Hurricane Web Quest
Names: ____________ ______________
Directions: Go to each web site about hurricanes and complete the questions. After you have
finished the web quest you will create a Most Wanted poster for hurricanes. Be sure to read all
the information on the website not just what is needed for the question! You are becoming an
expert hurricane scientist.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/photos/hurricanes/
1.
What is the name of the first hurricane pictured?
2. How long ago did this hurricane happen? _____ years ago
3. How far out from the eye (middle) of the storm were the winds? _____miles. (Next)
4. Hurricanes are ___________, ___________tropical storms that can pack wind speeds of over
______miles an hour and unleash more than 2.4 ____________ gallons of rain a day. (Next)
5.
On September 14, 2003, describe Hurricane Isabel was a rare _____________ ___ with sustained winds
of ____________ miles per hour. (Next)
6. When is the peak of the Atlantic Ocean’s hurricane season?
7. What country did Hurricane Aletta effect?
8. Describe the difference between Hurricane Isabel and Hurricane Aletta.
9. What is the best way to defend oneself against a powerful hurricane?
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/interactive/index.html?section=h
10. Why did the Spanish use the name “huracan” for these powerful storms centuries ago?
11. Today, how is it determined if a storm is a hurricane or not?
12. What are the three different names for these big storms over the ocean and where in the world are they
located?
_________________________ formed in _____________________________________________
_________________________ formed in ______________________________________________
_________________________ formed in ______________________________________________
(Click on 2 for the next gray box.)
13. How many tropical disturbances form each year? _______ What percentage of them become more than
thunderstorms? _________%
14. Off of what continent do hurricanes begin? ____________________
15. Describe how they get their energy.
16. When is the storm given a name?
17. When is it determined to be a hurricane?
(Click on “next” in the gray box)
18. Name and describe the three main parts of the hurricane.
19. What do you think the red and blue colors in the moving arrows mean?
(Click on 3)
20. What is the one thing that is constant with hurricanes?
21. What direction do the winds blow?
(Click on 4)
22. What can the hurricane’s heavy rains cause? _____________________, ________________ and
__________________ ________________.
23. What is the most dangerous part of the hurricane? ________________ __________________
24. How are storm surge and tsunami different?
(Click on 5)
25. What kind of damage can a hurricane’s winds cause?
26. 9 out of 10 deaths during a hurricane are due to storm surge. Describe the damage storm surge causes.
27. Describe two storms where storm surge was the main killer. Include when and where the storms
happened.
(Click on 6)
28. Who are “Hurricane Hunters”?
29. Describe what they do in no more than 3 sentences.
30. What are the differences between and hurricane watch and a hurricane warning?
31. Why is it important for you to know about hurricanes?
(Click on 7)
32. Practice making your hurricane form. What were the 3 conditions necessary for your hurricane to be
successful?
Go To: http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/howhurrwork.html?237,214
33. What fuels (powers) a hurricane?
34. Why do you think a hurricane only forms over water and looses power over land?
35. What do the colors in the radar stand for? Be specific!
36. Click on “Hurricane Diagram”. Describe the most powerful part of the storm.
37. Where is the calmest part of the storm?
38. Click on the air plane. Click on “Plane and Clouds”. Click on the word “planes” under the hand. Why is it
necessary to fly into a hurricane’s clouds?
39. What information do they collect?
40. What do you think are the 5 most important things on the Hurricane Shopping List? Explain why you
think each is MORE important than the other things on the list.
(Click the back button 2 times to get to “Inside a Hurricane”. Click on “Hurricanes! Menu”)
41. Click on the newspaper “Survivors”. Click on members of the Benitez family and describe their
experience in a hurricane. (Don’t forget to read the top of the page above their picture.)