Tropical cyclones form over the warm waters near the equator. Depending on where they are formed, they are called differently, like if it is made in the Atlantic or east Pacific Ocean, then it is referred to as a hurricane. Tropical cyclones need warm and moist air to be kept alive, and Texas is perfect for that because of it’s humid climate.

All tropical cyclones are harmful, but some are more harmful than others, depending on how fast they are going. Using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, you can categorize the hurricanes by the mph. All of the categories are pretty major, except for Category 2. Hurricane Harvey is a Category 3 which means that it went up to about 111-129 mph. Hurricane Harvey broke the 12 years of not having any major hurricanes in the U.S. since Hurricane Wilma. Hurricane Wilma was a Category 5 and resulted in 62 deaths. Hurricane Harvey has surpassed that amount with at least 63 confirmed fatalities.

Many cities in Texas and some in Louisiana have been struck with destruction. The Houston area in particular is suffering a lot. An elevated street was flooded about 3-4 feet, and although the water eventually went away, most of Houston was still underwater. A lot of people are helping to rescue people and animals. People started taking boats out to see if there was somebody in need.

Shots and videos of people helping each other can be seen on TV, and even Sauli Niinistö, the leader of Finland, has said,”It has been touching to watch the TV and see how people help each other. That is what we basically are built of — helping each other.” This proves that although we may have our differences, we are all still Americans.