Hurricanes/ Tsunamis
What is the name for the center of a hurricane where winds are calm?
What is the eye?
What is a flood?
What is An overflow of water onto normally dry land?
What is an earthquake?
What is a sudden shaking of the ground caused by movement along faults?
What is a tornado?
What is A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground?
What is an avalanche?
What is A rapid slide of snow down a slope?
Hurricanes form over which type of body of water?
What is the ocean?
Give one common cause of river flooding.
What is Heavy rain, snowmelt, dam failure, or storm surge can cause river flooding?
What do scientists call the point underground where an earthquake starts?
What is The focus or hypocenter?
Which type of weather system often produces tornadoes in the U.S.?
What is a Severe thunderstorms or supercells?
Avalanches are most likely to happen on what kind of slope: steep or flat?
What are Steep slopes?
Name one event that can cause a tsunami.
What is Undersea earthquakes, underwater landslides, volcanic eruptions, or meteor impacts?
Why is it dangerous to drive through floodwater?
What is Because water can be deeper and faster than it looks, it can sweep a car away or stall the engine?
What simple action should you take during the shaking of an earthquake if you are indoors?
What is Drop, Cover, and Hold On (take cover under sturdy furniture or against an interior wall, protect your head).
What is the name of the scale commonly used to rate tornado strength based on damage?
What is The Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale?
What is one sign that snow conditions might be dangerous for avalanches?
What is recent heavy snowfall, cracking sounds, recent smaller slides, or rapid temperature changes?
What instrument measures wind speed, which meteorologists use to track hurricane strength?
What is an Anemometer?
How can communities reduce flood damage? Name one structural method (like a building method) and one non-structural method (like a plan or rule).
What is levees, floodwalls, raised buildings; Non-structural: zoning, evacuation plans, early warning systems?
Explain the difference between the epicenter and the focus (hypocenter) of an earthquake in one clear sentence.
What is The focus (hypocenter) is the underground location where the quake starts; the epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above it.
Where is the safest place to go inside a building during a tornado?
What is the An interior room on the lowest floor (like a basement or interior hallway) away from windows?
Name two safety items people should carry when backcountry skiing in avalanche terrain.
What is Avalanche beacon (transceiver), probe, shovel; also airbag pack and helmet?
If you are on a beach and the water suddenly pulls back from the shore, what should you do?
What is Move quickly inland and to higher ground — do not wait?
Describe how heavy rain and urban areas with many paved surfaces can make flooding worse.
What is Paved surfaces prevent water from soaking into the ground, so rain runs off faster into drains and rivers, raising water levels more quickly?
Describe one way buildings can be built or improved to better withstand earthquake shaking
What is base isolation (building sits on bearings that absorb shaking), reinforced shear walls, cross-bracing, or flexible building materials that allow movement without collapsing?
Explain why mobile homes are especially dangerous during a tornado and what residents should do instead.
What is Mobile homes can be easily lifted or rolled by tornado winds; residents should go to a sturdy building or community shelter, or a low interior room on the lowest floor?
Briefly explain what causes a slab avalanche.
What is A slab avalanche happens when a cohesive layer of snow (a "slab") breaks away from weaker snow below, usually triggered by added weight or weakening bonds?