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Physical Effects Of Hurricanes

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Chapter four of our textbook, while making the aspect of physical geography a priority concerning weather and climate, take special care in introducing the topic of hurricanes as well as changes in air pressure and ocean currents. Hurricanes can be described as low-pressure areas which begin over warm waters. As they develop, hot, humid air at the surface rises which aids in the suction of air. This causes cumulonimbus clouds to appear. The energy these clouds release warms the center which contributes to the distinctively calm core commonly referred to as the eye.
One of the hurricanes that has affected the Miami metropolitan area was Hurricane Katrina on August 25, 2005. The storm occurred during the Atlantic hurricane season which, as specified …show more content…

One of these was the category three hurricane Dennis which only briefly skimmed the western coast at roughly 130 mph. Dennis was a relatively small hurricane which limited the damage suffered by the infrastructure. Next, storm Ophelia shifted between tropical storm and hurricane one intensity while looping up the Florida eastern coast. This led to mild beach erosion but it remained relatively contained to the outer areas. On the other hand, hurricane Rita made landfall- the eye dodging between Cuba and the Florida peninsula- as a category one storm (74-95 mph) but quickly intensified. Effects included moderate rains, but the brunt was felt in Key West with minimal damages in South Florida. Tropical storm Tammy surged off the southeastern coast of Florida, once it made landfall at Atlantic Beach winds were 50 mph. While the storm disrupted power and there was some coastal flooding, there was no major damage sustained. The last storm to hit the area for the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was hurricane Wilma, often deemed the most intense hurricane in the western hemisphere until Patricia in 2015. Commonly referred to as the second most destructive storm in South Florida history, Wilma amazed meteorologists by shooting from a category one (74-95 mph) to a category five (156+ mph) in just 24 hours. Damage for thethis storm was very extensive, especially regarding critical infrastructure

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