Whoosh! A giant storm hits America
A hurricane named Isaias (say: ees-ah-EE-ahs) came onto land in Florida.
On Friday night, 9 October, Hurricane Isaias came onto land near a town called Destin, in Florida, America. Its winds blew at about 170 kilometers an hour, faster than a car on a highway!
What did the storm do?
Strong winds snapped trees and knocked down power lines. Heavy rain flooded some roads, and the sea rose about as high as a grown-up. Nearly 900,000 homes lost electricity. Sadly, a few people died, mostly when big trees fell on their houses.
Is it over now?
Yes. A few hours after landing, the storm grew much weaker and moved away north. Now the clean-up has begun. Thousands of extra workers came to fix the power lines, and most homes have their lights back.
How does a hurricane grow?
1
Warm sea
The Sun heats the ocean. Warm, wet air rises up.
2
Big clouds
The air cools and makes giant rain clouds.
3
Spin!
Earth spins, so the clouds turn in a huge circle.
4
The eye
In the middle is a calm, quiet hole called the eye.
Try it: a storm in a jar
- Fill a clear jar with water. Stir it fast with a spoon.
- Add a drop of food color. Watch it spin!
Did you know?In India, we call these storms cyclones. India and its neighbors take turns to choose their names.
For grown-ups: Category 2 landfall near Destin on 9 October (about 105 mph). At least four deaths by 10 October (one later report says five), from falling trees and an indoor generator. Nearly 900,000 customers lost power; tens of thousands were still waiting on 12 October. Calming ideas: page 7.