1. Everybody Talks About the Weather... Interesting Weather Facts

2. Respecting the Weather Every year weather-related disasters cost billions of dollars Weather-related disasters can also cause severe loss of life

3. Hurricanes Blow, winds, and crack thy cheeks! Rage, blow! —William Shakespeare

4. What Is a Hurricane? Maximum sustained wind of 74 mph Term hurricane used north of equator and east of International Date Line Term typhoon used north of equator and west of International Date Line

5. Awesome Facts A mature hurricane is the most powerful force on Earth Winds can surpass 200 mph A typical hurricane generates enough energy to provide all the electric power needed in the U.S. for 3 or 4 years

6. Weird Science The impact of waves during the 1938 New England hurricane was so intense it registered on seismographs in Alaska People caught outside in the 200-mph winds of the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 were sandblasted to death Birds flying in hurricanes often drown in mid-air

7. Lightning It is vain to look for a defense against lightning. —Publius Sirius

8. What Causes Lightning? Lightning is caused by nature’s need to balance positive and negative electrical charges in two regions Lightning carries both the negative charge out and the positive charge back

9. Awesome Facts 2,000 thunderstorms are taking place somewhere in the world at this moment Lightning strikes the earth 100 times each second Lightning heats the air to more than 40,000°F Lightning travels at a speed of 80,000 miles per second

10. Don’t Stand Under a Tree Oaks are the most dangerous trees in the forest during a thunderstorm 45 to 60 times more likely to be struck High moisture content attracts lightning Beeches are the safest trees in the forest

11. Struck by Lightning Only 20% of persons stuck by lightning die But 70% of those struck by lightning suffer serious long-term effects, including: Memory lossSleep disturbance Attention deficitFatigue DizzinessNumbness IrritabilityDepression

12. Weird Science The sudden intense heat from lightning can literally blow the clothes off a person A soldier was sealed into his sleeping bag when lightning struck and welded the zipper Alternate plates in a stack of 12 were shattered when a house in Iowa was struck A bolt of lightning that struck a windowpane created an almost perfectly circular 2-inch hole