A hurricane can cause tremendous damage to cities and towns. High winds, rains and flooding can take down trees and bring large amounts of water onto the streets and even inside homes. The amount of damage after a hurricane can dangerously erode beaches, completely wipe out docks and houses. Hurricanes are a powerful force of nature and can cause some of the most deadly effects to human kind.
Hurricanes are detected over a computer model called SLOSH or Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes. This program helps scientists make predictions and detect the massive disaster make its way closer to the coastline. SLOSH gives the scientists information such as the speed and distance of the winds, and the angle of which the hurricane will be impacting the land and the shape of the ocean floor.
Typically, as the hurricane makes it way closer inland from the coast the hurricane weakens. It can still cause damage, it just won’t be as powerful as it was when it first reaches the coastline.
Hurricanes draw their energy from the ocean’s surface combined with warm air evaporating. Hurricane force winds are categorized into 5 groups depending on the severity of the winds. These categories are formulated by using the Saffir-Simpson scale. This scale measures the intensity of the hurricanes through an increasing intensity from category 1 through 5.
The storm surge of a hurricane is the rising wall of water that makes its way onto land from the body of water. These vast amounts of water that make their way onto land and in the streets come full force and account for 90 percent of deaths. The high winds also are an important factor in determining how powerful the hurricane will be. Hurricane force winds can reach anywhere from 75 miles per hour to 200 miles per hour.
The Climate Prediction Center will most likely release its hurricane season predictions in late May. Scientists will be analyzing wind speeds and ocean surface temperatures to get a good analysis of their predictions. Until then it’s best not to worry about something that may or may not happen.
If you’re in Brevard County, let us help you get your home prepared ahead of time at Brevard Shutters. We have many different styles of hurricane shutters, panels and screens in Melbourne, Florida.