HURRICANE LAURA

The 12th Storm of 2020

What is a Hurricane? 

 

A hurricane is a type of storm called Tropical Cyclone, which forms over tropical or subtropical waters, with strong winds and lots of rain. When a storm reaches wind speeds of 75 mph or over, it’s categorized as a hurricane.

 

How Does a Hurricane Get its Name? 

 

There is a rotating list of names that, according to plan, lasts around six years.

 

Hurricane Facts

 

  • Every second the energy of about 10 atomic bombs comes off the hurricane.
  • The word “hurricane” comes from the word “huracan”, which means evil spirit of the winds.
  • The worst hurricane in the world occurred in Galveston in the early 1900s. It killed somewhere between 6,000 to 10,000 people, most of which were from drowning.

 

Hurricane Laura

 

 Hurricane Laura was a Category 4 hurricane and had maximum winds of about 150 mph, which is very close to the strength of a Category 5. It is known as one of the strongest storms to ever hit the Louisiana Gulf Coast.

Hurricane Laura hit land on August 22nd. It just skimmed the edge of Texas, only hitting the little town of Orange. However, Louisiana wasn’t so lucky.

Hurricane Laura left a trail behind her all the way until she died out on August 27th in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Hurricane Laura killed 14 people and destroyed multiple homes. 

As people tried to pick their lives up again after Hurricane Laura, the government revealed that the damage would cost around $12 billion to fix. More than 290,000 in Louisiana were without electricity for days. Even though the storm itself is gone, the impact of it will last months, if not years, into the future.

 

Hayes, Mike, et al. “August 26 Hurricane Laura News.” CNN, Cable News Network, 27 Aug. 2020, www.cnn.com/us/live-news/hurricane-laura-updates/index.html.