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Enjoy our awesome range of Earth facts for kids. Check out the cool trivia and have fun learning about some of our planet's most amazing features.

Tsunami Facts

Check out our tsunami facts for kids and learn some interesting information related to these great walls of water that can cause so much destruction. Find out what causes tsunamis and read about some notable recent examples of tsunamis that have occurred around the globe.

Tsunamis are huge waves of water that are usually caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.

As a tsunami approaches the shore, water may recede from the coast, if it is shallow enough the water may be pulled back hundreds of metres. If you are in the area, observing this is a good indication that a tsunami is on the way.

Regions in tsunami danger zones often have warning systems in place to give people as much time to evacuate as possible.

When tsunamis hit shallow water (often near the coast) they slow down but increase in height.

An earthquake in the Indian Ocean off Indonesia in December 2004 caused a tsunami that killed over 200000 people in 14 countries. More earthquake facts.

In March 2011, the Tohoku earthquake off the eastern coast of Japan caused a tsunami that was a major factor in the death of over 15000 people.

The tsunami waves created by the Tohoku earthquake reached heights of over 40 metres (131 feet) in some areas, wiping out coastal towns and causing a number of nuclear accidents.

The Japanese word tsunami literally means 'harbor wave'.

Tsunamis are sometimes referred to as tidal waves but this term has fallen out of favour because tsunamis are not related to tides.

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Tsunami Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Tsunamis

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Enjoy our awesome range of Earth facts for kids. Check out the cool trivia and have fun learning about some of our planet's most amazing features. Tsunami Facts Check out our tsunami facts for kids and learn some interesting information related to these great walls of water that can cause so much destruction.

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We've gathered extensive links to digital resources designed to help everyone learn the science of weather, help educators reinforce their own content knowledge, and get kids engaged in science that affects us all each and every day.
Weather Basics
Weather Glossary
The Weather Channel defines more than 800 weather-related terms.

Web Weather for Kids Weather Glossary
Kid-friendly definitions for basic weather vocabulary.

Introduction to Clouds and Sky Watchers Chart
This printable resource from NASA and NOAA's National Weather Service provides both a basic introduction to the identification of clouds and a detailed cloud chart (also available in Spanish).

Weather Instruments
Get the basics on the specialized equipment meteorologists use to gather information about weather conditions (also available in Spanish).
Hurricanes
How In the World Do Hurricanes Form?
Web Weather for Kids provides the how, where and when on hurricane formation.

Hurricanes
NOAA Education Resources provides real-world hurricane data, lessons and activities, video and animations as well as detailed hurricane science and safety information.

Evolution of a Hurricane
This interactive tutorial from USA Today shows the inner workings of a storm.

Hurricane Science
The Hurricanes: Science and Society website provides information on the science of hurricanes, methods of observing hurricanes, modeling and forecasting of hurricanes, information on how hurricanes impact society, and how people and communities can prepare for and deal with the impacts of hurricanes.
Lightning
How Lightning Is Created
The National Weather Service JetStream Online School for Weather provides clear information and detailed graphics about the conditions needed to produce lightning, lightning safety and an online quiz.

A Lightning Primer
The Global Hydrology and Climate Center Lightning Team at NASA describe the characteristics of lightning and provide information on recent activities in lightning research.

Thunderstorm Basics
This Severe Weather Primer from the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory offers detailed questions and answers about thunderstorms, including information on thunderstorm climatology, detection and forecasting.

Thunderstorms and Lightning
FEMA offers fast facts about thunderstorms, lightning, and how to stay safe before, during and after a storm.

Thunder and Lightning
Find out more about lightning and thunder from The Weather Dude, meteorologist for The Weather Channel Nick Walker, and sample his Musical Meteorology - songs about weather.
Floods
What Causes Flooding?
FEMA provides information on flooding factors such as rainfall, river-flow and tidal-surge, topography, flood-control measures, and changes due to building and development.

Flood Basics
This Severe Weather Primer from the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory explains the formation of the number one weather-related killer in the U.S.

Rain & Floods
Get the basics about rain and flooding from Weather WizKids as well as links to rain-related science activities.

How Floods Work
Good introductory article and related multimedia on floods and their impact.
Tornadoes
Tornado Basics
This Severe Weather Primer from the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory answers frequently asked questions about tornados and provides detailed information on tornado formation.

Weather Extreme: Tornado
This interactive feature from the Discovery Channel features a slideshow, a survival quiz, and a "grow your own tornado" activity.

Rate Tornado Damage
Learn about the Fujita Scale of tornado intensity and use this interactive from NOVA with students to assess the level of destruction left in the wake of actual tornadoes (interactive board-friendly).

The Online Tornado FAQ
From the National Weather Service's Storm Predication Center, this quick-reference summary of tornado knowledge also provides links to more detailed information.
Winter storms
Winter Storms
Weather WizKids provides background information on snow, freezing rain, sleet, ice, blizzards, and wind chill along with suggestions for winter weather experiments and activities.

Winter Storms
The Weather Channel Kids' Weather Encyclopedia entry on Winter Storms offers extensive details of winter storm formation and development, types of winter storms, historical storms, and winter climatology.

Winter Weather Basics
This Severe Weather Primer from the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory provides interesting winter weather facts as well as information on forecasting and winter weather patterns.

All About Snow
This National Snow and Ice Data Center website presents a variety of general information about snow.

Tell us what you think of the game by filling out our feedback form here.

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We've gathered extensive links to digital resources designed to help everyone learn the science of weather, help educators reinforce their own content knowledge, and get kids engaged in science that affects us all each and every day. Weather Basics Weather Glossary The Weather Channel defines more than 800 weather-related terms. Web Weather for Kids Weather Glossary Kid-friendly definitions for basic weather vocabulary.

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The Kids Ahead program is an initiative to increase the number of kids with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competencies and interests.

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A tornado is a very strong wind that spins around at high speed. Tornadoes travel quickly over the land causing a great deal of destruction. They are powerful and dangerous... and therefore very exciting! Er, I mean, for scientists they're very interesting!

Here are some more awesome tornado facts for kids...

(Part of our Science Articles series.)

Introduction: Picture A Tornado
Hailstones are battering the windows and you hear the distant rumble of thunder. A storm is approaching! In the distance you see something strange. It's like a big grey cloud stretching from the ground up into the sky. The hailstones suddenly stop. The skies darken and the wind gets stronger and stronger. You realize that the thing that you can see is a tornado... and it's coming straight towards you! You can sense just how powerful the tornado is, even though it's still quite a long way away. Leaves and twigs are flying around, and the garden gate is squeaking as it blows open and shut. The tornado moves over the ground, lifting things up and throwing them into the air. As you watch, the tornado uproots a tree, then drags a car along the ground before throwing it onto its roof. The trees near you are being bent over and their branches are breaking under the strain. A man runs down the street and can barely stay on his feet. All you can hear is the howling wind! Luckily, it looks like the tornado is going to miss your town, but you still climb down into the safety of your storm shelter - just in case!
A tornado is a strong, spinning wind that forms a column from a cloud to the ground. Tornadoes look like giant, grey, funnel-shaped clouds.

Tornadoes can travel long distances. Some have been known to travel over 200 miles. However, the average distance travelled by a tornado in the United States is 5 miles.

Because wind is invisible, it's actually water droplets, as well as the dust and everything else being blown around, that gives a tornado its grey colour.

Tornadoes make continuous rumbling and roaring sounds. They can be heard 40 kilometres away.

How Big Are Tornadoes?

Tornadoes vary in size, ranging from around 250 feet (76 m) across, to more than two miles (3.2 km) across.

How Powerful Are Tornadoes?

A tornado's wind can blow from 110 miles per hour (177 km/h), to an incredible 300 miles per hour (483 km/h)!

The strength of a tornado is gauged using the Enhanced Fujita Scale. A tornado is rated from 0 to 5 based on the amount of damage it has caused to structures and vegetation. Therefore, a tornado rated EF5 is the strongest tornado there is!

How Are Tornadoes Formed?

Tornadoes appear during thunderstorms when the atmospheric conditions are just right (or just wrong, depending on which way you look at it!) Scientists still don't know exactly what causes tornadoes, and why some storms produce tornadoes and some don't.

Where Do You Get Tornadoes?

Tornadoes have occurred in every continent apart from Antarctica. Although tornadoes occur in most places in the world, they are most common in North America.

Tornadoes are most likely to occur in the ' Tornado Alley ' region of the United States.

Tornado Alley States

Tornado Alley is the nickname given to an area that includes northern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.

Storm Chasers

Some people actually try to get close to tornadoes! They are called storm chasers. When they hear that a tornado is in progress, they drive there as fast as they can. Some storm chasers take photographs or film the tornado. Some collect scientific data. Others just enjoy being close to such an amazing storm, even if it is dangerous!
Would you like to be a storm chaser?
Other Types Of Tornado

There are other types of tornado. A landspout is a smaller, less powerful kind of tornado that grows upwards from the ground. They look like giant tubes.

Waterspouts are spinning columns of air that occur over water, rather than over land. Some are simply tornadoes that have formed over water, others are more like landspouts, in that they grow upwards from the surface of the water.

10 Facts About Tornadoes

1. A tornado is a very strong spinning wind that forms during a storm. A column of air forms from a storm cloud down to the ground. Tornadoes can be very destructive, pulling things from the ground and throwing them around.

2. Water droplets, formed in the tornado, together with dust and other things the tornado has picked up, give the tornado a grey colour.

3. Tornadoes are also known as 'twisters'.

4. Tornadoes can be over two miles across!

5. Tornadoes can travel over 200 miles, but most travel around 5 miles.

6. A tornado's strength is rated from 0 to 5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. This scale is based on the amount of destruction a tornado has caused. Therefore, a tornado rated EF5 is the strongest tornado there is.

7. Other types of tornado include landspouts and waterspouts.

8. There are people known as 'storm chasers' who deliberately follow tornadoes! They do this to take photographs or films, to collect scientific data or just because they enjoy the danger!

9. Tornadoes occur most frequently in the United States. Part of the USA has even been given the nickname 'Tornado Alley' because of the large amount of tornadoes experienced in the region.

10. Tornadoes are very loud. They make a continuous rumbling or roaring sound, and can be heard over 40 kilometres away.

Tornado Activities

Tornadoes are amazing things. Although they can be very dangerous, they are also very beautiful. Why don't you try these tornado activities?

Imagine that you can see a tornado passing close by. Try to picture the scene, and think about the noises you would hear. Write a short story about how you save someone from a tornado.

Draw an EF5 tornado (the strongest type of tornado). Be sure to include lots of destruction!

Imagine that you are a storm chaser. What would you take with you to record the storm? How would you stay safe? How would you share your pictures, films and writing? Could your research be used to help people learn more about tornadoes?

We hope that you enjoyed these tornado facts for kids! Read more articles and learn more about science and nature!

See more science articles here.

Related pages:

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Tornado Facts For Kids: Information About Tornadoes

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A tornado is a very strong wind that spins around at high speed. Tornadoes travel quickly over the land causing a great deal of destruction. They are powerful and dangerous... and therefore very exciting! Er, I mean, for scientists they're very interesting! Here are some more awesome tornado facts for kids...

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Tornado Facts For Kids

Enjoy our fun tornado facts for kids! Learn what tornadoes are, how fast they spin, how far they can travel, where most tornadoes occur, the difference between an F0 tornado and an F5 tornado, what a waterspout is and much more.

Read on to check out our wide range of information on twisters.

A tornado is a rapidly spinning tube of air that touches both the ground and a cloud above.

Tornadoes are sometimes called twisters.

Not all tornadoes are visible but their high wind speeds and rapid rotation often form a visible funnel of condensed water.

The Fujita Scale is a common way of measuring the strength of tornadoes. The scale ranges from F0 tornadoes that cause minimal damage through to F5 tornadoes which cause massive damage.

Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 100 miles per hour (161 kilometres per hour).

Extreme tornadoes can reach wind speeds of over 300 miles per hour (483 kilometres per hour).

Most tornadoes travel a few miles before exhausting themselves.

Extreme tornadoes can travel much further, sometimes over 100 miles (161kilometres).

The Tri-State Tornado that travelled through parts of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana in 1925 left a path of destruction over 219 miles (352 kilometres) long.

The Tri-State Tornado was the deadliest tornado in US history, killing 695 people.

The USA averages around 1200 tornadoes every year, more than any other country.

The majority of these tornadoes occur in a geographically unique area nicknamed 'Tornado Alley'.

US States most often hit by tornadoes include Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Florida.

In 1989 the deadliest tornado ever recorded in the world killed around 1300 people in Bangladesh.

In the southern hemisphere tornadoes usually rotate in a clockwise direction.

In the northern hemisphere tornadoes usually rotate in a counterclockwise direction.

A tornado that occurs over water is often called a waterspout.

Weather radars are used to detect tornadoes and give advanced warning.

Basements and other underground areas are the safest places to seek refuge during a tornado. It is also a good idea to stay away from windows.

Make a tornado in a bottle or watch some amazing tornado video footage.

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Fun Tornado Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Twisters

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Tornado Facts For Kids Enjoy our fun tornado facts for kids! Learn what tornadoes are, how fast they spin, how far they can travel, where most tornadoes occur, the difference between an F0 tornado and an F5 tornado, what a waterspout is and much more.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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Easy Science for Kids - All About Floods. The most expensive kind of disaster is the flood. Read on for more easy science information for kids about floods.

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Rain & Floods

How does rain form?
Water droplets form from warm air. As the warm air rises in the sky it cools. Water vapor (invisible water in the air) always exists in our air. Warm air holds quite a bit of water. For example, in the summer it is usually very humid. When enough of these droplets collect together, we see them as clouds. If the clouds are big enough and have enough water droplets, the droplets bang together and form even bigger drops. When the drops get heavy, they fall because of gravity, and you see and feel rain.

What causes rain?

When clouds develop or rain occurs, something is making the air rise. Several things can make this happen. Mountains, low-pressure areas, cold fronts, and even the jet stream.

How big are raindrops?
Raindrops are much smaller than we think! They are actually smaller than a centimeter. Raindrops range from 1/100 inch (.0254 centimeter) to 1/4 inch (.635 centimeter) in diameter.

How fast do raindrops fall?
Not including wind-driven rain, raindrops fall between 7 and 18 miles per hour (3 and 8 meters per second) in still air. The range in speed depends on the the size of the raindrop. Air friction breaks up raindrops when they exceed 18 miles per hour.

What is a flood?
A flood results from days of heavy rain and/or melting snows, when rivers rise and go over their banks.

What is a flash flood?
A flash flood is sudden flooding that occurs when floodwaters rise rapidly with no warning within several hours of an intense rain. They often occur after intense rainfall from slow moving thunderstorms. In narrow canyons and valleys, floodwaters flow faster than on flatter ground and can be quite destructive.

Do flash floods hurt people?
Flash floods are the #1 weather-related killer in the U.S. Nearly 80% of flash flood deaths are auto related. Know beforehand if your area is a flood risk.

How much water is needed for your car to float away?
A mere 2 feet of water can float a large vehicle or even a bus. This is why you should never drive through flooded roads. Just 6 inches of rapidly moving flood water can knock a person down.

What is a monsoon?
A monsoon is a seasonal wind, found especially in Asia that reverses direction between summer and winter and often brings heavy rains. In the summer, a high pressure area lies over the Indian Ocean while a low exists over the Asian continent. The air masses move from the high pressure over the ocean to the low over the continent, bringing moisture-laden air to south Asia. During winter, the process is reversed and a low sits over the Indian Ocean while a high lies over the Tibetan plateau so air flows down the Himalaya and south to the ocean. The migration of trade winds and westerlies also contributes to the monsoons. Smaller monsoons take place in equatorial Africa, northern Australia, and, to a lesser extent, in the southwestern United States.

What is radar?
Radar is an electronic instrument, which determines the direction and distance of objects that reflect radio energy back to the radar site. It stands for Radio Detection and Ranging. This is what meteorologists use to see rain or snow.

What is Doppler Radar? Doppler Radar detects precipitation intensity, wind direction and speed, and provides estimates of hail size and rainfall amounts. Doppler Radar gives forecasters the capability of providing early detection of severe thunderstorms that may bring strong damaging winds, large hail, heavy rain, and possibly tornadoes. Combined with satellites, radar gives forecasters the ultimate tools to provide accurate forecasts and advanced severe weather warnings.

Doppler Radar gets its name from the Doppler Effect. Have you ever listened to a train whistle as it was coming toward you? You probably noticed that the pitch of the whistle changed as the train passed you and moved away. This change in the frequency of sound is called the Doppler Effect. Doppler Radar measures the changes in the frequency of the signal it receives to determine the wind. How does Doppler Radar work?

The National Weather Service has installed a new type of Doppler Radar called NEXRAD Radar. NEXRAD stands for Next Generation Radar. This radar produces many different views of storms and rain that allows meteorologists to determine if a storm could be severe.
What is NEXRAD Radar?

Know the Lingo

FLOOD WATCH - means that an overflow of water from a river is possible for your area.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH - means that flash flooding is possible in or close to the watch area. Flash Flood Watches can be put into effect for as long as 12 hours, while heavy rains move into and across the area.

FLOOD WARNING - means flooding conditions are actually occurring in the warning area.

FLASH FLOOD WARNING - means that flash flooding is actually occurring in the warning area. A warning can also be issued as a result of torrential rains, a dam failure or snow thaw.
Click Here to see if there are any active warnings in your area.
Flood Safety Tips

BEFORE A FLOOD: Have a disaster plan and prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. Include a first aid kit, canned food, can opener, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing and written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas, and water.
DURING A FLOOD: Move to a safe area quickly. Move to higher ground, like the highest floor of your home. Avoid areas subject to sudden flooding like low spots and canyons. Avoid already flooded areas. If a flowing stream of water is above your ankles stop, turn around and go the other way. Do not attempt to drive through a flooded road. The depth of the water is not obvious and the road may be washed away. If your car stalls, leave it and seek higher ground. Rapidly rising water may engulf the car, pick it up and sweep it away. Kids should never play around high water, storm drains or viaducts. Be cautious at night, because its harder to see flood dangers. If told to evacuate, do so immediately.
AFTER THE FLOOD: Always, boil drinking water. Electrical equipment should be checked and dried before used.
Rain Activities

Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on learning about precipitation. In this activity, kids will use a weather map to answer questions about precipitation falling across the country. Note: This is a PDF file, so you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Pressure Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows how pressure is created in our atmosphere by sucking an egg in a bottle. This is a very cool experiment!

Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.Make A Barometer Experiment: Here is an experiment that allows the kids to make a barometer.

Evaporation Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows kids how evaporation takes place.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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How Floods Form

In 2002, heavy rains in Texas caused a reservoir to overflow. The raging water cleared everything in its path including trees, boulders ... a bridge! In just three days, the floodwaters carved a 1.4 mile (2.2 kilometers) long, nearly 20-foot-(6 meters)-deep canyon.

A flood is a rise of water with no place to go. Floods come in all depths, from just a couple inches to many feet. The power of floodwater is extraordinary and lethal. In less than an hour, strong rain can turn an ankle deep creek into an unstoppable 30-foot-high swell that overpowers everything in its path.

Floods occur all over the world. Causes of floods include hurricanes, broken levees or dams, rapidly thawing snow, ice jams, and heavy slow moving rain or repeated rains. A flood can happen in a few minutes, hours, days, or over weeks.

No matter how quickly it happens or the cause, flooding is deadly. Floods kill more people and causes more damage than other severe weather related events. Many die trying to drive or walk through a flooded area. Just six inches of water can knock a person off their feet. Just two feet of water can carry a car away.

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How Floods Form In 2002, heavy rains in Texas caused a reservoir to overflow. The raging water cleared everything in its path including trees, boulders ... a bridge! In just three days, the floodwaters carved a 1.4 mile (2.2 kilometers) long, nearly 20-foot-(6 meters)-deep canyon.

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hurricane | Search Results | Discovery Kids

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Hurricanes only form over really warm ocean water of 80°F or warmer. The atmosphere (the air) must cool off very quickly the higher you go. Also, the wind must be blowing in the same direction and at the same speed to force air upward from the ocean surface. Winds flow outward above the storm allowing the air below to rise. Hurricanes typically form between 5 to 15 degrees latitude north and south of the equator. The To learn more about hurricanes, Prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. Include a first aid kit, canned food and a can opener, bottled water, battery-operated radio, flashlight, protective clothing and written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas, and water. Have a NOAA weather radio handy with plenty of batteries, so you can listen to storm advisories. Have some cash handy as well, because following a hurricane, banks and ATMs may be temporarily closed. Make sure your car is filled with gasoline. Hurricanes

What is a hurricane?
A hurricane is a huge storm! It can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph. Each hurricane usually lasts for over a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour over the open ocean. Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters. Evaporation from the seawater increases their power. Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around an "eye" in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere. The center of the storm or "eye" is the calmest part. It has only light winds and fair weather. When they come onto land, the heavy rain, strong winds and large waves can damage buildings, trees and cars.

>Click Here to get your very own Hurricane Tracking Chart.

How do hurricanes form?
Coriolis Force is needed to create the spin in the hurricane and it becomes too weak near the equator, so hurricanes can never form there.

What is storm surge?
Storm surges are frequently the most devastating element of a hurricane. As a hurricane's winds spiral around and around the storm, they push water into a mound at the storm's center. This mound of water becomes dangerous when the storm reaches land because it causes flooding along the coast. The water piles up, unable to escape anywhere but on land as the storm carries it landward. A hurricane will cause more storm surge in areas where the ocean floor slopes gradually. This causes major flooding.
As you watch the storm-surge animations, notice the effect that the physical geography of each coastline has on storm surge. Also, note the waves on top of the ocean's surface. Wind, waves, and sea-level rise all contribute to storm-surge damage.

Shallow-Water Coastline

Deep-Water Coastline

With technology the way it is, there are computer models that allow forecasters to predict the amount of storm surge that will affect a coastal area. These are called Slosh Models and take into account a storm's strength, its path, how the ocean shallows, and the shape of the land. Then it calculates how much storm surge a hurricane will probably cause.

The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, but most hurricanes occur during the fall months. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season is from May 15 to November 30. (Below is a graphic that shows you when hurricanes are most active across parts of the world.)
When does hurricane season start?

Who names hurricanes?
From 1950 to 1952, tropical cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean were identified by the phonetic alphabet (Able-Baker-Charlie-etc.), but in 1953 the US Weather Bureau switched to women's names. The rest of the world eventually caught on, and naming rights now go by the World Meteorological Organization, which uses different sets of names depending on the part of the world the storm is in. Around the U.S., only women's names were used until 1979, when it was decided that they should alternate a list that included men's names too. There's 6 different name lists that alternate each year. If a hurricane does significant damage, its name is retired and replaced with another.
Atlantic Hurricane Names
Eastern Pacific Hurricane Names
Nothing except geography. Tropical storms occur in several of the world's oceans, and except for their names, they are essentially the same type of storm. In the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, they are called hurricanes. In the Western Pacific Ocean, they are called typhoons. In the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and Australia, these types of storms are called cyclones.
What is the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon?
(This is a satellite animation of Hurricane Georges, which struck the Mississippi Gulf coast in 1998.)

The brave "hurricane hunters" work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Each mission lasts about ten hours, with the crews passing four to six times through the storm. The planes carry radar, sophisticated computers, and weather instruments that determine characteristics such as temperature, air pressure, wind speed, and wind direction inside the hurricane. The crews also release instruments that measure temperature, air pressure, and wind at different levels as the devices drop through the hurricane toward the ocean. By mission's end, NOAA can warn everyone in the hurricane's path. (Below is a satellite image of Hurricane Mitch back in October 1998. The Hurricane Hunters flew into the eye of Mitch just as this Category 5 hurricane with winds of 155 mph smacked right into Central America.)

Who are the "Hurricane Hunters"?
Coastal beach erosion is the wearing away of land, the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage. Waves are generated by storms, wind, or hurricanes and can cause coastal erosion. This may take the form of long-term losses of sediment and rocks, or merely the temporary redistribution of coastal sediments.

What is coastal beach erosion?

Hurricanes...Past and Present
Tropical Tracks: Click to see the tracks of this year's storms.

Know the Lingo Past Hurricane Info: Click to find all the data and information about a specific hurricane by just knowing the year.
HURRICANE WATCH - Hurricane conditions with sustained winds of 74 mph or greater are possible in your area within the next 36 hours. This WATCH should trigger your family's disaster plan, and protective measures should be initiated. Especially, those actions that require extra time such as securing a boat and leaving a barrier island.
TROPICAL STORM WATCH - Tropical Storm conditions with sustained winds from 39 -74 mph are possible in your area within the next 36 hours.
HURRICANE WARNING - Hurricane conditions are expected in your area within 24 hours. Once this WARNING has been issued, your family should be in the process of completing protective actions and deciding the safest location to be during the storm.

COASTAL FLOOD WATCH - The possibility exists for the inundation of land areas along the coast within the next 12 to 36 hours.

COASTAL FLOOD WARNING - Land areas along the coast are expected to become, or have become, inundated by sea water above the typical tide action.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY - A small craft advisory is a type of warning issued by the National Weather Service, most frequently in coastal areas. It is issued when winds have reached, or are expected to reach within 12 hours, a speed marginally less than that which is considered gale force, usually 25-38 mph.

Click Here to see if there are any active warnings in your area.
Hurricane Stages
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

Category

Winds (MPH)

Pressure (Millibars)

Pressure (Inches)

Storm Surge
(Feet)

Damage

3

111-130

964-945

28.47-27.91

9'-12'

Extensive

Click Here to watch a variety of videos teaching you the ins and outs of nature's fury. I would like to give a special thanks to Pinellas County Emergency management for putting these instructional videos together.
Hurricane Safety Tips

BEFORE A HURRICANE: Have a disaster plan and a pet plan ready. Before a storm threatens, contact your veterinarian or local humane society for information on preparing your pets for an emergency. Board up windows and b ring in outdoor objects that could blow away. Make sure you know which county or parish you live in and k now where all the evacuation routes are.

Stay away from low-lying and flood prone areas. Always stay indoors during a hurricane, because strong winds will blow things around. Leave mobile homes and to go to a shelter. DURING A HURRICANE: If your home isn't on higher ground, go to a shelter. If emergency managers say to evacuate, then do so immediately.
AFTER A HURRICANE: Stay indoors until it is safe to come out. Check for injured or trapped people, without putting yourself in danger. Watch out for flooding which can happen after a hurricane. Do not attempt to drive in flooding water. Stay away from standing water. It may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines. Don't drink tap water until officials say its safe to do so.

Evacuation Tips: Here is a list of tips on what you should do, if you chose to evacuate as a hurricane approaches.
Hurricane Activities
Hurricane Supply Checklist: Here is a list of what what you will need if you chose to stay at your home during a hurricane.
Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on learning about hurricane safety. In this activity, Owlie teaches kids about hurricanes and quizzes them about what they learned. Note: This is a PDF file, so you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on understanding hurricanes. Students will learn how wind speed increases the height and why higher waves occur in shallower water. This activity is for grades 6-8.

Lesson Plan: Here is a great interactive lesson plan on allowing kids to create their very own hurricane. It lets you try to create ideal hurricane conditions by changing the winds, latitude, moisture, and sea temperature. It even keeps score! This is a great activity for 5-8th graders.Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on elementary reading comprehension. This lesson contains a broader vocabulary, more hurricane facts, and more thought-provoking writing prompts. It works well for grades 3-5. Note: This is a PDF file, so you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader. Lesson Plan: Here is a great interactive lesson plan that lets kids aim a hurricane. It lets you move the hurricane symbol, high pressure symbol and low pressure symbol to track your very own hurricane. Sometimes your hurricane will make landfall, other times it misses the U.S. all together. It lets kid understand how important the setup of weather impacts where hurricanes go.

Pressure Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows how pressure is created in our atmosphere by sucking an egg in a bottle. This is a very cool experiment!
Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.
Make A Barometer Experiment: Here is an experiment that allows the kids to make a barometer.

Evaporation Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows kids how evaporation takes place.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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MicroTech Water Damage Repair Jacksonville

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Each hurricane season, MicroTech gets calls from around Jacksonville and North Florida from people dealing with hurricane damage, rising flood waters or other water related challenges. When the weather rough in Jacksonville, we are on top of it offering Water Extraction & Water Damage Restoration services but we were curious about historically around the U.S.. so we scouted around and found a great post with the top 10 Damaging Hurricanes in the U.S.. (Fortunately for Jacksonville residents, we weren't on this top ten list.)

StoryMaps rounded up a top ten hurricane list that NOAA produced, which takes into account damage cost, deaths & the potential damage these historic storms would wreck were they to strike today. Below are the results, from worst to least damaging.

1) The Great Miami Hurricane

The Great Miami Hurricane virtually destroyed its namesake city when it struck as a Category 4 in 1926. It caused $105 million in damages at the time, but if an identical storm hit the same region today, costs would exceed $178 billion, more than double that of Katrina.

2) Hurricane Katrina

Katrina was initially labeled as the most destructive hurricane when it hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Louisiana in 2005, but normalizing it to other major hurricanes based on current conditions revealed that the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, in fact, would have produced a damage level nearly double that of Katrina if it hit today.

3) 1900 Galveston Hurricane

This hurricane is known as the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the United States. It caused at least 8,000 deaths, though some reports position that figure at closer to 12,000. It also destroyed 3,600 buildings and caused damage exceeding $20 million.

4) 1915 Galveston Hurricane

This storm arrived just 15 years after a 1900 hurricane that devastated the Galveston, Texas, region and killed at least 8,000 people. The city responded by building a seawall, which protected Galveston from this storm's 21-foot waves.

5) Hurricane Andrew

When Hurricane Andrew struck Dale County in Florida as a Category 5 storm in 1992, it ranked as the costliest storm on record, causing $26.5 billion in damage. Hurricanes Katrina and Ike have since topped that figure, however.

6) The Great New England Hurricane

This 1938 storm swept through Long Island and Connecticut without warning at an extremely high tide, which caused 12-25 foot storm surges throughout southern New England. Due in part to its sudden onslaught, 600 to 800 causalities and around $300 million (or $39 billion today) in damages resulted.

Though officially classified as only a Category 2, some experts argue that the Great New England Hurricane was actually a Category 3 when it made landfall.

7) Cuba-Florida Hurricane

This 1944 storm occurred when World War II was in full swing. Luckily, the proliferation of U.S. Coast Guard, Navy and Army personnel led to an orderly and efficient evacuation effort, which likely minimized the death toll. Around 300 people in northern Cuba, however, lost their lives in the storm. Most of Havana harbor was littered with wrecked and sunken ships.

8) Lake Okeechobee Hurricane

This 1928 storm cost over 4,078 lives-2,500 in South Florida alone-making it the second most deadly hurricane in U.S. history. Why was this storm so deadly? StoryMaps explains:

The greatest loss of life was around Lake Okeechobee. Winds pushed the lake's water onto the lake's southern shore, causing a hastily-built dike to fail. Water rushed onto farmland, drowning thousands of people, most of them non-white migrant farm workers. Many of the victims' bodies were washed into the everglades and never found.

9) Hurricane Donna

In 1960, this storm tore through the Florida Keys, producing storm surges of up to 13 feet. Notably, Donna holds the record for sustaining hurricane status for 17 days.

10) Hurricane Camille

The sleepy Mississippi Gulf Coast got pummeled by this Category 5 storm back in 1969. At the time, total damage only topped around $1.4 billion, but if the same storm struck today residents would face around $21.1 billion. One good thing did come of this storm, however. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale was implemented after residents complained that the hurricane warning system left them ill-prepared for the ensuing damage.

Article sourced from: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2012/10/top-ten-most-damaging-u-s-hurricanes/#ixzz2Wgu3ax00

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Top Ten Hurricanes that Caused Most Damage in the U.S.

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Each hurricane season, MicroTech gets calls from around Jacksonville and North Florida from people dealing with hurricane damage, rising flood waters or other water related challenges. When the weather rough in Jacksonville, we are on top of it offering Water Extraction & Water Damage Restoration services but we were curious about historically around the U.S..

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Teach current events in your elementary classroom, grades 1-6.

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What is an earthquake?
Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth's surface. They are the Earth's natural means of releasing stress. More than a million earthquakes rattle the world each year. The West Coast is most at risk of having an earthquake, but earthquakes can happen in the Midwest and along the East Coast. 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!

Click Here to learn more about earthquakes from USGS.

What causes an earthquake?
There are about 20 plates along the surface of the earth that move continuously and slowly past each other. When the plates squeeze or stretch, huge rocks form at their edges and the rocks shift with great force, causing an earthquake. Think of it this way: Imagine holding a pencil horizontally. If you were to apply a force to both ends of the pencil by pushing down on them, you would see the pencil bend. After enough force was applied, the pencil would break in the middle, releasing the stress you have put on it. The Earth's crust acts in the same way. As the plates move they put forces on themselves and each other. When the force is large enough, the crust is forced to break. When the break occurs, the stress is released as energy which moves through the Earth in the form of waves, which we feel and call an earthquake. (Graphic Credit: Wheeling Jesuit University/NASA Classroom of the Future)

Click Here to see an animation of an earthquake. It's great for kids, because they get to see how it actually happens!

What is a fault?
A fault is an area of stress in the earth where broken rocks slide past each other, causing a crack in the Earth's surface. There are the major types of faults: dip-slip normal, dip-slip reverse, strike-slip, and oblique-slip.

What are plate tectonics?
The theory of plate tectonics is a interesting story of continents drifting from place to place breaking apart, colliding, and grinding against each other. The plate tectonic theory is supported by a wide range of evidence that considers the earth's crust and upper mantle to be composed of several large, thin, relatively rigid plates that move relative to one another. (See plate tectonic graphic above.) The plates are all moving in different directions and at different speeds. Sometimes the plates crash together, pull apart or sideswipe each other. When this happens, it commonly results in earthquakes.

Continental Drift: To see this animation again, just refresh this page! This animation shows you what our planet looked like millions of years ago and what it looks like now! (Graphic Credit: Geology Department at University of California, Berkeley)

What is a seismograph?
A seismograph is an instrument used for recording the intensity and duration of an earthquake.

Click Here to calculate the strength of earthquakes!

What is a tsunami? A tsunami is a large ocean wave usually caused by an underwater earthquake or a volcanic explosion. Tsunamis are NOT tidal waves. Tidal waves are caused by the forces of the moon, sun, and planets upon the tides, as well as the wind as it moves over the water. With typical waves, water flows in circles, but with a tsunami, water flows straight. This is why tsunamis cause so much damage!

Know the Lingo

EPICENTER - The point on the earth's surface directly above the source of the earthquake.

SEISMIC WAVES - The energy created by the quake travels in waves from the epicenter, where they are the strongest. The waves shake buildings, structures and the earth vertically, causing them to move horizontally!

RICHTER SCALE - A measurement of an earthquake's intensity. Each one-point increase on the scale indicates ten times the amount of shaking and 33 times the amount of energy. The energy released by a large earthquake may be equal to 10,000 times the energy of the first atomic bomb.

4

Minor Earthquake

5

Moderate Earthquake

6

Strong Earthquake

7

Major Earthquake

8

Great Earthquake

Richter Scale

Earthquake Safety Tips
BEFORE AN EARTHQUAKE: Have a disaster plan. Emergency preparedness can save lives. Choose a safe place in every room. It's best to get under a sturdy piece of furniture like a table or a desk where nothing can fall on you. Practice DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON! Drop under something sturdy, hold on, and protect your eyes by pressing your face against your arm. If you live in an earthquake prone area, bolt tall furniture to the wall and install strong latches to cupboards. Prepare a first aid kit for your home. By taking special precautions and checking for hazards before a disaster strikes, you will be much more likely to stay safe. DURING AN EARTHQUAKE: DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON! Stay indoors until the shaking stops. Stay away from windows. If you're in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow. If you're outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees and power lines. Then, drop to the ground. If you're in a car, slow down and drive to a safe place. Stay in the car until the shaking stops.

AFTER THE SHAKING STOPS: Check for injuries. Inspect your home for damage. Eliminate fire hazards, so turn off the gas if you think its leaking. Expect aftershocks. Each time you feel one, DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON.
Earthquake Activities
Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan on learning about how thrust faults are responsible for the uplift of many mountain ranges across the world, including the Los Angeles Basin. This is a great lesson plan for middle and high school students.

Lesson Plan: Here is a great lesson plan keeping track of earthquakes around the world. In this activity, kids keep a record of the location of earthquakes for a week and learn about plate tectonics.

Earthquake Experiment: Here is a great experiment that explains how to prepare for an earthquake.Science Fair Ideas: Here is a list of science fair project ideas that deal with earthquakes.

Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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Kid's learn about the science of earthquakes. What causes them and where they happen.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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The ground shakes, buildings tumble and the earth heaves and cracks. Serious earthquakes are terrifying and dangerous, but are rare in the U.S. But why do earthquakes happen? The earth is made up of four layers - the inner core, outer core, mantle and crust. The mantle and crust are a thin skin compared to the other layers.

The mantle is about 1,750 miles thick, while the crust is only about 8 miles thick. This thin skin is broken into pieces called tectonic plates. The plates are like puzzle pieces, floating on top of the Earth's inner core. Sometimes the pieces slide under or against each other and become stuck.

When the pieces slide apart, they create tremendous force. This force causes the earth to shake and ripple. Over 80 percent of the earth's earthquakes happen in the Pacific Ocean, in a place known as the "Ring of Fire." Annually, around 10,000 people die in earthquakes every year. Most of the deaths happen when people are trapped in falling buildings. After an earthquake, mudslides, fires and tsunamis can also hurt people.

Fun Facts All About Earthquakes for Kids

Alaska, California and Hawaii have the most earthquakes in the U.S. Other western states, like Nevada, Idaho, Washington and Oregon are prone to earthquakes or can be damaged by earthquakes that happen in Alaska and California.

Alaska has more earthquakes than any other U.S. state. It has experienced over 12,000 earthquakes in the last 30 years. Alaska is followed by California, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Utah.

Underneath the Earth's surface lie tectonic plates. These plates move and shift over time. Sometimes they slide under one another or push up against each other, creating enormous stress. When they move again, they cause an earthquake.

Scientists who study earthquakes are called seismologists.

Seismologists can tell how serious an earthquake is by a machine called a seismogram, which rates the intensity of the quake's shaking.

Scientists can use special instruments to record an earthquake's strength. An earthquake rated 3 to 5 is minor; an earthquake rated 5 to 7 is moderate to strong; an earthquake rated 7 to 8 is major; an earthquake rated 8 or above is great.

On average, one earthquake measuring 8 or above happens every year.

The area near Japan in the Pacific Ocean has the most earthquakes in the world. This area also has a lot of volcanoes. It is called the Ring of Fire.

Most people who die in earthquakes die when buildings collapse on them. Others die in floods, fires or mudslides that happen after the earthquake.

May 22nd 1960 in Valdivia Chile the largest ever recorded Earthquake measuring a whopping 9.5 magnitude struck.

December 26th 2004 an Earthquake in the Indian Ocean measuring a magnitude of 9.1 on the Richter Scale resulted in a massive Tsunami hitting the region which resulted in the deaths of over 230,000 people.

March 11th 2011 off the coast of Honshu Japan a magnitude 9.0 earthquake caused a massive Tsunami to hit the coast. The Tsunami caused over 18,000.

On our planet earth we have four different types of dip-slip-faults and they are Normal - Reverse - Thrust - Strike Up.

Earthquake Vocabulary

Learn More All About Earthquakes and Why They Happen

Imagine that you're sitting in school when the ground begins to shake. Books fall off the shelves and you might even be thrown from your chair. That's what happens when an earthquake occurs. Earthquakes are the most deadly of all natural disasters. Over 10,000 people die every year in earthquakes.

Easy Science All About Earthquakes for Kids Video

Watch this interesting video all about earthquakes:

Earthquake Q&A

Question: Do all earthquakes cause damage?

Answer: Most earthquakes cause only minor shaking. Southern California has about 10,000 earthquakes every year. Some of them are so mild people don't even feel them.

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Question: What can I do to be safe in an earthquake?

Answer: If you're in a building in an earthquake, get under a table or desk and hold onto it. If you're outside, move to an open area away from trees, buildings or power lines.

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Question: What should I do to keep safe in an earthquake?

Answer: The best way to survive an earthquake is to take cover under a sturdy table. Get down low and place your hands over your head. You can even duck down in a door frame or curl up next to a couch or bed. Don't go outside, though. Many people die from falling debris.

Enjoyed the Natural Science for Kids website all about Earthquakes info? Take the FREE & fun all about Earthquakes quiz and download FREE all about Earthquakes worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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All About Earthquakes and Why They Happen Fun Science Facts for Kids. Learn more all about Earthquakes through our Easy Earth Science for Kids website.

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In Alaska in 1964, a magnitude 9.2 earthquake jarred the earth so strongly it caused fishing boats to sink in Louisiana. What causes the ground tremble like that? The answer is simple. The Earth's surface is on the move.

The surface of the earth, called the "crust," is not one solid piece. It's more like a 20 piece puzzle. Each puzzle piece is called a "plate." The plates constantly move. Fortunately for us, they don't move fast. Geologists estimate the fastest plate might shift 6 inches a year (15 centimeters). That's about as fast as your hair grows.

Earthquakes happen when a plate scrapes, bumps, or drags along another plate. When does this happen? Constantly. About a half-million quakes rock the Earth every day. That's millions a year. People don't feel most of them because the quake is too small, too far below the surface, or deep in the sea. Some, however, are so powerful they can be felt thousands of miles away.

A powerful earthquake can cause landslides, tsunamis, flooding, and other catastrophic events. Most damage and deaths happen in populated areas. That's because the shaking can cause windows to break, structures to collapse, fire, and other dangers.

Geologists cannot predict earthquakes. They hope they will in the future through continued research and improved technology.

Earthquakes can happen anytime or anywhere. But you can prepare for the unpredictable with a family safety plan, emergency kit, and supplies.

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In Alaska in 1964, a magnitude 9.2 earthquake jarred the earth so strongly it caused fishing boats to sink in Louisiana. What causes the ground tremble like that? The answer is simple. The Earth's surface is on the move. The surface of the earth, called the "crust," is not one solid piece.