What is a typhoon?
A typhoon is a tropical storm that occurs in the Western Pacific ocean.
Did you know???
Typhoons mainly occur near Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines and Mainland China. The United States, Australia, and India also get typhoons, but they have a different name. In the Atlantic Ocean, the tropical storms are called hurricanes, and in the Indian Ocean, tropical storms are called cyclonic storms.
How do they occur?
Typhoons form in the Western Pacific when high pressure rushes to areas of low pressure. This makes wind. When the wind forms a storm that begins to rotate. The middle of the winds becomes an "eye" of low pressure. As the rotation increases a typhoon is formed.
These pictures show some of the effects that a typhoon can have on an area.
Typhoon Haiyan
On November 8, 2013, one of the strongest tropical typhoons ever recorded hit the Philippines. It was a Category 5 "super typhoon"- the strongest typhoon there can be, with winds reaching over 315km/h. This typhoon killed over an estimated 10 000 people and cost over $2.86 billion dollars in damage. It finally ended on November, 11 2013.
Pictures of the damage typhoon Haiyan caused
Typhoon Haiyan From Space
Damage after typhoon strikes
People had to live in broken homes and buildings left over after thee typhoon happened. This is an example of a family with one room left to live in.
The broken debris and buildings after the typhoon
People lined up to get necessary living supplies such as food and water
How to prepare for a typhoon
- Prepare an emergency kit of food, water and first aid supplies
- Get a flashlight with fresh batteries
- Find a radio to keep updated on the typhoon and listen for important information
- Pack small bags of clothing and other necessary supplies for each person in your family
- Fill up transportation vehicles with gas in case of an emergency evacuation
- Find all possible evacuation routes to get to higher ground
- Cover all windows with boards or other coverings
- Bring everything inside that is not tied down such as outdoor furniture and lawn decorations
- If you are in a high building, take shelter on the 10th floor or lower depending on how much water there is.
Fun Facts
- The right top corner of a typhoon is the most dangerous section of the storm
- The wind keeps collecting speed as the typhoon continues, and the typhoon picks up and collects debris throughout the storm.
-Typhoons are a type of cyclone, a low-pressure storm with winds swirling around the center.
Thanks for listening!!!
RESOURCES
- NASA
- BBC NEWS
- TERRIBLE TYPHOONS
- REFERENCE.COM
- CNN
- GOOGLE IMAGES
- TYPHOON CENTER
Credits:
Created with images by WikiImages - "hurricane bob 1991"