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ELROCE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Journey Inside a Hurricane

Find out what it’s like to fly into one of Earth’s most powerful storms. 

By Tricia Culligan
From the February 2021 Issue
Lexiles: 400L-500L, 500L-600L
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Think and Read: Big Idea

As you read, think about what it’s like inside a hurricane.

Winds whip. Waves crash. Rain slams down on your plane. Lightning flashes in the night sky. Just ahead is one of the most powerful forces on Earth—a hurricane. And you’re flying right into it!

What are you doing? You’re a hurricane hunter, a specially trained scientist who studies hurricanes up close. You’re part of a team of pilots and scientists. Your job is to collect the most up-to-date information about hurricanes. What you learn today could save people’s lives.

NASA/JPL-CALTECH

STORMS AROUND THE WORLD

Hurricanes is just one word used to describe these superstrong storms. Other words are used when these storms form in different parts of the world, as shown on this map.

Wall of Water

Hurricanes are the most powerful storms on Earth. The storms form over the ocean. They start out small. As warm air rises up from the ocean, the storms become stronger.

Most hurricanes die out before they hit land, but a few get bigger and stronger. These storms can hit land with terrifying power. Pounding rain can wash away entire neighborhoods. Winds can tear apart houses and pull trees out of the ground.

These winds can also bring the deadliest force of all—a storm surge. This wall of ocean water is pushed along by the wind. It can reach 20 feet tall. It crashes down on land, sometimes flooding entire sections of cities.

As you head toward the hurricane, you wonder: Will this storm turn more powerful, or will it lose strength? Will it die out over the ocean, or will it reach land? If it does reach land, millions of people could be in danger.

ILLUSTRATION BY MAGICTORCH;  STOCKTREK IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES (HURRICANE); NASA (HURRICANE)

  • EYEWALL: The storm’s strongest winds swirl around the eye.
  • EYE: In the center of a hurricane, the winds are calm.
  • FLIGHT PATH: Hurricane hunters fly through a storm’s center several times to take measurements there.

Into the Eye

You fly toward the center of the storm—the eye. Inside the eye, the storm is calm. But to get into the eye, you need to fly through a wall of the storm’s strongest winds. This super-stormy ring around the eye is called the eyewall.

Your plane shakes as you blast through the eyewall. It feels like you’re on a roller coaster going through a car wash. Luckily, your plane can handle the toughest winds.

But then all is calm. You’ve entered the eye of the storm. You push a button to drop plastic tubes out of the plane. These tubes are special measuring tools.

As they fall through the sky, they measure the speed and direction of the wind. They also track the temperature and moisture of the air.

LT. KEVIN DOREMUS/NOAA

INTO THE STORM

Hurricane hunters approach Hurricane Harvey in August 2017.

When a Storm Strikes

 These measurements will be sent to experts at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. This information will help officials make decisions on what to tell people about the storm. If the storm is heading toward a city or town, they’ll warn people to leave the area.

Scientists can’t stop a storm from coming. But hurricane hunters help us stay prepared. So when a storm strikes, we will be ready.  

THINK AND WRITE

Imagine you’re a hurricane hunter. Write a journal entry about a time you flew into a hurricane. Include details explaining why your job is important.

video (1)
Video
What You Need To Know About Hurricanes

Everything your students need to know about the science behind these fascinating storms.

What You Need To Know About Hurricanes

Everything your students need to know about the science behind these fascinating storms.

Audio (1)
Thumbnail
Time Machine: Journey Inside a Hurricane

February 2021
Time Machine: Journey Inside a Hurricane
Story Read Aloud: Magazine Version
(04:22)
Story Read Aloud: Lower-Lexile
(03:21)
Can't Miss Teaching Extras
Watch a Video

This three-minute video from National Geographic identifies the parts of a hurricane and explains how they are formed and why they’re important. 

Learn More About How Hurricanes Form

Have students visit NASA’s Space Place to read more about the formation of hurricanes and how they’re categorized.

 

Hurricane Forecasting

Although created for older students, this fascinating three-minute video from PBS provides more details about how hurricane hunters and others collect data on storms and what happens to that data afterward.

 

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