Orengo 1 Informative Writing: Color-Coding Activity Identify each informative component with the appropriate color. Hook Purple Thesis statement in Orange Topic Sentence Reason 1, 2, and 3 in Red E

Orengo 1

Informative Writing: Color-Coding Activity

Identify each informative component with the appropriate color. 

Hook Purple

Thesis statement in Orange

Topic Sentence Reason 1, 2, and 3 in Red

Evidence in Green

Elaborations in Blue

Closing Sentence Yellow

“Breaking news! Hurricane Jackson, which is currently at a category five, is scheduled to hit Northern Texas on Friday night. Please prepare accordingly, and tune in tomorrow on Channel 20 News.” The Hamilton family turned off the television, and frantically rushed to their local hardware store to purchase much needed supplies. On their way back, the Hamilton family noticed a raging thunderstorm in the distance, with a cone-like figure rapidly spinning from the sky. All of a sudden, the family’s car began to shake uncontrollably and was lifted into the deadly twister of doom. Based on this scenario, readers may visualize the destruction that natural disasters can inflict upon the lives of citizens across the nation. Hurricanes and tornadoes are natural disasters that have catastrophic effects on the environment.  

​Hurricanes are one of the most powerful forces in nature. According to the informational article, “Basic Facts aboutHurricanes,” by Eve Perry, hurricanes form over warm tropical ocean waters and can have wind speeds of over 155 miles per hour. For instance, if a hurricane were to strike Miami Beach, it would obliterate everything in its path leaving nothing left standing. As a result, the damage caused by a hurricane can increase the nation’s debt since government organizations like FEMA would have to financially assist those affected by the storm. Furthermore, the previously mentioned informational article declares that the winds from hurricanes can create a storm surge which can cause flooding in an area. This goes to show that many families may become homeless since the flooding from a storm surge has washed away their homes. Unfortunately, homeless families affected by hurricanes will be forced to reside in uncomfortable shelters, or in worse cases, the street. Thus, the destructive capability of hurricanes can leave detrimental resultsto impacted areas. 

​On the other hand, tornadoes are funnel-shaped winds that spiral at a rapid rate from the sky, and make contact with land. Based on the map, “Hurricanes and Tornadoes in the U.S.,”tornadoes are extremely unpredictable and occur more frequently in comparison to hurricanes. This means that residents who live in high-risk areas will never truly be prepared for a possible tornado due to predictability issues; this leaves thecitizens of these areas to live in terror, and also prevents them from living a calm and happy life. Moreover, the same informational article points out that, “Most tornadoes are only a few hundred feet across, with winds reaching one hundred miles an hour.” This illustrates that although hurricanes and tornadoes have high wind speeds, tornadoes cause less damage since they are smaller in size. Nonetheless, this whirlpool of wind still has the power to annihilate people, their homes, and their loved ones. Consequently, tornadoes are natural disasters with rapidly spinning winds that are capable of destroying land and everything on it. 

​Although very different, hurricanes and tornadoes are more alike than people think. The informational articles, “What You Should Know about Tornadoes,” by Sheldon Hammond, in addition to, “Basic Facts about Hurricanes,” by Eve Perry, indicate that hurricanes and tornadoes are cyclonic and the rotation of their winds are based on the hemisphere in which they are located in. This reveals that winds from these storms spin towards their center. Not only are they cyclonic, but their winds rotate counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere, and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. To add on, the aforementioned informational articles propose that hurricanes and tornadoes kill relatively few people. Simply stated, despitethe low number of casualties, the fact remains that individuals are put into life or death situations when they are in direct contact with one of these deadly storms. Hence, readers are able to recognize the numerous similarities between hurricanes and tornadoes. 

​One can deduce from the facts that these natural disasters can have a damaging impact on various parts of the world. Hurricanes form over warm tropical ocean waters, while tornadoes are spinning columns of air that extend from the sky to the land. Although they have several differences, hurricanes and tornadoes have similar wind patterns that can cause destruction throughout multiple areas. All in all, these are some of the many similarities and differences of hurricanes and tornadoes.