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Meteorology              Charles A. Giannetta
                         Meteorologist - Professor 

 




**Hurricanes..Part I Of IV**






                  
Hurricanes the greatest storms on earth. There is nothing like them in
the atmosphere. They are not the largest storm system in our atmosphere,
nor the most violent; but they combine those qualities as no other 
phenomenon does, as if they were designed to be engines of death and 
destruction.


 
In our hemisphere they are referred to as hurricanes, named by the
Caribbean Indians for Huracan, a Caribbean God of Evil.



The storms are products of the tropical oceans and atmosphere, powered 
by heat from the sea, steered by the easterly trade winds, westerlies and
their own energy.



Hurricanes have a benefit, they are a major source for rain. Maybe there 
are some other hidden benefits also. 



A hurricane is a large circular storm of awful power and violence,
equivalent to many atoms bombs. Winds in a hurricane reach at least 74 mph
or greater, and may gust to over 200 mph. On the average, the great spiral 
of clouds associated with the hurricane cover vast areas some hundreds of
miles in diameter.



The spiral consists of bands of torrential rains. Tornado activity may
be generated in these bands of clouds.



 Hurricanes have very erratic movements, and it is very difficult to 
predict the path these storms will take. They can suddenly make loops,
slow or stop completely, move at 10 to 20 mph. Some hurricanes when
arriving over cooler waters of the North Atlantic can move up to 50 mph.


  
The most unique portion of as hurricane is the "hurricane eye".
It is unique in that no other atmospheric phenomenon has a center almost
free of clouds, light wind, and warm temperatures. The diameter of the eye 
is usually about 10 miles, however it can be as much as 100 miles.
Sometimes a hurricane will have two eyes in its system.



Destruction produced by these giant storms is, death and destruction,
caused by high winds and flooding. The most destructive portion of the
hurricane is the storm surge.



Meteorology              Charles A. Giannetta
                         Meteorologist - Professor 
 



**Hurricanes**







**Part II of IV**




 
In 1900 at Galveston Texas, a hurricane hit the Texas coast resulting 
in more than 6,000 deaths 


 
In 1969, "Hurricane Camille" produced a storm surge of 25 feet at 
Pass Christian, Mississippi. Sustained wind speeds were estimated in 
excess of 200 mph when the storm made landfall. 


 
Hurricane Andrew hit southern Florida August 24, 1992. Resulting in
25 deaths, and $25 billion in damage.


 
In the Western Pacific we call them Typhoons. In the Indian Ocean
they are called  Cyclones.


 
Typhoons are larger and stronger then Atlantic hurricanes for they travel 
over a larger expanse of warmer water than the Atlantic.


  
The Hurricane season in the Atlantic is June 1 through Nov. 30th. In
the Eastern and Central Pacific the season is from May 15th, through



Meteorology              Charles A. Giannetta
                         Meteorologist - Professor 
 



**Hurricanes**







**Part III of IV**




                   
Hurricanes don't came as a surprise. Satellites about 22,000 miles
above the earth take pictures of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbian, Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans. The pictures are sent to earth, to NOAA,
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.


  
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is located in Coral Gables, Florida.
The Pacific Hurricane Center is in Honolulu, Hawaii. Other local and 
regional weather offices transmit information from these centers to the
public.


  
The goal is to provide at least 12 hours of warning time so people came make
preparation for a hurricane, and to protect against the loss of life and 
property.


  
Forecasters at these centers pour through pictures taken from weather
satellites called, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites,
(GOES), looking for a spiral in the clouds. The small dark hole at the 
center is the eye of the hurricane.


  
They continue looking at more pictures of the storm to keep track of it. 
Has it grown larger, or smaller; how has it moved? If the storm should 
grow and move close to land the forecasters call in the Hurricane Hunters.
These are pilots who fly special aircraft in the hurricane.


  
Radar on the aircraft show the structure, location and rain pattern of the
storm. Instruments aboard measure temperature, humidity, windspeed, wind
direction and air pressure. Often the aircraft fly through the spiral clouds.
High winds. bounce the plane like a straw.



Meteorology              Charles A. Giannetta
                         Meteorologist - Professor 
 



**Hurricanes**






**Part IV of IV**




                   
Measurements are made as they go right through the clouds into the eye. The
eye can be anywhere from 10 to 100 miles wide. Once in the eye, the sky is
almost clear, the sun is shining and there is little wind. This will not last
as the plane flies through the eye into the other side of the hurricane.


     
The winds pick up quickly. This time they blow from the opposite direction.
Once more the plane is banged about. The plane keeps going, right through 
the clouds and out of the storm.


   
Information gathered by the men in these planes is sent to the Hurricane
Centers. Forecasters there know almost everything about the hurricane. They
use the information to forecast how the storm will move. It may move in one
direction today, another tomorrow.


 
When the weathermen decide the storm might reach land within two days, 
they issue a Hurricane Watch. As the storm moves closer to land, the 
forecasters send out a Hurricane Warning - a hurricane is expected to
strike within 24 hours - get ready for it.


   
Today more people live near the seacoast than ever before. Most of them have
lived there only a few years and have never been through a hurricane. They 
might not pay attention to warnings, but they should.


   
When the wind starts to knock down trees, the seas roll over the beaches and
flooding spreads over the land, it's too late.






You most plan ahead.


Your life and others will be saved when


 you know what to do.




Meteorology              Charles A. Giannetta
                         Meteorologist - Professor 
 
"Hurricanes" 


* * * "Atlantic Hurricane Season June 1 to Nov 30." * * *


* * * "Pacific Hurricane Season May 15 to Nov. 30." * * *

1.  Hurricanes...About 100 seedings a year.
2.  Hurricanes...Are a major source of rain.
3.  Hurricanes...Are in the Synoptic Wind System.
4.  Hurricanes...Arctic Hurricanes.
5.  Hurricanes...Atlantic Season. June 1 to Nov. 30.
6.  Hurricanes...Bay Bengal. Indin 1970. 300.000 killed by storm.
7.  Hurricanes...Cyclone. Greek word. = Circle.
8.  Hurricanes...Death toll in the U.S. has dropped.
9.  Hurricanes...Some hurricanes have a "Double Eye".
10. Hurricanes...Eye Wall contain: Thunderstorms. Tornadoes.
11. Hurricanes...Eye: 10 miles in diameter. Can be 100 mi. diameter.
12. Hurricanes...Forward speed up to 50 mph.
13. Hurricanes...High & Low Tides. Full Moon or New Moon produces 
                 higher strom surge.
14. Hurricanes...Hurricane Hunters: (Airforce) (NOAA) fly aircraft
                 into hurricanes.
15. Hurricanes...Hurricane Tracks: Direction the hurricane moves.
16. Hurricanes...Hurricane Agnes 1972 over Western Pa. & W. NY.
17. Hurricanes...Hurricane Andrew. Sept. 1992. Retired name.
18. Hurricanes...Hurricae Camille: Aug. 1969. 25 ft. storm surge.
                 Retired name.
19. Hurricanes...Hurricane Hazel: 1955: Delaware/Lehigh Rivers.
20. Hurricanes...Hurricane Hugo: 1989 Cat.4. 49 deaths.
21. Hurricanes...Nameing: WWII Letters. 1953 Female names.
22. Hurricanes...NOAA Weather Radio. AM-FM & TV.
23. Hurricanes...Pacific Centers. San Francisco. Honolulo.
24. Hurricanes...Pacific Season. May 15 to Nov. 30.
25. Hurricanes...Prepartion for hurricanes vary expensive.
26. Hurricanes...Safety: Civil Defense Evacuation. FEMA.
27. Hurricanes...Saffir-Simpson Scale.
28. Hurricanes...Spanish for Evil Spirt.
29. Hurricanes...Strom surge may be up to 50 miles wide.
30. Hurricanes...Strom surge moves inland 300 to 700 feet.
31. Hurricanes...Storm surge strongest part of storm.
32. Hurricanes...Storm surge with high & low tides.
33. Hurricanes...Typhoon. Chiness for Hurricane.
34. Hurricanes...Warm core storm.
35. Hurricanes...Watchs/ Warnings/Advisories/Bulletins issued
                 by the National Weather Service.
36. Hurricanes...Water must be 80 degrees F.
37. Hurricanes...When cosses Atlantic to Pacific given new name.
38. Hurricanes...Winds strongest on front side of storm.




Meteorology              Charles A. Giannetta
                         Meteorologist - Professor 
 


          "Names Of Retired Hurricanes"     
   
        Year     Name                       Year   Name
        ----     ----                       ----   ----
     1  1954 Carol..Hazel               20  1983 Alica
     2  1955 Connie..Diane..Ione..Janet 21  1985 Elena..Gloria
     3  1957 Audrey                     22  1988 Gilbert..Joan
     4  1960 Donna                      23  1989 Hugo
     5  1961 Caria..Hattie              24  1990 Diana..Klaus
     6  1963 Flora                      25  1991 Bob
     7  1964 Cleo..Dora..Hilda          26  1992 Andrew
     8  1965 Betsy                      27  1995 Luis..Marilyn..Opal..Roxanne
     9  1966 Inez                       28  1996 Cesar..Fran..Hortense
    10  1967 Beulah                     29  1998 Georges..Mitch
    11  1968 Edna                       30  1999 Floyd..Lenny
    12  1969 Camille                    31  2000 Keith
    13  1970 Celia                      32  2001 Allison..Iris..Michelle
    14  1972 Agnes                      33  2002 Isidore..Lili
    15  1974 Carmen..Fifi               34  2003 Fabian..Isabel..Juan
    16  1975 Eloise                     35  2004 Charley..Frances..Ivan..Jeanne
    17  1977 Anita                      36  2005 Dennis..Katrina..Rita..Stan
    18  1979 Dawn..Frederic             37  2007 Dean..Felix..Noel
    19  1980 Allen



          "Some Hurricane Statistics"      
   
        Name          Date          Catagory    Cost In       Deaths
        ----          ----          --------    Dollars       ------
                                                -------
    1.  Agnes     June 14-23, 1972       1      11.6 Billion  129 
    2.  Andrew    Aug. 1992              5      47 Billion    65
    3.  Camille   1969                   5      1.4 Billion   259
                                                For 1969
                                                Figures.
    4.  Charley   Aug. 9-15, 2004        4      19 Billion    35
    5.  Hugo      Sept, 1989             4      14 Billion    86
    6.  Katrina   Aug. 23-30, 2005    Highest   90 Billion    1836
                                      Winds
                                      175 mph
                                      Winds




          "Future Hurricanes Names"      
 
  
    Year                      Names
    ----                      -----

    2009   Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fred, Grace,
           Henri, Ida, Jaquin, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas,
           Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor, Wanda

    2010   Alex, Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston,
           Hermine, Igor, Julia, Karl, Lisa, Matthew, Nicole,
           Otto, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tomas, Virginia, Walter.

    2011   Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey,
           Irene, Jose, Katia, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Philippe,
           Rina, Sean, Tammy, Vince, Whitney.

    2012   Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon
           Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar,
           Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie, William.

    2013   Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dean, Erin, Felix, Gabrielle
           Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Mellisa, Noel,
           Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van, Wendy.





Meteorology              Charles A. Giannetta
                         Meteorologist - Professor 
 
"Safety During Hurricanes" 

   Hurricanes are big storms. They may stretch over 500 miles.
Someone has figured out that the energy in a hurricane is equal
to that of 40 atomic bombs going off each second. There is no
force we know about that is strong enough to stop them.

   Hurricanes are killers storms. We cannot stop them. Their 
shattering winds, pounding seas and damanging winds, but we can
save lives. Plan ahead so you know what to do before a hurricane
strikes. You can save you own life and very likely the lives of
other people.
 
"Safety Rules Before
    And During A Hurricane" 

1.  Store water in a clean bath tub and in jars and bottles. Even
    if water comes from your faucet it my not be good to drink.

2.  Board up large windows. Smaller ones should be crisscrissed with
    tape. That is to keep pieces of glass from flying if the windows
    are broken.

3.  Pick up every thing in your yard, toys, tools, boards, flower
    pots, cans. They may become as dangerous as bullets when picked
    up and shot along by the wind.

4.  During the hurricane stay away from windows. Stay indoors. Don't
    go out to save something you forgot. A chair, table, or anyting 
    else. Let it go. The wind could knock you down. Fallen trees 
    could kill you, or you might be hit by a flying branch or stick,
    wood, or electrocuted by a broken power line.

5.  Beware of the eye of the hurricane. The wind may stop suddenly
    and the skies may clear, but the hurricane is not over. you are
    in the center of the hurricane. Soon the wind will be furious
    as before. It will blow from the opposite direction, just as 
    dangerous as before.

6.  The electricity may go off. Have a battery operated radio so
    you can hear the storms reports. Have candles and portable
    lamps for light.

7.  If the house is close enough to the ocean that it might be
    flooded, "LEAVE IT", but leave before the hurricane hits. Plan 
    where will ou go and how will you get there? The police and 
    local officials will know the best places. They  are called storm 
    shelters. There may be only a single road  or a single bridge
    to you home. What would happen if the road or the bridge becomes
    clogged with stalled cars, or if water covered it?

 
    "Plan Ahead" Get To A Safe 
Place Before The Hurricane 
Reaches You!! 




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