Name_______________________________________
17.2 Storms
Objectives
List the main kinds of storms and explain how they form.
Describe measures they can take to ensure safety in a storm.

Storm - _________________________________________________________.
They involve sudden changes in air pressure, which causes rapid air movements.
Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms are _____________________ accompanied by thunder and lightning.
They form within large _____________________clouds or thunderheads.
Produce strong upward and downward ____________.
When a downdraft strikes the ground, the air spreads out in all directions, producing
burst of wind called _____________. This can cause airplane accidents during takeoff or
landing.
Lightning
Lightning - __________________________________________________.
A lightning bolt can heat the air near it to as much as 30,000 degrees Celsius rapidly
which expands suddenly and explosively. This is thunder.
Thunderstorm Safety
Lightning can start __________ fire.
Being struck by lightning can cause ________________, serious burns, or even heart
failure.
During thunderstorms, avoid touching metal _____________ because they can conduct
_____________ from lightning into your body.
To protect buildings from lightning, install a metal _______________ at the highest
point on _____________. This intercepts a lightning stroke and conducts the electricity
through cables safely into _________________.
Lightning in an open area - find a low area away from trees, fences and poles.
Crouch with your head _________________ and your hands on your ______________.
If in the water, get to ____________and find shelter away from the water.
Avoid telephones, electrical appliances or plumbing fixtures.
It is safe to stay in a car with a hard top, but do not touch any ____________inside the
car.
Also avoid electronic items cell phones and iPods, mp3 players, etc.
Tornadoes
Tornado - _____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________.
They are brief (15 minutes) but deadly (winds may approach 480 kph).
How Tornadoes Form
Develop in low, heavy cumulonimbus clouds - the same clouds that bring
thunderstorms.
Occur in _____________ and early ______________ in the late afternoon.
Occur more often in the ________________
________occur every year in the US.
“Tornado Alley” runs from north-central Texas
across central _____________, Kansas,
and _______________.
Tornado Safety
 “Tornado watch” - ___________________________________________________.
A “tornado warning”- __________________________________________________
_______________________________
The safest place to be during a tornado is in the _______________ of well-built
building.
No basement - move to the middle of the ground floor.
Stay away from ______________________________.
Lie on the floor under a sturdy piece of furniture (large table).
If outdoors, move inside or lie flat in a _____________.
Hurricanes
Hurricane - __________________________________________________________
___________________________________.
Given names according to certain rules.
Named alphabetically, alternating between masculine and feminine names.
In 1999, the first storm of the season was named Arlene, then Bret, then Cindy.
Hurricanes
Ranked on a scale called the Saffir-Simpson Scale, based on max. wind speed.
1 Minimal (119 - 153 km/h)
2 Moderate (154-177 km/h)
3 Extensive (178-209 km/h)
4 Extreme (210-250 km/h)
5 Catastrophic (over 250 km/h)
Hurricanes in the Pacific are called __________________.
How Hurricanes Form
US Hurricanes form in the _______________ Ocean.
They form in August, September, or __________________.
Begins over warm water as a low-pressure area, or tropical _________________.
Starts as a tropical disturbance, then tropical storm, and then a hurricane.
Hurricane gets its energy from the warm, humid air. This air rises and _____________
___________. Inside the storm are bands of very high winds and heavy ___________.
The lowest air pressure and warmest temperatures are at the ____________ of a storm.
The lower the air pressure at the center of a storm, the faster the winds blow toward the
center.
The Eye of the Hurricane
The center of hurricane is a ring of clouds surrounding a ____________“eye”.
The wind gets __________ as the eye approaches. In the eye the winds grow _______
and the sky may clear.
After the
storm resumes, the wind blows from the opposite direction.
How Hurricane Move
Hurricanes last longer than a _________ or more.
They are steered by _________ winds.
When it passes over land, it no longer has warm, moist air to draw energy from. It
slows down, loses strength, and has heavy ______________.
Hurricane Damage
Hurricanes bring high waves and severe ________________.
They can uproot ___________, smash buildings, and destroy ___________ lines.
Most dangerous is a storm __________.
A storm surge is _____________________________________________________.
This can wash away _____________ and destroy buildings along the coast.
“Hurricane watch” is __________________________________________________
_________________________________.
People should evacuate or move away temporarily.
“Hurricane warning” is ___________________________________________________.
Evacuate, leave the area _________________________. If you must stay, move to the
interior of the building.