How Hurricanes are Formed
Hurricanes are formed when they draw energy from warm oceans. The trigger that turns a storm into a hurricane, is the Coriolis effect, which moves the wind in a certain direction.
Hurricane Categories
Category 1: A category one hurricane would cause minor damage to everything they hit. With wind speeds of 118-152 kph there is only a small chance of injury. Hurricane Alice is an example of a hurricane that peaked and died at category one.Category 2: Category two hurricanes cause moderate damage to cities they pass over. Their wind speed is 153-177 kph. Allowing them to leave a trail of many injuries and even a few deaths. Hurricane Marty is a hurricane that peaked at category two.
Category 3: A category three hurricane can rip a trail of destruction behind itself as they spin at 178-209 kph. Hurricane Karl was a category three hurricane that brought with itself a high risk of injury or death.
Category 4: Category four hurricanes spin at speeds of 210-249 kph. They bring a very high risk of injury or death. For example hurricane Charley was a category four hurricane.
Category 5: Category five hurricanes are very powerful, because trailing in their wake is definite injury and a large risk of death. For example hurricane Katrina peaked at category five causing the most damage any hurricane has ever managed. It spun at 279 kph.
Category 6: Category six hurricanes don't happen very often but when they do they are huge! With wind speeds of 280-310 kph, they are also the fastest. Hurricane Tip peaked at category six with wind speeds of 310 kph.
Category 3: A category three hurricane can rip a trail of destruction behind itself as they spin at 178-209 kph. Hurricane Karl was a category three hurricane that brought with itself a high risk of injury or death.
Category 4: Category four hurricanes spin at speeds of 210-249 kph. They bring a very high risk of injury or death. For example hurricane Charley was a category four hurricane.
Category 5: Category five hurricanes are very powerful, because trailing in their wake is definite injury and a large risk of death. For example hurricane Katrina peaked at category five causing the most damage any hurricane has ever managed. It spun at 279 kph.
Category 6: Category six hurricanes don't happen very often but when they do they are huge! With wind speeds of 280-310 kph, they are also the fastest. Hurricane Tip peaked at category six with wind speeds of 310 kph.
Effects of Hurricanes
The effects of hurricanes are dangerous. They create storm surges which form a very high 90 percent of the death toll, and flood towns. Other effects are landslips, torrential rain, hail, and snow. Hurricanes also destroy buildings and force people to evacuate their homes. Hurricane Katrina formed over the Atlantic on August the 23rd 2005, two days before it first hit land in Florida at 6:30 on the 25th August 2005. Nine people were killed but there was a lot more to come. When it hit the Gulf of Mexico on the 26th it was category one. On August the 27th it had been classified category three. The next day Katrina was category four though it quickly increased to category five. Katrina's final death toll was 1,800.