Science in the News –a Wind story
Most people fear hurricanes because of the risks associated with them. Hurricanes are accompanied by all adverse hazards of the earth’s atmosphere, including torrential rain, high-speed winds, hail, tornadoes, and lightning, all of which are a threat to human life. The storm surges of hurricanes weaken with time, and people may think that risks have elapsed and tend to return to their areas of residence, which they had initially evacuated.
However, according to new research of the University of California, UC Santa Barbara (2019), tropical cyclones tend to slow down after hitting the land due to being cut off from their source of energy, the ocean. This is because of the absence of warm water evaporating underneath them to drive the convection that energizes the system. As a consequence, the cyclone becomes disorganized and begins to spin at a slower speed, causing it to spread out. That makes it seem as though it is stalled in one spot, and it can discard a lot of rain on a particular location (“University of California,” 2020). Therefore, rains seem to intensify after the hurricanes have waned to the category of tropical storms, not when they first make landfall as major hurricanes.
Generally, the research illuminates that it is worth noting that hurricanes are still hazardous even after they have weakened. This indicates that people need to avoid returning to areas that have been hit by hurricanes as soon as they subside. Meaning, people should instead take some time and observe for any weather changes, or rather, they should wait until the authorities confirm that the risks have elapsed. Besides, the research gives insight into the type of storms that should be given more attention when it comes to disaster preparedness plans.
References
University of California. (2020, May 14). Damaging rains from hurricanes more intense after winds begin to subside. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191205130542.htm