Growing up in a tropical climate equated to be in the quintessential location for tropical cyclones, such as hurricanes. It is no wonder why I had a voracious need to understand hurricanes.
The news about hurricane Irma early in September invoked no shock in me as I've been taught about the dangers of hurricanes growing up. Today, I seek to expose my fascination with hurricanes by answering 3 questions individuals who have a basic interest in hurricanes would ask. The questions are:
1. Where do hurricanes come from?
2. Why are hurricanes occurring now; are they the result of global warming?
3. How do you prepare for a hurricane?
According to Ocean Facts, a website monitored by the National Ocean Centre, a tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low pressure centre, a closed atmospheric circulation, strong winds and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produces heavy rains. A tropical cyclone depending on where it is formed or the measurement of wind strength may be referred to as a hurricane, typhoon, tropical storm or a tropical depression.
In answering the first
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In 2004, hurricane Ivan hit the island of Jamaica causing great damage to various parishes which would equate to provinces in Canada. A total of 123 lives were taken with 45 of those fatalities reported to occur in Jamaica by the Jamaica Gleaner. Fortunately, my family and I only had to remove the broken tree branches and debris that landed in our yard when the heavy winds passed over our area. There were no structural damage for us but that was not the case for many other residents. Another hurricane I experienced though I was only but 2 years old was hurricane Gilbert that wreak havoc on the island in 1988 causing about 40% structural damage in the island claiming 40 lives a total of 433 with a majority of deaths in ravished