Atmospheric Hazard: Hurricanes

These maps show hurricanes that occurred between 2000 and 2011 that made
landfall on the East Coast of the United States and reached wind speeds of up to
196 mph.

Looking closely at North Carolina, we can see that many hurricanes have passed
through the major cities in this state. The legend tells us that the wind speed over
this area during this time was no more than 74 mph, but mostly between 0 and 39
mph. Hurricane Jeanne which went right through Greensboro and Winston-Salem
in 2004 lasted 17 days. Research from North Carolina State University tells us that
in 2004 Hurricane Jeanne was the 10th named tropical cyclone, and out of those 10,
7 tropical cyclones affected North Carolina. All of the rainfall associated with the
hurricane caused multiple tornadoes to hit the state as well.
 Zooming out so that we have a view of Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida we can see that most of
these major hurricanes occurring between 2000 and 2011 curve in the same
direction. The wind speed in the whole Southeast region of the country is the same
range as in North Carolina, but this view shows us that off the coasts is where the
wind speeds start to pick up between 74 and 111 mph. This curve into the Atlantic
Ocean tends to be a typical line for hurricanes to follow because of the surrounding
wind patterns on the east coast. Hurricanes are fueled by warmer water evaporating
off the sea, which is why we see them occurring near the Atlantic Ocean.
This map shows The United States, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic,
and the Bahamas. It gives us a bigger view of the path of the hurricanes, showing
how they tend to travel North and East, oftentimes looping back around. We can
see that the wind speeds in the Caribbean areas are mostly at minimum 111 mph
but can blow faster than 155 mph. Large scale winds like those found over the
Atlantic Ocean are what fuel hurricanes, and typically landfall is what slows them
down. Scientists are also studying climate change, and how warmer temperatures
due to the earth warming from fossil fuels and warmth from the sun are
contributing to more hurricanes. According to the website Hurricane Science,
Hurricane Jeanne caused extra precipitation leading to flooding, mudslides, and in
many countries in the Caribbean, many casualties. 3,000 people were killed in
Haiti, where they are no stranger to hurricanes, but as a poor country they don’t
have the means to properly prepare.
 Citations

“2004- Hurricane Jeanne.” Hurricanes, University of Rhode Island, 2004,

www.hurricanescience.org/history/storms/2000s/jeanne/.

“Hurricane Jeanne.” Hurricane Jeanne, North Carolina State University, 2007,

projects.ncsu.edu/atmos_collaboration/nwsfo/storage/cases/20040927/.

Melina, Remy. “Why Do Hurricanes Often Curve Out to Sea?” LiveScience, Purch, 31 Aug.
2010, www.livescience.com/8539-hurricanes-curve-sea.html.

[Null]. “Hurricanes and Climate.” Hurricanes, The University of Rhode Island,

www.hurricanescience.org/science/science/climate/.