Heres intresting facts about the weather.
Clouds are composed of either small droplets of water or tiny pieces of ice, sometimes both. Clouds are ranked by meteorologists according to how high they are and whether they are fluffy or flat. This quiz may help you to identify some of them. Source http://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/SciTech/Facts-About-Clouds-270453.html
Flooding poses tremendous danger to both people and property. Since 1900, floods have taken more than 10,000 lives in the United States alone.
The Big Thompson Canyon (Colorado) Flood, which killed 140 people in 1976, proved a tragic illustration of a sobering statistic 95% of those killed in a flash flood try to outrun the waters along their path rather than climbing rocks or going uphill to higher grounds.
Most people are unaware that:
66-percent of flood deaths occur in vehicles, and most happen when drivers make a single, fatal mistake trying to navigate through flood waters.
Just 6 inches of rapidly moving flood water can knock a person down.
A mere 2 feet of water can float a large vehicle even a bus.
One-third of flooded roads and bridges are so damaged by water that any vehicle trying to cross stands only a 50% chance of making it to the other side.
Beyond the risk of fatalities, floods devastate homes, towns, and even entire regions. The great Mississippi River Flood of 1993 covered an area 500 miles long and 200 miles wide. More than 50,000 homes were damaged, and 12,000 miles of farmland were washed out. Those facts are from the weather channel
Your local authorities have issued a Flood Warning.
What do you do? Stay near your television to get updates on The Weather Channel or listen to your radio.
The decisions you make now are critical!
Surviving A Flash Flood
There many be no time for a warning to be issued.
You may have only seconds to escape.
It could be a life-and-death decision for you and your family.
If you suspect a flash flood is about to happen immediately climb to higher ground.
Remember, it does not have to be raining for a flash flood to occur. Some of the most dangerous floods originate many miles away.
See what happens when people are caught unawares by flash floods.
Surviving A Flood
If on foot, do not attempt to walk through flood waters. Instead, turn around and go directly to higher ground.
Make sure to keep children and pets away from flood waters, storm drains, and sewers.
If you are in a car, drive away from flooded areas never try to take a shortcut through them.
If your car stalls, immediately abandon it and climb to higher ground.
If No Evacuation Has Been Ordered
Collect your Family Emergency Supplies Kit plus extra blankets and sleeping bags and keep them with you.
Call your emergency contact person to report your plans.
Keep children and pets indoors.
Make sure you have cash and your car has a full tank of gas in case you must evacuate.
Make sure battery-powered radio is nearby.
If Evacuation Is Advised
Turn off all utilities (water and electricity).
Pack your Family Emergency Supplies Kit plus extra blankets and sleeping bags.
Lock the windows and doors of your home before leaving.
Tune your car radio to a news station to hear updates on evacuation routes.
Be sure to follow the recommended evacuation routes. Your favorite shortcuts may already be blocked by flood waters.
Check Out Other Information Resources
American Red Cross
Your city or municipal Emergency Management Agency (EMA)
Do you live or work in a flood plain?
Check the incidence of flooding in your area by contacting an expert source. Check the business listing of your white pages.
For current conditions, watch The Weather Channel or check the most recent precipitation forecast.
Do you know what a Flash Flood or Flood Watch or Warning means?
Anticipating A Flood
Anticipating a potential flood is possible, according to the experts at The Weather Channel. Stu Ostro, a Senior Weather Specialist at The Weather Channel and Project SafeSide's expert resource for meteorological science, shares the key factors that contribute to flooding and flash flooding and provides the signs to watch.
Flooding Indicators
Unusually hard rain over several hours or steady substantial rain over several days
Rains in conjunction with a spring thaw
A hurricane or other tropical system is affecting your area (wind is not the only potentially dangerous aspect)
It is important to wait until your local emergency personnel have announced it's safe to return home. Then, use only recommended routes and take the following steps.
How To Help Injured Others
Help injured or trapped persons.
If you have a cellular phone, try to call for help.
Call 911 immediately if there are life threatening injuries.
Beware Of Hazards
Be watchful and enter your home very carefully. Keep in mind that more than 150 people died in the cleanup effort after Hurricane Andrew.
Watch for snakes and other animals forced into your home by flood waters.
To prevent accidental fires,use flashlights, not candles, to see if power is on or off after a flood.
Look for fire hazards.
Keep children and pets inside. If pets must be walked outside, make sure they are leashed.
Repairing The Damage
Wear sturdy shoes and protective clothing as you begin cleaning up.
Check for structural damage such as loose plaster or damaged ceilings.
Throw away all foods, including canned goods, that have come into contact with flood waters; they may be tainted.
Check your electricity and water. If you suspect a gas leak, consult a professional immediately. If you suspect structural damage in your home, have a professional check your water, gas, electric, and sewer lines.
If your home has sustained damage, call your local chapter of the American Red Cross to get your copy of their booklet, "Repairing Your Flooded Home."
Assess Psychological Effects
In addition to the obvious physical damage, floods can sometimes cause emotional trauma and distress. Crisis counseling can help.
Should you or your family need or desire crisis counseling, contact your local American Red Cross Chapter for information about resources in your area.
Address your problems one at a time. Preparation may help you save lives and avoid injury. The rest can be rebuilt.
Check Out Other Information Resources
American Red Cross
Your city or municipal Emergency Management Agency (EMA)
All of the flooding facts are courtesy of the weather channel.
When a tornado warning has been issued, you may have very little time to prepare. How you respond now is critical. And how you react depends on where you are.
If You're In a Frame House
- Make sure you have a portable radio, preferably a NOAA weather radio, for information.
- Seek shelter in the lowest level of your home (basement or storm cellar). If there is no basement, go to an inner hallway, a smaller inner room, or a closet. Keep away from all windows.
- You can cushion yourself with a mattress, but do not use one to cover yourself. Do cover your head and eyes with a blanket or jacket to protect against flying debris and broken glass. Don't waste time moving mattresses around.
- Keep your pet on a leash or in a carrier.
- Multiple tornadoes can emerge from the same storm, so do not go out until the storm has passed.
- Do not leave a building to attempt to "escape" a tornado.
- If you are in a manufactured (mobile) home, leave immediately and take shelter elsewhere.
If You're Outside
- Try to get inside and seek a small protected space with no windows.
- Avoid large-span roof areas such as school gymnasiums, arenas, or shopping malls.
- If you can not get inside, crouch for protection beside a strong structure, or lie flat in a ditch or low-lying area and cover your head and neck with your arms or a piece of clothing.
If You're In a Car
- First; always avoid driving when tornadoes or other severe weather threatens. Vehicles are very unsafe places to be.
- If possible, take shelter immediately in a nearby building.
- Your best option might be to get out of the car and lie flat in a ditch or other low-lying area that is sufficiently deep enough to protect against the wind.
- If you leave your vehicle, get as far away as possible from your car/truck and shield your head from flying debris.
Besides the mistakenly-held belief that tornadoes occur only in "tornado alley" (the corridor that runs north from Texas to Nebraska) there are many other common tornado myths. Test your twister IQ:
True or False
- Tornadoes are always visible from a great distance.
- False: They can be hidden in heavy rainfall.
- Tornadoes cause houses to explode from changes in air pressure.
- False: Homes are damaged by strong winds, not air pressure changes.
- By opening the windows, you can balance the pressure inside and outside your home so a tornado will not do damage.
- False: The force of a tornado can rip through a structure, whether the windows are open or not. You should not open the windows when a tornado threatens. That could actually make the situation worse.
- The best place to be during a tornado is generally in the southwest corner of the basement.
- False: This used to be a safety rule based on the idea that debris would usually not be deposited there, but this has now been rethought. The new rule is to move to a protected interior room on the lowest floor of the building, as far as possible from exterior walls and windows.
- Tornadoes can not cross water.
- False: Tornadoes that form on land can cross bodies of water such as rivers and lakes. Tornadoes, especially the more violent ones, can also travel up and down hillsides. Thinking that your location is protected by a river or ridge could be dangerously wrong.
- A tornado is always accompanied or preceded by a funnel cloud.
- False: Especially in the early stages, a tornado can cause damage on the ground even though a visible funnel cloud is not present. Likewise, if you see a funnel cloud but it does not appear to be "touching down," a tornadic circulation could still be in contact with the ground.
- Downward bulging clouds mean tornadoes are on the way.
- Not necessarily! It could be the case, especially with those that show evidence of a rotating motion. But many of these clouds are not associated with tornadoes and may be harmless.
The tornado facts are courtesy of the weather channel
