Hurricanes are nature's way of showing its wrath. The only way you can save yourself from one is by being prepared and evacuating. But hurricanes are also hard to predict so the task of evacuating is not as simple and straightforward as you might think. People have to leave behind their belongings knowing it's all going to be destroyed by a natural phenomenon they cannot control. People have to look for new places to stay and this surely is one of the life's hardest tests that pushes the limits of a person's patience and resilience.
How are hurricanes caused?
According to Weatherquestions, Hurricanes are low-pressure areas formed over ocean waters. They're powered by Water Vapor which rises from the ocean bodies. Hurricanes are fueled by water vapor because they contain the latent heat of condensation. The heat rises leaving the surface of the ocean colder. Without enough wind shear, this heat can build up causing high pressure on the surface. This causes the wind to spiral inward toward the low-pressure area. The wind that spirals towards the center causes more water vapor to build up in the low-pressure area warming up the upper area, over the surface, even more. This leads to heavy thunderstorms.
The center of the hurricane is where you'll find the strongest winds.
It's called the eyewall. The winds diminish rapidly moving from the eyewall to the inside, where calm winds can exist.
What measures can you take to stay safe?
If it's announced that the prospects of a hurricane are high, then quickly evacuating the area is your best bet. But in the event that you are unable to flee the hurricane, it is advisable to stay away from windows and glass doors.
Turn off electricity as a flood is likely to happen. It goes without saying that one should always remain indoors even if the wind doesn't seem too strong as it's possible to get hit by flying debris.
TripSAvvy points out that it is also important to store enough food and water. Keeping clean clothes and a disaster kit is a necessity.
Use your phone only for emergencies. If you have some kind of medical issue, going to a specialist or a hospital as soon as possible is the safest bet.
Is there a correlation between climate change and hurricanes?
It is possible that the mechanics of hurricane formation is complemented by the conditions caused by global warming such as increasing air and water temperatures. But other scientists believe that any increase in severe hurricanes over the past few decades would be due to natural salinity and temperature changes.
As of now, there is no way of telling just how relevant climate change is towards the contribution to the increase in hurricanes over the past few decades.
