Tropical Storms form over warm ocean waters between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn when sea temperatures exceed 27°C. On average, 84 tropical storms form worldwide each year, most occurring in the North Pacific Ocean. Tropical Storm Floyd formed in September 1999 and struck North Carolina as a Category 4 hurricane with winds up to 250 km/h, dropping over 500mm of rain. Floyd caused extensive flooding and over $5 billion in damage, killing 57 people across several eastern U.S. states and The Bahamas. The storm surge and freshwater runoff from Floyd disrupted marine ecosystems in North Carolina.

1. Tropical Storms And how they form

4. Click back Hurricane forming in the Atlantic ocean

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9. Hurricane Floyd MEDC Case study

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16. This map shows the flooded areas in the east of America along the coast Click to next page

17. This is a map showing the amount of rain that fell. It shows that most rain fell near the coast of east America, between 5 and 20 inches Click to next page

18. This image shows the formation of the hurricane and how big it was on a computer simulation program Click to next page

19. Aftermath Criticism of FEMA Flooding in Greenville, North Carolina on the Tar River The Hurricane Floyd disaster was followed by what many judged to be a very slow federal response. Fully three weeks after the storm hit, Jesse Jackson complained to FEMA Director James Lee Witt on his CNN program Both Sides Now , "It seemed there was preparation for Hurricane Floyd, but then came Flood Floyd. Bridges are overwhelmed, levees are overwhelmed, whole towns under water ... [it's] an awesome scene of tragedy. So there's a great misery index in North Carolina." Witt responded, "We're starting to move the camper trailers in. It's been so wet it's been difficult to get things in there, but now it's going to be moving very quickly. And I think you're going to see a — I think the people there will see a big difference [within] this next weekend!" Click to link Click to next page

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21. Ecological effects Runoff in the aftermath of the hurricane Runoff from the hurricane created significant problems for the ecology of North Carolina's rivers and sounds. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, freshwater runoff, sediment, and decomposing organic matter caused salinity and oxygen levels in Pamlico Sound and its tributary rivers to drop to nearly zero. This raised fears of massive fish and shrimp kills, as had happened after Hurricane Fran and Hurricane Bonnie , and the state government responded quickly to provide financial aid to fishing and shrimping industries. Strangely, however, the year's shrimp and crab harvests were extremely prosperous; one possible explanation is that runoff from Hurricane Dennis caused marine animals to begin migrating to saltier waters, so they were less vulnerable to Floyd's ill effects. Pollution from runoff was also a significant fear. Numerous pesticides were found in low but measurable quantities in the river waters, particularly in the Neuse River . Overall, however, the concentration of contaminants was slightly lower than had been measured in Hurricane Fran , likely because Floyd simply dropped more water to dilute them. Click to link Click to next page

22. Ecological effects This is where the tributaries had dried up This is where the sea has been polluted causing marine life to migrate Click back

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24. Death toll by area State/country Deaths The Bahamas =1 North Carolina =35 Virginia =3 Delaware =2 Pennsylvania =6 New Jersey =6 New York =2 Connecticut =1 Vermont =1 Total 57 Click to next page Click to link

25. 1 2 35 3 6 2 6 1 1 Click back This is a map to show the locations of deaths caused by the hurricane This clearly shows me that most deaths occur near the east coast

27. By Winona Harrod