Name:________________________________________________
Mrs. Layton and Mrs. Rauso
Period:___________
Date:_____________
Natural Disasters and New Jersey
PRE-ACTIVITY Discussion Questions:
1. Name some NATURAL DISASTERS:
2. What is a Natural Disaster?
3. What causes Natural Disasters?
4. Uniformitarianism (Earth Sciences / Geological Science) the concept that the earth's surface was shaped in the
past by gradual processes, such as erosion, and by sudden changes, such as earthquakes or eruptions. The same
types acting today.
What does this mean?
ACTIVITY Directions: Access each of the websites listed below and answer the questions that follow.
FEMA – New Jersey Disaster History http://www.fema.gov/ja/disasters/grid/state-tribalgovernment/37?field_disaster_type_term_tid_1=All
1. How many Major Disaster Declarations has the State of New Jersey had in 2012?
2. List the dates and the reason for the incident below.
3. How many Major Disaster Declarations did the State of New Jersey have in 2011?
4. List the dates and the reasons for the incidents below.
5. Review BOTH the Major Disaster Declarations and Emergency Declarations list. Indicate below
how many times each “event” has occurred from the beginning of the list to the present. Yes, you will
need to count them! (Scroll down the page)
Event
Hurricanes
Tropical Storm/Tropical Depression
Sever Storm/Flooding
Severe Winter Storms
Blizzards
Snowstorms/Ice
Drought / Water Shortage
High Tides/Low Tides
Volcanic Eruptions
Mudslides
Tsunami
Earthquake
Tornado
Power Outages
Viral Outbreaks
Terrorist Attacks
Times Occurred
Use NASA Earth Observatory at http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/
Scroll down to the calendar and click on the months to complete the table below:
Location
Month/Year
United States (mid-west)
Sept. 2012
Alaska, USA
Sept. 2012
Northwest USA
Sept. 2012
Indonesia
Sept. 2012
New Jersey, USA
October 2012
Great Plains, USA
October 2012
Argentina
October 2012
New Jersey/New York
November
2012
November
2012
Spain
Date(s)
Event(s) Information
Siberia
India
November
2012
November
2012
December
2012
January 2013
Southern Africa
January 2013
Northeast USA
February 2013
Italy
February 2013
Midwest USA,
Mississippi
Northeast Australia
April, 2013
California, USA
May, 2013
Indonesia, Papua New
Guinea
Rocky Mountains
April, 2013
Answer the following questions: Use the back of this sheet if necessary.
1.
What is the Principle of Uniformitarianism and how can you apply it to the data above?
2. You are considering the purchase of a home in a brand new development on the Jersey Shore. The
realtor representing the property owner claims that you do not need to worry about hurricanes in NJ, so
the fact that you cannot buy flood or storm insurance is not a problem. Is she correct? Explain your
claim citing evidence and your reasoning.
3. Based on the New Jersey Emergency data, in your opinion, is it appropriate to continue increasing the
human population living at the shore? What effect could natural disasters have on an increased
population?
4. Different types of natural disasters occur in different locations throughout the world. Provide a
minimum of five types of natural disasters that have not occurred in New Jersey in recent years and
explain what it is and why they are disasters. If necessary, go back to the NASA website.