Which natural disaster is most likely to affect your town and how would you survive it?

Turn and talk to your neighbor about your ideas. Use the information on the next slide to guide your conversation. You have 2 minutes.

Weather patterns: storms, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes Other climatic conditions: droughts, forest fires, avalanches and landslides Changes in the earth's crust: volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunami or tidal waves Natural disasters can arise from:

A tornado is one of the most likely natural disasters to affect our part of the country. A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air driven by energy in the atmosphere. Tornadoes usually occur inside intense thunderstorms.

How do we know when a tornado is coming? Scientists, known as meteorologists, study weather patterns using satellites and computers to determine which thunderstorms are strong enough to produce tornadoes and to warn us when one is close to our area. You may have seen News Channel 4’s Doppler radar on Interstate 85 going towards Greenville. This is part of their meteorologists’ technology that track storms that might produce a tornado.

This is an example of Doppler Radar used for tracking storms. This is an example of a Doppler radar report that comes back to the meteorologists to show us exactly where storms are located.

What do you do when weather is severe enough for a tornado? Turn and talk to a neighbor to share ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: watches and warnings basements center of the house stay away from windows and doors what to do if you are outside

How do tornadoes change the land? Turn and talk to a neighbor about your ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: destruction to buildings destruction to trees destruction of habitats

What would it be like if you were in a tornado? Turn and talk to neighbor to share your ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: a roaring similar to a freight train powerful winds lightening hail rain uprooting trees home destruction alarms breaking glass debris

Earthquakes

Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth’s surface. Earthquakes happen along "fault lines" in the earth’s crust. Earthquakes can be felt over large areas although they usually last less than one minute. Earthquakes cannot be predicted -- although scientists are working on it!

How do scientists measure earthquakes? Scientists, known as seismologists, use a device known as a seismograph to measure the movement of the earth. The seismograph measures vibrations deep in the earth when tectonic plates shift.

A machine known as a seismograph measures earth movements. This is a readout from a seismograph. The heavy blue zigzags marks the time that there was seismic activity, or movement of the Earth.

Believe it or not, earthquakes in South Carolina are not unheard of. In fact, an earthquake was felt on a morning in August 2005 in the upstate of South Carolina. However, most seismic activity in South Carolina goes unnoticed. Most of the seismic activity felt in United States occurs on or near the west coast.

What do you do if you are in an earthquake? Turn and talk to a neighbor about your ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: move to a secure area such as under a desk or table, a doorway, or against a secure inside wall stay away from glass windows, doors, and mirrors stay away from large unsecured pieces of furniture if outside, move away from buildings and power lines clear the building or immediate area of the building as soon as you can

How do earthquakes change the land? Turn and talk to a neighbor about your ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: buildings collapse bridges collapse power lines down broken windows landslides cracks and uneven spots in the Earth’s surface

What would you experience if you were in an earthquake? Turn and talk to a neighbor about your ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: shaking ground rumbling sounds breaking glass falling furniture buildings collapsing near or around you power lines falling and sparking water lines bursting natural gas lines bursting house and car alarms going off people screaming and calling for help

Hurricanes

Hurricanes are cyclones that develop over the warm tropical oceans and have sustained winds in excess of 74 miles per hour. These storms are capable of producing dangerous winds, torrential rains and flooding, all of which may result in tremendous property damage, land erosion and loss of life in coastal populations.

South Carolina experiences hurricanes or effects of hurricanes each year. Usually only the coastal zone feels the full force of hurricanes. However, the mid-state and the upstate can experience flooding, high winds, and tornadoes that spawn from the hurricane. Hurricane Hugo is a prime example of how even inland regions can be hit by a hurricane.

How do we know a hurricane is coming? Meteorologists, the same scientists that let us know when tornadoes might be in our area, are the ones who track hurricanes and keep us informed about their sizes and destinations. They use the same scientific technology to track hurricanes that they use to track thunderstorms over land.

Radar SatellitesDoppler

What do you do when a hurricane is heading your way? Turn and talk to your neighbor about your ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: board up windows secure items outside leave the area with plenty of time to travel

How do hurricanes change the land? Turn and talk to a neighbor about your ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: erosion of beaches flooding destruction of trees destruction of buildings destruction of roads and bridges

Describe what you would experience if you were in a hurricane. Turn and talk to a neighbor about your ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: high, roaring winds debris roofs blowing off flooding storm surges lots of rain tornadoes fallen power lines houses blown off foundations

Volcano

A volcano is a hill or mountain which contains a vent or vents inside it that reach down into the earth between 16 and 60 miles deep allowing magma to rise to the surface.

How do scientists help protect us from volcanic eruptions? Volcanologists are the scientists who study volcanoes and tell us what they are up to. However, here in South Carolina you are probably not going to run into a volcanologist. A volcanic eruption in our state is very unlikely. Volcanologists study the past and present activities of volcanoes and then try to predict what they are going to do next.

Unfortunately, volcanologists cannot tell us exactly what a volcano is going to do. But They can get really close.

How do scientists monitor the activities of a volcano?

Volcanic monitoring methods are done to measure changes in the volcano caused by the magma beneath the volcano. These measurements help determine when there are going to be volcano related earthquakes, an increase in the size of a volcano, and when volcanic gases might be released into the air. With modern technology, volcanologists can narrow their predictions of volcanic activity down to a few weeks, or maybe even to a few days.

The instruments volcanologists use include: Satellites to sense heat. Seismographs are used To monitor earthquakes Associated with volcanoes. Laboratories to study volcanic gas.

Tilt meters are like tiny carpenter’s levels used to measure changes in the slope of a volcano.

How do volcanoes change the land? Turn and talk to a neighbor to share ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: earthquakes that change the look of land landslides lava flows that burn out the land cooled lava that changes the look of land collapsed or burned buildings destroyed habitats ashes

Describe what it would be like to be near an erupting volcano. Turn and talk to a neighbor about your ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: earthquakes landslides lava flows ashes heat fires destroyed buildings and forests smell of natural gases rumbling sounds

Landslides

Landslides occur in hilly or mountainous regions and can be triggered by one of several events: A landslide is the breaking away of a piece of loose land (soil or rocks) that is located on a slope. earthquake volcanic movements heavy rains soil or rock build up

How do scientists help protect Us from landslides? Geologists study land where landslides occur. They monitor seismic activity, rainfall, and the general makeup of the land. They are particularly interested in sharply sloping land that is covered with loose soil and/or rocks. Geologists are constantly conducting experiments to measure natural and man-made effects on possible landslide sites.

The more geologists learn about landslides the more safety information they can offer community developers. Engineers can develop proper barriers and choose more secure land to build on with this information.

How do landslides change the land? Turn and talk to a neighbor about your ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: relocation of tons of soil destruction of forests collapsed hillsides destruction of buildings and roads

Describe what it would be like to be witness a landslide. Turn and talk to a neighbor about your ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include: rumbling mud dirt rocks ground shaking crashing power lines down turned over cars destroyed roads

Let’s see what you know.

Which natural event is most likely to occur in the Anderson area of South Carolina? A Tornado B Earthquake C Landslide

A Tornado

Which scientist studies tornados and hurricanes? A Volcanologist B Seismologist C Meteorologist

Which of the following technological tools would a meteorologist use? A Tilt Meter B Doppler Radar C Seismograph

B Doppler Radar

A seismograph is used to measure which of the following? A Earthquake B Tornado C Hurricane

A Earthquake

What is the probability of a strong earthquake hitting South Carolina? A not possible B unlikely C likely

B unlikely

These storms are formed over oceans. A Tornadoes B Thunderstorms C Hurricanes

Which of the following is a result of a hurricane? A flooding B tornadoes C both A and B

Which natural event causes can occur when too much rainfall occurs? A earthquake B hurricane C landslide

Which of the following natural events adds poisonous gas and ash to the atmosphere? A volcano B earthquake C landslide

A volcano

Scientists who study natural events are primarily concerned with A finding ways to alert us for safety reasons. B making a lot of money. C finding out which event is the most destructive.

A finding ways to alert us for safety reasons.