Panama City condominium damaged by Hurricane Opal
Click on image for full size
FEMA
Storm Strength
A
cyclone
is an area of low pressure with
winds blowing counter-clockwise
around it in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise around it in the
Southern Hemisphere. A
tropical cyclone is a cyclone
which forms in the tropics--imagine that.
Tropical cyclones are given different names to show how fast their winds
are. Here is a list of the different names given to the storms:
Tropical Disturbance: Winds weak and unorganized
Tropical Depression: Winds less than 39 mph
Tropical Storm: Winds 39 to 74 mph
Hurricane: Winds greater than 74 mph
Also, meteorologists use the wind speed as one indicator as to how much
damage a hurricane
can do. Knowing what may be damaged lets officials know what areas they
should evacuate.
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