Guest Author - Violette DeSantis

Hot on the tail of the Democratic Convention and what is supposed to be a strong start to the Republican Convention is the news of Hurricane Gustav. About 48 hours ago evacuations took place in various areas along the Gulf Coast and included many victims who remember Hurricane Katrina.

Republican convention goers are trying to raise money to help victims of Hurricane Gustav. Various organizations have activity areas set up in shelters to keep the kids busy while they wait out the storm. Backpacks filled with kid-friendly items are passed out.

The National Hurricane Center is very busy issuing advisories on Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Hanna and Tropical Storm Ike. An advisory is where they share what they expect the tropical storm or hurricane to do and what they think we should do about it.

The National Hurricane Center tells us that a hurricane is a tropical cyclone that has wind speeds of 74 miles per hour or more and is located in “the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean ease of 160E.”

Gustav had wind speeds mostly at the Category 1 level of 74 – 95 miles an hour. The Category helps the National Hurricane Center to grade the hurricane. A Category 1 could mean the storm is not as severe but they can be graded up to a Category 5 which is very severe. Most hurricanes are graded at each of these levels at different times in their lifespan based on their wind speed.

Category 1 = 74 to 95 miles per hour
Category 2 = 96 to 110 miles per hour
Category 3 = 111 to 130 miles per hour
Category 4 = 132 to 155 miles per hour
Category 5 greater than 155 miles per hour

The hurricane season runs from June through November for most regions with the exception of the Eastern Pacific basin running from the middle of May through November.

To help the National Hurricane Center gather their storm information they are assisted by the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The National Hurricane Center calls them the Hurricane Hunters.

The Hurricane Hunters of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron actually fly airplanes into hurricanes. The NOAA Aircraft Operations Center also monitors more than hurricanes. They conduct research to aid in the study of global climate change.

The NOAA reported in late July that Hurricane Dolly had helped drought stricken areas in Texas. Currently their drought monitor shows that areas of Louisiana have ranged from abnormally dry to severe. Texas has also suffered from abnormally dry to extreme in some areas. It is likely that the rain that comes before and after the hurricane may lesson the severity of the drought.

Regardless of how harmful or beneficial a hurricane may be, it will still affect the economy due to the destruction of crops and the resources it takes to rebuild a community.