Which natural disaster ismost likely to affect your townand how would you survive it?

Turn and talk to your neighbor aboutyour ideas. Use the information on the next slide to guide your conversation.You have 2 minutes.

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

Natural disasters can arise from:

A tornado is one of the most likely naturaldisasters to affect our part of the country.A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of airdriven by energy in the atmosphere.Tornadoes usually occur inside intensethunderstorms.

How do we know when a tornadois coming?

Scientists, known as meteorologists, study weatherpatterns using satellites and computers to determinewhich thunderstorms are strong enough to producetornadoes and to warn us when one is close to our area.You may have seen News Channel 4’s Doppler radaron Interstate 85 going towards Greenville. This is part of their meteorologists’ technology that track storms that might produce a tornado.

This is an example ofDoppler Radar usedfor tracking storms.

This is an example ofa Doppler radar reportthat comes back to themeteorologists to show us exactly where stormsare located.

What do you do when weatheris severe enough for a tornado?

Turn and talk to a neighbor to shareideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include:

• 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 theland?

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Did your conversation include:

• destruction to buildings• destruction to trees• destruction of habitats

What would it be like if you werein a tornado?

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Did your conversation include:

• 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 measureearthquakes?

Scientists, known as seismologists, usea device known as a seismograph to measure the movement of the earth. Theseismograph measures vibrations deep in the earth when tectonic plates shift.

A machine known asa seismograph measures earth movements.

This is a readout froma seismograph. Theheavy blue zigzagsmarks the time that there was seismicactivity, or movementof the Earth.

Believe it or not, earthquakes inSouth Carolina are not unheard of.In fact, an earthquake was felt ona 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 nearthe west coast.

What do you do if you are inan earthquake?

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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 changethe land?

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Did your conversation include:

• buildings collapse• bridges collapse• power lines down• broken windows• landslides• cracks and uneven spots in the Earth’s surface

What would you experienceif you were in an earthquake?

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Did your conversation include:

• 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 warmtropical 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 intremendous property damage,land erosion and loss of life in coastal populations.

South Carolina experiences hurricanesor effects of hurricanes each year. Usuallyonly the coastal zone feels the full forceof hurricanes. However, the mid-state and the upstate can experience flooding, high winds, and tornadoes that spawn from the hurricane. Hurricane Hugo isa prime example of how even inland regions can be hit by a hurricane.

How do we know a hurricane iscoming?

Meteorologists, the same scientists that let usknow when tornadoes might be in our area, are the ones who track hurricanes and keep usinformed about their sizes and destinations.They use the same scientific technology to trackhurricanes that they use to track thunderstormsover land.

Radar

Satellites Doppler

What do you do when a hurricane is heading your way?

Turn and talk to your neighborabout your ideas. You have oneminute.

Did your conversation include:

• board up windows• secure items outside• leave the area with plenty of time to travel

How do hurricanes changethe land?

Turn and talk to a neighbor aboutyour 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 wouldexperience if you were in a hurricane.

Turn and talk to a neighbor aboutyour ideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include:

• 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 avent 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 protectus from volcanic eruptions?

Volcanologists are the scientists who studyvolcanoes and tell us what they are up to.However, here in South Carolina you areprobably not going to run into a volcanologist.A volcanic eruption in our state is very unlikely.Volcanologists study the past and presentactivities of volcanoes and then try to predictwhat they are going to do next.

Unfortunately, volcanologists cannot tell us exactly what a volcano is going to do. ButThey can get really close.

How do scientists monitor theactivities of a volcano?

Volcanic monitoring methods are done to measure changes in the volcano caused bythe magma beneath the volcano.These measurements help determine whenthere are going to be volcano related earthquakes,an increase in the size of a volcano, and whenvolcanic gases might be released into the air. With modern technology, volcanologists can narrowtheir predictions of volcanic activity down to a fewweeks, or maybe even to a few days.

The instruments volcanologists use include:

Satellites to senseheat.

Seismographs are usedTo monitor earthquakesAssociated 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 changethe land?

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Did your conversation include:

• 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 liketo be near an erupting volcano.

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Did your conversation include:

• earthquakes• landslides• lava flows• ashes• heat• fires• destroyed buildings and forests• smell of natural gases• rumbling sounds

Landslides

Landslides occur in hilly or mountainousregions and can be triggered by one ofseveral events:

A landslide is the breaking away of a pieceof loose land (soil or rocks) that is located on a slope.

• earthquake• volcanic movements• heavy rains• soil or rock build up

How do scientists help protect Us from landslides?

Geologists study land where landslidesoccur. They monitor seismic activity, rainfall, and the general makeup of the land. They are particularly interested insharply sloping land that is covered withloose 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 landslidesthe more safety information they can offercommunity developers. Engineers can develop proper barriers and choose moresecure land to build on with this information.

How do landslides change theland?

Turn and talk to a neighbor about yourideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include:

• relocation of tons of soil• destruction of forests• collapsed hillsides• destruction of buildings and roads

Describe what it would be liketo be witness a landslide.

Turn and talk to a neighbor about yourideas. You have one minute.

Did your conversation include:

• 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 mostlikely to occur in the Andersonarea of South Carolina?

A TornadoB EarthquakeC Landslide

A Tornado

Which scientist studies tornadosand hurricanes?

A VolcanologistB SeismologistC Meteorologist

C Meteorologist

Which of the following technologicaltools would a meteorologist use?

A Tilt MeterB Doppler RadarC Seismograph

B Doppler Radar

A seismograph is used to measure which of the following?

A EarthquakeB TornadoC Hurricane

A Earthquake

What is the probability of a strong earthquake hitting SouthCarolina?

A not possibleB unlikelyC likely

B unlikely

These storms are formed over oceans.

A TornadoesB ThunderstormsC Hurricanes

C Hurricanes

Which of the following is aresult of a hurricane?

A floodingB tornadoesC both A and B

C both A and B

Which natural event causescan occur when too muchrainfall occurs?

A earthquakeB hurricaneC landslide

C landslide

Which of the following naturalevents adds poisonous gas andash to the atmosphere?

A volcanoB earthquakeC landslide

A volcano

Scientists who study natural events are primarily concernedwith

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.