Storms can cause widespread damage to both life and property, so when the location of a storm is identified, is there a way to strike at the storm’s eye to stop or destroy it?
Storms can devastate large areas, causing significant loss of life and property in many countries. Therefore, many people around the world wonder if it is possible to strike at the storm’s eye to destroy it.
Previously, there was information that former U.S. President Donald Trump suggested using atomic bombs on storms to prevent them, according to Axios. Later, Trump denied making this suggestion.
Mr. Dennis Feltgen from the National Hurricane Center stated that he receives numerous emails with such questions, especially during hurricane season.
Super Typhoon Yagi uproots trees as it makes landfall on Hainan Island (China). (Photo: Luo Yunfei/ China News Service/ VCG via Getty Images).
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the U.S. responded to this issue on CNN, stating that those who suggest attacking a storm’s eye share a common trait: They do not accurately assess the scale and power of a storm, even a regular storm, let alone a hurricane or super typhoon.
Specifically, according to The Washington Post, the latent heat generated by a storm is an incredible amount of energy, or as Dennis Feltgen put it, “immensely large from a human experience perspective.” The latent heat is released when warm air rises, cools, and condenses into water droplets or ice crystals.
According to NOAA, at any moment, the power of a Category 5 hurricane (sustained winds of 157 mph or higher) is equivalent to a nuclear warhead. Therefore, using any type of weapon to attack a storm is akin to throwing eggs against rocks.
Typhoon No. 3 (Yagi) has caused significant damage to both life and property in our country. (Photo: Hoàng Mạnh Thắng/ TPO).
Thus, using nuclear bombs to attack a storm would not only fail to affect the storm but would also create a radioactive storm. All the rain that falls would be contaminated with radiation, and floodwaters would be the same. Not to mention the radiation in the seawater. In such a case, people would not only need to avoid heavy rain and strong winds but also find ways to avoid radioactive dust. Radioactive dust could be blown away by the wind, affecting an enormous area. This would lead to an environmental disaster, according to NOAA.
In summary, currently, no country utilizes any type of weapon to attack a storm, not necessarily due to a lack of means, but because doing so is ineffective and creates even more complications.
