They have claimed over a billion lives. They are considered nature's most deadly storms, causing more injuries, casualties, and property damages than all other storms combined. There is no force on Earth than can stop the eradication caused by their powerful torrents, ripping gales, irrepressible floodwaters and monstrous tidal waves. There are hurricanes, nature's ultimate force .
October 15. The temperature is fair, at seventy degrees, although the air seems somewhat thick and humid. A soft breeze gently skims the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. Dark clouds group in clusters far away over the endless waters. Seagulls nonchalantly fly overhead, and the waves roll on continuously. A fishing boat splashes over the waters, homeward bound. It is a tranquil day, and nobody knows the terror waiting to emerge .
At the National Weather Service Center, Meteorologist Kate Greene analyzed the latest Doppler readings on her computer screen. Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, in humid air dangling over warm waters, twisting with converging winds, were several thunderstorms, the first step in creating a ".
Bbrrriiinngg! Bbrriinnngg! Kate picked up the telephone. "Hello. This is meteorologist Kate Greene."" The voice on the other line cut her short. "Hi, Mom!- Kate knew who it was "her son. "Guess what we studied in science today?- He asked eagerly. "What?- Kate inquired. "Hurricanes! I thought you might be able to help me with some homework. I could use any information you have,"" her son answered. Kate shuddered. There was a tropical disturbance "a step in hurricane creation "forming one hundred fifty miles off the coast of Florida. Off the coast of their city. Off the coast of their home.
Kate sighed. "Well, umm. Let's see. A hurricane is a tropical cyclone in which winds attain speeds greater than 74 miles per hour, but can surpass 190 miles per hour. They have a life span of one to thirty days.
