Catastrophic Events

WILDFIRE

WILDFIRE Main Features: huge, out of control fire that can spread slowly (by burning material along forest floor) and rapidly (by wind causing it to jump along the tops of trees) How it forms: Drought conditions, wind, high temperatures, and low humidity help a wildfire spread. Lightning strikes cause one out of every five wildfires; often caused by careless campfires, cigarettes and arsonists Most likely to occur: in drought conditions with wind, high temperatures and low humidity Describe the impact: can be positive and negative; fire helps maintain balance in an ecosystem as long as they are properly managed and controlled; wildfires affect air quality, water quality, soil composition, vegetation, and wildlife

HURRICANE

Hurricane Main Features: torrential rains, high winds, storm surge How it forms: develops over the ocean, begins as a tropical storm then grows into a hurricane; moist, warm air rises and cools forming clouds, this combines with upward motion of warm air causing a spin. Most likely to occur: Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico Describe the impact this event may have on : Most deaths occur due to flooding from hurricanes; impacts land along the gulf coast; Can uproot trees, destroy animal life, destroy habitats, and completely wipe out vegetation

DROUGHT

DROUGHT Main Features: unusually long period of dry weather that lasts long enough to cause water supply shortages How it forms: it is the lack of rain for a long period of time Most likely to occur: can occur anywhere Describe the impact: High to Severe drought causes water supplies to not be restored, which causes plants and crops to not grow, livestock to die, an increase in forest fires, energy production and water shortages.

VOLCANO

VOLCANO Main Features: vent in earth that allows magma to escape to the surface by eruption How it forms: pressure from gases with the magma become too strong, which causes the volcano to erupt Most likely to occur: where tectonic plates are converging/colliding Describe the impact: Hazards include searing hot, poisonous gases and lava, landslides, mudflows, earthquakes, increased fire hazard, explosions, rockslides, flash flooding and tsunamis. This can affect breathing, contaminate water supplies, destroy plants, and destroy the habitats for mammals and insects. Benefits: soil becomes very rich, so the chance of plant life returning is high

TORNADO

TORNADO Main Features: violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground; wind speeds can reach up to 250 mph or more. How it forms: warm, moist air combines with cold, dry air to form massive thunderstorms Most likely to occur: In the winter and early Spring in front of cold fronts, to the right and in front of a hurricane as it hits land Describe the impact: high winds and hail cause the most damage; can destroy buildings, kill animals and humans, uproot trees, and loss of vegetation can contribute to soil erosion.

EARTHQUAKE

EARTHQUAKE Main Features: vibration of the Earth’s surface that occurs after a release of energy in the crust How it forms: the release of energy is caused by a volcanic eruption or movement of segments of the crust, tectonic plates shifts Most likely to occur: after a volcanic eruption or shifts in the tectonic plates Describe the impact: can open large cracks in the ground, causing standing bodies of water to disappear. Can also cause land on either side to raise, lower, move away or toward each other. Damage to the environment: landslides, avalanches, fires, tsunamis can occur Main impact to humans: property damage and loss of life

TSUNAMI

TSUNAMI Main Features: series of waves that can travel between 450-600 mph in the open ocean; as it approaches the coast, it gets slower and taller How it forms: produces by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, meteorite impact, or underwater landslides Most likely to occur: can occur any season, any time Describe the impact: drowning, flooding, contamination of drinking water, loss of habitat or human homes, fires

FLOODS

FLOODS Main Features: overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry How it forms: caused by intense or long term rain from thunderstorms, hurricane storm surges, or melting snow and ice Most likely to occur: Anytime Describe the impact: The more concrete and asphalt that is built, the less soil that is available to soak in the water. This causes runoff to become more and flooding to occur sooner; floods can cause loss of life, disease, property loss or damage, contamination of drinking water, and destruction of crops and livestock