Transcript Hurricanes - Montville.net

Hurricanes
What is a Hurricane?
 A hurricane is a tropical cyclone that has winds of 74
miles per hour or more.
 Hurricanes form over the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian
Oceans.
 Most hurricanes form from August-October in the
Northern Atlantic Ocean.
How does a Hurricane form?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f45jA5UxB0
 Hurricanes form over warm ocean water, drawing
energy from the warm humid air at the ocean’s surface.
 Air rises, forming clouds, wind, and rain, spiraling
inward towards an area called the eyewall, with the
quiet calm area called the EYE.
 The strongest winds are found around the eye of the
storm (up to 192 mph!)
How does a Hurricane move?
 Lasting up to a week or more, travels from off the coast
of Africa, through the warm tropical waters of the
Atlantic, usually through the Caribbean islands, and to
the eastern US.
 Hurricanes lose strength as they come into contact with
land or colder waters.
 Based on strength of winds, hurricanes are can be
categorized from tropical storms to a category 1-5.
Damages
 Landing on shore, high waves from the ocean, severe
flooding, and wind damage can occur.
 Low pressure and high winds cause ocean levels to
rise up to 19 feet above normal.
 Called a storm surge, this ‘dome’ of water hits the
coastline washing away beaches, houses, buildings
along the coast causing erosion and devastation.
Frankenstorm: Hurricane
Sandy
 Hurricane + High Tide + High Pressure System in
Canada + (climate change?)= disaster!
 As predicted, Sandy’s most devastating effects would
be seen by the storm surge.
 Sandy hit as a category 1 storm but because it hit
during high tide, the storm surge was a record breaking
13.2 feet above sea level!
 Plus the full moon added a 1 foot increase to the sea
level.
 The gravitational pull from the moon, makes high tides
just a little higher than at other times of the month.
Blocked!
A high pressure system in Canada-a wall of cold air blocked Sandy from
continuing north out to sea.
This caused a sharp turn directly into the DE, NJ, NY area.
This caused the storm to continue in strength as opposed to traveling along
land and getting the power zapped out of it.
Climate Change to blame?
 Record amounts of Arctic sea ice and glaciers in
Greenland was lost during the summer.
 Climate change did not create hurricanes like Sandy,
just strengthens them.
 Storms may become more intense and more frequent
with the warming of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans.
 1 foot of the 13.2 storm surge could be argued part of
rising sea levels.
Damages and Devastation
 Estimated $50 billion in damages (ranking 2nd to
Hurricane Katrina)
 Wide spread power losses (most in any storm’s
history)- 8.5 million w/out power
 Hit the most densely populated state in the country
 Beach erosion, home destruction
 NYC subways flooded, Hoboken, Jersey City, Staten
Island flooded.
 New inlets created, coastline changed.
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightlynews/49631047#49631047
http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/hurricane-sandybefore-after-photos/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13lO0hOM3t4&sns=fb