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Hurricanes and Typhoons
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Hurricane, typhoon, cyclone—each is a variation on the same
deadly theme. The largest, strongest storms on Earth, these
swirls of wind can rage at 200 miles (332 kilometers) an hour.
The energy they generate in a single day could, if harnessed,
meet U.S. needs for three years. Hurricanes kill about 80
Americans each year.
FEMA: Storm Watch
The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency tracks storms and offers advice on protecting your family and pets from natural disasters.
Lowe’s Storm ’98 Hurricane Central
This site, co-sponsored by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, is a news source for current hurricane and storm information—and much more.
NHC: Tropical Prediction Center
Learn about famous storms of the past, check out satellite images, and find out what storm names may make the headlines in 1998.
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Floods
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Deadliest and costliest natural disaster, flooding comes in several
forms. Flash floods, by-products of heavy rains, strike fast,
sometimes killing dozens or hundreds of people with scant
warning. Coastal floods generally result from tropical storms; in
fact, most hurricane deaths are due to flooding. Seasonal floods
occur when rivers overrun their banks in the wet season. Such
floods can be beneficial—irrigating fields and depositing
nutrients atop the soil—but extremes are lethal. China’s Yellow
River killed nearly a million people during an 1887 flood.
Association of State Floodplain Managers
This professional organization aids administrators and governments involved with flood hazard actions and policies.
Dartmouth Flood Observatory
This university site provides remote-sensing tools for the detection, mapping, and analysis of floods world-wide.
FEMA: National Flood Insurance Program
“Never say never,” warns the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provides guidance on obtaining flood insurance.
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Earthquakes and Tsunamis
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The Earth quakes every day. Slight tremors, most of them
invisible to all but the most exacting instruments, add up to
millions of quakes a year. Only about a thousand of those
earthquakes cause damage. In addition to direct destruction,
earthquakes can generate tsunamis—waves that race through the
sea, reaching speeds of 500 miles (800 kilometers) an hour.
When a tsunami hits a coast, even half an ocean away, the wave
forms a giant, deadly wall of water.
California State University’s Virtual Earthquake
Locate an earthquake’s epicenter and determine the tremor’s magnitude on this interactive computer program.
Killer Wave! @ nationalgeographic.com
Our kids magazine brings you tsunami basics and a survivor’s story.
National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program
This U.S. government undertaking attempts to reduce the impact of tsunamis through
hazard assessment, warning guidance, and mitigation.
Tsunami!
Maintained by civil engineers at the University of Washington, this site provides an
introduction to tsunamis as well as links to tsunami updates.
USGS: Earthquake Information
This U.S. Geological Survey resource offers a map of recent earthquakes, preparedness
tips, FAQs, and more.
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Tornadoes
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Tornadoes strike from Argentina to India to Russia, but most
occur in the United States, which witnesses some 1,000 twisters
and about 80 deaths a year. Moving at 30 to 40 miles (50 to 65
kilometers) an hour, the average tornado seldom ventures more
than 6 miles (10 kilometers) across the ground. Some twisters,
however, travel hundreds of miles, leaving a huge wake of
destruction.
I Survived a Tornado @ nationalgeographic.com
Read a first-person account from a 14-year-old in Kansas.
Inresidence Shelters for Protection from Extreme Winds
Created by the Wind Engineering Research Center at Texas Tech University, this site
advocates reinforcing a small interior room, such as a closet or bathroom, to serve as a
tornado shelter.
Tornado Project Online
Compiled by a small company in Vermont, this site hopes to give its subject “a little
different twist” by addressing myths, oddities, and personal experiences as well as science
and safety.
Twister
Do you have what it takes to be a storm chaser? Find out at the official site for this popular film.
www.skywarn.net
Link to a collection of volunteer weather-spotting groups working in conjunction with the
National Weather Service, in the U.S. and Canada.
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