Essay Sample on Hurricanes: Mighty Storms From Low-Pressure Systems

Introduction

Hurricanes, also commonly referred to as tropical cyclones are low-pressure systems that acquire their energy from warm ocean waters. Hurricanes have organized thunderstorm activities and cause a massive disturbance in areas in which they hit. In the human eye, tropical cyclones look very calm and with low air pressure. However, they cause mighty storms since they produce powerful winds, lead to storm surge flooding, and cause heavy rainfall, and consequently, they initiate inland flooding and the occurrence of tornadoes (Moore & Dixon 371). On the other hand, tornadoes can be described as a swiftly rotating column of air both in contact with the earth’s surface and a cumulonimbus cloud. Some tornadoes can last for some seconds while others go for hours.

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Hurricanes

The Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale is the tool that is used to classify hurricanes, and it contains a rating of 1-5. According to the National Hurricane Center, the intensity of a hurricane is based on the maximum sustained wind speed and, consequently, the type of damage caused by the wind (Moore & Dixon 375). The first category of hurricanes is that whose sustained winds are at 119-153 kph. The winds are very dangerous and lead to the destruction of roofs, gutters, and shingles. Large trees branches can snap, and roots topple. There can be extensive damage to power lines and poles, leading to a power outage. The second category of hurricanes occurs when sustained winds move at 154-177 kph, and they cause extensive damage. These winds destroy houses’ roofs and gutters, uproot trees that may block rods, and interfere with power lines leading to a power outage. The third category of hurricanes has sustained winds of 178-208km/h, leading to devastating damages. Many trees are snapped or uprooted, thus blocking roads. Well-built framed homes experience vast damages, and water and electricity remain unavailable for several days after the storm’s occurrence. The fourth category of hurricanes causes catastrophic damage since sustained winds move at 209-251 km/h. Houses can be demolished entirely, and trees and power cables fall. A power outage may be experienced for several months, and the affected areas remain unhabitable for several weeks. The final category of hurricanes also causes catastrophic damage, with sustained winds moving at least 252km/h. Most of the homes in the affected areas are completely destroyed, trees and power poles fall, and the areas can remain inhabitable for several weeks or months (Moore & Dixon 376).

As mentioned earlier, Maria is one of the deadliest hurricanes that occurred in September 2017. The affected states were Puerto Rico, Dominica, and St Croix. The National Hurricane Center classified Maria to be in category 5, with the highest recorded wind speed of 280km/h. Due to the extensive damage, Maria is recorded as the worst natural disaster since 2004, and it caused a significant humanitarian crisis. The total damages amounted to about $20 billion, and more than 2,900 fatalities were recorded (Moore & Dixon 380). According to the National Hurricane Center, Cristina hurricane will hit some parts of the United States this week. Cristina is a category one hurricane with sustained winds of about 100km/h. The speed is expected to accelerate in the next few days.

Tornadoes

On the other hand, tornadoes are classified based on their estimated wind speed on the Fujita scale, commonly referred to as the F-scale. The estimated wind speed is determined by their strength and their likelihood to cause damage (Agee & Jones 609). Tornado categories run from F-0 to F-5. F-0 tornadoes are those whose winds are at a speed of 40-72mph, and they result in slight damage. F-1 tornadoes have wind speeds of 73-112 mph, and they cause moderate damage like pushing mobile homes off their foundation. F-2 tornadoes cause considerable damage with wind speeds of 113-157 mph. Trees are uprooted, and mobile homes demolished. F-3 tornadoes cause severe damages with speeds of 158-208 mph. Cars are thrown around, trains overturned, and walls and roofs are torn down (Agee & Jones 6010). F-4 tornadoes cause devastating damages with wind speeds of 207-260 mph.
The severest tornadoes are F-5and they are the most dangerous with wind speeds of 261-318 mph. F-5 tornadoes cause violent damage, like the lifting of permanent homes of their foundation and carried away (Agee & Jones 609).
The recent tornado that hit Mississippi was confirmed by the National Weather Service with maximum winds of 170 mph. The Beauregard tornado was an F-4 and F-5, and it is classified as the deadliest tornado in the United States after Moore.

Conclusion

The formation of tornadoes occurs when warm and humid air collides with cold, dry air. The dense cold is forcefully pushed over the warm and humid air, thus generating thunderstorms (Agee & Jones 609). The warm air rises through the cold and dense air, causing an updraft that starts to rotate if sharp winds are blowing in varying speeds and directions.

Hurricanes and tornadoes are prevalent in the United States, and the country records some of the deadliest storms. One of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States was the Galveston, which happened in 1900 and led to the death of at least 12,000 people (Moore & Dixon 371). Hurricane Maria occurred in 2017 and killed almost 3,000 people in the United States. In 2020 alone, there have been at least 533 tornado cases that have been confirmed in the United States alone, and seventy-six deaths have been reported. The tornadoes and hurricanes are usually confirmed by different weather forecast offices in the United States.

Works Cited

Agee, Ernest, and Erin Jones. "Proposed conceptual taxonomy for proper identification and classification of tornado events." Weather and Forecasting 24.2 (2009): 609-617.

Moore, Todd W., and Richard W. Dixon. "Climatology of tornadoes associated with Gulf Coastlandfalling hurricanes." Geographical Review 101.3 (2011): 371-395.