"Hurricanes"

Guest: Jay Barnes
Wednesday, September 22, 1999
Transcript

Hurricane Dennis spent many days changing the coastline of the Outer Banks of North Carolina during the last part of August and early part of September 1999.   Join Jay Barnes, hurricane historian, to discuss the destructive nature of Hurricanes and some of the most notorious that have left their mark on our state.

Questions for students to consider:

• What was the worst hurricane to ever strike North Carolina?
• When is hurricane season and why do storms occur during this time?
• Recent storms like Fran, Hugo and Andrew have been extremely destructive. Are hurricanes more powerful than they used to be?
• What are the ways in which hurricanes cause destruction?
• How is a hurricane different from a tornado?
• How do scientists study and monitor tropical storms and hurricanes?
• Will we see another bad hurricane in NC like Fran?

Suggested optional class project (for older students):

Much of the research for Jay's books involved gathering stories from longtime residents.  By using dates from his book, or data from the National Weather Service, students could build a storm history notebook by interviewing longtime residents to find out the local effects of major hurricanes in their own communities. These oral histories could be recorded and accompanied by maps, photos, or drawings that would detail what happened in the students' own neighborhoods--how high the creek rose, how long the power was out, which buildings were damaged, etc. Hurricane Hazel (October1954) would be a good storm to profile, since it affected a large portion of eastern North Carolina.

Internet Resources

Jay Barnes, author of North Carolina's Hurricane History (revised edition, June 1998) and Florida's Hurricane History (October 1998). A native of Southport, Jay has been the director of the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores since 1989, he often gives presentations about hurricane preparedness and the history of hurricanes in America. 

Jay is NOT a meteorologist, and did not study meteorology in college (he is a graduate of the school of design at NC State, and a masters in advertising/marketing from Syracuse).  His interest in hurricanes came from a local history perspective, especially the history of storms along the NC coast.  But through the years, reading hurricane information, studying storms, etc., Jay has learned much about hurricane dynamics, formation, forecasting, etc. Most of his slide lectures and programs focus on the historical aspects of hurricanes, but he usually includes the basics of storm dynamics.  

Last updated: 11/18/05