Extreme Weather

EXTREME WEATHER

May 2013

Authors & Editors: Anna Vandrunen & Brittney Arsenault

Table of Contents EXTREME WEATHER

BLIZZARDS & LAKE EFFECT SNOW

This is on page 2. It tells the reader about some extreme weather.

This article is on page 3. This article tells the reader what is a blizzard and lake effect snow, then some of the effects of these weather conditions.

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HURRICANES This article is on page 5. This article tells the reader what a hurricane is, some facts, and how to prepare for one and after a hurricane.

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

This letter is on page 7. This letter tells the reader why it is important to learn about these extreme weather topics.

May 2013

Editors: Anna VanDrunen & Brittney Arsenault

EXTREME WEATHER Have you ever learned about extreme weather?

EXTREME WEATHER IN THE UNITED STATES....

Imagine you are in your Thunderstorms affect house watching your favorite T.V. show. Suddenly you hear a boom and then a news forecast giving a flood warning in your area. Your T.V. goes

relatively small areas when compared with hurricanes and winter storms. The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average

black... and all there is flash with heart stopping, boom after it. The sound of rain hits your house like tiny bullets.

If you have

of 30 minutes. Nearly 1,800 thunderstorms are occurring at any moment around the world. That’s 16 million a year!

Every thunderstorm produces

experienced this you have been in a thunderstorm.

Thunderstorms are storms with thunder and lightning and typically heavy rain or hail.

lightning, which kills more people each year than tornadoes. Heavy rain from thunderstorms can lead to flash flooding.

This article continues on page 3.

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This is a picture of hurricane Katrina.

Extreme Weather Strong winds, hail, and

tornadoes are also dangers associated with some thunderstorms. Although tornadoes occur in many parts of the world, they are found most frequently in the United States and can happen at anytime of the year. In an average year, 1,200 tornadoes cause 60-65 fatalities and 1,500 injuries nationwide. Our most recent tornado was hit in Moore, Oklahoma on May 20, 2013. A tornado is a violently spinning column of air in contact with both a cumiliform cloud base and the surface. A tornado is typically shaped like a funnel with the narrow end towards the ground. Tornadoes are known for being extremely destructive and are usually visible due to water vapor from clouds and debris from the ground.

Hurricanes relate to tornados by their destruction to human lives and their homes.

There is nothing like them in the atmosphere. Born in warm tropical waters, these swirling masses require a complex combination of atmospheric processes to grow, mature, and

then die. Today, hurricane damage costs billions of dollars.

The damage from Hurricane Andrew (in 1992) alone was estimated at more than $25 billion in South Florida and Louisiana. It would have cost more if the storm had hit Miami directly. Hurricanes also cause a lot of flooding. A flood is an overflow of water, or an expanse of water submerging land. If flooding happens you should avoid driving, walking, or swimming in flood waters.

Floods can occur anytime of the year but are more common in the spring.

Those were just types of weather. Weather is what is happening today not to be confused with climate which is the weather averaged over a long period of time. Weather is affected by the sun, atmosphere, and oceans. How you may ask? Well lets start with oceans; the sun heats the oceans causing evaporation that condenses to form clouds in result we get rain or snow. We think of the sun as the main factor in our daily weather. If it's a sunny day, it'll probably be hot and if it's cloudy we're in for a chilly day. The ocean, however, also plays a major role in the Earth's climate and weather. It

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does this by pulling the sun's energy along certain paths. For example, the climate on the West Coast of America (where California is) is usually pretty mild, since the winds are warmed up by the Pacific Ocean.

The ocean is able to absorb and store heat that it gets from the sun. The water from the ocean can also affect the temperature of the atmosphere and its circulation all over the world. As a matter of fact, the upper 10 feet (3 meters) of the ocean hold the same amount of heat as is in the entire atmosphere. Water from the ocean is also the source of most of the water in the rain cycle.

We hope you enjoy the rest of our magazine. In the next articles we explain some different types of extreme weather in more depth.

BLIZZARDS &

May 2013

Lake effect snow

Author:Anna

 VanDrunen

What are they? Whats the cause and effect of them? Are you in a safe state? What can you do?and more!

Does the news of heavy snow sound like a chance for fun? Think again .

An inside look on Blizzards:

My mother was in her 30s when she experienced her first Blizzard. My father was at work, and my brother and I were not born yet. Sudden black hits the house. My mother describes my sisters ear bleeding shirk when the power goes out. She defines the predicament to my sister (she was four). She called my dad and my grandma to see if they were ok.

She said she could not even look out her window. There snow stuck on the window from the blizzard. A blizzard is a killer snowstorm of cold, icy weather with high winds and low visibility.

Moisture is needed to form clouds and precipitation. Warm, rising air is needed to form clouds and cause the precipitation. To prepare for a blizzard you can Natural hazards such as high winds blowing the snow makes it very difficult to see things therefore if someone is driving it is unlikely that they

can see which they need to safely drive.

Many sicknesses form from the cold weather like breathing difficulty, hypothermia and frostbite not to mention the killer head cold. Many humans’ homes can be affected too, because of the amount of snow that could possibly collapse their roof or power lines near them. Also the cold temperatures could freeze their pipes. The destruction of land, possibly crops, will make it more expensive to shop and get food. Some places where blizzards are most common are near the northern Mississippi Basin, in the central part of Canada. They are also near the eastern and north-eastern part of the United States. Some blizzards can occur in the Central Great Plains. Blizzards happen in the winter when it hits below freezing.

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A blizzard is a killer snowstorm of cold, icy weather with high winds and low visibility

The rest of Blizzards and Lake Effect.....

A winter storm watch is a condition that favors the occurrence of a certain type of hazardous weather and may be forecast 12-36 hours in advance.

A winter storm warning, Indicates that a hazardous event is occurring or is imminent in 30 minutes to an hour. You can track your local blizzard if there is one coming near you by listening to your radio or on T.V (on a weather channel). Emergency Alert System (EAS) sends messages that automatically trigger the Tone Alert AllHazard radio when a blizzard may occur, sending important public safety information to people when they are home, at work, or in school. Blizzards could last from overnight to a week or month. The amount of snow depends on how long and how hard the snow is falling for. Sometimes the snow can be taller than you.

Develop a family plan specifically for winter storms, additional items should include warm winter clothing, waterproof shoes, and extra blankets • TAKE A CPR AND FIRST AID COURSE • Stay indoors and dress warmly

Bibliography for Blizzards and Lake Effect:

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Listen to radio or TV for updates Eat regularly and drink plenty of fluids Conserve fuel Cover you mouth to protect your lungs from bitterly cold air Keep dry

Look how deep that is!!

After my mom got one with telling us about blizzards

a storm that is lower than the pressure of the area surrounding the storm. snow. During the first week of January The storm was caused 2012, we had our first Lake effect when an extremely cold air mass goes storm. It was located in upper over a warmer, lake (a large body of Michigan. The storm lasted water). As the cold air mass moves continuously for 12 hours. We found across the lake an intense evaporation happens (water is evaporating from the out about the storm a few days in lake). This causes convective clouds to advance because the meteorologist form which will fill up with water from tracked it with a weather balloon, and the lake. Then the clouds release the weather radar.

The storm was a lot different water back to the ground/lake causing from the average snow storm because, snow.

After she finally stopped it produced a large amount of snow, it didn’t stop until it was completely over, talking it was time to go to bed. After I fell asleep I started to dream about and it wasn’t a low pressure storm.

Low pressure is the air pressure during being in a bad blizzard. she started to tell us about lake effect

• http://www.chiff.com/a/ blizzard-tips.htm • http://www.eo.ucar.edu/ kids/dangerwx/ blizzard1.htm

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• http:// geol105naturalhazards.voic es.wooster.edu/blizzardeffects/ • http:// www.weatherquestions.co m/What_is_convection.htm

May 2013

HURRICANES

Author: Brittney Arsenault

This is the eye of a hurricane

LIVING DURING A HURRICANE...

Have you ever wonder how people survive through a hurricane...

It was late afternoon, half past 12, on October 25, 2012. I was sitting on the wet, and soggy porch. I looked over to the southeast shore line, as I look something was coming closer.

As the large gust of wind came closer the storms got stronger and the rain rushed on the house. The gust of wind was surrounded with thunderstorms and lightning. As the storm came closer the waves crashed harder on the sides of the barricades. I thought about what I saw, the only storm it could be is a hurricane. They are created when the ocean water is warmer than 80˚F. Then the water is evaporated, until massive amounts of hot moist air are mixed together high in the atmosphere, as the moist air turn clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere and in the Northern Hemisphere they spin counterclockwise around the eye. The eye is the center of the hurricane. As this is happening the hurricane is forming and after it gets enough power it will start to come towards land. Also they have to form near to the equator, because they need warm, moist air over an ocean to

fuel them. Hurricanes are also a low pressure storm. A low pressure storm is when the air pressure in the storm is lower than the surrounding the storm.

As the storm came closer my heart started to pound harder and harder, I thought to myself I need to get out of here. I ran in my house I grabbed some valuable items like photos of people close to my heart. I also grabbed some can foods and big gallons of water just in case I was trapped in my storm shelter for a few days. This is a list of other objects I brought: • rain boots • flashlight • batteries • radio • extra clothes • cell phone • money • photo ID • first aid kit • sleeping bag • pillow • Prescription medications • socks • bible This article continues on page 7.

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This picture above is some damage that hurricanes cause: streets flooding.

What Happens Now?

section, many trees ripped out of the ground, house frames destroyed, As I was getting everything I need, I roofs and decks ripped apart, was thinking about what happens if I buildings without electricity and running water for days, etc. The past during the storm, and how I diameter was 1,100 miles wide! Here would me miss by my friends and family. I wrote them a little letter are some of the damages from this explaining everything I’m doing. huge storm were: I looked outside to the ocean flooding streets where the hurricane was coming from, • flooding tunnels and subways line and it was right in my front yard! I ran •homes without power to my storm shelter and held my •homes destroyed breath. I almost past out because I •the estimated $71 billion (US) damage forgot to let my breath go. As the cost After I finished cleaning up, hurricane went over my storm shelter, my neighbor told me that we are I heard the nails and pieces of siding ripping of my house. I was very glad I almost done with hurricane season. wasn’t in that house. Then I started to Hurricane season is for late summer think about people in my community (June 1st) to late fall (November 30th). who don’t have a storm shelter, I started to pray for them, in hopes that I was extremely happy when my neighbor told me. My neighbor is an they will be fine.

The hurricane lasted about a elderly woman and after she told me I start to jump with enjoyment, I almost two days. As I was walking out of the storm shelter the damage and feelings, gave her a heart attack.

To help my community, were almost too bearable to look at some of my neighbors and family and think about. I thought about all the members went all over the town to people who passed during the storm help pick up after the hurricane. We too. loaded trunks filled with scrap metal to There was rubble all over, I the junkyard to raise money for the could barely walk without trip over people who lost everything and didn’t siding, lubber, tree, steel, etc. After I cleaned up a little bit, I got some news have any money for food, a place to about the storm. The hurricane’s name stay, etc.

I think this hurricane has was Sandy. There was a total of 72 made our community stronger, we all direct deaths. This hurricane was the most worst hurricane to hit the United are grateful for what we have and not States since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. for what we don’t have. The next time this happens our community will be Sandy was a category 3 out of 5. A ready. category 3 is apart of the major

HURRICANES NAMES FOR 2013 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Andrea Barry Chantal Dorian Erin Fernand Gabrielle Humberto Ingrid Jerry Karen Lorenzo Melissa Nestor Olga Pablo Rebekah Sebastien Tanya Van

They pick the Hurricane names years in advance, every six years they use the same as the six years before. If a hurricane is very bad, or large they take that name out of the list.

Some of hurricane Sandy’s damage

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EXTREME STORMS

A Letter from the Editors: Dear reader, We appreciate your time to read and look at this months’ magazine, Extreme Weather. This magazine has a few articles that explain some dangerous storms, and what goes on during them. We feel that everyone should know the dangers of these storms and the places where they happen.

During our research we found out that Hurricane Sandy was a category 3 and Blizzards could last for a week or longer!

Some reasons why weather is an important topic to learn about, is that it can be very dangerous. Also you need to know if extreme storms happens in your region so that you can know if you can afford the expenses if damages anything. If you enjoyed this months’ magazine you can order our new magazine Killer Ice Storms.

This is an image of hurricane damage.

Some cool pictures of blizzards, lake effect snow, and hurricanes.

Bibliography for Hurricanes: • • • • • • •

"2013 Hurricane Names." About.com Miami. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2013.

"How Do Hurricanes Form?" :: NASA's The Space Place. N.p., n.d.

Web. 17 May 2013.

"Hurricane Sandy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 May 2013.

Web. 22 May 2013.

"Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale." Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Web. 20 May 2013.

"Tropical Cyclone." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 May 2013.

"Weather Wiz Kids Weather Information for Kids." Weather Wiz Kids Weather Information for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2013.

Wind Scale. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2013.

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