Wandering Wandering WWanda anda

WWonders onders About Stormy About Stormy

WWeathereather (Part 2)(Part 2)

Wandering Wanda Wandering Wanda Wondered about Wondered about HurricaneHurricane Lili Lili

Wandering Wandering Wanda Wanda

wanted to wanted to understand understand hurricanes.hurricanes.

So she So she traveled to a traveled to a

coastal coastal parish in parish in Louisiana Louisiana

after after Hurricane Hurricane Lili Lili

struck.struck.

First Wanda located First Wanda located information on information on Hurricane Hurricane Lili. She Lili. She found out that Lili hit the coast of found out that Lili hit the coast of

south Louisiana on October 3, south Louisiana on October 3, 2002. So, Wanda traveled to 2002. So, Wanda traveled to Vermilion Parish to get some Vermilion Parish to get some

answers.answers.

When she When she got there, she got there, she

was able to find was able to find a map that a map that

showed showed HurricaneHurricane Lili’s path.Lili’s path.

Wandering Wanda wanted to Wandering Wanda wanted to

know more facts about know more facts about hurricanes.hurricanes. Her research Her research

showed that a showed that a hurricanehurricane is a is a very destructive and dangerous very destructive and dangerous

stormstorm. It forms in stages.. It forms in stages.

Wanda learned that when the winds Wanda learned that when the winds in this type of in this type of stormstorm range from 35 to range from 35 to 54 miles an hour, it is called a 54 miles an hour, it is called a tropical tropical depression.depression. When the winds are from When the winds are from 55 to 74 miles an hour then it is called 55 to 74 miles an hour then it is called a a tropical storm.tropical storm. When it reaches 75 When it reaches 75

miles an hour, it is called a miles an hour, it is called a hurricanehurricane..

While researching While researching hurricaneshurricanes, , Wanda found that some are small Wanda found that some are small

and others quite large. But whatever and others quite large. But whatever the case, the case, hurricaneshurricanes are the are the

mightiest of all mightiest of all stormsstorms. In the . In the center of a center of a hurricanehurricane is an is an eyeeye..

Wanda discovered that before Wanda discovered that before HurricaneHurricane

Lili hit, everybody had to prepare for her Lili hit, everybody had to prepare for her arrival. The newspapers, radio and arrival. The newspapers, radio and

television stations television stations all had important messages for the people all had important messages for the people

in Vermilion Parish.in Vermilion Parish.

One key One key factor about factor about hurricanes is hurricanes is

the importance the importance of of hurricane hurricane safety.safety. The The

people were people were encouraged to encouraged to listen to the listen to the

warnings.warnings. Many Many Louisiana Louisiana residents residents

evacuated to be evacuated to be safe.safe.

When Wanda saw the image ofWhen Wanda saw the image of Hurricane Hurricane Lili hitting the state of Louisiana, she began Lili hitting the state of Louisiana, she began to understand how large a to understand how large a hurricanehurricane was. was. She knows now that a She knows now that a hurricanehurricane is a huge is a huge and and dangerous storm.dangerous storm. When she saw this When she saw this

radar imageradar image, she was amazed with the size , she was amazed with the size of this of this stormstorm..

Wanda also learned something unusual Wanda also learned something unusual happened whenhappened when Hurricane LiliHurricane Lili hit Vermilion hit Vermilion Parish. The night before she hit the coast,Parish. The night before she hit the coast, Hurricane LiliHurricane Lili was labeled awas labeled a category fourcategory four

hurricanehurricane. Everyone was terrified because she . Everyone was terrified because she was considered a verywas considered a very strong and dangerous strong and dangerous stormstorm. But something strange occurred that . But something strange occurred that

night.night.

What What Wanda Wanda

found out found out was that was that Hurricane Hurricane

LiliLili had had gotten gotten weaker weaker

before she before she hit the hit the

Louisiana Louisiana coast. The coast. The

arrow arrow shows shows

where she where she weakened.weakened.

It was very It was very unusual that unusual that

Hurricane Hurricane LiliLili

weakened weakened over water. over water.

Usually Usually hurricanes hurricanes

gain gain strength strength

instead of instead of losing losing

strength strength when they when they

are on are on water.water.

This is a picture of This is a picture of Hurricane Lili on October Hurricane Lili on October

22ndnd. .

So, So, HurricaneHurricane Lili losing Lili losing

strength before strength before she hit land she hit land

was very, very was very, very unusual. unusual.

Even the Even the meteorologists meteorologists were surprised were surprised

that this that this happened.happened.

During her During her research, Wanda research, Wanda was shocked to was shocked to

discover that discover that although although Hurricane Hurricane Lili had weakened, Lili had weakened, her her windswinds were still were still

clocked at 120 clocked at 120 miles an hour. miles an hour.

Wanda wonders, if Wanda wonders, if this hurricane was this hurricane was

a category two, a category two, what would what would

category four category four hurricane windshurricane winds have been like?have been like?

When When Lili’s Lili’s

stormstorm left left LouisianaLouisiana

, there , there was a lot was a lot

of of damage. damage.

Trees Trees were were

knocked knocked down and down and

houses houses destroyeddestroyed

..

TwistersTwisters and strong and strong windswinds left left

many many telephone telephone lines lying lines lying across the across the

roads. roads. Many Many

Vermilion Vermilion Parish Parish

residents residents stayed stayed without without

electricity electricity for a for a week.week.

Many Many homes homes were were

destroyed destroyed by the by the

destructive destructive path of path of falling falling trees trees

caused by caused by dangerous dangerous windswinds and and tornadoes.tornadoes.

A couple of schools were A couple of schools were badly damaged by the badly damaged by the

tornadoes, windtornadoes, wind and and rain rain too.too. Vermilion Parish Schools were Vermilion Parish Schools were

closed for over a week.closed for over a week.

Vermilion Parish residents were Vermilion Parish residents were affected greatly by affected greatly by HurricaneHurricane Lili’s Lili’s

destructive path on Thursday morning, destructive path on Thursday morning, October 3, 2002.October 3, 2002.

Thankfully though, no lives Thankfully though, no lives were lost during were lost during Hurricane Hurricane

Lili’s visit. Most people Lili’s visit. Most people survived with only minor survived with only minor house or roof damage.house or roof damage.

Now that Now that WanderinWandering Wanda g Wanda

has has learned learned

more more about about

hurricanehurricanes,s, she she only only

hopes hopes that she that she

will never will never have to have to

experiencexperienc

e one.e one.

THE THE ENDEND