Tropical Cyclones: A Case Study

According to the Royal Meteorological Society (2012), a hurricane is a Tropical Cyclone. Tropical Cyclones are deep low pressure systems that occur in tropical or sub-tropical waters. (Royal Meteorological Society, (2012)) Hurricanes are tropical depressions at a sustained surface wind speed below 39 mph and become tropical storms when winds exceed this. (Royal Meteorological Society, (2012)) When winds exceed 73 mph, they become severe tropical cyclones, also known as hurricanes. (Royal Meteorological Society, (2012)) In the northern hemisphere, the wind of a hurricane moves in an anti-clockwise direction, while in the southern hemisphere it moves in a clockwise direction. (National History Museum, (2015)) As estimated by NASA, approximately

Hurricanes are named according to the order in which they take place annually, the full history of this will be discussed to gain a broader understanding of the magnitude of hurricanes. This paper will thoroughly examine what exactly hurricanes are, where they occur and how frequently do they occur in the United States. Hurricanes can leave cities in devastation after they occur or their presence can go relatively unnoticed depending on their scale. To gain a further understanding of this, the effects of hurricanes on cities in the United States will be researched and how people cope when such a disaster strikes. For a clear and realistic understanding of the effects of hurricanes on cities in the United States, a case study of the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans will be included and how the local people and emergency services responded to this natural atrocity. The following research paper will discuss hurricanes in the United States from their scientific definition to how the survivors of Hurricane Katrina coped with this

(Trenberth, (2005)) Atmospheric stability is also an important variable for the increased hurricane activity. (Trenberth, (2005)) Since 1953, hurricanes have been named by the World Meteorological Organisation. The reason for the naming of hurricanes began in order to help in the quick identification of storms in warning messages as names are presumed to be far easier to remember than numbers or technical terms. (World Meteorological Organisation, (2015)) It was also thought that naming hurricanes makes it easier for the media to report on hurricanes as it increases interest in warnings and therefore communities are more prepared. (World Meteorological Organisation, (2015)) At first, hurricanes were named arbitrarily. (World Meteorological Organisation, (2015)) A hurricane that occurred in the Atlantic Ocean that ripped off the mast of a boat named Antje became known as Antje’s hurricane. (World Meteorological Organisation, (2015)) It wasn't until the mid 1900’s that the use of feminine names for storms