Ess Analysis of Hurricanes
ESS Analysis of Hurricanes
Thesis Statement:
A hurricane is a type of tropical storm that forms in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Hurricanes can cause significant damage to coastal areas and even several hundred miles inland, depending on the strength of the storm. Hurricanes can cause winds above 150 miles per hour and are categorized 1-5, depending on the strength of the winds, with 1 being the calmest and 5 being the harshest. But hurricanes can also cause damage from heavy rainfall, flooding and flying debris. Between 1970 and 1999, more people lost their lives from hurricanes than from any other weather hazard. (www.ready.gov/hurricanes)
Because of human interest in living near water due to access for recreation and fishing, nearly 40% of the world’s population lives within 100km of the coast. (www.challenger.org/sciencechallenges/climate-change-challenge/) Therefore, people and property are at risk of tidal and storm surges associated with hurricanes.
Although scientists began to understand ways to predict hurricanes as early as the 1800’s and have been building on that knowledge ever since, hurricanes continue to cause incredible destruction, such as the Galveston Hurricane in 1900, where approximately 6,000 people died, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused over $81.2 billion in damage and still affects the city of New Orleans today.
Recommendations:
One way to reduce the impact of hurricanes on people and property is to limit or reduce the amount of development at or near coastal areas. However, this is highly unlikely because of people’s love for the water.
A more realistic and potentially more beneficial alternative to reduce hurricane damage would be to restore coastal wetlands, because wetlands act as natural sponges that soak up and store water from storm surges. For example, naturally occurring wetlands along the Mississippi River used to be able to
Thesis Statement:
A hurricane is a type of tropical storm that forms in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Hurricanes can cause significant damage to coastal areas and even several hundred miles inland, depending on the strength of the storm. Hurricanes can cause winds above 150 miles per hour and are categorized 1-5, depending on the strength of the winds, with 1 being the calmest and 5 being the harshest. But hurricanes can also cause damage from heavy rainfall, flooding and flying debris. Between 1970 and 1999, more people lost their lives from hurricanes than from any other weather hazard. (www.ready.gov/hurricanes)
Because of human interest in living near water due to access for recreation and fishing, nearly 40% of the world’s population lives within 100km of the coast. (www.challenger.org/sciencechallenges/climate-change-challenge/) Therefore, people and property are at risk of tidal and storm surges associated with hurricanes.
Although scientists began to understand ways to predict hurricanes as early as the 1800’s and have been building on that knowledge ever since, hurricanes continue to cause incredible destruction, such as the Galveston Hurricane in 1900, where approximately 6,000 people died, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused over $81.2 billion in damage and still affects the city of New Orleans today.
Recommendations:
One way to reduce the impact of hurricanes on people and property is to limit or reduce the amount of development at or near coastal areas. However, this is highly unlikely because of people’s love for the water.
A more realistic and potentially more beneficial alternative to reduce hurricane damage would be to restore coastal wetlands, because wetlands act as natural sponges that soak up and store water from storm surges. For example, naturally occurring wetlands along the Mississippi River used to be able to
Cited: ‘Hurricanes and the Lithosphere’ (pdf). Challenger Learning Center of St. Louis. November 2011. www.challenger.org/sciencechallenges/climate-change-challenge/. ‘Hurricanes and the Hydrosphere’ (pdf). Challenger Learning Center of St. Louis. November 2011. www.challenger.org/sciencechallenges/climate-change-challenge/. ‘Hurricanes and the Biosphere’ (pdf). Ontario Science Centre. November 2011. www.challenger.org/sciencechallenges/climate-change-challenge/. ‘Hurricanes and the Atmosphere’ (pdf). Challenger Learning Center of St. Louis. November 2011. www.challenger.org/sciencechallenges/climate-change-challenge/.