Hurricanes

If these huge tropical storms start in the

Atlantic off the west coast of Africa, they are
called hurricanes.
Over a dozen hurricanes form over the
Atlantic Ocean and head westwards towards
the Caribbean, the east coast of Central
America and the southern USA (Florida in
particular) every year.
Hurricanes may last as long as a month and
although they travel very slowly - usually at
about 24 km/h (15 mph) - wind speeds can
reach over 120 km/h (75 mph).
Hurricanes need a lot of heat to form and a

How hurricanes form

1.

When this warm and wet air rises, it condenses to form towering
clouds and heavy rainfall. It also creates a low-pressure zone near the
surface of the water.
2.
Rising warm air causes the pressure to decrease at higher
altitudes. Warm air is under a higher pressure than cold air, so moves
towards the space occupied by the colder, lower pressure, air. So the low
pressure sucks in air from the warm surroundings, which then also rises.
A continuous upflow of warm and wet air continues to create clouds and
rain.
3.
Air that surrounds the low pressure zone at the centre flows in a
spiral at very high speeds - anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphere - at

4.

5.
6.
7.

8.

speeds of around 120 km/h (75 mph).

Air is ejected at the top of the storm which can be 15km high
and falls to the outside of the storm, out and over the top, away from the
eye of the storm. As this happens, it reduces the mass of air over the eye of
the storm - causing the wind speed to increase further. Some ejected air
also cools and dries, and sinks through the eye of the storm, adding to the
low pressure at the centre.
The faster the winds blow, the lower the air pressure in the centre,
and so the cycle continues. The hurricane grows stronger and stronger.
Seen from above, hurricanes are huge circular bodies of thick cloud
around 450 km (300 miles) wide. The cloud brings
heavy rain, thunder and lightning.
In the centre is the eye of the hurricane,
about 45 km across (30 miles) across. Often there
will be no clouds in the eye. Seen from below it
will seem calmer, with a circle of blue sky above.
The eye is formed because this is the only part of
the hurricane where cold air is descending.
In the northern hemisphere, the
prevailing easterly tropical winds tend to steer
hurricanes toward land - although their course is
unpredictable. As hurricanes move inshore, their
power gradually reduces because their energy comes from sucking up
moist sea air.

Impacts of Hurricane Katrina:

From August 23rd to August 30th, 2005
Katrina is the costliest U.S hurricane, with
estimated damage over $81 billion and
costs over $160 billion (2005 US dollars).
1800 fatalities, 200,000 home destroyed
and 800,000 displaced, Louisiana,
Florida, Mississippi
Overall was a category 4 storm although it
was, for a while a category 5
hurricane warning days in advance,
predicted as a level 2 hurricane, turned
into a level 5 over night
The winds of tropical storms generate
abnormally high waves and tidal surges.
Due to the large size of the storm, there
was a large wind field with maximum
winds likely extending up to 55km from
the center. The storm surge along the
Mississippi coast was between 7 and
8.5metres.
The surge went as far inland as 9.7km
from the coast and 19km at bays and
rivers.
Additionally, more than 203mm to 254mm
of rain fell across large parts of
Mississippi and Louisiana along and to
the west of the track.
The most destructive elements of a storm
are the subsequent high seas and

Secondary impacts of Hurricane Katrina:

Looting was common throughout the
city
Many people felt vulnerable and unsafe
When the waves and storm surge hit the
coastline, structures along the coast in
Mississippi were destroyed and further
inland experienced catastrophic
flooding.
In New Orleans, the combination of
surge and waves lead to the destruction
of the levee system which lead to
flooding 80% of New Orleans to depth
above metres in some places.
Since the city of New Orleans is mostly
below sea level, and most of the pump
stations used to remove rain water from
the city were disabled by the storm, the
water stayed in the city.
In New Orleans, people were trapped in
their houses and stranded on their roofs
as the rapidly rising water caught many

Response to Hurricane Katrina:

August 26, 2005, both Louisiana and
Mississippi activated their emergency
response plans and began preparations for
evacuations along the coast.
Most people (85%) evacuated from coastal
Mississippi and Louisiana.
Those who did not were unable to for
medical reasons or had limited access to
transportation. An evacuation order was
issued but many of the poorest people
remained in the city as they did not have the
financial means to leave
More than 18000 cars left/hour
Around 1.2 million people evacuated the
metropolitan New Orleans region and that
about 100,000 people remained in New
Orleans. Of those remaining, around 10,000
went to the Superdome shelter before the
storm.
People sought refuge in the Superdome
stadium but the conditions were unhygienic
and there was a lack of food and water
Although many people evacuated, it was a
slow process and the poorest and most
vulnerable were left behind
$50 billion aid was given by the government
UK government send food aid during the
early stages of the recovery process
Vulnerability:
The African Americans
were more vulnerable as
a result of segregation in
the past. They lived in
inadequate housing to
protect themselves
51% of fatalities in
Louisiana were African
Americans
In New Orleans, 25.7%
below poverty line
compared to a 18.4%
nation wide
Although there are manmade levees and
floodwalls, Hurricane
Katrina proved that they
were not strong enough
to withstand the forces of
nature
So with the imminent
threat of global warming,
people are advised to
move away from New

MEDC disaster:
MEDCs are
better placed
to reduce the
effects of
tropical
storms
More financial,
educational
and
technological
resources to
deal with
them
Able to observe
and predict
storm
behavior
Able to invest
infrastructure