Tropical Storms
Tropical storms develop over warm tropical waters. They are intense low pressure weather systems and they have got lots of fancy different names. Hurricanes, typhoons, tropical cyclones and tropical revolving storms are all the same thing...a tropical storm.
tropical storms are massive storms that bring high winds and torrential rain to places they hit. Even the cleverest scientists in the world dont really know how they form, but they do know some things about them, so lets find out!
1. Tropical storms develop above sea water that is 27oc or higher.
2. they only really happen in late summer and autumn which is when sea temperatures are at their highest.4
3. The warm moist ait rises which causes condensation which in turn releases huge amounts of energy and makes the storm really powerful.
4. They always move west because of the easterly blowing wind near the equator.
5. they lose their strength when they move over land because they dont have the energy from the warm water.
6. Most tropical storms occur between 5 degrees and 30 degrees north of the equator.
7. Because the earth is spinning it deflects the path of the winds and this causes the storms to spin....thats made me feel dizzy!
tropical storms are massive storms that bring high winds and torrential rain to places they hit. Even the cleverest scientists in the world dont really know how they form, but they do know some things about them, so lets find out!
1. Tropical storms develop above sea water that is 27oc or higher.
2. they only really happen in late summer and autumn which is when sea temperatures are at their highest.4
3. The warm moist ait rises which causes condensation which in turn releases huge amounts of energy and makes the storm really powerful.
4. They always move west because of the easterly blowing wind near the equator.
5. they lose their strength when they move over land because they dont have the energy from the warm water.
6. Most tropical storms occur between 5 degrees and 30 degrees north of the equator.
7. Because the earth is spinning it deflects the path of the winds and this causes the storms to spin....thats made me feel dizzy!
Tropical storms can have different effects in different places.
The effects of tropical storms and the responses to them are different in different parts of the world. It mainly depends on how rich a country is which determines how well they can respond.
Below is a look at a tropical storm in a rich part of the world.
Below is a look at a tropical storm in a rich part of the world.
Hurricane Katrina.
South east USA, 29th August 2005.
Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest and most destructive Atlantic hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States…wow!
Total fatalities: 1,833
Highest winds: 280 km/h
Lowest pressure: 902 mb
Date: August 23, 2005 – August 30, 2005
Category: Category 5 Hurricane (SSHS)
Affected areas: Mississippi, Louisiana, Bahamas, South Florida, Cuba, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, Eastern North America, Georgia, New Jersey, Ontario, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, New York, New Orleans
Katrina, that sounds like a nice girl, well she isn't and she caused havoc! Lets see what the effects and responses were.
Social effects - More that 1800 people were killed and 300,000 homes were destroyed.
- 3 million people were left with no electricity.
- Roads and bridges in New Orleans were destroyed so people struggled to get in or out.
Economic effects - About 300 billion dollars worth of damage occured
- 230,000 jobs were lost due to busineses being destroyed.
- 30 offshore oil platforms sunk or went missing which in turn increased the price of fuel.
- shops in New Orleans were looted by residents in the days after the hurricane.
Environmental effects - The sea flooded parts of the land which destroyed some coastal habitats.
Wow, they are some devastating effects. Lets check out how they responed.
Short term - While the storm was raging coast guard, police, fire service, army and volunteers rescued over 50,000 people.
- The Lousianna superdome which is a huge indoor sports venue gave shelter to 25,000 people after the storm.
Long term - The government of the USA has spent over 800 million dollars rebuilding the flood defences.
- 34 billion dollars was set aside for rebuilding homes, schools and other buildings.
So, there is loads of information, facts and fugures about Hurrican Kartina but what did it look like? Check out the video below and experience with your own eyes the power of a hurricane.
Total fatalities: 1,833
Highest winds: 280 km/h
Lowest pressure: 902 mb
Date: August 23, 2005 – August 30, 2005
Category: Category 5 Hurricane (SSHS)
Affected areas: Mississippi, Louisiana, Bahamas, South Florida, Cuba, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, Eastern North America, Georgia, New Jersey, Ontario, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, New York, New Orleans
Katrina, that sounds like a nice girl, well she isn't and she caused havoc! Lets see what the effects and responses were.
Social effects - More that 1800 people were killed and 300,000 homes were destroyed.
- 3 million people were left with no electricity.
- Roads and bridges in New Orleans were destroyed so people struggled to get in or out.
Economic effects - About 300 billion dollars worth of damage occured
- 230,000 jobs were lost due to busineses being destroyed.
- 30 offshore oil platforms sunk or went missing which in turn increased the price of fuel.
- shops in New Orleans were looted by residents in the days after the hurricane.
Environmental effects - The sea flooded parts of the land which destroyed some coastal habitats.
Wow, they are some devastating effects. Lets check out how they responed.
Short term - While the storm was raging coast guard, police, fire service, army and volunteers rescued over 50,000 people.
- The Lousianna superdome which is a huge indoor sports venue gave shelter to 25,000 people after the storm.
Long term - The government of the USA has spent over 800 million dollars rebuilding the flood defences.
- 34 billion dollars was set aside for rebuilding homes, schools and other buildings.
So, there is loads of information, facts and fugures about Hurrican Kartina but what did it look like? Check out the video below and experience with your own eyes the power of a hurricane.