Research Paper on Hurricane Wilma

Over the past decade, the world has experienced more natural disaster than people can count. Floods, mudslides, earthquakes, and raging fires are just a few of the events that have stripped people away from their families, homes, and possessions. The deadliest of these natural disasters are hurricanes. Extremely strong winds mixed with large waves can cause enormous damage, taking months, even years for towns to recover. Hurricane Katrina left millions of people without homes and families torn apart. Hurricane Sandy demolished the Jersey coast, leaving years of repair work behind. The most recent and powerful hurricane that surfaced is Hurricane Maria. A level five hurricane, Hurricane Maria ripped straight through the United States territory of Puerto Rico. The island lost power, supplies

Hurricanes are a tropical cyclone, which means a rotation of closed low-level circulation of clouds and thunderstorms that originate from tropical and subtropical waters. Hurricanes are categorized by five categories, which determine the wind speed, the surge, and the pressure of a storm. These five categories help people be aware of how dangerous hurricanes can be: 1-minimal, 2-moderate, 3-extensice, 4-extrme, 5-catastrophic. Categories 1 and 2 have winds between 74-110 miles per hour, with a flow of 4-8 feet of water, and a sea level pressure of 980-979 millibars.

I have always found the ocean to be a very intriguing part of the Earth. There are infinitely many discoveries that have yet to be made about it. My fascination with the ocean sparked the idea to do my class paper on hurricanes and what they are along with their effects. I remember hearing about all the damages from Hurricane Katrina after it hit the coast near New Orleans. The only information I really know about them is what is briefly covered on the news. I thought it would be interesting to discover the true effects they can have on not only people that endure them, but also the environment as it gets ripped to shreds by the plethora of winds and water.

Hurricane Katrina began as tropical Depression twelve, which formed over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005. On August 24, the storm strengthened and became known as Tropical Storm Katrina, the 11th named storm of the 2005 hurricane season. A few hours before making landfall in Florida on August 25, Tropical storm Katrina was upgraded to Hurricane Katrina (Category1, 74mph winds). An analysis by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) climate prediction center

The waves were still high at 10 feet. The power started going out when the storm was about 40 miles from land and 1.4 million people were without power (Provenzo JR. & Provenzo, 2002). It slammed into the Bahamas at 120 mph. Where buildings were toppled, bungalows out from their roots, and luxury hotels only had broken winds (Longshore, 1998). Several days before it had produced a deep convection, that had high pressure (Rappaport, 1993).

As I am typing this hurricane Harvey has just left many people in Texas without a home. Some people lost everything and other people lost nothing. There were lives lost and to make matters worst another hurricane is coming and hitting Florida. These events actually make my desire of becoming a doctor stronger. By watching YouTube videos and the news it shows me how bad it is and makes me want to volunteer and help out. Right now, I know that I can't go there and help, but I could donate to my school's NHS to help those affected by the hurricane. In the future, I know that i want to be more involved. I am really determined to learn what I need to learn in order to be a doctor. Once I have successed and have started maikng money I will give back to my community and to all who helped me and supported me to become what I wanted to be.

Hurricanes emerge from the tropics of the Atlantic Ocean close to the earth’s equator because it is attracted to warm water with a temperature of at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit (Today’s Science, October 2004). As the temperature increases, it changes the liquid water into water vapor that forms clouds of warm, moist air causing it rise.

After personally experiencing the effects of Hurricane Wilma, Jacqueline Bogues an Independent All-Lines Adjuster earned her Certification in 2005 at Broward College. She is currently associated with various insurance carriers both locally and worldwide.

Hurricane Irma was the strongest hurricane observed in the Atlantic since 2007. Hurricane Irma hit Florida as a Category 4 storm and was so strong it ripped off roofs, caused floods, and knocked out more than 6.8 million people's power. Its winds have been recorded to be 185 miles per hour. The storm killed at least 34 people in Florida, 38 in the Caribbean, and 4 in North Carolina. Hurricane Irma also caused food and water to become scarce, hospitals and health clinics to struggle, and schools to be closed. Lots of people lost homes to Hurricane Irma, and it has proved to be a tragic event.

When warm water, moist air, and strong winds collide and create a rotating bundle of thunderstorms create a rotating bundle of thunderstorms and clouds a hurricane is formed. Hurricane send when they lose their source of energy by traveling over land or cold water. Hurricanes occur in the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Hurricane season is either from June 1-November 30 or mid-August to mid-September. Hurricanes can last for a few hours to at least 2 weeks depending on its size. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale rates, or categorizes, hurricanes. Hurricane names rotate each year but, if a hurricane is strong enough that name is retired.

Hurricane Katrina moved over Florida at an abnormally slow pace for hurricanes (about 8 mph) which meant that it had more time to cause damages in the state. When it reached the Gulf of Mexico it became a Category Three storm, which is the minimum classification necessary to be called a major hurricane according to the Saffir-Simpson Scale. As the storm moved across the Gulf of Mexico, it crossed paths with a circular movement of water called the Eddy Vortex in which “the water temperature…[was] warmer than the surrounding ocean.” Because warm ocean surface temperatures are a key ingredient in intensifying hurricanes, that gave rise to Hurricane Katrina growing into from a Category Three to a Category Five storm in “less than 12 hours” (Keller, 352).

Hurricane Katrina included many details common to hurricanes. The wind speeds of hurricanes usually have a span from 150 mph to 200 mph. Most hurricanes have temperatures of 80 Degrees Fahrenheit at the very least. When the wind speeds sustain 39 mph it’s considered a tropical depression, or a tropical storm, and is then given a name. When the wind speeds reach 75 mph, it’s then considered a hurricane and is measured on the Safire-Simpson Scale. On the scale they rate the storm from a one through five, depending on their wind speeds and how fast the hurricane is traveling. Hurricanes form

“Based on Irma’s projected path, which includes Florida’s heavily populated eastern coast, the enormous storm could create one of the largest mass evacuations in US history,” CNN senior meteorologist Dave Hennen said. Hurricane Irma is the most powerful storm to have been recorded, its wind has reached a speed of 185 mph and gusts at 225 mph. Families are having to evacuate their homes and go to a safe place to ensure their safety. We determine how severe a hurricane is by a category of one through five, Irma is at category 5! People's homes are being demolished and six people have been reported dead. Irma has caused 95% of the Caribbean island to be destroyed.

Chapter four of our textbook, while making the aspect of physical geography a priority concerning weather and climate, take special care in introducing the topic of hurricanes as well as changes in air pressure and ocean currents. Hurricanes can be described as low-pressure areas which begin over warm waters. As they develop, hot, humid air at the surface rises which aids in the suction of air. This causes cumulonimbus clouds to appear. The energy these clouds release warms the center which contributes to the distinctively calm core commonly referred to as the eye.

Did you know that Hurricanes have killed approximately 1.9 million people worldwide over the past 200 years. (Karen lenhardt said in her 2017 article on facts about hurricanes). We are seeing more and more of these occur, this year we have already encountered 13 named storms, 7 of them being hurricanes. Only four other seasons since 1995 have had that many by Sept. 18. Just two more by the end of the year would put 2017 in the top 15 since 1851. Maggie Astor stated in her New York Times news report about the 2017 Hurricane season . We must take notice and learn about the hurricane process so that we are able to understand the stages that hurricanes go through to get to be so fierce and devastating to get the strength to kill that many people.