Atlantic hurricane season begins each year on June 1st. As we know from readings in the textbook, these storms form within one, humid air mass and can
be devasting to areas where they make landfall. For this lab exercise, you will be reviewing data from the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season, tracking some
storms and answering questions.
To begin this exercise:
Download the Student Worksheet: Tropical Cyclone Lab and the NOAA Hurricane Tracking Chart
Watch the video “Overview of the National Hurricane Center.”
Answer questions 1-3 on your worksheet. (10 points each)
Hurricane Tracking: From the NHC website, plot the tracks of the Hurricanes on the list for the 2019 season on the NOAA Hurricane Tracking Chart. You can
get the information needed on the website by clicking on the individual hurricanes. You should have a line with a daily plot point for each Hurricane from
formation to dissipation. Your plot should include notations of date of formation, date of dissipation, indication of strength on the Saffir Simpson Scale for
each plotted point. You should use a different color or symbol for each hurricane plotted and this information should be listed in a legend that you have
created on the chart. (50 points)
Answer questions 4 and 5 on your worksheet (10 points each)
Upload the student worksheet and completed tracking chart to the drop box provided.
100 points total
Questions for Student Worksheet:
After viewing the video “Overview of the National Hurricane Center, summarize how the meteorologists at the NHC track hurricanes each season? This
should be a detailed answer written in complete sentences (10 points)
How many named storms (hurricanes and tropical storms) all together were there in 2019? (10 points)
List the Hurricanes and the highest number (strongest) on the Saffir-Simpson Scale that each storm strengthened to before dissipating or making landfall.
(10 points)
See bullet point #3!! (50 points)
On your completed tracking chart, are there any patterns that you can see with the hurricane tracks such as similar areas of formation, direction of
movement, or similar land masses that are threatened? (10 points)
Did any of the hurricanes make landfall? If so, list those storms, the date of landfall and where they made landfall. Also, include any storm surge in feet,
damages to coastal areas or loss of life. (10 points)
Links (Both are directly linked in My Courses – Module 5):
National Hurricane Center 2019 Season
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/index.php?season=2019&basin=atl
Video: “Overview of the National Hurricane Center”