Top Ranked Storms in North Carolina's History

Project #1356 on iSENSEProject.org

This data is a list of the top 20 storms that occurred in Wilmington, North Carolina's History. The data lists the Storms name, rank, and atmospheric pressure. Meteorologists use barometric pressure as a way to rank the intensity of the low pressure. The lower the atmospheric pressure, the more powerful the storm is. These storms started way back in 1871 up until 2011. 

Students will learn what the difference is between different types of storms including; hurricanes, Nor'Easters, Gales, and Tornadoes.

Students will understand that the the lower the pressure the stronger the storm, therefore, they will be able to rank the storms according to their atmospheric pressure.

Questions for students to consider:

Which type of storm occurred the most?  The least?

Is there a difference in the time of year between when a hurricane strikes and when there is a Nor'easter? What about the other types of storms? (Gales, Tornadoes)

How many Gales or Tornadoes occurred in this historical time frame?

Why is this area common to these types of storms during this time period? Is the geographical location of this area a primary factor?

The data was retrieved from the website below from the National Weather Service.gov site

http://www.weather.gov/ilm/Top_20_Storms#1