Severe Weather Notes
Thunderstorms
Cause: conflict between the warm updraft &cool air falling.
Effect: may cause severe damage from flooding &lightning.
Safety: Seek shelter, but not under a tree. Stay away from windows. Don’t take a bath or shower.
Measurement: T-storm warning = storm is likely based on Doppler radar; T-storm watch = potential for T-storm to develop
Location: T-storms can occur almost anywhere in the United States.
Tornados
Cause: warm, moist, rising air clashes with winds blowing in different directions - part of spinning cloud drops to earth
Effect: Severe damage from winds &flying debris. Very unpredictable!
Safety: Tornado watch = tornado possible; Tornado warning = tornado spotted. Take shelter on the lowest level in a central room.
Stay away from windows &outside walls.
Measurement: In the Enhanced Fujita Scale the strongest tornados are categorized as EF5 &the weakest are EF0.
Location: Tornado alley is the region of the United States where most tornados occur they include TX, OK, NE, & KS.
Hurricanes
Cause: a low pressure storm system over warm ocean water.
Effect: potential massive &widespread destruction &flooding.
Safety: Hurricane watch = hurricane possible within the next 36 hours, be prepared to evacuate.
Hurricane warning = hurricane expected within 24 hours, evacuate. – If a hurricane is coming, leave to be safe.
Measurement: Much of the danger is from flooding. Hurricanes are ranked ranging from a category 1 to a category 5.
Location: Hurricanes occur in states bordering the Atlantic &Gulf Coasts ranging from south from TX north to NY.
Drought
Cause: more water is taken out of a reservoir than is added &little or no precipitation, excessive use of water for human activities.
Effect: decreased crop yields, decreased drinking water quality &availability, &food shortages.
Safety: reduce unnecessary use of water
Measurement: comparison of amount of rainfall per year
Location: anywhere if below-average rainfall occurs for a long period of time over the same region.
Severe Weather Notes
Thunderstorms
Cause: conflict between the warm updraft &cool air falling.
Effect: may cause severe damage from flooding &lightning.
Safety: Seek shelter, but not under a tree. Stay away from windows. Don’t take a bath or shower.
Measurement: T-storm warning = storm is likely based on Doppler radar; T-storm watch = potential for T-storm to develop
Location: T-storms can occur almost anywhere in the United States.
Tornados
Cause: warm, moist, rising air clashes with winds blowing in different directions - part of spinning cloud drops to earth
Effect: Severe damage from winds &flying debris. Very unpredictable!
Safety: Tornado watch = tornado possible; Tornado warning = tornado spotted. Take shelter on the lowest level in a central room.
Stay away from windows &outside walls.
Measurement: In the Enhanced Fujita Scale the strongest tornados are categorized as EF5 &the weakest are EF0.
Location: Tornado alley is the region of the United States where most tornados occur they include TX, OK, NE, & KS.
Hurricanes
Cause: a low pressure storm system over warm ocean water.
Effect: potential massive &widespread destruction &flooding.
Safety: Hurricane watch = hurricane possible within the next 36 hours, be prepared to evacuate.
Hurricane warning = hurricane expected within 24 hours, evacuate. – If a hurricane is coming, leave to be safe.
Measurement: Much of the danger is from flooding. Hurricanes are ranked ranging from a category 1 to a category 5.
Location: Hurricanes occur in states bordering the Atlantic &Gulf Coasts ranging from south from TX north to NY.
Drought
Cause: more water is taken out of a reservoir than is added &little or no precipitation, excessive use of water for human activities.
Effect: decreased crop yields, decreased drinking water quality &availability, &food shortages.
Safety: reduce unnecessary use of water
Measurement: comparison of amount of rainfall per year
Location: anywhere if below-average rainfall occurs for a long period of time over the same region.