Oceans Challenge Badge

Download 0.49 Mb.
Date conversion18.10.2016
Size0.49 Mb.
1   2   3   4   5   6

Annex 1: Hurricanes

Reproduced with the kind permission of www.WeatherWizKids.com

What is a hurricane?
A hurricane is a huge storm! It can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds spiralling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph. Each hurricane usually lasts for over a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour over the open ocean. Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters. Evaporation from the seawater increases their power. Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around an "eye" in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere. The centre of the storm or "eye" is the calmest part. It has only light winds and fair weather. When they come onto land, the heavy rain, strong winds and large waves can damage buildings, trees and cars.

hurricane diagram

If you live an area that's prone to hurricanes, then an emergency kit can be a big help for you. A hurricane survival kit is designed to give you all the basic things you need to survive and be safe, from a way to get clean water for yourself to first aid kits and other helpful tools.

How do hurricanes form?
hurricane formation

Click Here to learn more about hurricanes from UCAR.

What is storm surge?
Storm surges are frequently the most devastating element of a hurricane. As a hurricane’s winds spiral around and around the storm, they push water into a mound at the storm’s center. This mound of water becomes dangerous when the storm reaches land because it causes flooding along the coast. The water piles up, unable to escape anywhere but on land as the storm carries it landward. A hurricane will cause more storm surge in areas where the ocean floor slopes gradually. This causes major flooding.

As you watch the storm-surge animations, notice the effect that the physical geography of each coastline has on storm surge. Also, note the waves on top of the ocean's surface. Wind, waves, and sea-level rise all contribute to storm-surge damage.

Shallow-Water Coastline

storm surge

Deep-Water Coastline

storm surge

With technology the way it is, there are computer models that allow forecasters to predict the amount of storm surge that will affect a coastal area. These are called Slosh Models and take into account a storm’s strength, its path, how the ocean shallows, and the shape of the land. Then it calculates how much storm surge a hurricane will probably cause.

When does hurricane season start?
The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, but most hurricanes occur during the fall months. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season is from May 15 to November 30. (Below is a graphic that shows you when hurricanes are most active across parts of the world.)
hurricane formation

Who names hurricanes?
From 1950 to 1952, tropical cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean were identified by the phonetic alphabet (Able-Baker-Charlie-etc.), but in 1953 the US Weather Bureau switched to women's names. The rest of the world eventually caught on, and naming rights now go by the World Meteorological Organization, which uses different sets of names depending on the part of the world the storm is in. Around the U.S., only women's names were used until 1979, when it was decided that they should alternate a list that included men's names too. There's 6 different name lists that alternate each year. If a hurricane does significant damage, its name is retired and replaced with another.
Atlantic Hurricane Names
Eastern Pacific Hurricane Names

What is the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon?
Nothing except geography. Tropical storms occur in several of the world's oceans, and except for their names, they are essentially the same type of storm. In the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, they are called hurricanes. In the Western Pacific Ocean, they are called typhoons. In the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and Australia, these types of storms are called cyclones.
hurricane georges
(This is a satellite animation of Hurricane Georges, which struck the Mississippi Gulf coast in 1998.)

Who are the "Hurricane Hunters"?
The brave "hurricane hunters" work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Each mission lasts about ten hours, with the crews passing four to six times through the storm. The planes carry radar, sophisticated computers, and weather instruments that determine characteristics such as temperature, air pressure, wind speed, and wind direction inside the hurricane. The crews also release instruments that measure temperature, air pressure, and wind at different levels as the devices drop through the hurricane toward the ocean. By mission's end, NOAA can warn everyone in the hurricane's path. (Below is a satellite image of Hurricane Mitch back in October 1998. The Hurricane Hunters flew into the eye of Mitch just as this Category 5 hurricane with winds of 155 mph smacked right into Central America.)

hurricane mitch

hurricane hunters plane

What is coastal beach erosion?
Coastal beach erosion is the wearing away of land, the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage. Waves are generated by storms, wind, or hurricanes and can cause coastal erosion. This may take the form of long-term losses of sediment and rocks, or merely the temporary redistribution of coastal sediments.

hurricaneHurricanes...Past and Presenthurricane
Tropical Tracks: Click to see the tracks of this year's storms.

Past Hurricane Info: Click to find all the data and information about a specific hurricane by just knowing the year.

hurricaneKnow the Lingohurricane
TROPICAL STORM WATCH - Tropical Storm conditions with sustained winds from 39 -74 mph are possible in your area within the next 36 hours.

TROPICAL STORM WARNING - Tropical Storm conditions are expected in your area within the next 24 hours.

HURRICANE WATCH - Hurricane conditions with sustained winds of 74 mph or greater are possible in your area within the next 36 hours. This WATCH should trigger your family's disaster plan, and protective measures should be initiated. Especially, those actions that require extra time such as securing a boat and leaving a barrier island.

HURRICANE WARNING - Hurricane conditions are expected in your area within 24 hours. Once this WARNING has been issued, your family should be in the process of completing protective actions and deciding the safest location to be during the storm.

COASTAL FLOOD WATCH - The possibility exists for the inundation of land areas along the coast within the next 12 to 36 hours.

COASTAL FLOOD WARNING - Land areas along the coast are expected to become, or have become, inundated by sea water above the typical tide action.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY - A small craft advisory is a type of warning issued by the National Weather Service, most frequently in coastal areas. It is issued when winds have reached, or are expected to reach within 12 hours, a speed marginally less than that which is considered gale force, usually 25-38 mph.

Click Here to see if there are any active warnings in your area.

hurricaneHurricane Stageshurricane

Tropical Wave

A low pressure trough moving generally westward with the trade winds.

Tropical Disturbance

An organized area of thunderstorms that usually forms in the tropics. Typically, they maintain their identity for 24 hours and are accompanied by heavy rains and gusty winds.

Tropical Cyclone

A generic term for any organized low pressure that develops over tropical and sometimes sub-tropical waters. Tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes are all example of tropical cyclones.

Tropical Depression

An organized area of low pressure in which sustained winds are 38 mph or less.

Tropical Storm

A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained wind speeds that range from 39 to 73 mph.


A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 74 mph.

hurricaneSaffir-Simpson Hurricane Scalehurricane


Winds (MPH)

Pressure (Millibars)

Pressure (Inches)

Storm Surge
































To learn more about hurricanes, Click Here to watch a variety of videos teaching you the ins and outs of nature's fury. I would like to give a special thanks to Pinellas County Emergency management for putting these instructional videos together.

hurricaneHurricane Safety Tipshurricane
BEFORE A HURRICANE: Have a disaster plan and a pet plan ready. Before a storm threatens, contact your veterinarian or local humane society for information on preparing your pets for an emergency. Board up windows and bring in outdoor objects that could blow away. Make sure you know which county or parish you live in and know where all the evacuation routes are.
Prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. Include a first aid kit, canned food and a can opener, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing and written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas, and water. Have a NOAA weather radio handy with plenty of batteries, so you can listen to storm advisories. Have some cash handy as well, because following a hurricane, banks and ATMs may be temporarily closed. Make sure your car is filled with gasoline.

DURING A HURRICANE: Stay away from low-lying and flood prone areas. Always stay indoors during a hurricane, because strong winds will blow things around. Leave mobile homes and to go to a shelter. If your home isn’t on higher ground, go to a shelter. If emergency managers say to evacuate, then do so immediately.

AFTER A HURRICANE: Stay indoors until it is safe to come out. Check for injured or trapped people, without putting yourself in danger. Watch out for flooding which can happen after a hurricane. Do not attempt to drive in flooding water. Stay away from standing water. It may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines. Don’t drink tap water until officials say its safe to do so.

Evacuation Tips: Here is a list of tips on what you should do, if you chose to evacuate as a hurricane approaches.

Hurricane Supply Checklist: Here is a list of what you will need if you chose to stay at your home during a hurricane.


The illustrations used in this booklet are a selection from the over 10 000 drawing received from various drawing competitions. See www.yunga.org or register to our free list server to find out about current and new competitions and activities.

This challenge badge is part of a series of challenge badges being developed by UN agencies and other organizations involved in YUNGA. Badges are or will be developed on Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Energy, Fish, Forests, Hunger, Nutrition, Oceans, Water, and other themes.
To see existing badges go to www.fao.org/climatechange/youth/63380/en and www.yunga.org.


A big thank you goes out to everyone who made the Oceans Challenge Badge a reality. Thank you to organisations, and to all the enthusiastic Guides and Scouts in countries who thoughtfully reviewed and tested the initial drafts of the badge.

Thanks also go to WeatherWizKids.com (activities C1, C3, C4), Robb Moffett (activity E1, part 2) and the Marine Education Trust (activities A3, A4, B2, B3, B4, B6, C6, D10) for kindly providing permission for the reproduction of their educational materials in this booklet.
Add names of groups that tested and FAO staff that contributed and provided technical inputs.
This badge has been developed with the kind financial support of the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida).
www.sida.sesida logo.jpg

This badge was developed by:

Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) undertakes leading international research to respond to societal needs and to promote stewardship of the world’s ocean. Its research is concerned with increasing knowledge and understanding of the marine environment and designing tools and evidence based solutions for its practical management. Operating in an interdisciplinary way, PML is uniquely placed to undertake research, provide advice and deliver outcomes on the key challenges facing society in relation to global change and sustainability of marine ecosystems.pml logo


Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)big blue fao

FAO leads international efforts to enhance global agricultural performance while promoting the sustainability of water use for food production.. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information, helping countries to modernise and improve agricultural policies in relation to land and water management.


Youth and United Nations Global Alliance (YUNGA)
YUNGA was created to allow children and young people to be involved and make a difference. Numerous partners, including UN agencies and civil society organisations collaborate in developing initiatives, resources and opportunities for children and young people. YUNGA also acts as a gateway to allow children and youth to be involved in UN related activities such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), food security, climate change and biodiversity. www.yunga.org yunga-logo-final

For further information
Youth and United Nations Global Alliance (YUNGA)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Viale Delle Terme Di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy

E-mail: children-youth@fao.org

Website: www.fao.org/climatechange/youth/en

1   2   3   4   5   6

The database is protected by copyright ©ininet.org 2016
send message

    Main page