Storm Review Answer Key
Vocabulary:
1. Thunderstorm- heavy rainstorms accompanied by thunder and lightning
2. Lightning- a sudden spark, or energy discharge, caused when positive and negative charges build up
and move between parts of a cloud.
3. Thunder- sound of the explosion causes by rapidly heated air expanding
4. Tornado- a rapidly whirling, funnel-shaped cloud that reaches down from a storm cloud and touches
the ground
5. Water Spout- Tornado occurring over a lake or ocean
6. Tornado Alley- location in the mid-west where most tornadoes occur
7. Vortex- a spiraling column of fluid around a central axis
8. Fujita Scale- measures a tornado based on intensity (wind speed and damage) From F0-F5
9. Hurricane- a huge tropical storm with wind speeds of 74 mph (119 kph) or higher
10. Eye- the calm and clear center of a hurricane
11. Eye Wall- ring of clouds surrounding the eye making up the strongest part of the storm
12. Storm surge- a dome or wall of water that sweeps across the coast where a hurricane lands
13. Evacuate- temporarily leave an area
14. Saffir Simpson- scale used to used to measure hurricanes based on wind speed and damage
15. Lake Effect Snow- heavy pockets of snowfall that occurs east of the Great Lakes
16. Frostbite- condition where skin body tissue is damaged due to extreme cold
17. Hypothermia- body temperature drops below the required temperature for normal body functions
18. Blizzard- 35 mph sustained winds for 3 hours with heavy snow or blowing snow- limits visibility
19. How do thunderstorms form?
o Warm, humid air is forced upward at a cold front
o Warm humid air rises rapidly and cools
o Forms large cumulonimbus clouds or thunderheads
o Rain/hail/heavy wind (produce strong upward and downward winds- updrafts and downdrafts
20. How can you stay safe during a thunderstorm?
o Avoid touching metal objects, telephones, or electrical appliances
o Stay out of open areas
21. Explain how tornadoes form.
o When warm, humid air masses (maritime Tropical from the Gulf of Mexico) meet cold, dry air
masses (continental polar from Canada) Cold air moves under warm air, which rises quickly
o As warm air rushes past cold air, creates a vortex, with high winds
22. Where do tornadoes form?
o The Great Plain States, Tornado Alley
23. Name 4 states in Tornado Alley. Name 4 states definitely NOT in tornado alley.
o Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska
24. What is the difference between tornado watches and warnings?
o Tornado Watch – a tornado is possible
o Tornado Warning – a tornado has been spotted
25. How do you stay safe during a tornado?
o Move to a safe area- basement of a well built building
o Stay away from windows and doors
o Lie on the floor under a sturdy piece of furniture
o Outside? Move to a ditch or building
26. What are the other names that hurricanes go by in other parts of the world?
o Hurricanes in the Western Pacific Ocean are called typhoons, in Australia they are called cyclones
27. Explain how hurricanes form.
o hurricanes begin over warm water as a low-pressure area, or tropical disturbance
o gets its energy from the warm, humid air at the ocean’s surface
28. What are the stages of a storm before it becomes a hurricane?
o tropical disturbance
tropical storm
hurricane
29. Explain the typical path of a hurricane.
o Starts off the coast of Africa and the trade winds push it west across the ocean towards North
America.
30. What types of things cause damage during a hurricane?
o High waves
o Severe flooding
o Wind damage
o Storm surge
o Destruction of buildings, coastlines
31. What is the difference between a hurricane watch and a warning?
o Hurricane watch: hurricane conditions are expected in your area within the next 36 hours- perpare
to evacuate
o Hurricane warning: hurricane conditions are expected in your area within the next 24 hoursevacuate immediately if told
32. What conditions are needed for snow to fall?
o Snow falls when humid air cools below freezing
33. Explain how lake-effect snow forms.
o In the fall and winter the land near the Great Lakes cools faster than the water in the lakes
o Cool, dry air masses pick up water vapor and heat from the warmer lakes
o When the air mass reaches the other side of the lake, the air rises and cools again- forming clouds
and causing snow around the lakes to fall
34. How do you stay safe during a snowstorm?
o Find shelter from the wind
o Cover exposed parts of the body and stay dry
o In a car? Keep the engine running and clear snow away from exhaust