CATASTROPHIC EVENTS FLOODING Flood overflow of water that

CATASTROPHIC EVENTS

FLOODING � Flood – overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry � Common Causes: � Long-lasting rainfall over a broad area � Locally intense thunderstormgenerated rainfall � Rapid melting of large snowpack with or without accompanying rainfall � Flash floods occur within 6 hours whereas “normal” floods take a longer time frame to accumulate water.

WORST TEXAS FLOOD � The Hurricane of 1900 in Galveston, TX (Hurr. - 4) was the worst natural disaster in American History. It killed nearly 8, 00012, 000 people, mainly due to storm surge (15 ft) from the hurricane. � For comparison: Hurricane Katrina killed around 1, 800 people. �A storm surge is flooding caused by hurricane winds pushing the ocean’s water to land

FLOODING VIDEOS- SHOWS HOW FAST THEY CAN COME � http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=cx. AUo. XT Ut. S 8 – Australia clip � http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=ceym 2 c 18 OQM – Tsunami flooding – Japan 2011

TSUNAMI q A series of waves caused by earthquakes or undersea volcanic eruptions q Record Tsunami: 1720 feet occurred in Lituya Bay, Alaska. On the night of July 9, 1958, an earthquake along the Fairweather Fault in the Alaska Panhandle loosened about 40 million cubic yards of rock high above the northeastern shore of Lituya Bay.

TORNADOES � Tornado –a localized, violently destructive windstorm occurring over land, especially in the Mid. West U. S. They normally have a long, funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground. Tornado from April 3, 2012 in Fort Worth.

TORNADOES Tornado from April 3, 2012 in Fort Worth. HOW: - When warm, moist air rises and meets cooler, drier air, a strong front develops. Strong winds from the jet stream push the horizontal cylindrical vortex down, making it vertical. When it touches the ground, a tornado has formed.

TORNADOES - Tornado strength is measured by the Enhanced Fujita Scale (FScale) - About 1, 000 tornadoes a year form in the U. S. - 2% (or 20) become F 4 and F 5

WORST TORNADO IN U. S. HISTORY The “Tri-State Tornado” On March 18, 1925, this tornado formed around 1: 00 pm and stayed touching down for 3. 5 hours! It set records for both path (219 miles) and speed across land (73 mph) with wind speeds in excess of 300 mph. Close to 1 mile-wide path width. 695 people died, a record for 1

TORNADO VIDEOS http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=x. PTXqz. MVF UA (2 min) http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=vwx. KFHZig Rw (2 min)

HURRICANES � hurricane – forms when a giant, spinning rain & windstorm forms over warm ocean water reaches at least 74 mph.

HURRICANES � As warm water evaporates, the warm, moist air rises. At the same time, cooler, drier air fills in below. As this builds strength and rotates you first get a tropical depression (40 mph), and then a hurricane when winds

HURRICANES: WHERE? � Hurricanes most frequently form in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. � Hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere rotate counterclockwis e. � Hurricanes in the Southern Hemisphere rotate clockwise

HURRICANES: DAMAGE/DURATION � The Saffir. Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is used to categorize hurricane strength. http: //www. nhc. noaa. gov /aboutsshws. php -animated wind speed

HURRICANES: DAMAGE/DURATION Hurricanes can usually last a couple of weeks. The longest recorded hurricane lasted 31 days in 1994! � The deadliest hurricane was in 1970, in Bangladesh, killing 300, 000 people. � Hurricane Katrina was 3 rd in number of deaths, killing about 1, 800 people and was, by far, the most expensive costing $105. 8 billion. �

VIDEO OF HURRICANES � http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=LL- bp. KCZgd. M – Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey 2012 (2 min) � http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=- Ju. QDs. DJZ-I – Hurricane Wilma 10 -24 -2005 (3 min)

EARTHQUAKES � An earthquake is a sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movement in the Earth’s crust. HOW: When the Earth’s tectonic plates collide or slide against each other, a large amount of energy is released from built up pressure or friction.

EARTHQUAKES WHERE: - 80% of earthquakes on Earth occur on the rim of the Pacific Ocean, called the “Ring of Fire”. - Most earthquakes occur near fault lines (where tectonic plates meet)

EARTHQUAKES: DAMAGE/DURATION � Scientists assign a magnitude to earthquakes based on the strength and duration of their seismic waves. � � 3 to 5 = minor or light 5 to 7 = moderate to strong 7 to 8 = major 8 or higher = great -There an estimated 1. 3 million very minor earthquakes a year that people will most likely not even notice. -On average, there is only 1 earthquake that is 8 or higher per year. -They kill around 10, 000 people per year. (usually from building

WORST OF THE WORST in U. S. history: - 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska – Magnitude 9. 2 - The ground rose about 12 ft. in some areas. WORST in history: - Chile, 1960 – Magnitude 9. 5 1, 665 deaths Also triggered a tsunami that hit Hawaii, Japan, & the Phillipines

VOLCANOES Volcano- opening/vent in the earth's crust through which lava, volcanic ash, & gases escape

LANDSLIDE � Gravity causes rock, soil, artificial fill or a combination of the three to slide down a slope. How: Several things can trigger landslides, including the slow weathering of rocks as well as soil erosion, earthquakes and volcanic activity.