Transcript natural disasters

Natural Disasters
Jill Brookes
Saks Elementary
Calhoun County Schools – Technology Integration Project 2005
Types of Natural Disasters
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Tornadoes
Hurricanes
Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Floods
Tsunamis
Winter Storms
Wildfires
Tornadoes
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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:
FEMA for Kids
National Geographic: Nature’s Fury
Scholastic Weather Watch
National Geographic: Tornado Chasers
Tornado Preparation
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Visit this website for tornado safety
tips for home, school, outdoors, mobile
homes, and large buildings.
National Weather Service: Tornado!
Effects of Tornadoes in Alabama
Tuscaloosa County: December 16, 2000
Hurricanes
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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 Websites:
NOAA: Hurricanes
Tropical Twisters
National Geographic Kids – Hurricane!
BrainPop movie
Hurricane Preparations
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Visit this website to learn more about
preparing for the effects of hurricanes
and tropical storms.
Hurricane Preparedness for Kids
Effects of Alabama Hurricanes
Hurricane Frederick - 1979
Hurricane Ivan 2005
Earthquakes
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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
Related Websites:
National Geographic: Earthquakes
Exploratorium Faultline Project
USGS: Earthquakes for Kids
Preparing for Earthquakes
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Visit this site to learn more about
earthquakes. Scroll down through the page
to discover valuable tips for earthquake
safety.
Weather Wiz Kids: Earthquakes
Volcanoes
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More than 500 active volcanoes in the world; over
half in the Ring of Fire
Pressure builds below the earth’s surface
producing eruptions of lava, rock, and volcanic
gases
Related Websites:
National Geographic Kids – Volcano!
Build a Volcano Activity
Volcano World Virtual Field Trips
Preparing for a Volcano
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Visit this site for safety tips before,
during, and after a volcano.
Weather Wiz Kids: Volcano Safety
Floods
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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:
PBS: In Focus – Floods!
How TVA Stops Floods
Nova – Hot Science: The River’s Gift
Flood Preparations
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Visit this site to learn more about
floods, and scroll down to discover
important flood safety tips.
Weather Wiz Kids – Rain and Floods
Tsunamis
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Form as a result of earthquakes, volcanoes, or
landsides 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
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Visit this website for important tips for
surviving a tsunami.
FEMA Hazards Fact Sheets: Tsunami
Effects of Tsunamis
Indian Ocean Tsunami – December 26, 2005
Winter Storms
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May include 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
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Visit these sites for tips on how to
prepare for a winter storm.
CDC: Winter Storm Facts
Winter Storm Fact Sheet
Wildfires
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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:
Smokey Bear: Kids
National Geographic: Wildfires
Dialogue for Kids – Wildfire Facts
Preparing for Wildfires
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Visit this site to learn important tips
for protecting your family and home
during a wildfire.
Risk Watch: Wildfires
Assignment
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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.