PARTS OF A HURRICANE
EYE- In the middle of the violent winds of a hurricane, there is a clear calm area called the eye. Within the eye, the winds are light and skies are clear, like a regular sunny day. The eye is not a completely safe place. Just when you think it is safe to go outside, WATCH OUT , within several minutes, the backside of the storm will strike with more fury than the front of the storm. The eye averages 15 miles across.
EYE WALL- Around the eye is the dangerous eye-wall. It is a broken bank of thunderstorms averaging 5-30 miles in width . The eye-wall has the most damaging winds and gives the heaviest rainfall of the hurricane. As the eye wall passes over land, the storm surge is brought ashore, flooding everything in its path.
RAIN BANDS-Another part of this storm is a series of dense clouds and heavy rain squalls. These violent spirals are called rain bands. These long strips of heavy rain and winds spiral toward the eye. The rain bands are what you see in satellite photos.
OUTFLOW SHIELD- As the warm air rises it must eventually reach the top. The air goes spirally out of the top and is carried away by high altitude winds. This outflowing air creates a roof of clouds called the outflow shield.