Essay, Paragraph or Speech on “Hurricanes, Katrina, Rita and Wilma” Complete Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Hurricanes, Katrina, Rita and Wilma

Hurricanes are tropical cyclones with winds that crossed 64 knots (74 m/hr.) and circulate anti clockwise about their centres in the Northern Hemisphere (clockwise in the southern Hemisphere). Hurricanes are complex thunderstorm at initial stage. However these thunderstorms can only grow to hurricane strength with cooperation from both the ocean and the atmosphere. First of all the ocean water itself must be warmer than 26.5 degrees celsius (81°F). The heat and moisture from the warm water is ultimately the source of energy for hurricanes. Hurricanes will weaken rapidly when they travel over and or colder ocean water locations with insufficient heat and moisture. Warm ocean water and high relative humidities in the lower and middle atmosphere are also required for hurrican development. These high humidities reduce the amount of evaporation in clouds and maximizes the latent heat released because there is more precipitation. The concentration of latent heat is critical to driving the system. The vertical wind shear in a tropical cyclones environment is also important. Wind shear is defined as the moment of change in the wind’s direction or speed with increasing altitude. When the wind shear is weak the storms that are part of the cyclone grow vertically and the latent heat from condensation is released into the air directly above the storm aiding in development of hurricanes. Where there is stronger wind shear, this means that the storms become slanted and the latent heat release is dispersed over much larger area.

Stages of development—From tropical depression to hurricane, hurricanes evolve through a life cycle of stages from birth to death. A tropical disturbance in time can grow to more intense stage by attaining a specified sustained wind speed.

The progression of tropical disturbances can be seen in the three stages below. Huricanes can often live for a long period of time as much as two to three weeks. They may initate as a cluster of thunderstorms over the tropical ocean waters. Once a disturbance has become a tropical depression the amount of time it takes to achieve the next stage of tropical storm can be as little as half a day to as much as a couple of days. Thus, we can say that atmospheric and oceanic conditions play major roles in determining these events.

Structure of Hurricanes— Hurricane are earth’s strongest tropical cyclones. A distinctive feature seen on many hurricanes is the dark spot found in the middle of the hurricane. This is called eye. Surrounding the eye is the region of most intense winds and rainfall called -the eye ball. Large bands of clouds and precipitation spiral from the eye walls and are thus called spiral rain bands. Hurricanes are easily spotted from the above mentioned features as well as pronounced rotation round the eye in satellite or radar animations. Hurricanes are also rated according to their wind on the Saffir Sampson scale. This scale ranges from categories 1 to 5 with 5 being the most devastating under right atmospheric conditions. Hurricane can sustain them-selves for as long a couple of weeks. Upon reaching cooler water or land, hurricanes lose intensity.

Katrina—Hurricane Katrina was the eleventh named storm, fourth hurricane, third major hurricane and the first category 5 hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It first developed as a category 1 hurricane just north of Miami (Florida) on August 25, 2005, then again on August 29 along the Central Gulf Coast near New Orleans (Louisiana) as a category 4 storm. It soon breached the levee system that protected New Orleans from Lake Pentechartrain. Most of the city was subsequently flooded by the Lake waters. This and other major damage to coastal regions of louisiana, Mississipi and Albama made Katrina the most destructive natural disaster in the history of USA. The official death toll stands at 1080 and the financial loss caused by this hurricane is higher than $200 billion. This hurricane was the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. Over a million people were displaced. It was a humanitarian crisis on a scale unseen in the U.S.A. since the great depression.

The hurricane affected 90000 square miles (233000 km2) of the United States—an area almost as large as United Kingdom. The hurricane left an estimated five million people without power and it took up to two months for all power to be restored. On September 3 Homeland Security Secretary described the aftermirth of Hurricane Katrina as probably the worst catatrophe or set of catastrophes in the country’s history, refering to the hurricane itself plus the flooding of New Orleans.

Rita—Rita developed on September 24, 2005 close to Texas–Louisiana border as a category 3 Hurricane with top winds of 120 mph and warnings of up to 25 inches of rain. By early September, it turned into tropical depression with top sustained winds of 20 mph located about 20 miles south-east of Hot Springs Arkanas. Some of the worst flooding occured along the Louisiana coast where floodwaters were 9 feet deep near the town Abbeville. The damage inflicted by Hurricane Rita paled in comparison to Katrina. It lashed regions in Texas and some other parts of southern Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina brought large scale havoc, destruction and death. In contrast to Katriana with its death toll more than 1000 only a few deaths were separated in Rita hurricane. Only one person was killed in Mississipi by the hurricane. During evaluation a bus caught fire south of Dallas, killing as many as 24 persons. Rita downed trees, sparked fires across the hurricane zone and swamped Louisiana shoreline towns. Helicopters and boat were put into operation to save the people. More than 1.3 million people were without electricity. Wilma—Hurricane Wilma developed and exploded over the Caribbean sea. She was the most powerful and intense hurricane in history. Wilma moved off the Yacatan peninsula in Mexico and Florida in a very disorganised form.

Relief And Rescue—The regions hit by the hurricanes has been secured by law enforcement agencies. The death toll was limited in case of Rita. About 500 people were rescued from high waters—south of New Orleans, some by helicopters and some by boats. The federal government of America was slow to respond to Hurricane Katrina.

To conclude, ecological imbalance and rising global warming are the major causes of these hurricanes. In a blind race for development and modernisation, the environment is the major victim. If we want to stop such phenomena as Katrina, Wilma or Rita, we can not neglect the protection of environment. The world should take effective steps in this direction before it is too late.