The Hurricane

THE HURRICANE

Terrance looked out the window. The sky was dark and full of storm clouds. The clouds

were moving in circles. Lightning struck across the sky. Terrance was very scared. He

looked at his parents. Terrance could see that they were worried. His father had spent

the last hour moving all the lawn furniture into the garage and making sure all the

windows were closed and fastened. His mother had filled the tub and all the sinks with

water.

A hurricane was approaching. A hurricane is a huge storm that grows over the ocean. It

can grow big enough to make dangerous winds and huge waves.

Terrance heard the wind. It was getting very loud. The wind chimes on the porch were

jingling. Hurricanes have winds that go 74 miles per hour or more. That is faster than

many people drive on the highway!

Terrance’s father was listening to the radio. The radio announcer said that there was a

hurricane warning. Terrance’s mother said that they should go further inside the house,

where there weren’t any windows. Terrance looked at the sky one last time and then

carefully closed the blinds on the black and swirling clouds. Then he went into the

hallway with his parents, where his father said the walls were strongest.

In the hallway, Terrance could still hear the wind howling. While they were waiting for

the storm to pass, Terrance’s father told him about hurricanes. Hurricanes form over

the ocean from thunderstorms. Warm ocean water helps the thunderstorms grow into a

hurricane. When the speed of the storm grows to 74 miles per hour, it becomes a

hurricane. The clouds of a hurricane travel counterclockwise* around a hole in the

center of the storm. This hole is called the eye of the hurricane.

The voice on the radio said that the hurricane was going away. Soon, it wouldn’t be

dangerous anymore. Hurricanes need moisture from the ocean to survive. Water is like

the hurricane’s food source. Hurricanes lose their power when they pass over land...