By
Kyle H.
for Mrs. Huffman
March 30, 1999
Introduction
We should all know the meaning of a hurricane.
hurricane -la Meterology, a wind having a velocity of 74 or more miles per hour. b a tropical cyclone originating usually in the West Indies, often accompanied by violent thunderstorms. 2 a storm with violent wind, and usually heavy rain.
tornado -la an extremely violent and destructive whirlwind. A tornado extends down from a mass of dark clouds as a whirling funnel and moves over land in a narrow path. b an extremely violent windstorm.
typhoon -1 a violent cyclone or hurricane occuring in the western Pacific.
2 a violent storm or tempest occuring in Asia, especially near India.
3 any violent storm.
Hurricanes are some of the biggest storms on earth. Hurricanes develop when the ocean is 80 degrees or more. They occur in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. The storm becomes a hurricane when there wind are 74 mph and over.
A hurricane causes 3 to 4 million dollars in damage. They are the most violent storms in America.
A hurricane develops over the ocean when the temperature of the water is 80 degrees. A hurricane is an area of low pressure that forms over the ocean in tropical regions, in either the North Atlantic Ocean or Eastern North Pacific Ocean. Such a storm in the Western Pacific Ocean is called a typhoon, and one in the Indian Ocean is called a cyclone. In the U.S. most hurricanes affect areas near the Atlantic ocean or the Gulf of Mexico.
Hurricanes occur in the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans from June to November, most happen in September. On the average of about six to eight hurricanes form each year, as many as fifteen have occurred in a single year.
It becomes a hurricane when winds reach 74 miles per hour. Average wind speeds in a hurricane is 150 mph. In the Northern Hemisphere, hurricanes blow around the eye, in a clockwise direction. They blow clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. Hurricane eyes travel at speeds of 10 to 15 miles per hour. Most hurricanes move westward at first and become larger and stronger as they travel. Then they trun from the equator and pick up speed. Most turn east after they reach temperature lattitudes, where they are called extra-tropical storms. Many end as a weak storm centers over cool oceans.
In many hurricanes, winds in the wall cloud area are at speeds of 130 to 150 miles per hour. The winds and rain, combined with the force of the sea, produce huge waves. These waves are called a storm surge, rise several feet above normal and cause floods. a storm surge can be especially destructive if it occurs at high tide. Also, tornados are often present in hurricane clouds. When a hurricane moves over land, strong winds, and heavy rain hit the area for several hours. reaches the area, the rain stops and the air becomes calm. hour later, the eye passes and the rain and winds return. The hurricane weakens as it moves over land because it needs the warm sea to supply energy by evaporation. Friction caused by the rougher land surface also helps to slow the winds. Heavy rains continue even after the wind decreases.
An average hurricane does about 2 million to 3 million dollars in damage.
If a hurricane comes your way you should get out of the house and get underground.
Conclusion
We should all know the warnings of a hurricane.
Weather flags provide weather warnings.
Storm warning flags fly at shore stations to warn boats of hazardous conditions.
The flag for storm and hurricane warnings are 4 ft or 8ft.
They have a black square on a red field.
. . . . . . 
Famous hurricanes of the 1900's
1900 Killed 6,000 in Galveston, Texas.
1928 1,800 died in Lake Okeechobee area in Florida.
1935 400 killed in Tampa, Florida.
1938 600 dead in Long Island and New England.
1955 Hurricane Diane killed 184 people.
1957 Hurricane Audrey struck Louisianna, Missisippi, and Texas, killing 500.
1960 Hurricane Donna struck the Middle Atlantic States.
1963 Hurricane Flora killed 500 in Haiti and 1,700 in Cuba.
1965 Hurricane Betsy caused 76 deaths in the Bahamas and Florida.
1967 Beluah hit the Carribean islands, Mexico, and Texas.
1969 Camlie killed more than 250 in seven states.
1972 Floods of Hurricane Agnes killed 122.
1974 Hurricane Fifi struck Honduras killing 8,000.
1979 Two hurricanes, David and Federick, caused over 1,200 deaths.
1983 Hurricane Alicia killed 21 people in Galveston, Texas.
1988 Hurricane Gilbert, one of the most powerful, struck the West Indies and Mexico.
1989 Hurricane Hugo 60 deaths in Southeastern United States.
1998 Several Hurricanes because of El Nino and El Nina.
