How big is a hurricane?

These fierce tropica1 plow paths of destruction over several areas of the earth's surface. Those that rip along our Atlantic  coasts are born in the calm, moist air above the warm seas of the West Indies. Like all storms they gather their energy from air masses of different temperatures. Their actual creation is not fully understood. Soma say the differences between the large areas of warm seas and the air above them is enough to generate a vast hurricane. Some suggest that the conflict may be started when the northern and southern westerlies almost brush each other in the doldrum belt,

In any case the unstable atmosphere produces an area of low pressure and the surrounding air is drawn towards the central core inwards and upwards. In the northern hemisphere, the revolving wind is given a twist towards the left and the great storm begins to spin in a counterclockwise direction.

Once started, the hurricane moves westward on the prevailing winds. In the northern hemisphere it usually veers northward near the coastline of North Americas turns east and peters out over the Atlantic. But sometimes the howling storms carry their fury overland. These are the storms that leave their paths of destruction and heartbreak from Florida to Maine,

The vast storm circle may be anywhere from 300 to 600 miles in diameter, its gales and reins can be felt over a path 1,000 miles wide, Seen from above, the hurricane looks like a vast spinning top. Long streamers of rein clouds spiral out from the enter, darkening the atmosphere to a height of over three miles. Winds, gathering speed as they spiral towards tha center, have been known to blow at 250 miles an hour.

In the very center of the vortex is the calm, round eye of the storm. This is a pocket of upward rushing air trapped within the spinning winds, From the ground above it, the sky is almost clear, The eye of the hurricane may be from 8 to 12 miles across and it travels with the storm as it ambles along at from 10 to 40 miles an hour,

Ahead of the howling hurricane run the storm tossed waves,  In the Gulf of Mexico these stormy seas often reach the coast 300 to 500 miles or a day or two, before the winds of the hurricane. With the storm comes rain and northeasterly gales reaching hurricane speed at 75 miles an hour. The wind grows fiercer, veering further from the north, Thunder and lightning crackle from the glowering skies,

Maybe the small eye of the storm will pass right overhead.    If so there is calm lull in the weetherp lasting maybe an hour,    Then the storm rages even more fiercely,  with winds now from the southwest.    It’s the great mass of heaving air passes on its way the gales slacken and veer from the west. Behind it may leave a path of destruction from 12 to 24 miles wide.