Journey Inside a Hurricane

Hurricanes are the most powerful storms on Earth. The storms form over the ocean. They start out small. As warm air rises up from the ocean, the storms become stronger.

Most hurricanes die out before they hit land, but a few get bigger and stronger. These storms can hit land with terrifying power. Pounding rain can wash away entire neighborhoods. Winds can tear apart houses and pull trees out of the ground.

These winds can also bring the deadliest force of all—a storm surge. This wall of ocean water is pushed along by the wind. It can reach 20 feet tall. It crashes down on land, sometimes flooding entire sections of cities.

As you head toward the hurricane, you wonder: Will this storm turn more powerful, or will it lose strength? Will it die out over the ocean, or will it reach land? If it does reach land, millions of people could be in danger.

Hurricanes are the most powerful types of storms. They form over the ocean. They start out small. Warm air rises up from the ocean. Then the storms get bigger.

Most hurricanes die out before they reach land. But a few get stronger. They can hit land with lots of power. Rain can wash away neighborhoods. Winds can tear apart houses. Hurricanes can lift trees from the ground. 

And they can bring the deadliest force of all: a storm surge. A storm surge is a wall of ocean water. This wall of water is pushed along by the wind. Surges sometimes reach 20 feet tall. They can flood big parts of cities.

You fly toward the hurricane. You wonder: Will this storm become more powerful? Or will it lose strength? Will it die out over the ocean? Or will it reach land? It could be bad if it hits land. Millions of people could be in danger. 

You fly toward the center of the storm—the eye. Inside the eye, the storm is calm. But to get into the eye, you need to fly through a wall of the storm’s strongest winds. This super-stormy ring around the eye is called the eyewall.

Your plane shakes as you blast through the eyewall. It feels like you’re on a roller coaster going through a car wash. Luckily, your plane can handle the toughest winds.

But then all is calm. You’ve entered the eye of the storm. You push a button to drop plastic tubes out of the plane. These tubes are special measuring tools.

As they fall through the sky, they measure the speed and direction of the wind. They also track the temperature and moisture of the air.

You fly toward the center of the storm. The center is called the eye. The storm is calm inside the eye. To get there, you must fly through the hurricane’s strongest winds. These winds form a stormy circle around the eye. It’s called the eyewall.

Your plane shakes. You fly through the eyewall. It feels like you’re on a roller coaster going through a car wash. But your plane can handle strong winds.

Then all is calm. You’re in the eye of the storm. You push a button. Plastic tubes drop out of the plane. These tubes are special measuring tools.

The tools fall through the sky. They measure the speed of the wind. They also track the temperature of the air. 

 These measurements will be sent to experts at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. This information will help officials make decisions on what to tell people about the storm. If the storm is heading toward a city or town, they’ll warn people to leave the area.

Scientists can’t stop a storm from coming. But hurricane hunters help us stay prepared. So when a storm strikes, we will be ready.  

These measurements are sent to experts. These experts work at the National Hurricane Center in Florida. The information will help officials. It’s their job to tell people about the storm. Officials will tell people to leave the area if a storm is headed toward them.

Scientists can’t stop a storm from coming. But hurricane hunters help us prepare. So when a storm strikes, we will be ready.