does a hurricane look like a tornado but comes for the ocean or does it just look like a storm with rain?
Jan 01, 2010
in
Tornado Questions
and wind. if that is the case how does it cause so much damage. if it is just rain and wind
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4 comments
cyswxman on January 1, 2010 at 2:04 am
If you were to stand on the coast and see an approaching hurricane, all you would see is a mass of clouds approaching you, followed by increasing rain and winds, typically in bands. A hurricane is much more damaging simply because it is so much larger in size than a tornado. In fact, tornadoes are not uncommon in the outer rainbands of hurricanes. A lot of damage is also caused by inland flooding, which can occur over a large area.
Me on January 1, 2010 at 2:04 am
It pretty much is a cyclone that develops in the ocean and produces heavy rains, winds and tornadoes once it hits land. Here are a few websites that you can read about them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane
http://www.noaa.gov/
slugginsammy on January 1, 2010 at 2:04 am
No, it is nothing like a tornado. Tornadoes do extensive damage due to extremely small scale column of rotating air.
Hurricanes are massive large scale cyclonic systems that look like a really bad storm with rain and wind that can last up to 24 hours.
Damage depends on the wind speed and storm surge. Ike could cause extensive damage in Houston, but flooding should not be a major issue. Galveston is under mandatory evac.
Flora on January 1, 2010 at 2:04 am
The reason hurricanes cause so much damage from winds is that there are sometimes winds of exceedingly high velocity that are constantly blowing against structures and trees. Even a well constructed home would sustain some damage from winds over about 90-100 mph. Heavy rains can cause street flooding. But the storm surge near the coast often does extreme damage. The hurricane and its associated winds push the sea inland and structures near the shore are often flooded well before the eye of the storm makes landfall.
Hurricane Katrina caused a storm surge of over 25 feet on the Mississppi Gulf Coast, and caused total destruction of everything on the beach for about 1/2 mile inland.