Hurricane Ike Research Paper

Six days after Hurricane Ike made landfall, Texas experienced the largest blackout in history of the state. Hurricane Ike took place in September of 2008. The Gulf of Mexico, Texas, and Arkansas were all affected by Ike. Hurricanes can be extremely dangerous and cause large amounts of damage.
Hurricanes can form very quickly and destroy communities in only a few days. Hurricanes are caused by warm, moist air being present over the ocean. The air rises up near the surface. The warm air rises so there is low pressure below. Air from nearby areas with higher pressure moves to areas with lower pressure. That air turns warm and moist and then rises. The surrounding air takes the place of that air. As the warm air cools, water in the air turns into clouds. The clouds and winds spin and grow, collecting the oceans heat and water from the surface (Erickson and Leon, 2017, p. 1-5). While the storm continues to grow it will reach different stages. At 38 miles per hour it is considered a tropical depression. Tropical depressions then become tropical storms and are given a name. Every six years a list of names is reused. These
lists are in alphabetical order. However, some names can be retired if they cause enough damage. When the wind reaches seventy-four miles per hour it becomes a hurricane and is put into a category based on the Safirr- Simpson scale. Hurricanes are closely studied to determine how dangerous they are.
There are many different parts of a hurricane. The eye of the hurricane is the hole in the center. It is a calm and sometimes clear area. Next is the eye wall. This area has rings of thunderstorms and also has the strongest and heaviest rain. Another part are the rain bands. Rain bands are clouds and rain that go far out from the eye wall. These rain bands can stretch for Along with wind, water is a big part of hurricanes. The wind piles up big walls of water that flood coastal areas. This flooding is called a storm surge. Another thing that can happen is hurricanes can spawn tornadoes and they can cause a lot of damage (National, 2017, p.5). . During the storm winds will rip away trees and roof shingles. If it is a hurricane winds will be at least seventy-four miles per hour and cause extreme amounts of damage Therefore, hurricanes are very dangerous and should be taken seriously.
Hurricanes cause a lot of damage and also require a lot of money to fix the areas affected. Hurricane Ike occurred in September of 2008 in the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, and other states. Ike’s storm surges left almost no vegetation. Green fields, lawns, and trees were completely ripped away. From all of the surges there is a lot of water. Floodwater extended sixteen miles inland only four days after Hurricane Ike. Every time Ike was near land floods occurred. Also, forty-nine oil platforms were completely destroyed along the coast. Since many areas and homes were destroyed the cost of damage was very high. The total cost was estimated to be about $29 billion. Ike is the third costliest hurricane in the United States. It is behind Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy. As of October 10, 2009 there are one-hundred fifty- seven people still missing. Along with that there were about 74-195 deaths. The death number is just an estimate because the missing people may be alive and they may not. Hurricanes can completely wipe out whole communities.
Families were extremely affected.
Many lost their homes and all of their belongings. They were left with nowhere to go. The American Red Cross worked for many hours in an attempt to help the communities. They helped about two-hundred shelters in several states by providing food and other necessary materials they would need to take care of Ike victims. They provided 100,000 overnight stays for Ike survivors that had to evacuate their homes. Many community services provided mobile feeding vehicles to some areas. When homes were destroyed Texas had a serious blackout. CenterPoint energy provides power to Houston after the blackout. This helped the shelters that needed this energy to house all the people that needed help (American, n.d., p. 1-2). The hurricane cause a lot of damage but also a lot of sadness to the families that were left with almost
nothing.
To prevent as much damage as possible people need to prepare for these incidents. There are many ways that people can be notified of an upcoming storm. Local radio stations will keep people informed of where the storm will hit. Also, weather forecasters release radar pictures so the community will know how damaging the storm will be. Local TV channels and weather websites will keep updating information so that the community can see it. However, there are some things that everyone can do to stay safe. Emergencies kits should be arranged in advance just in case something would happen. These kits should have food, water, and other supplies. Families should also have an evacuation plan in case of emergencies. Important documents and valuable items should be kept somewhere safe. Families should also discuss the dangers of hurricanes. These are all things that families can do in advance to stay safe.
However, sometimes people will have time to prepare right before anything happens. If there is enough time a good thing to do it turn off propane tanks and power. Staying indoors is very important. Swimming, walking on beaches and travelling are very dangerous things to do during a hurricane. The best things to do are: use flashlights, listen to the local radio and have a safe place for people and pets to go. People should try to remove everything on their porches or lawns. For example, putting benches, tables, chairs, and any other outdoor belongings in a safe place can eliminate some damage. If caught outside, move to higher ground and find shelter. Never go under bridges or in low spots. These areas can completely fill with water (American, n.d., p. 1-2). The best thing to do is to come up with a plan for absolutely any situation a person can be in. By following all of these rules many people can keep themselves and their families safe.
In conclusion, hurricanes can destroy whole communities so people need to protect themselves and their belongings in case of a hurricane. Everyone should have a hurricane/evacuation plan so that everyone can stay safe. Hurricane Ike occurred in September 2008 in the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, and Arkansas. Hurricanes can be extremely threatening and cause large amounts of destruction.