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Hurricanes

Terms in this set (12)

Lubbock,TX Tornado
May 11, 1970
F5 Tornado
one of worst tornadoes to strike a central business district of a large city
how are they named?
United Nations' World Meteorological Organization develops list for each ocean; represents 120 countries, since 1978; keep list six years in advance; letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z are NOT used; when a storm produces damage or casualties, country most affected may recommend that name be "retired"
names must be:
short, and readily understood when broadcast; culturally sensitive, NOT potentially inflammatory; "retired" names are replaced with a same initial, same gender name from reserve list
saffir-simpson scale
tropical storm: 39-74 mph
category 1: 74-95 mph
category 2: 96-110 mph
category 3: 111-129 mph
category 4: 131-156 mph
category 5: >157 mph
storm surge
sea level rises under low pressure area; prolonged high winds push water into waves; continued high winds amplify waves; all water moves onshore
Great Galveston Hurricane
category 4 storm; winds up to 145 mph; landfall on Sept 8, 1900; 6,00 to 12,00 dead; deadliest sing day event in US history
wave damage
higher amplitude waves have more energy; continue deeper into water; so, they move much more sand, as well as, anything else they encounter
wind damage
wind speed controls wave height; but, it also affects landscape directly; higher winds occur as eyewall is approached; blows rain sideways; picks up debris, which causes damage; fans fires; blows tall obstacles; doubling wind speed quadruples its force
Hurricane Alicia
category 3; Oct 1983; removed beach sand from under concrete parking area below this house on Texas Gulf Coast; it suspended on pilings that raised house above surge level; it also peeled off much of roof and front half of house
rainfall and flooding
warm, moist air produces a lot of rainfall; the slower a hurricane is traveling, the more rain an area receives
Hurricane Floyd
Eastern North Carolina; flooded much of state; US 64A bridge at Tarboro, NC, is isolated by floodwaters
hurricane season
June 1 - November 30
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