Hurricanes

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Hurricanes

How are hurricanes measured?

Hurricane Irma's devastation prompted a large-scale evacuation in the impacted areas, making it the greatest evacuation in US and Bahamas history. Prior to the storm's arrival on Sunday, about 5.6 million people were urged to evacuate. The flooding had disastrous consequences. Trees were uprooted, automobiles were flipped over, and infrastructure was obliterated. The storm has caused floods in at least nine states. The hurricane spanned around 650 miles from east to west, flooding major cities and wreaking havoc on property. In the Florida Keys, an estimated 65 percent of residences experienced serious damage, with 25 percent of structures being destroyed. Surge flooding of up to 15 feet was forecast along Florida's southwest coast. The effects are felt till today as power outages continue to affect millions of people across the Southeast. 1.3 million people in Florida lost power in the first four hours after Hurricane Irma made landfall.

Hurricane Irma was the most powerful storm to ever strike Cape Verde in 2017. No other hurricane in the Atlantic has equaled the power of Irma's winds this far east. Irma also set new records for accumulated cyclone energy, a metric that takes storm severity and duration into account. As the storm approaches the United States, this statistic is projected to rise during the weekend.

Hurricane Irma destruction

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which ranges from 1 to 5, is based on the sustained wind speed of a hurricane. This system assigns a score from one to five to storms based on sustained wind speed and the potential for property damage caused by those winds. Major hurricanes are those that reach Category 3 or above and have the potential to cause severe loss of life and property damage. The image on the left describes how the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale works.

How are poorer countries and people affected by hurricanes?

Hurricanes strike disadvantaged areas disproportionately. Lower-income people have less access to technology, which leads to a lack of information and leaves them vulnerable to natural disasters. Furthermore, disadvantaged people live in less solid housing that is less resistant to natural disasters. The Caribbean, for example, has a history of being hit hard by hurricanes, and this is partly due to the fact that 60-70 percent of the infrastructure is informal, meaning it was not professionally built or according to safety protocols. Poor areas also lack access to transportation and healthcare, leaving them with fewer resources in the aftermath of a catastrophe. Following Hurricane Maria in 2017, 2975 people died in Puerto Rico due to a lack of transportation to a hospital or appropriate life-sustaining drugs. Rebuilding also necessitates finances, which many underprivileged people lack. While the wealthy can typically afford to relocate out of high-risk locations, the poor cannot.

Hurricane Maria destruction

Hurricanes have an impact on global poverty because they stifle development and result in substantial financial losses, causing people and countries to fall into poverty. Natural calamities push 26 million people into poverty each year. Hurricanes, in particular, have a negative impact on development and GDP. In addition, minorities are affected and hit by hurricanes the hardest and worst. Hurricane Katrina is a prominent example of this. Several studies have found that black individuals in New Orleans fared worse than white people during and after Hurricane Katrina. According to one study, the death rate for African Americans over the age of 18 was up to four times greater than for whites. Another study looked at Katrina flood damage and discovered that black homeowners were more than three times as likely as whites to have experienced flooding. Discriminatory lending is the reason. Because black people were less likely to be able to buy homes outside of the flood plain, they were among the first to be inundated.

Even before a natural calamity strikes, there is a disparity. Lower-income folks may lack cell phones, broadband, or frequent access to technologies that would keep them informed about impending risks. Cheaper houses are also less safe, as they lack the robust foundations and reinforcements that can mean the difference between a blown-apart house and one with minor window damage. Flood insurance must be purchased separately from homes insurance, and lower-income individuals are less able to afford it. In addition, developing countries must use the little amount of money they earn from their GDP and focus on rebuilding after hurricanes which further slows down economic growth. Developing countries cannot afford to protect high-risk locations by rebuilding structures with higher elevations or erecting sea barriers, for example. Hurricanes have the greatest impact on individuals who are poor, and as a result, hurricanes force them deeper into poverty.

How do hurricanes affect the environment?

However, hurricanes do bring a benefit to the environment. Sand and nutrients from the ocean floor can be carried to barrier islands by hurricanes. Because of the sand and nutrients, the islands can be repaired rather than shrinking and sinking. Plants can benefit from hurricanes. Winds can blow spores and seeds further inland than expected as tropical systems move onshore.

Fish kills are frequently increased during hurricanes. Flooding from rain or a saline storm surge can confine fish in water with an unhealthy salinity. Intolerant to salinity changes species may die if this happens quickly and the fish have no way out. Furthermore, strong winds can drive surface water to one side of a small lake or pond. Water rises from the depths to fill in the gaps at the surface, bringing sediments and organic matter with it.

Hurricane causes water to come to land which brings fishes with it and when the water recedes, the fish do not which leaves them to die.

Plants can be uprooted and land animals killed by strong winds and water, wreaking havoc on natural places. Hurricanes can also cause the release of dangerous chemicals and pollutants into the environment by destroying energy and chemical production facilities, gas stations, and other businesses. Invasive plants and animals have also been known to spread after hurricanes. Exotic plants can be moved by wind and water, and invasive fish that were previously confined to a particular area may be swept away by floods and expand their range. Hurricanes have also destroyed exotic species breeding facilities, allowing the animals to escape and establish themselves in the wild.

How can hurricanes be prevented?

Citizens can also do their part in protecting themselves. Here are some examples: - - Staying safe requires planning and having an emergency plan in place. Listen to the news and weather broadcasts in your area for any potential hurricane watches and warnings. Check to see if you live in a hurricane-prone area and sign up for local alerts. Be prepared to flee at any time. Listen to the radio or local news channels, and/or use social media to follow your local news outlet and emergency personnel. Even after the hurricane or tropical storm has passed, be on the lookout for heavy rain and subsequent flooding.

When a hurricane hits a town, it leaves a clear path of damage in its wake. Homes, businesses, and crops may be destroyed or damaged as a result of high winds and water from a storm surge, public infrastructure may be harmed, and people may be injured or killed. In addition, they can cause inland flooding, tornadoes, and rip currents due to strong winds, storm surge flooding, and heavy rainfall.

Governments do their utmost to protect their citizens. The main way they do this is by issuing warnings through amber alerts so everyone receives them. They may also interrupt channels in order to spread awareness. The rest is on the citizens in order to follow these procedures whether they may be to evacuate the area in order to save lives or stay at home. In addition, the government must help citizens to recover from this disaster. The federal government assists victims of natural catastrophes like as wildfires, earthquakes, and severe storms in both the short and long term. FEMA and other federal disaster relief agencies give food, shelter, water, money, and healthcare to victims of natural disasters.

Soldiers helping provide organizations with necessities to help people affected by the hurricane.

What is a hurricane and how do they form?

The Northern Hemisphere experiences more hurricanes than the Southern. Furthermore, 57 percent of storms that strike the Northern Hemisphere strike the Pacific Ocean, 31 percent strike the Indian Ocean, and only 12 percent strike the Atlantic.

Storm surges are often the most dangerous part of a hurricane. The winds of a hurricane force water onto a mound in the storm's centre as they spiral around and around the storm. When the storm approaches land, this mound of water becomes dangerous because it produces flooding along the coast. As the storm drags it landward, the water builds up, unable to escape elsewhere but on land. In regions where the ocean floor slopes gradually, a hurricane will create higher storm surge. This results in significant floods.

Hurricanes are enormous, swirling storms with winds of 74 miles per hour or more. A storm's eye is normally 20-30 miles wide and can stretch for over 400 miles. Storms can bring torrential rains, strong gusts, and storm surges. Over warm ocean waters, hurricanes form. They occasionally land. When a hurricane hits land, it sends a wall of water crashing ashore. Storm surge is the term for this wall of water. A hurricane's heavy rain and storm surge can produce flooding. Scientists have no idea why or how hurricanes form. However, they are aware that two key elements are required. Warm water is one of the ingredients. Warm ocean waters supply the energy required for a storm to develop into a hurricane. For a hurricane to form, the surface water temperature must be at least 26 degrees Celsius. Winds that don't fluctuate significantly in speed or direction as they rise in the sky are another element. Storms can be ripped apart by winds that fluctuate dramatically with height.