The furious storm: one wild hurricane could drown a major American City. Can scientist prevent the disaster in time?

Science World, Oct 18, 2002 by Larry O'Hanlon

4 The hurricane spins

North of the equator, a hurricane swirls counterclockwise. As it spins, it sucks up about 200,000 tons of humid ocean water vapor daily.

5 Hurricane strike

The storm hits the continent at around 1 2 mph. If it reaches the Gulf of Mexico, a few deep eddies (water running against the currents) in otherwise shallow water can turn it into a monster.

6 Storm death

Once a hurricane is cut off from a supply of warm, moist ocean air, the storm quickly loses power and dies out in two to three days.

Hurricane hunters

Research planes fly directly into hurricanes to gather scientific data. A new unpiloted robotic plane called the Aerosonde will skim into dangerous storms close to the sea surface.

The "engine"

As a hurricane keeps absorbing humid, hot air, the cool, dry air on top creates an area of low pressure that sucks more warm air toward it.

Wind zone

Winds of up to 185 mph blow here. On land, they can uproot trees and flatten vehicles.

Outer edge

It can be as far as 300 miles from the eye, or center, and produces strong rains.

Flooding

Coastal cities like New Orleans could suffer severe floods if hit by a hurricane.

HANDS-ON SCIENCE

WILD WINDS

How could one hurricane flood New Orleans? See for yourself!

You Need

9 in. x 13 in. baking dish * flexible straw * ruler * duct tape * water

To Do

1 Pour a .5 in. (1.3 cm)-thick layer of water into the dish. Bend the straw into an L shape. Tape the short-end of the straw (facing upward) inside the middle of one 9-in. pan edge. The long-end of the straw should rest horizontally above the water, and point toward the opposite pan edge. Tape a ruler vertically to the other g-in. side of the pan.

2 Blow gently into the straw to create "wind." Look at the ruler to measure the height of the resulting "wave."

3 Repeat Step 2 twice, blowing harder each time.

4 Repeat Steps 2 to 3 twice, first with 1 in. of water in the pan, then with 1.5 in. of water.

Think About It

Do you think hurricanes cause higher waves on the open sea or near land? Why?

Hurricane category levels The Saffir-Simpson scale categorizes hurricane strength by air pressure, storm surges, and wind speed.

1

MINIMAL

Wind:
74-65 mph
Waves:
4 to 5 ft

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2

MODERATE

Wind:
96-110 mph
Waves:
6 to 8 ft

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3

SEVERE

Wind:
111-130 mph
Waves:
9 to 12 ft

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4

VERY SEVERE

Wind:
131-155 mph
Waves:
13 to 18 ft

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5

CATASTROPHIC

Wind:
Over 155 mph
Waves:
Over 18 ft

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Satellite image of 1992's Hurricane Andrew

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Did You Know?

* The term hurricane originated in ancient civilizations. The Mayan storm god was named Hunraken. And Huracan was an evil god of the Caribbean Taino people.

* "Tropical cyclone" is the generic term for hurricanes, tropical storms, and tropical depressions. A hurricane has winds over 74 miles per hour, a tropical storm has winds between 39 to 74 mph, and a tropical depression has winds below 38 mph.

* In 1953 U.S. scientists began naming hurricanes using women's names in alphabetical order throughout the season from June to November. In 1979, meteorologists began alternating between men's and women's names. And after a particularly severe storm, a name may be retired.