Name: ______________________
Date: ________
Class Period: ________
TrackingHurricane Katrina
Introduction: The 2005 hurricane season was the most active season on record resulting in 27 named
storms. Hurricane Katrina was the eleventh named storm and would end up being the sixth most powerful
Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the third most destructive hurricane to make landfall in the US. Katrina
formed in the western Atlantic Ocean as a tropical depression over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005. Warm
water and moisture laden air provided enough energy for the storm system to strengthen and eventually
become a tropical storm, then a hurricane. Once Hurricane Katrina moved into the Gulf of Mexico it
strengthened rapidly becoming a category 5 hurricane. However, before it reached landfall it had weakened to
a category three hurricane. Despite this, it was still strong enough to cause severe damage to the Gulf coast
region in eastern Louisiana and the Louisiana/Alabama state line. Most notably it breached the levees in New
Orleans leaving 80% of the city under water. Over 1800 people were killed as a result of this storm as well as
causing an estimated $81.6 billion dollars in damages.
In this lab, you will use data from Hurricane Katrina to study some weather conditions common to all
hurricanes. You will also plot on a map showing the path of Hurricane Katrina.
Materials: Sharpened Pencil, Hurricane Tracking Map
Procedure
1. Plot the latitude and longitude for each date on the map of the Western Atlantic provided to show the path
of the hurricane.
2. Number each point in order along the path of the hurricane making it easier to locate the where the
hurricane was for each given date.
3. Connect each point with a line and draw arrows on the line indicating the direction the hurricane was
moving.
4. Answer all the questions about Hurricane Katrina following the data table.
Selected Data For Hurricane Katrina
Latitude
(oN)
23.2
24.7
26.2
26.1
25.3
24.6
24.4
25.0
25.1
26.9
28.8
30.2
31.9
33.5
36.3
38.0
39.4
41.1
Longitude
(oW)
75.5
76.7
78.7
79.9
81.5
83.6
84.4
86.2
86.8
89.0
89.6
89.6
89.6
88.5
87.5
86.0
84.0
81.6
Date and
Time
08/23/21z
08/24/15z
08/25/09z
08/25/21z
08/26/09z
08/27/03z
08/27/09z
08/28/03z
08/28/06z
08/28/21z
08/29/09z
08/29/15z
08/29/21z
08/30/03z
08/30/15z
08/30/21z
08/31/03z
08/31/09z
Wind Speed
(knots)
30
35
45
65
65
90
100
100
125
145
130
110
65
50
30
25
25
15
Pressure
(millibars)
1007
1006
1000
985
987
965
945
939
935
902
915
927
960
973
985
991
994
996
Status
Tropical Depression
Tropical Storm
Tropical Storm
Hurricane-1
Hurricane-1
Hurricane-2
Hurricane-3
Hurricane-3
Hurricane-4
Hurricane-5
Hurricane-4
Hurricane-3
Hurricane-1
Tropical Storm
Tropical Depression
Tropical Depression
Tropical Depression
Tropical Depression
©Mr. Bealer’s Earth Science Lab Manual for the 2006-2007 school year. Solvay High School, Solvay, NY 13209. Permission given to all certified teachers to use or
modify for their students in non-for-profit activities.
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Name: ______________________
Date: ________
Class Period: ________
Analysis Questions
1. Identify the wind speed and air pressure on August 28th at 21:00z. Be sure to include the correct units.
a) wind speed = ______________________
b) air pressure = ______________________
2. In general, how did wind speed change (a) before August 28th at 21:00z and (b) after August 28th at
21:00z?
a) _________________________________________________________________
b) _________________________________________________________________
3. In general, how did air pressure change (a) before August 28th at 21:00z and (b) after August 28th at
21:00z.
a) _________________________________________________________________
b) _________________________________________________________________
4. Based upon your answers from questions 3 and 4, what is the general relationship between changes in air
pressure and wind speed in a hurricane?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
5. a) In what direction from Miami, FL was Hurricane Katrina on August 25th at 21:00z.
___________________________________________________________________
b) What happened to the air pressure and wind speed as Hurricane Katrina Moved over Florida?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
6. New Orleans, LA was one of the most notable cities destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, yet cities located
farther inland received much less damage. Why?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
7. From 9:00z on August 26th to 21:00z on August 28th, Hurricane Katrina strengthened significantly.
According to the map, where was Katrina located at these times? What did this area provide to the storm
to help strengthen it so much?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
©Mr. Bealer’s Earth Science Lab Manual for the 2006-2007 school year. Solvay High School, Solvay, NY 13209. Permission given to all certified teachers to use or
modify for their students in non-for-profit activities.
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