Hurricane Claudette (2003)

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hurricane-claudette--2003-

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Tropical Cyclone
2. What is the habitat?Warm tropical and subtropical ocean waters
3. What was Hurricane Claudette in 2003?Claudette was a storm that started as a tropical wave in the Caribbean, moved into the Gulf of Mexico, and became a Category 1 hurricane that hit Texas.
4. How did Claudette get stronger so fast?It quickly increased its wind speeds because the sea was very warm and the wind above the water was calm, which helped the storm grow.

Tropical Wave: A trough of low pressure moving westward across the tropics, often serving as the genesis point for tropical cyclones.
Vertical Wind Shear: The change in wind speed and direction with increasing altitude, which can disrupt or enhance tropical cyclone development.
Latent Heat Release: The energy released when water vapor condenses into liquid water, a crucial fuel source for tropical cyclone intensification.
Coriolis Effect: An apparent force caused by the Earth's rotation that deflects moving objects, essential for initiating the spin of tropical cyclones.