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Ivan the Terrible!

Spanish Translation

By Kathyrn R. Satterfield

Hurricane Ivan stormed ashore last Thursday morning, toppling trees, ripping off roofs and flooding neighborhoods. Ivan hit land along the Gulf of Mexico. Winds of up to 130 miles per hour lashed the Gulf Coast. Communities in southeast Louisiana, southern Mississippi and Alabama and northwest Florida felt the storm's fury. "We have never seen a hurricane of this size come into Alabama," said Governor Bob Riley.

Tornadoes spun off of the storm, causing even more damage. More than 1.5 million homes and businesses in the Gulf states lost power. As of last Friday, at least 33 people in the United States had died as a result of Ivan.

On September 9, Hurricane Ivan became a Category 5 storm, with winds at speeds greater than 155 miles per hour. Over the next few days, Ivan churned through the islands of the Caribbean, killing at least 68 people and destroying towns. By the time Ivan reached the U.S., it was a Category 3 storm--a bit weaker, but still powerful.

A Flurry of Hurricanes
When Ivan hit, Florida was still struggling to recover from Hurricanes Charley and Frances. Ivan was the third hurricane to pound the area in the last five weeks.

Residents are reeling from the back-to-back blows. But scientists expected an especially stormy season, says Stanley Goldenberg, a research meteorologist in Miami, Florida. "I'm in shock over the damage and the deaths, but I am not surprised," he told TIME.

Ten years ago, scientists began warning residents in coastal areas that big hurricanes were headed their way. In 1995, there were 19 major tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the second busiest season on record. Some experts believe that this year could produce 16 tropical storms, including five major hurricanes.

Why are there so many big storms? Scientists believe that one factor is higher ocean-surface temperatures. In the mid-1990s, surface temperatures in the Atlantic increased by 1?F to 1.5?F. Scientists think that naturally shifting ocean currents and patterns caused the increase.

Such a change may seem slight, but it is significant. The last time the Atlantic Ocean warmed, between 1926 and 1970, a slew of severe storms hit the coastal U.S. We may be in for another stretch of deadly tropical weather. But now the risk to Americans is greater, because the coastlines are much more heavily populated. More than 50% of the U.S. population lives along the coast.

How Much More Can We Take?
As residents in areas battered by Ivan emerged from the storm, Jeanne, the next storm, was churning through the Caribbean. Forecasters predicted it could strike eastern Florida, South Carolina and Georgia by early this week.

Despite the threat, rescue workers continued to help storm victims. "We are not waiting for the skies to turn blue to respond," said Craig Fugate, the director of Florida's division of emergency management. "We have got to keep our people safe."

A Hurricane's Life
Hurricanes get their start over Africa. The swirling storms are fueled by wet weather, winds and warm ocean waters.

1. Born in West Africa
When hot, dry air from the Sahara desert meets cooler, moist air from the Sahel region to the south, small storms form.

2. Across the Atlantic
Some storms remain small. But a few gather warm ocean moisture, speeding up as they travel west. When bands of these thunderstorms form a swirling pattern, the system is called a tropical depression.

3. Tropical storms and hurricanes
If the storm holds together, a column-shaped "eye" forms at its center. Winds spin around it, faster and faster. When winds reach 40 miles per hour, the system is called a tropical storm. When winds reach 74 miles per hour, it's a hurricane.

4. After the storm
Hurricanes weaken after they reach land. Some never hit land, but instead turn northeast and die out over the Atlantic Ocean.

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