Name:_________________________________________ Date:___________________ Period: _________
Tracking Hurricane Sandy
Intro: Hurricane Sandy (unofficially known as "Superstorm Sandy") was the deadliest and most destructive
hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, as well as the second-costliest hurricane in United States
history. Classified as the eighteenth named storm, tenth hurricane and second major hurricane of the year,
Sandy was a Category 3 storm at its peak intensity when it made landfall in Cuba. While it was a Category 2
storm off the coast of the Northeastern United States, the storm became the largest Atlantic hurricane on
record (as measured by diameter, with winds spanning 1,100 miles (1,800 km). Estimates as of June 2013
assess damage to have been over $68 billion, a total surpassed only by Hurricane Katrina. At least 286 people
were killed along the path of the storm in seven countries
Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to use data collected during Hurricane Sandy to track the movement of its
low-pressure center. The student will also answer questions using this data and his/her knowledge of weather
and the atmosphere.
Materials: Colored Pencils, hurricane tracking chart
Procedure: Complete the following steps:
1. Using the data from the table on the following page, plot the location of the low-pressure center that
formed Hurricane Sandy on the hurricane tracking chart on the next page by using the available latitude and
longitude coordinates. Next to each point, record the date and time for that position. Once all of the positions
have been plotted, connect each data point with a line using a colored pencil.
2. On the hurricane tracking chart, use a second color to circle the point where the storm became a hurricane.
Using that same color, draw another circle around the point where it changed back to a tropical storm.
Hurricane Sandy, October 2012
Date
Time
Lat. (°N)
Long. (°W)
24-Oct
25-Oct
25-Oct
26-Oct
26-Oct
27-Oct
27-Oct
28-Oct
28-Oct
29-Oct
29-Oct
29-Oct
29-Oct
30-Oct
30-Oct
1:00 PM
1:00 AM
1:00 PM
1:00 AM
1:00 PM
1:00 AM
1:00 PM
1:00 AM
1:00 PM
1:00 AM
1:00 PM
4:00 PM
10:00 PM
4:00 AM
10:00 AM
17.6
20.1
23.5
25.8
27.1
28.1
29.7
31.5
32.8
35.2
38.3
38.8
39.8
40.5
40.2
76.8
75.9
75.4
76.5
77.1
76.9
75.6
73.7
71.9
70.5
73.1
74.4
75.4
77
78.4
Pressure
(mb)
973
957
963
968
971
969
961
960
951
950
940
940
952
960
983
Wind Speed
(MPH)
80
110
105
85
75
75
75
75
75
75
90
90
75
65
45
Stage
Hurricane
Hurricane
Hurricane
Hurricane
Hurricane
Hurricane
Hurricane
Hurricane
Hurricane
Hurricane
Hurricane
Hurricane
Hurricane
Tropical Storm
Tropical Storm
Analysis Questions: Use the hurricane map that you plotted to answer the following questions
1. According to the Saffir- Simpson scale, what category was Hurricane Sandy when it hit NJ? _____________
2. According to the data, Hurricane Sandy reached wind speeds of 90 mph or greater during two separate
periods of time, on October 25th from 1:00AM to 1:00PM and on October 29th from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
During these times, was the air pressure greater or less than the air pressure measured at the previous
locations?
3. What happened to wind speed when hurricane Sandy passed over Cuba?
4. What happened to barometric pressure when Hurricane Sandy passed over Cuba?
5. What happened to wind speed when Hurricane Sandy made landfall over New Jersey?
6. What happened to barometric pressure when Hurricane Sandy made landfall over New Jersey?
7. Using your answers to the previous questions, create a hypothesis that describes the relationship between
atmospheric pressure of a hurricane and its wind speed.
9. Compare and Contrast the pathway of Hurricane Sandy to the pathway of Hurricane Katrina. Explain what
you think could have caused Sandy's path to be so different.