Background:
As a hurricane expert,
you are often called on to track approaching hurricanes and alert the public
about possible threats. If there is a possibility that a coastal area under
your jurisdiction will be hit by a hurricane in 24 to 36 hours, it is your
job to issue a hurricane watch. A hurricane warning is issued
when hurricane winds are likely to hit land in 24 hours or less. When a
hurricane warning is issued, immediate actions for protection of life and
property must begin. These actions include boarding up windows, evacuating
low-lying areas, and setting up shelters. Since these actions can be extremely
costly for urban areas, hurricane experts are careful not to issue warnings
too early. However, they must not issue warnings too late!
You are responsible
for issuing watches and warnings for Charleston, South Carolina. You have
been tracking an approaching storm for the past seven days. The table below
shows the path for this eighth hurricane of the season. Since this storm
could threaten Charleston, you decide to plot its path on a hurricane tracking
map. You number each day and indicate A.M. or P.M. as you plot each position.
You also connect the dots with a dashed line when the maximum wind speed
is between 51-119 km/hr (tropical storm), and with a solid line if the
maximum speed is 120 km/hr or more (hurricane).
Analyze the path
of the storm for days numbered one through seven and predict where and
when the hurricane will hit the United States mainland. Consult with the
other members of your team to reach a consensus prediction to share with
the class. Issue hurricane watches or warnings for the appropriate coastal
areas as necessary. Tracking data for day eight and a United States weather
map for that day will be available after you make your prediction.
Repeat the process
through landfall, checking and revising your prediction and issuing or
canceling watches or warnings. Be ready to discuss and answer questions
during a “debriefing session” after the hurricane has moved inland.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1. Did the hurricane
form where most other hurricanes form? Explain.
2. Why did this
hurricane move from east to west through the first seven days? Explain
in terms of earth wind patterns.
3. On day seven,
the forward speed of the hurricane slowed markedly. Look carefully at your
map and suggest a reason why the storm slowed down.
4. How did the United
States weather map influence your prediction on day eight?
5. How did your
hurricane watch area change after day eight? Did you have to change the
warning area before the storm hit land? If so, try to explain why you changed
the area.
6. What weather
features over the United States mainland were most important in steering
this hurricane as it moved inland?
Conclusion
You have been asked to appear on Good
Morning America to explain the factors that were most helpful to you
in predicting the destructive path of the hurricane. Since you will have
only one minute to give your answer, you decide to mention two factors
and then explain the more important one. Write notes for yourself. Be sure
to list two factors that helped you predict the path and explain why one
of the two seems to be a better predictor.
This information courtesy of Raging Planet
