Nim's+Island+Webquest+-+Storms

=Nim's Island Webquest - Storms = == In the book, there is a terrible storm. One of the worst storms you can have is a cyclone. The word hurricane is from the Spanish word huracan meaning a big wind. Hurricanes are known by other names, too (see below). Hurricanes are the most dangerous storms on earth. Even though the winds are only about half as fast as a tornado, a hurricane can be 2,000 times as wide as a tornado! Most hurricanes last less than an hour, but others go on and on for days!

 Hurricanes are Also Known As...
 * Hurricanes- Caribbean Sea, Southern U.S., Central America
 * Typhoons- China Sea, northern Panic Ocean including the Philippines, Japan and southern China
 * Cyclones- Indian Ocean including northern Australia, Indonesia, India, and Bangladesh

The storm spirals throughout the ocean and collects more and more moist ocean air. It spins faster and faster and grows larger and larger! As it gets stronger, it gets rounder and the eye begins to form. When it reaches speeds of 74 mph or higher, the storm is called a hurricane.

 The Eye of the Storm - The center of the hurricane is known as the eye; here the air is calm, the temperature is warm, and the sun shines however, the spinning winds all around the eye are violent

Damage - When a hurricane reaches the shore, it is out of control at 500 miles wide and 150 mph winds. Winds damage buildings, piers, power lines, homes, and trees. Sometimes, a hurricane will cause a tornado to occur as well. The winds from the tornado cause even more damage. Hurricanes also cause flooding; they can cause several feet of water to drop each day and ocean waves swell up to sixty feet high! Rivers and streams can overflow causing destruction to crops, homes, and businesses. Storm surges are also damaging. A storm surge is a giant wall of water that is pushed on shore by the wind from the hurricane. When this bulge in the sea reaches the coast, it causes costal waters to rise 20 feet above normal which produces flooding that destroys many more homes and many more businesses.

Check out this video about Robbie Hood Hurricane Hunter @http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/scientists/scientist59.html

= Quiz Time! = media type="custom" key="21801200"