Explain the various aspects of hurricanes that can allow them to be so devastating


Although the high winds of a hurricane can inflict a great deal of damage, it is usually the huge waves and the flooding associated with the storm surge that cause the most destruction and loss of life. The flooding is due, in part, to winds pushing water onto the shore and to the heavy rains. The combined effect of high water, which is usually well above the high-tide level, high winds, and the Ekman transport (bending or movement of water influenced by the surface winds), produces an abnormal rise of several meters in the ocean level that can inundate low-lying areas. Extreme flooding can even occur with relatively weak storms. Hurricane-spawned tornadoes can also cause considerable damage.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

You might also like to view...

Who were the Luddites?

A) economists who predicted the rise of a new industrial class B) inventors who pooled their ideas C) university students who would partner with research firms D) traders who avoided paying taxes by smuggling goods E) disgruntled workers who destroyed machinery

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

What is integrated waste management? What decisions would be part of a stewardly and sustainable solid-waste management plant?

What will be an ideal response?

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

What is the difference between active and passive diapirism and how can we distinguish between them?

What will be an ideal response?

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

Large areas of Russia are dominated by:

A) Coniferous forest B) Desert shrub C) Tropical savanna, mixed grassland and woodland D) Tropical forest

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences