Fighting the Winds T e plane flies across the eye. For ten minutes the air is calm. Boom! Another tube drops. T en Hailes flies back into the eyewall and out of the hurricane. He’s not done yet. Hailes’ team flies
through the hurricane three more times. T ey gather more data. T ey send the data to scientists who
study weather. T e scientists figure out where the storm will land. T e people living near that area have two days to get ready or to leave.
Final Preparations People take the warning seriously. Many people buy emergency supplies. T ey buy bottled water and canned food. T ey buy extra batteries. T ey board up their windows to protect their homes and businesses. Many leave. T eir cars clog the highways. Even the animals sense danger.
Pelicans fly farther inland. Crabs dig deep in the mud. Alligators hide in the marshes. Finally, the hurricane slams the
area. Whirling winds peel roofs off buildings. T ey snap limbs and tumble power lines. T is is only the beginning of the storm.
Landfall Giant waves crash against the shore. Gushing water floods streets. It piles up boats like toys. It moves some houses. It rips apart others. Now the hurricane is no longer
over warm water. It starts to weaken as it moves over land. It breaks into smaller thunderstorms. T en it’s over. T e sky is blue again. People come back to their homes.
It’s time to clean up and rebuild. Only a few people were hurt in this
storm. Hailes feels good about that. Now it’s time for him to rest. New
clouds will soon build up over the ocean. T e next monster storm may be on its way. Once again, Hailes will f ly into the eye of the storm.
air pressure: the force of air pressing down on an area
evaporate: to change from a liquid into a gas, such as water into water vapor
eye: the center and calmest part of a hurricane
eyewall: a ring of thunderstorms around the eye of a hurricane
hurricane: a large storm with spinning winds that forms over tropical waters
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