Big Winds Can Be Big Killers
http://www.informationbooth.net/articles/75419/1/Big-Winds-Can-Be-Big-Killers/Page1.html
Gordon Gumpertz
Gordon Gumpertz, author of TSUNAMI, is a working novelist who writes suspense-packed adventure novels featuring believable characters caught up in the dynamic forces of natural and man-made disasters. His books achieve a sense of immediacy and realism through extensive background research. For more, visit Tsunami. By Gordon Gumpertz
Published on 10/11/2008
A hurricane-driven storm surge can be as destructive and deadly as a major tsunami started by an undersea earthquake or exploding volcano In fact, tropical cyclones -- called hurricanes in the Atlantic, typhoons in the eastern Pacific, and cyclones in Australia, Bangladesh, and India -- have done far more damage in the past 100 years than tsunamis
A hurricane-driven storm surge can be as destructive and deadly as a major tsunami started by an undersea earthquake or exploding volcano. In fact, tropical cyclones -- called hurricanes in the Atlantic, typhoons in the eastern Pacific, and cyclones in Australia, Bangladesh, and India -- have done far more damage in the past 100 years than tsunamis. Over one million people have died in hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones since 1900. And the majority of hurricane deaths have been attributed to the storm surge component of the storm.
In doing research for my adventure novel TSUNAMI, I started out studying undersea earthquakes, volcanoes, and submarine landslides, the main initiators of tsunamis. In the process, I became interested in all natural disasters, including hurricanes, and did additional research in that wider area.
When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in August, 2005, a storm surge up to 20-ft. and higher struck many coastal cities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and breached New Orleans's levees, flooding the city. Over 1000 people died, most from the flood. The same storm brought a 12-ft. surge to Mobile Bay and flooded downtown Mobile, Alabama.
Storm surge is created by the hurricane's high wind piling the ocean's surface higher than ordinary sea level. Low pressure at the center of the weather system has a secondary effect in the buildup of the sea and the energy of the surge. A category 4 hurricane tends to build an 18-ft. surge, but during Katrina, 20-to-25 ft. waves were reported along parts of the Gulf Coast.
Hurricanes and all tropical cyclones start as a cluster of thunderstorms moving over warm ocean water (80F and greater). Thunderstorms form in areas of wind convergence. Off the west coast of Africa, the northern and southern equatorial winds collide and force warm moist air to rise and condense and form storm cluster formations called tropical disturbances. As a tropical disturbance grows and organizes, more water vapor condenses in rising air, causing the surface air pressure to drop.
As more warm moist air rises and condenses, the storm system increases in size, the surface pressure drops further, and the storm becomes a tropical depression. The earth's rotation can impart a spin to the storm clouds at this point, causing even more warm moist air inside the spiral to rise and condense, enlarging the storm area, and increasing the storm's wind speed. Between 39 mph and 73 mph, the formation becomes a tropical storm. If wind strengthens to 74 mph to 95 mph, it is a category 1 hurricane. Here are the hurricane categories:
Category......Wind Speed Mph...........Storm Surge Ft.
1..................74 to 95..........................5
2..................96 to 110.........................8
3..................111 to 130.....................12
4..................131-155.........................18
5..................155+..............................18+
Unlike a tsunami initiated by a deep water earthquake, a storm surge has a comparatively short wavelength, and its destructive power is usually limited to the local storm area. Tsunamis with long wavelengths can travel thousands of miles across open ocean without significant loss of energy.
Even though Florida and the Gulf Coast have experienced many highly destructive hurricanes, tropical cyclones with even more devastating consequences have occurred in the Bay of Bengal, where much of Bangladesh and parts of India are low- lying wetlands and wide open to storm surge damage. The northern end of the bay is funnel shaped, and storm surges become tidal bores that sweep many miles inland. The Bhola cyclone in 1970 had sustained winds of 140 mph and a storm surge of 35 feet. 500,000 died. In April, 1991, a similar storm in the same area killed 150,000. The biggest storm surges recorded occurred in India in 1839 when a 40-ft. surge killed 300,000; and in Bathurst Bay in Queensland, Australia in 1899 when a 42-ft. surge killed 400. It was reported at the time that dolphins and fish were found atop cliffs surrounding Bathurst Bay.
One of the most notorious typhoons in American military history hit Okinawa in October, 1945, two months after the end of World War II. A large segment of the U.S. naval task force that had been assembled for the invasion of Japan was still anchored in Buckner Bay on the east coast of Okinawa. A typhoon that had developed south of Guam took a sudden unexpected turn and headed straight for Okinawa, giving the fleet no advance warning and no time to put to sea. The typhoon struck with sustained winds of 100 mph, gusting to 120 mph. Waves in the bay rose to 35 feet. The fleet task force was devastated. 12 ships were lost, over 200 went aground, and more than 30 were badly damaged. 83 sailors were dead or missing, and another 100 badly injured. It is a good thing the surrender had already been signed. The crippled task force would not have been able to carry out its mission had it been called upon to do so.
Typhoons changed the course of history in 13th century Asia. The Mongolian leader Kublai Khan ruled all of mainland Asia, including Mongolia, China, and what is now Korea. The only Asian nation he hadn't conquered was Japan. In 1274, Khan assembled a fleet of hundreds of ships and thousands of soldiers and set out to invade the Japanese islands. Off the coast of Japan a typhoon struck the invading force. Most of the wooden ships were demolished and the rest retreated to the mainland. The Japanese called the typhoon Kamikaze, or divine wind. In 1281, Kublai Khan tried again, this time with thousands of ships and a hundred thousand soldiers. Once again, a typhoon intervened, wrecking the invading fleet. Kublai Khan made no further attempt to conquer Japan. Twice, the Kamikaze divine wind had saved the Japanese empire. The Kamikaze pilots of World War II were named after the wind that saved Japan.
In doing research for my adventure novel TSUNAMI, I started out studying undersea earthquakes, volcanoes, and submarine landslides, the main initiators of tsunamis. In the process, I became interested in all natural disasters, including hurricanes, and did additional research in that wider area.
When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in August, 2005, a storm surge up to 20-ft. and higher struck many coastal cities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and breached New Orleans's levees, flooding the city. Over 1000 people died, most from the flood. The same storm brought a 12-ft. surge to Mobile Bay and flooded downtown Mobile, Alabama.
Storm surge is created by the hurricane's high wind piling the ocean's surface higher than ordinary sea level. Low pressure at the center of the weather system has a secondary effect in the buildup of the sea and the energy of the surge. A category 4 hurricane tends to build an 18-ft. surge, but during Katrina, 20-to-25 ft. waves were reported along parts of the Gulf Coast.
Hurricanes and all tropical cyclones start as a cluster of thunderstorms moving over warm ocean water (80F and greater). Thunderstorms form in areas of wind convergence. Off the west coast of Africa, the northern and southern equatorial winds collide and force warm moist air to rise and condense and form storm cluster formations called tropical disturbances. As a tropical disturbance grows and organizes, more water vapor condenses in rising air, causing the surface air pressure to drop.
As more warm moist air rises and condenses, the storm system increases in size, the surface pressure drops further, and the storm becomes a tropical depression. The earth's rotation can impart a spin to the storm clouds at this point, causing even more warm moist air inside the spiral to rise and condense, enlarging the storm area, and increasing the storm's wind speed. Between 39 mph and 73 mph, the formation becomes a tropical storm. If wind strengthens to 74 mph to 95 mph, it is a category 1 hurricane. Here are the hurricane categories:
Category......Wind Speed Mph...........Storm Surge Ft.
1..................74 to 95..........................5
2..................96 to 110.........................8
3..................111 to 130.....................12
4..................131-155.........................18
5..................155+..............................18+
Unlike a tsunami initiated by a deep water earthquake, a storm surge has a comparatively short wavelength, and its destructive power is usually limited to the local storm area. Tsunamis with long wavelengths can travel thousands of miles across open ocean without significant loss of energy.
Even though Florida and the Gulf Coast have experienced many highly destructive hurricanes, tropical cyclones with even more devastating consequences have occurred in the Bay of Bengal, where much of Bangladesh and parts of India are low- lying wetlands and wide open to storm surge damage. The northern end of the bay is funnel shaped, and storm surges become tidal bores that sweep many miles inland. The Bhola cyclone in 1970 had sustained winds of 140 mph and a storm surge of 35 feet. 500,000 died. In April, 1991, a similar storm in the same area killed 150,000. The biggest storm surges recorded occurred in India in 1839 when a 40-ft. surge killed 300,000; and in Bathurst Bay in Queensland, Australia in 1899 when a 42-ft. surge killed 400. It was reported at the time that dolphins and fish were found atop cliffs surrounding Bathurst Bay.
One of the most notorious typhoons in American military history hit Okinawa in October, 1945, two months after the end of World War II. A large segment of the U.S. naval task force that had been assembled for the invasion of Japan was still anchored in Buckner Bay on the east coast of Okinawa. A typhoon that had developed south of Guam took a sudden unexpected turn and headed straight for Okinawa, giving the fleet no advance warning and no time to put to sea. The typhoon struck with sustained winds of 100 mph, gusting to 120 mph. Waves in the bay rose to 35 feet. The fleet task force was devastated. 12 ships were lost, over 200 went aground, and more than 30 were badly damaged. 83 sailors were dead or missing, and another 100 badly injured. It is a good thing the surrender had already been signed. The crippled task force would not have been able to carry out its mission had it been called upon to do so.
Typhoons changed the course of history in 13th century Asia. The Mongolian leader Kublai Khan ruled all of mainland Asia, including Mongolia, China, and what is now Korea. The only Asian nation he hadn't conquered was Japan. In 1274, Khan assembled a fleet of hundreds of ships and thousands of soldiers and set out to invade the Japanese islands. Off the coast of Japan a typhoon struck the invading force. Most of the wooden ships were demolished and the rest retreated to the mainland. The Japanese called the typhoon Kamikaze, or divine wind. In 1281, Kublai Khan tried again, this time with thousands of ships and a hundred thousand soldiers. Once again, a typhoon intervened, wrecking the invading fleet. Kublai Khan made no further attempt to conquer Japan. Twice, the Kamikaze divine wind had saved the Japanese empire. The Kamikaze pilots of World War II were named after the wind that saved Japan.