Geology 204

Natural Disasters

Homework Assignment VI. Weather Exercises

1. In class you will be given a hurricane tracking map.  If you do not attend class, the map can be obtained from http://www.accuweather.com/wx/school/tracking.htm. The file you should download is Atlantic Map, 278k Adobe Acrobat file.  In order to print this file you will first need to obtain the Adobe Acrobat reader (see Geology 204 homepage).
   
   1. Once you have the tracking map, plot the following hurricane coordinates for Hurricane Loco on the map.  Note that the coordinates refer to the position of the center of the eye of the hurricane.  At each latitude and longitude also write the wind velocity in red and the storm center velocity in blue.  Make sure you write them as small as you can and still read them. 

      Track of Hurricane Loco
      Date	Time	Latitude (N)	Longitude (W)	Max Wind Velocity (miles/hr)	Storm Center Velocity (miles/hr)
      Sept. 3	12:00 PM	10.3	26.9	41	16
      Sept. 4	12:00 PM	11.0	33.1	43	17
      Sept. 5	12:00 PM	12.2	39.4	52	18
      Sept. 6	12:00 PM	13.6	45.8	66	17
      Sept. 7	12:00 PM	15.2	52.9	74	15
      Sept. 8	12:00 PM	16.8	59.5	76	15
      Sept. 9	12:00 PM	19.1	64.7	77	16
      Sept. 10	12:00 PM	21.2	68.1	88	10
      Sept. 11	06:00 AM	21.2	70.0	110	15
      Sept. 11	06:00 PM	21.2	74.0	128	15
      Sept. 12	06:00 AM	22.0	78.0	135	18
      Sept. 12	06:00 PM	23.0	80.0	144	18
      Sept. 13	06:00 AM	24.0	84.0	155	18
      Sept. 13	06:00 PM	25.0	86.0	160	15
      Sept 13	09:00 PM	26.0	87.0	166	20
      Sept.14	03:00AM	28.0	89.0	166	20
      Sept. 14	06:00 AM	28.5	88.0	167	18
      Sept 14	12:00 PM	28.5	84.0	165	20
      Sept. 14	06:00 PM	28.5	83.0	165	15
      Sept. 15	01:00 AM	28.5	81.5	135	15
      Sept 15	06:00 AM	30.0	80.0	130	15
      Sept. 15	12:00 PM	33.0	79.0	125	25
      Sept 15	06:00 AM	34.0	78.0	133	25
      Sept. 15	12:00 PM	35.0	77.0	135	30
      Sept. 15	09:00 PM	37.0	76.0	110	35
      Sept. 16	00:00 AM	38.0	75.0	105	38
      Sept. 16	06:00 PM	39.0	73.0	65	35

2. After you have plotted all of the points on the map, connect the points with lines using the following color codes:
   Tropical Storm  - Blue
   Category 1 to 2 Hurricane - Green
   Category 3 Hurricane - Yellow
   Category 4 Hurricane - Orange
   Category 5 Hurricane - Red
   Note that information to help answer this and the questions that follow is contained in your lecture notes. Make sure you turn the map in with your homework.
   
   
3. What was the likely minimum height of the storm surge at Tampa Florida on the afternoon of Sept 14?
   
   
4. What were the maximum sustained winds at Tampa Florida during the evening of Sept 14?
   
   
5. What were the maximum sustained winds on the Florida Gulf Coast  at 29.0 North latitude during the evening of Sept 14?
   
   
6. As the Hurricane crossed Florida between Tampa and Orlando it lost intensity.  Explain why this is occurred.  (Note:  just saying that it lost wind speed because it crossed over the land is not sufficient to answer this question).
   
   
7. What would have been the approximate damage (in 1990 dollars) likely to have occurred at Tampa, Florida from this hurricane?
   
   
8. Describe what the weather would have been like in Disney World (Orlando, Florida, 28.5^oN, 81.5^oW) at exactly 1:00 AM on Sept. 15.
   
   
9. What would have been the maximum sustained wind speed at Charleston, South Carolina as the Hurricane passed by there on Sept. 15?
   
   
10. Hurricane tracks can be described as coast-normal and coast-parallel.   What kind of track did the storm take during most of the day on Sept. 14?  What kind of track did the storm during the afternoon of  Sept. 15?
    
    
11. What would have been the minimum storm surge at Wilmington, North Carolina just before the storm hit there?
    
    
12. New Orleans is located at 30^o North Latitude, 90^o West Longitude.  What would the National Hurricane Center have been saying about New Orleans after the report of the hurricane's location and storm center velocity on Sept. 14 at 03:00 hours?  What would have been the wisest thing you could have possibly done if you were living in New Orleans at this time? Why?
    
    
13. In the year this hurricane occurred, how many named tropical storms/hurricanes had occurred in the Atlantic prior to this storm?
    

2. Visit the National Hurricane Center web site at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/,    Find the answers to the following questions:  
   
   1. List the Hurricanes that have caused the most deaths in the United States since 1900.   Give the estimated death toll for each.
      
      
   2. What tropical cyclone caused the most deaths in the World.  Give the name, place, year, and number of estimated deaths.
      
      
   3. List the top ten Hurricanes that have caused the most damage in the U.S. since 1900.   Give the name of the storm, states affected, year of the storm, and dollar amounts (in 1996 dollars) for each.  (Note that you will have to scroll down some to find the losses adjusted to 1996 dollars).
      
      
   4. Have any Category 5 hurricanes ever hit the United States?  If so, give the names and dates of the Category 5 storms and the area affected.
      
      
   5. During a hurricane are you supposed to have the windows and doors on the storm side closed and the windows and doors on the lee side open?  Explain your answer.
      
      
   6. What are the chances (probability) that New Orleans will receive a direct hit from a Hurricane in any given year?
      
      
   7. What area or city in the United States has the highest probability of getting hit by a hurricane in any given year, and what is the probability of such a hit? 
      
      
      

3. On the main page of the National Hurricane Center web site - http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ click on the "Hurricane Awareness" Link, then scroll down and click on the "Disaster Prevention" link on the left-hand side.  Answer the following questions.
   
   
   1. Find information on how to secure your home in case of a hurricane.  What five parts of a home would need attention in order to minimize damage from a hurricane, and what can be done for each of these?
      
      
   2. In case of a hurricane, what items do the National Hurricane Center recommend that you prepare as a "disaster supply kit"? 
      
      

4. Visit the WhyFiles twister site for the University of Wisconsin - http://whyfiles.news.wisc.edu/013tornado/index.html   and the tornado page at - http://www.txdirect.net/~msattler/tornado.htm    Read through the articles on tornadoes, and answer the following questions:
   
   
   1. What is the maximum length of ground travel of a tornado travel in miles?
      
      
   2. How long can a tornado last?
      
      
   3. Which is the most important energy source in a tornado?
      
      
   4. What is the maximum death toll from a single tornado in the U.S.?
      
      
   5. Where and when did this occur, and what was the estimated cost of the damages (in current dollars)?
      
      
   6. What is difference between a "Tornado watch" and a "Tornado Warning"?
      
      
   7. Why are tornadoes most frequent in the afternoon and evening?
      
      
   8. What is the difference between a tornado and a waterspout?