what is a hurricane?
...ergy form water vapor that is absorbed from the ocean surface. When the hurricane is over an area of warm water it gets stronger and grows bigger. The Low pressure of the water causes the winds to move in a counterclockwise motion. The strongest winds of the hurricane occur in the eye wall. However, the eye is the calmest part of the storm. A lot of the damage sustained in a hurricane is due to the storm surge created by strong winds blowing water onto the shore. Many homes along the beach are destroyed in these surges. Damage is also caused by the thunder storms and tornados that are sometimes associated with hurricanes. To measure the amount of damage that may be caused by a hurricane, meteorologist uses what is called a "Saffir-Simpson" scale. Intensity Wind Speed Damage Category 1 74- 95 mph MINIMAL: tree branches, shrubs, unanchored mobile homes Category 2 96-110 mph MODERATE: mobile homes, poorly constructed buildings, some trees down Category 3 111-130 mph EXTENSIVE: small buildings damaged, large trees down, mobile homes destroyed Category 4 131-155 mph EXTREME: outer walls damaged, roof failure on small buildings, extensive damage to doors and windows, mobile homes destroyed Category 5 >155 mph CATASTROPHIC: complete roof failure on many buildings, some buildings destroyed, severe window and door da...