southeast Asia depend on
the Monsoon rains to grow rice.
http//www.nri.org/WSS-IWRM/Photos/India/paddy.jpg

• http//www.millenniumassessment.org/images/photos/
  rice.paddy.jpg

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Bangladesh is often flooded during the monsoon
season
http//www.sdnbd.org/sdi/issues/climate_change/nap
a/images/image-flood.jpg
http//www.oxfam.org.uk/atwork/emerg/images/Bangca
rd.jpg