"HURRICANES"
(Narrator) HURRICANES ARE STORMS THAT COME FROM THE OCEANS.
THEY ARE BIG, SWIRLING CLOUDS
THAT SOMETIMES LOOK LIKE DOUGHNUTS
BECAUSE THEY HAVE A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE.
THEY CAN BE AWESOME WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEM FROM OUTER SPACE;
BUT WHEN ONE COMES YOUR WAY... LOOK OUT!
THEY ARE DANGEROUS.
HURRICANES HAPPEN IN MANY DIFFERENT OCEANS AROUND THE WORLD.
IN SOME COUNTRIES THEY ARE CALLED...
THEY LIVE OVER WATER;
AND WHEN THEY MOVE ON LAND, THEY GET WEAKER AND THEN DIE.
A HURRICANE IS A HUGE STORM THAT NEEDS WARM WATER TO START.
THEY ARE MUCH LARGER THAN TORNADOES.
MOST HURRICANES START NEAR THE EQUATOR IN THE SUMMER AND FALL.
THIS IS WHEN THE SUN IS HIGH IN THE SKY.
THE OCEANS GET VERY WARM FROM THE SUNLIGHT--
OVER 80 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT OR 26 DEGREES CELSIUS.
THE WARM WATER RISES FROM THE OCEANS INTO THE SKY
AND MAKES CLOUDS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
YOU PROBABLY NOTICE
THAT IF YOU LEAVE A GLASS OF WATER ON A DESK FOR A FEW DAYS,
THE WATER DISAPPEARS.
THIS IS CALLED...
AS MORE WATER EVAPORATES FROM THE OCEANS,
MORE THUNDERSTORMS CAN FORM.
IF THESE THUNDERSTORMS GO FOR A FEW DAYS,
THEY MIGHT START TO SLOWLY SPIN AROUND EACH OTHER.
INSTEAD OF THE WEATHER BEING NICE AND CALM, IT IS DISTURBED.
THE WARM HUMID AIR RISING INTO THE THUNDERSTORMS
KEEPS THEM GOING AND SLOWLY SPINNING AROUND EACH OTHER.
EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T THINK ABOUT IT, AIR IS STRONG.
IT'S STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD UP A PERSON SITTING ON A BALLOON.
IT'S STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD UP A CAR WHEN IT'S IN THE TIRES.
AIR IS STRONG ENOUGH TO KNOCK DOWN TREES
WHEN IT MOVES AS WIND.
WEATHER FORECASTERS MEASURE HOW STRONG THE AIR IS BY ITS PRESSURE.
THEY USE AN INSTRUMENT CALLED A...
WHEN AIR RISES INTO THE SKY,
THERE'S NOT AS MUCH OF IT LEFT NEAR THE GROUND
SO THE BAROMETER SHOWS A LOWER PRESSURE.
IF THE PRESSURE GETS LOWER
AND THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL SPINNING TOGETHER,
WE CALL IT A...
A TROPICAL DEPRESSION IS THE FIRST STEP IN A HURRICANE.
IF IT GETS STRONGER
AND THE WINDS SPIN FASTER THAN 39 MPH OR 34 KNOTS,
WE CALL IT A...
TROPICAL STORMS HAVE MORE RISING AIR AND LOWER PRESSURE.
THEY MAKE LOTS OF RAIN AND SOMETIMES THEY CAUSE FLOODS.
TROPICAL STORMS GROW IF THEY STAY OVER WARM OCEAN WATER.
THE MORE THEY GROW, THE LOWER THE PRESSURE FALLS,
AND THE STRONGER THE WINDS BLOW AROUND THEM.
YOU CAN SHOW HOW THE WINDS IN A TROPICAL STORM GET FASTER.
USE A BALL TIED ON A STRING.
JUST SWING IT OVER YOUR HEAD A FEW TIMES
AND THEN LET THE STRING WRAP AROUND YOUR ARM.
THE BALL SPINS FASTER AND FASTER,
JUST LIKE THE WIND AS IT GETS CLOSER
TO THE MIDDLE OF THE TROPICAL STORM.
WHEN THE WINDS IN A TROPICAL STORM REACH 74 MPH OR 64 KNOTS,
IT BECOMES A...
HURRICANES ARE MADE OF A WHOLE LOT OF THUNDERSTORMS SPINNING TOGETHER.
THEY MAKE HIGH WINDS AND A LOT OF RAIN.
WHEN THE WINDS GET STRONGER,
THE AIR PRESSURE INSIDE A HURRICANE FALLS LOWER.
ONCE A HURRICANE STARTS,
IT CAN KEEP ITSELF GOING AS LONG AS IT HAS WARM WATER TO FEED IT.
EVEN THOUGH HURRICANES ARE BIG, THEY DON'T MOVE VERY FAST.
...AS THEY MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE OCEANS.
WE WATCH THEM ON A SATELLITE
AND KEEP TRACK OF WHERE THEY ARE ON A HURRICANE TRACKING CHART.
THIS GIVES PEOPLE TIME TO GET READY FOR THEM
AND TIME TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF DANGER.
TO KNOW WHERE HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS ARE...
THE NAMES MAKE IT EASIER TO TELL THEM APART
BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU CAN HAVE TWO OR THREE HURRICANES
IN THE OCEAN AT THE SAME TIME.
WE SLICE THE EARTH UP USING LINES ACROSS CALLED...
AND LINES UP AND DOWN CALLED...
THEN WE USE THESE LINES TO SAY EXACTLY WHERE THE STORM IS.
THIS MAKES IT EASY TO FOLLOW HURRICANES THAT ARE NOT OVER LAND.
YOU CAN GET THE LOCATION OF HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS
FROM THE INTERNET, TV,
OR A SPECIAL RADIO THAT PICKS UP WEATHER INFORMATION
CALLED A WEATHER RADIO.
MARK THE LOCATION OF THE STORM.
THE LOCATION IS TWO NUMBERS CALLED COORDINATES.
COORDINATES ARE VERY HELPFUL,
BECAUSE THEY LET ANYONE ON EARTH KNOW WHERE THE STORM IS.
VERY STRONG HURRICANES HAVE EYES.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY CAN SEE.
IT MEANS THAT THERE ARE NO CLOUDS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM SPACE, YOU CAN SEE A HOLE.
THE EYE HAPPENS WHEN THE HURRICANE WINDS ARE SO STRONG
THAT THEY BLOW THE CLOUDS AWAY FROM THE CENTER.
IN THE EYE OF THE STORM,
THE WEATHER IS ACTUALLY CALM AND SUNNY!
HERE IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM SCIENTISTS
WHO FLY SPECIAL AIRPLANES INTO THE STORMS TO TAKE MEASUREMENTS.
IN THE UNITED STATES
THESE PEOPLE ARE CALLED HURRICANE HUNTERS.
THEY HAVE A DANGEROUS JOB BUT IT'S IMPORTANT.
THEY TRY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES
SO THAT WE CAN HAVE BETTER PREDICTIONS
TO HELP US BE SAFER.
AS HURRICANES GET CLOSE TO LAND,
WEATHER FORECASTERS USE RADAR TO SEE THE RAIN PATTERN
INSIDE OF THE CLOUDS.
THAT'S WHEN YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE
FOR BAD WEATHER
AND STRONG WINDS.
ALL HURRICANE WINDS MAKE OCEAN WAVES HIGHER.
WHEN HURRICANES GET CLOSE TO THE BEACH,
THEY SEND ONE LARGE WAVE ONTO THE LAND CALLED A STORM SURGE.
THE STORM SURGE SURPRISES MANY PEOPLE BECAUSE...
PEOPLE WHO ARE CLOSE TO THE BEACHES
WHEN A HURRICANE GETS NEAR, CAN DROWN IN THE STORM SURGE.
YOU CAN SHOW HOW HURRICANE WINDS MAKE WAVES
AND A STORM SURGE
BY HOLDING A SMALL BATTERY-POWERED FAN
OVER A PAN OF WATER.
HERE WE SEE THAT AIR IS STRONG ENOUGH TO MOVE WATER
WHEN IT IS MOVING AS WIND.
PEOPLE GET CAUGHT IN FLOODS
FROM THE HEAVY RAINS THAT COME WITH HURRICANES.
THESE FLOODS CAN BE FAR AWAY FROM THE OCEAN.
SOME FLOODS HAPPEN AROUND RIVERS
BUT THEY ALSO HAPPEN NEAR LOW SPOTS ON THE GROUND.
THE FLOODING IS DANGEROUS,
EVEN TO PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO SWIM.
HURRICANE WINDS PICK THINGS UP,
BLOW THEM AROUND, AND CAUSE DAMAGE.
THEY CAN LAST A LONG TIME,
BECAUSE THE STORMS MOVE SLOWLY.
YOU CAN USE THE WIND OF A HURRICANE TO TELL HOW STRONG IT IS
AND PUT IT INTO A GROUP OR CATEGORY.
THE HIGHER THE CATEGORY, THE STRONGER THE WIND.
THESE ARE THE STRONGEST HURRICANES,
AND THEY CAN CAUSE DISASTERS.
WINDS FROM ANY HURRICANE
CAN DAMAGE HOMES,
TREES, AND ANYTHING ELSE OUTSIDE.
MOST HOMES THAT ARE STRONG ARE OKAY DURING A HURRICANE,
BUT WEAK HOMES AND MOBILE HOMES WILL HAVE PROBLEMS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO LISTEN TO INSTRUCTIONS
WHEN HURRICANES GET CLOSE,
SO THAT YOU CAN STAY OUT OF DANGER IN A SAFE PLACE.
AND MIGHT STRIKE IN TWO DAYS.
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE TO MAKE A PLAN
FOR WHAT YOU WILL DO IF THE HURRICANE KEEPS COMING.
IN A HURRICANE WATCH,
YOU NEED TO CLEAN UP ALL THE THINGS AROUND YOUR YARD
THAT MIGHT BE PICKED UP BY WIND
OR CARRIED AWAY IN A FLOOD.
YOU SHOULD HELP YOUR PARENTS PUT TOGETHER A HURRICANE DISASTER SAFETY KIT.
INSIDE OF IT WOULD BE THINGS YOUR FAMILY WOULD NEED
IN CASE YOU LOSE ELECTRICITY
OR IN CASE YOU HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR HOME.
...ARE IMPORTANT.
OTHER THINGS YOU WANT TO HAVE ARE...
YOUR PARENTS SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS GAS IN THE CAR
AND THEY MAY DECIDE TO BOARD UP WINDOWS
TO KEEP THE GLASS FROM BREAKING.
MANY TIMES YOU CAN STAY IN YOUR HOME
IF YOU ARE NOT TOO CLOSE TO THE WATER
AND IF THE BUILDING IS STRONG.
FIND SHELTER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUILDING
IN A HALLWAY OR SMALL ROOM WITHOUT WINDOWS.
GET UNDER SOMETHING STRONG LIKE A TABLE OR STAIRS.
SOME HOUSES HAVE A SPECIAL ROOM
FOR HURRICANE SHELTER CALLED A SAFE ROOM.
MOBILE HOMES ARE BAD TO BE IN WHEN A HURRICANE STRIKES.
THE WIND IN A HURRICANE CAN TURN OVER MOBILE HOMES
OR PUSH TREES ON TOP OF THEM.
THINGS FALLING OR FLYING THROUGH THE AIR
CAN EVEN GO THROUGH THE SIDE OF A MOBILE HOME.
YOUR CITY MAY TELL PEOPLE
THAT THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES AND GO TO A HURRICANE SHELTER
OR DRIVE AWAY FROM THE COASTLINE.
THIS IS CALLED EVACUATION.
THE EVACUATION IS TO KEEP YOU FROM BEING IN A DANGEROUS PLACE.
IF YOU STAY BEHIND AND HAVE AN EMERGENCY,
NO ONE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET TO YOU TO HELP.
HURRICANES ARE MORE THAN WIND AND RAIN.
PEOPLE FORGET THAT HURRICANES ARE MADE OF THUNDERSTORMS.
THUNDERSTORMS IN A HURRICANE HAVE DANGEROUS LIGHTNING,
AND THEY CAN MAKE SMALL TORNADOES.
FLOODS TAKE A LONG TIME TO GO AWAY.
FLOODS MAKE IT HARD TO FIND CLEAN WATER TO DRINK.
FLOODS ALSO MAKE SNAKES AND WILD ANIMALS
LEAVE THEIR HOMES, SO YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
AFTER A HURRICANE,
YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE ELECTRICITY FOR A FEW DAYS
AND THAT MAKES IT HARD FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE AND BE COMFORTABLE.
HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS ARE DANGEROUS,
BUT THERE IS ALWAYS TIME TO GET READY FOR THEM.
FOR ALL THE BAD THINGS THAT THEY DO,
THEY ACTUALLY HELP THE EARTH.
THEY ARE PART OF THE WATER CYCLE.
HURRICANES LIFT WATER FROM THE OCEANS
AND CARRY IT TO PLACES THAT MIGHT NEED RAIN.
WE USE THE RAIN FOR CLEAN WATER TO DRINK
AND PLANTS AND OTHER ANIMALS USE IT TOO.
THE WIND AND RAIN OF HURRICANES CLEANS THE AIR
AND HELPS TO KEEP PARTS OF THE EARTH FROM GETTING TOO HOT.
IF YOU LIVE NEAR THE OCEAN
AND THE FORECAST SAYS THAT A HURRICANE MAY START,
LISTEN TO INSTRUCTIONS AND ALWAYS BE SAFE,
NOW THAT YOU ARE WEATHER SMART.
LET'S TAKE A HURRICANE QUIZ TO SEE HOW MUCH YOU'VE LEARNED.
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS TRUE OR FALSE.
CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY PILGRIM IMAGING, INC.