1. Catastrophic Events Notes

2. Catastrophic Event/Natural Hazard
An event that results from Earth processes and that can cause damage and endanger human life
Examples: hurricanes, tornados, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, wildfires, etc.

3. Hurricane Wind speed >74 mph Huge, many miles across
Often accompanied by torrential rains
Storm surge, large waves, and flooding
Wind damage
Occur June-November

4. Hurricanes cause…
Storm surge and tidal flooding--Storm surge is the rising wall of salt water that comes ashore with a land falling hurricane, and is responsible for 90 percent of all hurricane related deaths.
Landfall = time/place when the eye wall of a hurricane hits land

5. Cause cont…
Heavy rain and flooding--After hurricanes make landfall, and their winds slow down, the amount of rainfall becomes a major factor, and can cause significant flooding.

6. Cause cont…
High Winds-- it determines how powerful the storm is, and how much storm surge and damage it can cause (can reach up to 200 mph).

7. Beach Erosion…
moves weathered rocks and soil from one place to another
it can move slowly or quickly
A car is submerged in sand after Hurricane Ike came through the area, September 17, 2008 in Gilchrist, Texas.

8. After 5 years, what do you think will happen to the beach and the house?
The land wears away due to beach erosion

9. Part 2
IEF Notes

10. What is this a picture of?

11. Tornado
Definition: A funnel-shaped column of rotating air (wind) that stretches from the bottom of clouds to the ground
Wind speed mph
~250 ft across (average)
Occur during thunderstorms
Wind damage
Spring/Summer
Mostly in Midwest (Tornado Alley)

12. Tornadoes cause…
Destruction to buildings, bridges and anything in the tornadoes path
death
hail damage
wind damage (can reach 140 mph)

13. Tornados and Hurricanes
Differences:
Tornados Hurricanes
<1 mile across >50 miles across
Form over land Form over water
Spring/Summer Summer/Fall
Little rainfall Lots of rainfall/flooding
Little/no warning Forecasted

14. Flood
An overflow of water that submerges (covers) land not normally covered by water
Caused by heavy rains (hurricanes, thunderstorms)
Storm surge (hurricanes)
Plants/animals/humans drown
Destroys buildings
Erodes land

15. Earthquake
Movement of tectonic plates (rock) along a fault line (crack in the earth)
Forms mountains
Destroys buildings
Often causes fires due to broken gas lines under cities

16. Volcano
An opening in the Earth's crust that allows magma/lava (melted rock) to come out
Burns vegetation
Releases ash into the air
Kills animals
Forms new mountains/islands

17. Effects of Catastrophic Events/Natural Disasters
Beach/land erosion
Destroy habitats
Kill living things (plants, animals, humans

18. Exit Activity
Create a Venn Diagram that compares and contrasts two natural catastrophic events- Hurricanes and Tornadoes