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Tracking Hurricanes

Introduction

Over the past decade, hurricane activity seems to have intensified in both strength and frequency. Scientists are studying the causes and meteorologists are working on better ways to measure and track hurricanes so people can be given enough warning to protect themselves and their property. A key part of this effort is knowing where hurricanes are, predicting their paths, and calculating their strength and speed. In this activity, students research past hurricanes and develop presentations on them, including tracking maps and summary reports.

Materials

Strategy

Mapping Hurricanes
One of the important hurricane preparation tools is mapping a a storm's path and predicting the location of its landfall. With the latest technology, meteorologists are able to gather detailed information about a hurricane’s track and speed and, with reasonable certainty, predict where it will make landfall. In this activity, students work in teams to research a hurricane, document its characteristics, map its course and point(s) of landfall, and prepare a presentation for the class.

  1. Divide students into pairs and give each team a National Hurricane Center Atlantic Hurricane Tracking Chart.
  2. Have students visit the National Hurricane Center’s "Hurricane History" Web site and select (or you may assign) a hurricane to review. Students should:
    • Document the dates of the storm (when it was first detected, its intensity (Category 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5), wind speed, storm surge level, and details of the damage it caused.
    • On the hurricane tracking chart, draw the hurricane’s approximate course and varying strength levels using the color key from the National Hurricane Center map.
    • Locate the coordinates of the points of landfall on their tracking charts. Because some hurricanes made landfall in more than one place, students should record the coordinates for each.

  3. Have each student team prepare a presentation about their selected hurricane, including a map, radar or satellite images (if available), the statistics they’ve recorded, and a narrative description of the hurricane and its destruction in their own words. Presentation may be constructed on large sheets of poster paper or created as slides in PowerPoint. [Note: If desired, you may have students consolidate their presentations and develop an overall comparison chart of the statistics for all the hurricanes they researched.]

Lesson Extensions

  1. Go to the KGAN Weather Eye “Handle a Hurricane” lesson. Follow the step-by-step instructions to have students assume the role of the mayor of Pensacola Beach, Florida, who must decide whether or not to order a forced evacuation of the city.
  2. Invite a meteorologist from a local television station to talk to the class about tropical storms and hurricanes.


This lesson was written by Greg Timmons, freelance writer and education consultant, Missoula, Montana.



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