These selected readings and educational material on hurricanes are meant to be a quick start on your respective hurricane reading. They are not meant to be all inclusive. They should be available through your local libraries, or through the commercial publishers. They are not available at the NOAA Library.
This list was compiled by Linda Pikula, NOAA Miami Regional Librarian, and Debbie Fischer, Dade County School Librarian at Meadowlanes Elementary School
Selected Hurricane Readings/Media for Elementary, Middle School
Konrad, the kitchen robot, explains air movement, using simple experiments that can be reproduced in the classroom or at home.
Takes children on a bright, busy tour of the changing seasons, from frosty winter nights to melting-hot summer days.
Examines the nature, origins and dangers of hurricanes and discusses the warning system that detects them and alerts people in their path.
Describes how a hurricane or tornado happens, the damage caused, and precautions and defensive behavior.
Describes the origin and nature of hurricanes and ways of staying safe when threatened by one of these dangerous storms.
Recounts some famous hurricanes of history and describes what man has learned about hurricanes, how they are tracked, and attempts to tame them.
Introduces the elements that make up weather and climate, discusses methods of gathering data and forecasting the weather, examines the climate's effects on animals and vegetation, and the effect of human activities on climate.
Discusses lessons about hurricanes learned by Scouts from March 1995 talk by Richard Pasch and Ed Rappaport of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. How hurricanes develop; speed of hurricane winds; prediction of warnings about hurricanes.
Explains the composition, and formation of clouds. Describes the three main types of clouds, and why clouds are unique to our planet. Examines the interaction of air and water as it relates to cloud movement and shape.
Take students on a field trip through a hurricane.
Describes weather patterns and the natural forces that bring about changes in climate and how to make forecasts based on observations.
Narrates the harrowing events that followed a family's decision not to abandon their Gulfport, Mississippi home, although it was in the path of Hurricane Camille.
An introduction to violent storms, discusses violent weather patterns, damaging effects, human causes, monitoring equipment, and what can be done to protect people and property.
Describes the movements and destructive power of hurricanes and explains how they are predicted and monitored.
Examines the factors causing changes in the earth's climate, including ocean currents, the destruction of the rain forests, and the greenhouse effect, and discusses predictions for the future.
Explains how to read a weather map, and how weather forecasts are made. Discusses different types of clouds, and weather variables.
Discusses the conditions that cause hurricanes to form and the precautions that should be taken against them. Also describes some famous hurricane disasters, including Camille, which hit the Gulf States in August, 1969.
Discusses the global network of radar stations and weather satellites in orbit used by meteorologists to form increasingly accurate weather reports.
Tells damaging effects storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and cyclones can have on people and their communities.
Eyewitness footage dramatizes the progess of two hurricanes, Wilma and Hugo, while meterologists use satellite time-lapse imagery to track their progress across the ocean.
Barbara Sloan, Octavio Visiedo, Superintendent of Dade County Public Schools. Helps children cope with stress and fears of Hurricane Andrew. Teachers can also use this in preparing students for the hurricane season.
Describes factors that influence our climate and weather.
Describes a hurricane experience and its destruction. Explains how the weather bureau can detect, measure, predict and warn people about a hurricane experience. Discusses the means of protecting oneself.
A discussion of hurricanes their formation and structure, forecasting, and safety. Includes some related science projects.
Discusses how the weather affects people, land, and an area's climate.
This video examines natural disasters, how they occur, their effect on our lives, what happens when they strike.
Tells how workers at the Cape Cod Animal Rehabilitation Center, Orenda, were swamped with baby animal orphans brought in after Hurricane Bob, October 19, 1991. Recounts how there was no electricity for heating pads or incubators, how workers heated formulae over candles to feed the babies, etc.
Provides information on various kinds of violent storms.
A day of weather education for Wesley, agent-in-training for the W.B.I, Weather Bureau of Investigation. Various forms of precipitation: dew, fog, rain, sleet and snow are discussed.
Discusses the definition, formation, destructive power, and forecasting of hurricanes or tropical cyclones.
Introduces the elements that make up weather and climate, discusses methods of gathering data and forecasting the weather, and examines the climate's effects on animals and vegetation, and the effect of human activities on climate.
This beautifully illustrated book describes how, when and where hurricanes form. It also includes information on forecasting hurricanes, and hurricane safety.
When the rainfall from Hurricane Agnes causes the Susquehanna River to flood, Grandma and Grandpa abandon their home and flee to higher ground.
The origin, paths and destructiveness of storms are shown. Tornadoes, hurricanes and thunderstorms are compared. Similar forces cause all three types of storms.
Introduction to meteorology using live action animation to teach the basic forces of weather. Lightning, thunder, tornadoes, and hurricanes are discussed. Also shown are safety precautions to adopt in a storm.
An introduction to weather and climate, discussing world climates, seasons, violent weather, weather pollution, and the elements of changing weather. Includes instructions for making a weather station.
Students learn what creates weather, how warm and cold fronts form, and what conditions may cause precipitation. The students travel into the eye of a hurricane, witness the power of tornadoes, and are shown the latest equipment in forecasting.
Describes the characteristics of hurricanes and other kinds of storms, the damage they may cause, and possible protective measures.
Shows students causes of lighting, tornadoes, hurricanes and violent weather and how modern technology helps us to survive.
Simple experiments demonstrating the role of the sun in weather, causes of wind, the nature of thunder and lighting.
A scientist from NCAR, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado conducts simple experiments to show the principles behind basic weather dynamics. Temperature inversion, tornadoes and weather systems are covered.
Twenty-five meteorology experiments, designed for group work, show students how to record, graph, and analyze weather data, generate small-scale cold fronts, and use computers and satellite data to make weather predictions.
Introduces children to the creation of a weather forecast. Interviews with scientists, technicians and TV weather people.
Provides information about the eye of a hurricane, location of the eye, the eye as a dangerous place.
Includes footage of lighting storms, illustrations of how lightning occurs, and interviews with survivors of lightning strikes.
The morning after a hurricane two brothers find an uprooted tree, which becomes a magical place, transporting them on adventures limited only by their imaginations.
Winds, their patterns of movement, how terrain and altitude can affect wind speed direction and global warming.
Detailed description of the causes of winds, storms, and lightning, formation of clouds. Also covered, hurricanes, tornadoes.
While waiting out a fierce hurricane in her grandmother's house on Fox Island, Belinda has a chance to learn about hurricanes.
Selected Hurricane Readings/Media for High School, Adult
Discusses types of wind, how windforce is measured, characteristics of hurricanes and tornadoes.
This film follows a team of scientists that chase tornadoes to study their formations. Doppler radar systems are used to locate storms.
A description of the damage done by several major hurricanes and tornadoes since the beginning of the twentieth century.
A dramatic look inside some of the most violent storms on record, including tornadoes, hurricanes, storms, and waterspouts.
A classic.
Another classic.
Good story about the great Galveston Hurricane of 1900.
Seven weather stories, highlight the role of weather in our Nation's history. Many historical photographs included.
Students are shown how to prepare for a hurricane, how to survey damage, and the three primary causes of hurricanes.
History of great hurricanes.
Information and extensive photographs of the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in Miami, Florida.
Shows the seasonal climate variations in West Africa. These relate to our hurricane season.
A classic.
Guide on how to prepare for and survive the next hurricane. Includes tracking chart.
This film explains the formation of mid-latitude weather, the movement of air masses, cyclones and anticyclones, warm and cold fronts.
An investigation of the nature of wind by observation and laboratory experiments. Air density, pressure, and temperature are covered.
Selected Hurricanes Readings for Teachers
Designed to help science teachers understand weather forecasting, hurricanes, warnings, watches, advisories, etc.
This guide includes classroom activities and discussions, student handouts and related news terms concerning hurricanes.
This article discusses teaching hazards information as part of geography classes, reviewing the geological and meteorological causes and consequences of these hazards. Hurricanes are included in the meteorological hazards.
Describes classroom activites for the study of hurricanes. Gifted student level.
Article describes how a sixth grade class in Ohio became involved in Hurricane Hugo, South Carolina relief action.
Included are exercises to help secondary students understand hurricanes. Incoporated are the use of maps, statistics, and mathematical calculations. A bibliography is also included.
This project was sponsored by NASA to guide teacher's in using satellite imagery to enhance science education. It includes the following topics: atmosphere, common weather patterns, remote sensing, mid-latitude weather systems, wave motion cylonic disturbances, and much more.
Describes a classroom project in creating a video through Hurricane Hugo study and interviews.
Hurricanes are used in teaching a first year college level physics class.
Hurricane Gilbert is used as a basis for studying geography. Classroom activities are given.
This is a unit in which students investigate a dramatic local weather event. They discover that weather is made up of different elements. Classes set up weather observation stations and take daily temperature readings, note sky conditions, and cloud formations.
Discusses hurricanes, and classroom study of these disasters.
Article shows how CD-Roms can be used to teach weather and climate, hurricanes and tropical storms.