preview

Research Paper On Hurricanes

Decent Essays

For centuries, natural disasters have plagued defenseless civilizations, resulting in millions of casualties and costly damages. Among these devastations, hurricanes have become notable for their catastrophic and costly effects, although only surfacing from early June to later November each year in the Northern Hemisphere. Hurricanes have become notorious for their raging winds and endless rains, which destroy homes, flood towns, and leave societies without powers for days, even weeks. While Hurricane Katrina (2005) remains the most disastrous storm to strike the United States both in physical and economical damage, it was not until a few years later when America found itself once more struggling to salvage what was left of a hurricane’s remains. On October …show more content…

The deadly hurricane caused massive flooding, uncontrollable fires, and destruction of thousands of homes and vehicles to account for a total economic loss of approximately twenty billion dollars. According to the National Ocean Service, an organization that strives to protect coastal areas, a hurricane is defined as “a type of storm called a tropical cyclone, which forms over tropical waters” (1). That is to say, when a storm sustains winds with a count greater than 74 miles per hour, it is officially classified as being a hurricane. Generally originating over the Atlantic Ocean, hurricanes are formed when air from surrounding regions with high pressures rush to low pressure areas, causing the air above such warm, tropical waters to rise. As the warm, moist air rises and slowly cools off, water in the air begins to form clouds. Overtime, the number of clouds and strength of the winds significantly increases as a result of the heat and water evaporating from the ocean’s surface, creating a strong rotating storm that is soon recognized as being a tropical

Get Access