1000909 Irene’s Power-Michael

Irene’s Power
Despite smacking the United States with less force than expected, Hurricane Irene packed a powerful punch.
September 02, 2011
By Joe Levit

On August 24, Hurricane Irene barreled through the Bahamas as a Category 3 monster, with 115 mile-per-hour wind speeds. The giant storm had communities along the U.S. East Coast preparing for the worst.
Thousands of people were evacuated from South and North Carolina. And further north, New York City—which prides itself as “the city that never sleeps”—decided to take a nap. It shut down its entire public transportation system before Irene paid a visit.
When the storm made landfall in North Carolina, it had been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane. And by the time it reached New York, it ranked as a tropical storm. But regardless of the labels, Irene packed the powerful punch of Mother Nature.
The Damage
Irene roughed up the shoreline everywhere. In East Haven, Connecticut, more than 20 homes were ground into rubble by the storm’s smashing surf.
But worse than any storm surge was the rainwater dumped on interior regions. More than 12 inches of rain overwhelmed parts of Vermont and New York State.
The downpour turned peaceful streams and rivers into roaring waterways. Historic bridges were destroyed in Vermont. In some places, cars were tossed about like toys. “We were expecting flooding,” said Bobbi-Jean Jeun, of Clarksville, New York. “We weren’t expecting devastation.”
How It Happened
According to New Jersey State Climatologist David Robinson, this August was one of the wettest on record for many areas in the Northeast. Irene added more water to already soggy areas. “The ground and rivers were well primed for a massive flooding event,” he told TFK.
But the hurricane (see “Inside a Storm”) set everything in motion. Hurricanes form over ocean water that is at least 80°F. When disturbed air moves into such an area—where water is rapidly evaporating and falling again—the air begins to move in a circular motion. Once winds reach 74 miles per hour, you’ve got a hurricane.
Communities Clean Up
Early estimates put the cost of the storm’s damage as high as $10 billion. As soon as skies cleared, communities began cleanup efforts. Power companies faced the challenge of restoring electricity to 5 million customers. Many downed trees had to be removed.
President Barack Obama has declared Vermont a federal disaster area. Officials there are using helicopters to airlift supplies to towns. “We prepared for the worst,” said Vermont’s Governor Peter Shumlin. “And we got the worst.”
1000909 Irene’s Power-Michael
Hurricane Irene has brought the United States a lot of damages. Not only destroy a lot of places but also let a lot of people don’t have house to live. This August is one of the wettest on record for many areas in the Northeast. Irene also brings a lot of rain, too. Why are there hurricanes? If the temperature starts to get higher, the ocean’s temperature will also get higher. This cause the water evaporates quickly and then fall down again. The air will starts to move in a circular motion. If the wind speed reaches to seventy two miles per hour then a hurricane is formed. Once a hurricane is formed people have to be very careful to the hurricane. If the hurricane hits towards us then the damage of the hurricane will be very serious. On the other hand, hurricanes can bring us a lot of water and make our weather different, so maybe hurricanes aren’t that bad to our lifes.