Natural disasters are a part of life, depending on what part of the world a person lives. Earthquakes, volcanoes, blizzards and tornadoes can all cause major damage and even take lives. Hurricanes also bring with them a number of dangers, some of which can be deadly.
One of the first things that may come to mind when people think of hurricanes is the water they bring crashing down upon land. Flooding is a danger to people, their pets, their possessions and their homes. Rains from hurricanes alone can pour inches of water during a very short period of time, causing flash flooding on roads and in neighborhoods. Cars take the risk of hydroplaning as they drive on drenched highways, and houses run the risk of having their carpets and anything on the floors ruined if water seeps in even a small amount. Hurricane rains also cause creeks, rivers and lakes to overflow and send their waters in strong currents where there should be dry land. Gardens can be ruined under the weight of such vast amounts of water. People caught in deep water may drown, even if they can swim, due to the rough, unrelenting currents.
Storm surges are an intimidating and deadly threat that hurricanes create. Surges are made up of a wall of water, usually from a nearby ocean shore. These walls are like gigantic waves and can range from less than one foot high to up to 20 feet high. The water walls are brought crashing to the shore, driven by hurricane winds. Surges can completely ruin ships in harbors, as well as buildings close to the beach. They can also cause erosion in beaches. People hit by surges are unlikely to survive due to the great amount of force of the water being blown onto them.
Hurricanes also have the ability to spawn tornadoes. Tornadoes occur in some hurricanes and not in others. The dangers of tornadoes are the dangerously high winds produced by the cyclone, which have the ability to flip cars and blow heavy objects into people. The damage caused by tornadoes can be fatal to those who have not sought shelter.
In addition to tornadoes, hurricanes produce other winds that are strong enough to destroy buildings if they are not built sturdy enough. Hurricane winds send dangerous debris into the air and knock over telephone poles and power lines, causing an area to lose electricity. This is especially dangerous for the elderly and people who are on oxygen or other medical devices that must use electricity to function. The eye of the hurricane usually contains the winds of greatest force. Category 1 hurricanes can spur winds up to 95 miles per hour, while category 5 hurricanes have produced as much as 150 miles per hour winds and higher.
Hurricanes are a serious threat to people, animals, cars, plants and buildings. During hurricane season it is critical that people have a plan of action for what to do and where to go if a hurricane is threatening to strike in their area. By being prepared and staying aware of the dangers, people can survive hurricanes and experience minimal injury.