Natural Disasters
Types of Natural Disasters
■ Tornadoes
■ Hurricanes
■ Earthquakes
■ Floods
:
■ Winter Storms
■ Wildfires
■ Volcanoes
■ Tsunamis
Tornadoes
■ Rotating, funnel-shaped clouds from powerful thunderstorms
■ Winds up to 300 MPH capable of producing major damage
■ More occur in the United States than anywhere else in the world; they occur
in every state in America.
■ Related Websites:
National Geographic: Nature’s Fury
Stormchaser Video of Tornado
Tornado Preparation
:
■ Visitthis website for tornado safety tips for
home, school, outdoors, mobile homes, and
large buildings.
Ready for Tornadoes
■ What do you do to prepare for a tornado in a
school or house?
Effects of Tornadoes
:
Tuscaloosa County: December 16, 2000
Hurricanes
■ Massive severe storms occurring in the tropics
■ Winds greater than 75 MPH
■ Clouds & winds spin around the eye
■ Produce heavy rains, high winds, large waves, and spin-off
tornadoes
■ Related:
■ Hurricane Katrina Video
Hurricane Preparations
■ Visit
this website to learn more about
preparing for the effects of hurricanes and
:
tropical storms.
Hurricane Preparedness for Kids
■ What are the 7 things to do to prepare?
Effects of Hurricanes
Hurricane Frederick - 1979 Hurricane Ivan 2005
:
Earthquakes
■ Shaking caused by movements of plates in the
earth’s crust
■ Occur along faults – borders between two plates
■ Occur most often along the Ring of Fire
■ RelatedWebsites:
■ National Geographic: Earthquakes
■ Exploratorium Faultline Project
Preparing for Earthquakes
■ Visitthese sites to learn more about earthquakes.
Scroll down through the page to discover valuable
tips for earthquake safety.
■ Prepare for Earthquakes
:
Weather Wiz Kids: Earthquakes
Floods
■ Result from heavy rains
■ May involve rivers overflowing, storm surge/ocean
waves, & dams or levees breaking
■ Most common natural hazard
■ Flashfloods = floods that happen very fast
■ Related
websites:
Nova – Hot Science: The River’s Gift
Flood Preparations
:
■ Visitthis site to learn more about floods, and
scroll down to discover important flood safety
tips.
Weather Wiz Kids – Rain and Floods
Winter Storms
●A storm of snow, ice storms, sleet, freezing rain, and
extremely cold temperatures
○ Most deaths occur in automobiles
○ Storms may cause widespread power outages
● Related Websites:
National Weather Service: Winter Storms
Risk Watch: Severe Winter Storms
Scholastic – Winter Storms
:
Winter Storm Preparations
■ Visitthese sites for tips on how to prepare
for a winter storm.
Prepare for a
Winter Storm
Winter Storm Fact Sheet
Wildfires
■ Fire
that is burning out of control.
■ Occur in forests, grasslands, and wooded areas
■ Most common causes: lightning and human accidents
■ Burn more than 4 million acres in the U.S. each year
:
■ Related Websites:
■ Causes of Wildfires
Preparing for Wildfires
■ Visitthis site to learn important tips for
protecting your family and home during a
wildfire.
■ Related Website:
■ Ready for Wildfires
■ Ready for Wildfires Video
Volcanoes
:
■ An eruption of fire, gas, and ash from the Earth.
■ Pressure builds below the earth’s surface producing
eruptions of lava, rock, and volcanic gases
■ More than 500 active volcanoes in the world; over
half in the Ring of Fire
■
■ Related Websites:
■ What are volcanoes?
■ Volcano Information
Preparing for a Volcano
■ Visitthis site for safety tips before, during,
and after a volcano.
Weather Wiz Kids: Volcano Safety
:
Tsunamis
■ Large waves that are a result of earthquakes, volcanoes, or
landslides under the ocean
■ Waves grow taller as they reach the coast
■ Four out of Five occur in the Ring of Fire
■ Over 200,000 people killed in the 12/26/05 Indian
Ocean tsunami
■ Related Websites:
National Geographic Kids – Killer Wave!
Pacific Tsunami Museum – Student Corner
PBS – Savage Earth: Tsunamis
Tsunami Preparedness
■ Visit this website for important tips for
:
surviving a tsunami.
FEMA Hazards Fact Sheets: Tsunami
Effects of Tsunamis
Indian Ocean Tsunami – December 26, 2005
Assignment
:
■ Using what you have just learned, choose the natural
disaster that interests you the most.
■ Family Disaster Plan: Imagine that the disaster you
have chosen is about to strike your town. How would
your family prepare? Think about the preparations that
you could make to help protect your family. Write an
expository paragraph explaining the steps you would take
to prepare for the disaster.
■ Disaster Supply Kit: Think about the materials and
supplies that would help your family survive a natural
disaster. On your big paper, draw and label the contents of
a good disaster supply kit.
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