(heavy winds blowing)
- [Narrator] Cyclone, typhoon, hurricane.
All of these names are used
around the world to describe
the most powerful storm known to man.
Hurricanes are
unpredictable but scientists
have a through understanding
of how hurricanes form
and sustain their power.
In the Atlantic Ocean,
hurricane season peaks during
the late summer months when
tropical waters are the warmest.
Hurricanes form from a
cluster of thunderstorms
that suck up the warm,
moist air and move it high
into Earth's atmosphere.
The warm air is then converted into energy
that powers the
hurricane's circular winds.
These winds spin around
a low-pressure center
called the eye.
Which can provide a 20 to 30
mile radius of eerie calm.
Encircling it is the eye wall,
a towering ring of clouds
with some of the fastest
wind-speeds of the hurricane.
Surrounding the eye wall
are curved bands of clouds.
The rainbands, often tens of miles wide
releasing sheets of rain
and sometimes tornadoes.
When a tropical storm's
winds reach at least
74 miles per hour, it becomes a hurricane.
The hurricane then receives
the category ranking
of one to five on the Saffir-Simpson Scale
based on its wind speed
and potential damage.
But wind speed isn't always
the most dangerous component
when hurricanes come near land.
It's storm surge.
Storm surge is caused when
winds from an approaching
hurricane push water towards the shoreline
up to 20 feet above sea level
and can extend 100 miles.
90% of all hurricane deaths
are the result of storm surge.
While hurricanes can
cause mass devastation,
just like other natural disasters,
they serve a higher purpose
within the global ecosystem.
Hurricanes help regulate our
climate by moving heat energy
from the equator to the poles
keeping the Earth's temperature stable.
Over time, science has helped
us to better understand
hurricanes and predict their paths.
Saving lives through early warning systems
and helping us build better infrastructure
to protect our cities.
The more we study these complex storms,
the better we can prepare for them
and minimize their impact on human lives.
