NBC晚间新闻 海燕风力强于卡特琳娜飓风

Typhoon’s winds stronger than Hurricane Katrina

海燕风力强于卡特琳娜飓风

Typhoon Haiyan may be among the biggest ever recorded, peaking at more than 200 mph with a 20-foot storm surge. NBC’s Tom Costello reports.

台风海燕可能是有记录的最大台风之一，最高风速超过200英里每小时，最高风暴潮达到20英尺。NBC的Tom Costello报道。

The Philippines is extremely vulnerable to storms like this. The Island sits in the midst of the warm tropical waters of the pacific that feed the storms along the track. This is the fourth typhoon to hit this year. In the same region devastated¹ by an earthquake just last month. Tonight NBC's Tom Costello takes a look inside this storm including how it compares to some of the strongest storms we have seen here in the US.

reporter: There were no hurricane hunter aircraft inside typhoon Haiyan, but meteorologists believe it was among the biggest ever recorded. 370 miles across with winds peaking well over 200 miles per hour and a 20-foot storm surge. Hurricane rankings, a category five.

Typhoon is the word that used for hurricanes in the western pacific. There is no difference in the system. Typhoons tend to get bigger and stronger because there is more warm water to maneuver² in before they run into land.

reporter: This super typhoon so devastating³ because it reached peak wind strength right before hitting land. By comparison with hurricane Katrina and Wilma in 2005 had peak winds of 175 miles per hour. These are 40 miles per hour winds. At the University of Maryland's wind tunnel researchers strapped⁴ me in to experience storm force winds. 74 miles per hour winds now. This could be at category one storm. From 74 to 96. Standing⁵ up is virtually impossible. Then 115 miles, a fraction of the 195 winds in the Philippines. This is an incredibly painful experience. To get blown and buffeted⁶ by that's winds. As we saw the insurance industry's testing center homes built to code in the US start coming apart at 100 m/h. In Florida where building codes are strongest most can with stand winds up to 140. While scientists can't say whether climate change contributed to this particular typhoon, they believe global warming is making storms stronger.

We expect that as we go into the future, the number of hurricanes doesn't necessarily increase but the category fours and fives will increase.

reporter: And experts caution that nothing can stand up to a category five. Tom Costello, NBC News College Park, Maryland.

1 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

2 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 buffeted   

反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去

参考例句：

• to be buffeted by the wind 被风吹得左右摇摆
• We were buffeted by the wind and the rain. 我们遭到风雨的袭击。