Reading the Storm: teacher key

Hurricanes and Tornadoes, grade 9 edition, written for 9th grade. Forecasters read hurricanes and tornadoes with wind, radar, aircraft and satellites. See what each tool shows and how each storm is rated.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. How many damage indicators does Enhanced Fujita rating start from?
   • 5
   • 28 (answer)
   • 74
2. A thunderstorm has strong wind shear but its updraft does not rotate. Is a tornado likely?
   • Yes, shear alone makes one
   • Not necessarily, since the updraft must also rotate (answer)
   • No, shear stops tornadoes
3. Why do GOES satellites keep watching the same area?
   • They are very light
   • They fly low
   • They orbit at the speed of Earth's rotation (answer)
4. What does the Tornado Vortex Signature give forecasters?
   • A rating for a hurricane
   • A clue before a tornado touches the ground (answer)
   • The storm's name
5. What would a cloudy eye often suggest about a hurricane?
   • It is just forming
   • It is a tornado
   • It is past its peak (answer)

Words

• intensity: strength
• shear: wind change
• mesocyclone: rotating updraft
• dropsondes: dropped probes
• geostationary: fixed in place
• indicators: clues