Which natural disaster is
most likely to affect your town
and how would you survive it?
Turn and talk to your neighbor about
your ideas. Use the information on the
next slide to guide your conversation.
You have 2 minutes.
Natural disasters can arise from:
Weather patterns: storms, hurricanes, floods,
tornadoes
Other climatic conditions: droughts, forest fires,
avalanches and landslides
Changes in the earth's crust: volcanoes, earthquakes,
tsunami or tidal waves
A tornado is one of the most likely natural
disasters to affect our part of the country.
A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air
driven by energy in the atmosphere.
Tornadoes usually occur inside intense
thunderstorms.
How do we know when a tornado
is coming?
Scientists, known as meteorologists, study weather
patterns using satellites and computers to determine
which thunderstorms are strong enough to produce
tornadoes and to warn us when one is close to
our area.
You may have seen News Channel 4’s Doppler radar
on Interstate 85 going towards Greenville. This is
part of their meteorologists’ technology that track
storms that might produce a tornado.
This is an example of
Doppler Radar used
for tracking storms.
This is an example of
a Doppler radar report
that comes back to the
meteorologists to show
us exactly where storms
are located.
What do you do when weather
is severe enough for a tornado?
Turn and talk to a neighbor to share
ideas. You have one minute.
Did your conversation include:
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watches and warnings
basements
center of the house
stay away from windows and doors
what to do if you are outside
How do tornadoes change the
land?
Turn and talk to a neighbor about
your ideas. You have one minute.
Did your conversation include:
• destruction to buildings
• destruction to trees
• destruction of habitats
What would it be like if you were
in a tornado?
Turn and talk to neighbor to share
your ideas. You have one minute.
Did your conversation include:
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a roaring similar to a freight train
powerful winds
lightening
hail
rain
uprooting trees
home destruction
alarms
breaking glass
debris
Earthquakes
Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock
of the earth’s surface. Earthquakes happen along
"fault lines" in the earth’s crust. Earthquakes can be
felt over large areas although they usually last less
than one minute. Earthquakes cannot be predicted -although scientists are working on it!
How do scientists measure
earthquakes?
Scientists, known as seismologists, use
a device known as a seismograph to
measure the movement of the earth. The
seismograph measures vibrations deep
in the earth when tectonic plates shift.
A machine known as
a seismograph measures
earth movements.
This is a readout from
a seismograph. The
heavy blue zigzags
marks the time that
there was seismic
activity, or movement
of the Earth.
Believe it or not, earthquakes in
South Carolina are not unheard of.
In fact, an earthquake was felt on
a morning in August 2005 in the
upstate of South Carolina.
However, most seismic activity in
South Carolina goes unnoticed.
Most of the seismic activity felt in
United States occurs on or near
the west coast.
What do you do if you are in
an earthquake?
Turn and talk to a neighbor about
your ideas. You have one minute.
Did your conversation include:
• move to a secure area such as under a desk or
table, a doorway, or against a secure inside wall
• stay away from glass windows, doors, and mirrors
• stay away from large unsecured pieces of furniture
• if outside, move away from buildings and power
lines
• clear the building or immediate area of the building
as soon as you can
How do earthquakes change
the land?
Turn and talk to a neighbor about
your ideas. You have one minute.
Did your conversation include:
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buildings collapse
bridges collapse
power lines down
broken windows
landslides
cracks and uneven spots in the
Earth’s surface
What would you experience
if you were in an earthquake?
Turn and talk to a neighbor about
your ideas. You have one minute.
Did your conversation include:
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shaking ground
rumbling sounds
breaking glass
falling furniture
buildings collapsing near or around you
power lines falling and sparking
water lines bursting
natural gas lines bursting
house and car alarms going off
people screaming and calling for help
Hurricanes
Hurricanes are cyclones that
develop over the warm
tropical oceans and have
sustained winds in excess
of 74 miles per hour. These
storms are capable of
producing dangerous winds,
torrential rains and flooding,
all of which may result in
tremendous property damage,
land erosion and loss of life
in coastal populations.
South Carolina experiences hurricanes
or effects of hurricanes each year. Usually
only the coastal zone feels the full force
of hurricanes. However, the mid-state
and the upstate can experience flooding,
high winds, and tornadoes that spawn
from the hurricane. Hurricane Hugo is
a prime example of how even inland
regions can be hit by a hurricane.
How do we know a hurricane is
coming?
Meteorologists, the same scientists that let us
know when tornadoes might be in our area,
are the ones who track hurricanes and keep us
informed about their sizes and destinations.
They use the same scientific technology to track
hurricanes that they use to track thunderstorms
over land.
Radar
Satellites
Doppler
What do you do when a
hurricane is heading your way?
Turn and talk to your neighbor
about your ideas. You have one
minute.
Did your conversation include:
• board up windows
• secure items outside
• leave the area with plenty of time to travel
How do hurricanes change
the land?
Turn and talk to a neighbor about
your ideas. You have one minute.
Did your conversation include:
• erosion of beaches
• flooding
• destruction of trees
• destruction of buildings
• destruction of roads and bridges
Describe what you would
experience if you were in
a hurricane.
Turn and talk to a neighbor about
your ideas. You have one minute.
Did your conversation include:
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high, roaring winds
debris
roofs blowing off
flooding
storm surges
lots of rain
tornadoes
fallen power lines
houses blown off foundations
Volcano
A volcano is a hill or mountain which contains a
vent or vents inside it that reach down into the
earth between 16 and 60 miles deep allowing
magma to rise to the surface.
How do scientists help protect
us from volcanic eruptions?
Volcanologists are the scientists who study
volcanoes and tell us what they are up to.
However, here in South Carolina you are
probably not going to run into a volcanologist.
A volcanic eruption in our state is very unlikely.
Volcanologists study the past and present
activities of volcanoes and then try to predict
what they are going to do next.
Unfortunately, volcanologists cannot tell us
exactly what a volcano is going to do. But
They can get really close.
How do scientists monitor the
activities of a volcano?
Volcanic monitoring methods are done to
measure changes in the volcano caused by
the magma beneath the volcano.
These measurements help determine when
there are going to be volcano related earthquakes,
an increase in the size of a volcano, and when
volcanic gases might be released into the air.
With modern technology, volcanologists can narrow
their predictions of volcanic activity down to a few
weeks, or maybe even to a few days.
The instruments volcanologists use include:
Satellites to sense
heat.
Seismographs are used
To monitor earthquakes
Associated with volcanoes.
Laboratories to study
volcanic gas.
Tilt meters are like tiny
carpenter’s levels used to
measure changes in the
slope of a volcano.
How do volcanoes change
the land?
Turn and talk to a neighbor to share
ideas. You have one minute.
Did your conversation include:
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earthquakes that change the look of land
landslides
lava flows that burn out the land
cooled lava that changes the look of land
collapsed or burned buildings
destroyed habitats
ashes
Describe what it would be like
to be near an erupting volcano.
Turn and talk to a neighbor about your
ideas. You have one minute.
Did your conversation include:
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earthquakes
landslides
lava flows
ashes
heat
fires
destroyed buildings and forests
smell of natural gases
rumbling sounds
Landslides
A landslide is the breaking away of a piece
of loose land (soil or rocks) that is located
on a slope.
Landslides occur in hilly or mountainous
regions and can be triggered by one of
several events:
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earthquake
volcanic movements
heavy rains
soil or rock build up
How do scientists help protect
Us from landslides?
Geologists study land where landslides
occur. They monitor seismic activity,
rainfall, and the general makeup of the
land. They are particularly interested in
sharply sloping land that is covered with
loose soil and/or rocks. Geologists are
constantly conducting experiments to
measure natural and man-made effects
on possible landslide sites.
The more geologists learn about landslides
the more safety information they can offer
community developers. Engineers can
develop proper barriers and choose more
secure land to build on with this information.
How do landslides change the
land?
Turn and talk to a neighbor about your
ideas. You have one minute.
Did your conversation include:
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relocation of tons of soil
destruction of forests
collapsed hillsides
destruction of buildings and roads
Describe what it would be like
to be witness a landslide.
Turn and talk to a neighbor about your
ideas. You have one minute.
Did your conversation include:
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rumbling
mud
dirt
rocks
ground shaking
crashing
power lines down
turned over cars
destroyed roads
Let’s see what you
know.
Which natural event is most
likely to occur in the Anderson
area of South Carolina?
A Tornado
B Earthquake
C Landslide
A Tornado
Which scientist studies tornados
and hurricanes?
A Volcanologist
B Seismologist
C Meteorologist
C Meteorologist
Which of the following technological
tools would a meteorologist use?
A Tilt Meter
B Doppler Radar
C Seismograph
B Doppler Radar
A seismograph is used to
measure which of the following?
A Earthquake
B Tornado
C Hurricane
A Earthquake
What is the probability of a
strong earthquake hitting South
Carolina?
A not possible
B unlikely
C likely
B unlikely
These storms are formed
over oceans.
A Tornadoes
B Thunderstorms
C Hurricanes
C Hurricanes
Which of the following is a
result of a hurricane?
A flooding
B tornadoes
C both A and B
C both A and B
Which natural event causes
can occur when too much
rainfall occurs?
A earthquake
B hurricane
C landslide
C landslide
Which of the following natural
events adds poisonous gas and
ash to the atmosphere?
A volcano
B earthquake
C landslide
A volcano
Scientists who study natural
events are primarily concerned
with
A finding ways to alert us
for safety reasons.
B making a lot of money.
C finding out which event
is the most destructive.
A finding ways to alert us
for safety reasons.