Dimdima
Online Children's Magazine from India
By Rani Iyer
Hurricane Andrews is one of the most devastating storms that hit the coastal regions of United States. It hit the land on 24 August 1992. Being a dry hurricane, there was no rain accompanying the hurricane. It packed wind speeds of over 177 mph. Andrew produced a 17 ft wall of water (called storm surge) in Florida where it touched the land. It also affected parts of neighboring Louisiana and North Carolina. Millions of people lost homes, either due to damage or destruction.
Tropical cyclones are known as Hurricanes in some parts of Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Other names for hurricane are Typhoon, severe tropical cyclone, and cyclonic storm. In the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, these cyclonic storms are given names, both male and female, to identify them.
People in the West Indies named their hurricanes since 1876.
Every hurricane or a tropical storm has an "eye". The size of the eye ranges from 8 km (5 miles) to over 200 km (120 miles) in diameter. The eye of the hurricane is the region of lowest surface pressure and warmest temperature. The eye is surrounded by eyewall, where high surface winds are found. Hurricanes are categorized according to the speed of the wind. Five being the highest number recorded so far. Hurricane Andrews was a category five hurricane.
The eye of hurricane Andrews was 20 miles wide. The power of hurricane is enormous. It releases energy of a 10-megaton nuclear bomb exploding every 20 minutes. Compared to the energy used by the entire human race in 1993, the power of the hurricane is 20% higher. This power inflicts untold damage, misery and suffering to the people who live in the coast.
The hurricane originates from a pre-existing weather disturbance and intensifies in warm tropical oceans, with moisture and some wind. If the right conditions persist long enough, they can combine to produce the violent winds, incredible waves, torrential rains, and floods. A fully developed hurricane can release heat energy at a rate to 5 to 20x1013 watts.
Cyclones in Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea are numbered. Most cyclones are formed from May to November. These coincide with the arrival of monsoon in parts of India. On an average about 8 tropical cyclones are formed every year.
The hurricane and cyclone are formed by the most basic elements in nature- water and air. Yet, their strength, might and damage are all awe-inspiring. It teaches us to respect the power of nature that can change the course of many hundred-man years in a few hours.
Last updated on :10/27/2003
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Dimdima is the Sanskrit word for ‘drumbeat’. In olden days, victory in battle was heralded by the beat of drums or any important news to be conveyed to the people used to be accompanied with drumbeats.
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Dimdima.com, the Children's Website of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan launched in 2000 and came out with a Printed version of Dimdima Magazine in 2004. At present the Printed Version have more than 35,000 subscribers from India and Abroad.