Hurricane Season: Are You Ready?

By Donna Rocker, Ag in the Classroom Coordinator
478-474-0679, ext. 5365
Hurricane Season: Are You Ready?
The term hurricane is from the
Spanish word, huracan. The Spanish
word probably came from Hunraken,
the Mayan storm god, or Hurakan,
the Quiche god of thunder and
lightning. Or it could be derived from
a number of other Caribbean native
terms for evil spirits or big winds.
Hurricanes are tropical cyclones
with winds that exceed 64 knots (74
mi/hr) and blow counterclockwise
about their centers in the Northern hemisphere, (clockwise in the
Southern hemisphere). A hurricane’s
life cycle pass through four distinct
stages: tropical disturbance, tropical
depression, tropical storm and finally,
a hurricane. All are classified as tropical cyclones.
Sources for hurricane information
and safety were obtained from the
following resources.
• The Weather Channel’s education
web site:
www.weather.com/education
and www.weatherclassroom.com
• National Hurricane Center:
www.nhc.noaa.gov
• Hurricane Preparedness for Kids:
www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/kids.shtml
• FEMA for Kids – Hurricanes:
www.fema.gov/kids/hurr.htm
C. Hurricanes can produce many
of these hazards. According to one
study, Hurricane Buelah (1967) produced 141 of them.
D. A plan of preparedness to keep
your family safe from the hazards and
dangers of hurricanes. Go to the
National Hurricane Center web site
for more information.
E. Discrete system of clouds,
showers and thunderstorms that
originates in the tropics and maintains
its identity for 24 hours or more
F. This is a hazard which can be
created by the heavy rainfall produced
by a hurricane when it stalls or drops
huge amounts of rain. Tropical Storm
Alberto created tremendous flooding
in Georgia in 1994.
G. Tropical disturbance develops a
closed circulation (counterclockwise in
the Northern Hemisphere)
H. Hurricanes are divided into five
categories,
based
on their
wind speeds
and potential to cause
damage.
I. A hurricane is possible within 36
hours. Stay tuned to the radio and
television for more information.
J. Given to help identify storms
and track them. There can be more
than one hurricane at a given time. K. A tropical cyclone reaches
storm status and is given a name
L. This hurricane hazard can produce a great amount of damage and
can be very dangerous. It can turn
flying debris into missiles. A Category
1 Storm would have winds between
74-95 miles per hour. Winds can stay
above hurricane strength well inland.
I N L
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B A N C
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T O R M R M D O
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C K C
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Z Z O O H C
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C A
Match the terms with the definition and find each highlighted word
on the word search.
1. Tropical disturbance
2. Tropical depression
3. Tropical storm
4. Classification
5. Hurricane watch
6. Hurricane warning
7. Hurricane name
8. Hurricane season
9. High Winds
10. Tornadoes
11. Inland flooding
12. Family disaster plan
Y S K
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Q U A
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Z O C
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K C E
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A. In the U.S. it officially occurs from June 1 to November 30,
although hurricanes can happen any
time of the year.
B. A hurricane is expected within
24 hours. You may be told to evacuate. Don’t forget your disaster supply
kit and to make plans for your pets.
M C M H O Z A N
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D R O W T H D Q A
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L P V
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K N C
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A B A N Q N V E
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K U T
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Kid’s Corner Answer Key:
1. E
I
2. G
N
3. K
4. H
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E
5. I
O
6. B
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M W D
A A
7. J
8. A
9. L
10. C
O D A N R O
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11. F
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12. D
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H L
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C M H
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F L
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T U
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R B A N C E