Download Name - SMS Tiger Team

Name ___ANSWERS_______________________
Research
You will complete research for all of the weather events. You will only select one type of storm for your
brochure. Record your research below.
Severe
Weather
Cause (be specific)
Dangers
Lake effect snow =
Cold air moves
over warm water
and is warmed
Blizzards occur
from below.
mostly in the
Moisture
northern regions
evaporates in the
of the US,
air. Warm moist
primarily in the
air rises
northeast, because downwind of lakes
of the closeness of and forms heavy
the equator, The
snow.
southern half of
the US is rarely hit Snowdrift = A
with snowstorms. deposit of snow
sculpted by wind
into a mound
during a
snowstorm.
1.
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.
Near
rivers/streams
and low lying
areas the rain
buildup is the
fastest. This can
happen anywhere
in the USA
1.
Every thunderstorm
produces lightning,
which kills more people
each year than
tornadoes.
Stay out of water,
because it’s a great
conductor of electricity.
New Mexico,
Florida, Louisiana,
Mississippi and
Florida have the
highest number of
thunderstorms
per year
2.
Blizzard
3.
4.
Flash
Flood
Thunderstorm
A rapid flooding of
geomorphic low-lying
areas—washes, rivers, dry
lakes and basins. It may be
caused by heavy rain
associated with a storm,
hurricane, or tropical
storm or meltwater from
ice or snow flowing over
ice sheets or snowfields.
Flash floods are
distinguished from a
regular flood by a
timescale less than six
hours
A storm with lightning and
thunder. It is produced by
a cumulonimbus cloud,
usually producing gusty
winds, heavy rain and
sometimes hail. The basic
ingredients used to make a
thunderstorm are
Important
vocabulary
Visibility would be
limited due to the snow,
ice and other particles,
causing whiteouts which
are dangerous to
motorists.
Frostbite occurs during
prolonged exposure of
the body to extreme cold,
this damages tissue and
causes a loss of feeling in
that affected region.
Hypothermia is life
threatening where the
victim would experience
uncontrollable shivering,
memory loss, drowsiness
and other conditions.
Due to the continuous
snowing, snow may pile
up on the roofs of house
and cottages which can
cause buildings to
collapse.
1.
A blizzard is a long-lasting
snowstorm with very
strong winds and intense
snowfall. You need three
things to have a blizzard;
cold air at the surface, lots
of moisture, and lift. Warm
air must rise over cold air.
Where they
occur (just in
U.S.)
2.
Meltwater = water
released by the
melting of snow or
ice, including
glacial ice, tabular
icebergs and ice
shelves over
oceans
Supercell =
thunderstorm that
is characterized by
the presence of a
mesocyclone: a
deep, persistently
rotating updraft
moisture, unstable air and
lift. You need moisture to
form clouds and rain. You
need unstable air that is
relatively warm and can
rise rapidly. Finally, you
need lift. This can form
from fronts, sea breezes or
mountains.
Hurricane
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.
Tornado
Come from thunderstorms.
You need warm, moist air
from the Gulf of Mexico
and cool, dry air from
Canada. When these two
air masses meet, they
create instability in the
atmosphere. A change in
wind direction and an
increase in wind speed
with increasing height
creates an invisible,
horizontal spinning effect
in the lower atmosphere.
Rising air within the
updraft tilts the rotating
air from horizontal to
vertical. An area of
rotation, 2-6 miles wide,
now extends through
much of the storm. Most
strong and violent
tornadoes form within this
area of strong rotation.
3.
Swimming, wading,
snorkeling and scuba
diving are not safe. Also,
don’t stand in puddles
and avoid metal.
Stay away from
clotheslines, fences, and
drop your backpacks
because they often have
metal on them.
Lightning = a
massive
electrostatic
discharge caused
by unbalanced
electric charge in
the atmosphere
1. Storm surges
2. Flooding
Coastal regions,
most commonly
Florida, Louisiana,
Alabama, Texas,
Georgia, North
and South
Carolina, etc.
Never open windows in
severe weather situations.
This allows damaging wind
and debris to enter the
structure
They can destroy large
buildings, uproot trees and
hurl vehicles hundreds of
yards. They can also drive
straw into trees
Central part of the
United States,
known as the
Great Plains. More
than 500
tornadoes
typically occur in
this area every
year and is known
as "Tornado
Alley". Texas,
Oklahoma, Kansas,
Nebraska, South
Dakota, North
Dakota, Iowa,
Missouri,
Arkansas and
Louisiana
Storm surge =
Water pushed
onto land and
causes flooding
along the coast
Eye =
The center of the
storm that is the
calmest part. It has
only light winds
and fair weather
Saffir-Simpson
scale =
Scale used to
measure the
intensity of the
storm. Measured
according to wind
speed.
Fujita scale =
Scale used to
measure the
intensity of the
storm. Measured
according to
damage/wind
speed
Vortex =
Center of tornado