February 11-17, 2007 Statewide break the Grip of Tornado ... › wp-content › uploads › 2019 › 09 › Lightning-Ledger.pdfMore details inside February 14, 2007 Statewide Tornado

February 2007

www.FloridaDisaster.org/kids

Brought to you by the Florida Division of Emergency Management

Promoting Hazardous Weather Awareness in Florida Since 1999Lightning LedgerLightning Ledger

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February 11-17, 2007Hazardous Weatherawareness WeekMore details inside

February 14, 2007Statewide Tornado Drill Page 3

Young people at risk!By Robert MolledaWarning Coordination Meteorologist, Miami Weather Forecast Office

Unfortunately, this sad event is all too common in Florida. Lightning is one of nature’s most deadly hazards, and Florida, known as the “Lightning Capital of the United States,” leads the nation in lightning deaths. Lightning kills an average of nine Florid-ians each year, more than any other weather hazard, and injures an additional 37 people. Young people are particularly at risk, es-pecially teenage boys. Activities such as going to the beach, playing a pickup basket-ball or baseball game at the park,

fishing and even walking home from school can be dangerous when thunderstorms are nearby. If you can see lightning, even in the distance, or hear the thunder, even if it’s not raining, you’re in danger.

See Lighting, page 4

SOUTH FLORIDA — On an early October afternoon in 2005, a fast-moving thunderstorm moved across a high school foot-ball field in South Florida. A foot-ball game was in progress, and the referees, noticing the rapidly advancing storm, began to move the players off the field. All of a sudden, a lightning bolt struck the field, directly striking and killing a 15-year-old boy. An additional 20 students standing nearby were

injured by the same bolt.

Michelle Wisniewski

Take lightning seriously…MESSAGE FROM GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST

Each day, more than 17-million people call the Sunshine State their home. Florida is a great place to live, work and play. But with this beautiful

place comes a responsibility to be prepared for all hazards that affect our state.

In Florida, natural events such as thunderstorms and lightning are a common occurrence. The key to your family’s safety is being aware of hazardous weather conditions and knowing how to prepare for them.

I have recently proclaimed February 11–17, 2007 as Hazardous Weather Awareness Week, and urge you to read the Lightning Ledger and share this valuable information with your family. This Florida Hazardous Weather Awareness guide will help us all make better decisions about personal safety year-round.

riP CurrenT SaFeTybreak the Grip of the rip Page 6

AmericanRed Cross

Now is the time to prepare!By Craig Fugate, Director, Florida Division of Emergency Management

Lightning Ledger:Florida Hazardous WeatHer aWareness Guide 2007

Florida division oF EmErgEncy managEmEnt2555 Shumard Oak BoulevardTallahassee, Florida 32399-2100850-413-9969

www.FloridaDisaster.org

govErnor

Charlie Crist

division oF EmErgEncy managEmEnt

Craig Fugate, Director

ProjEct managEr

Ben Nelson, State Meteorologist,

Division of Emergency Management

ProjEct advisor

Matthew Green, Federal Emergency Management Agency

dEsign and layout

Dawn McMillan, Florida Department of Community Affairs

WEathEr bulliEs cartoon dEvEloPmEnt

Lissa Flock

contributing authors

Bob Goree, National Weather Service, Tallahassee

Deborah Hanley, Florida Department of Agriculture

and Consumer Services

Randy Lascody, National Weather Service, Melbourne

Steve Letro, National Weather Service, Jacksonville

Robert Molleda, National Weather Service, Miami

Daniel Noah, National Weather Service, Tampa Bay

Jonathan Rizzo, National Weather Service, Key West

Paul Ruscher, Florida State University

Al Sandrik, National Weather Service, Jacksonville

Don Shepherd, National Weather Service, Mobile

David Zierden, Center for Ocean-Atmospheric

Prediction Studies

Editorial assistancE/studEnt activitiEs

Gretchen Letterman, St. Petersburg Times

Jodi Pushkin, St. Petersburg Times

This publication is a project of the Florida Division of Emergency Management in cooperation with the National Weather Service Florida Offices.

While many Floridians were busy celebrating this past holiday season, residents in

Pasco and Volusia counties were left picking up the pieces after multiple tornadoes swept

across the state on Christmas Day, impacting nearly 500 homes. Although the tornadoes

also produced damages from the Big Bend to Central Florida, Floridians thankfully escaped

the Christmas Day storms unharmed because they had the advantage of daylight, and

successfully obeyed the warnings issued by local officials carried on NOAA weather alert

radios. Many in this same area recalled how a similar set of tornadoes in 1998 proved to be

deadly, as 42 lives were lost during that event.

Now is the time to talk to your family about the importance of having a family disaster

plan and equipping your home with a NOAA weather alert radio. The past hurricane seasons

have taught us how important it is to be prepared before severe weather arrives. While

hurricanes usually give us the luxury of advance notice, other events such as tornadoes can

occur with little to no warning. History has taught us that with the current El Nino pattern,

from now through the spring months, cold fronts may produce deadly tornadoes, especially

when they strike at night. Make sure that your home has a working NOAA Weather Radio

which can be a lifesaving tool for alerting your family to dangerous weather approaching

your community.

In addition to having a weather radio, it also is important to understand the differences

in the weather alerts. For example, knowing the difference between a Tornado Watch and

Warning can determine whether or not your family needs to take immediate action.

The 2007 Lightning Ledger is a fun, interactive guide that you can use at home or at

school. This guide offers safety actions for Florida weather events and includes a variety of

activities you can practice in class or at home with friends. Since you and your family are

not always together, it is important that you know your family’s disaster plan. This includes

having a complete disaster-supply kit that is ready to use as needed.

As Floridians, we all need to do our part by learning about the hazards we may face in

this paradise we call home. Simply put, everyone should “GET A PLAN,” which will be good

365 days a year.

To GET A PLAN! Go to FloridaDisaster.org

• Discuss the different severe weather events that can occur.

• Find “safe areas” in you home and at school.

• Choose evacuation routes and a pre-determined place to meet.

• Stock up on emergency supplies you may need (floridadisaster.org/supplykit.htm).

• Take Red Cross first aid, CPR and disaster preparedness classes.

• Make sure your NOAA weather alert radio is always on

• Check radio and TV reports during severe weather events.

• Be ready to act when called upon by local officials.

The Tornado WarnInG will be broadcast on noaa Weather radio and will be encoded as a “Weekly

Test” for this drill.

Monday February 12LIGHTnInG

TueSday February 13

MarIne HaZardS &

rIp CurrenTS

WedneSday February 14TornadoeS &

THunderSTorMS

THurSdayFebruary 15HurrICaneS& FLoodInG

FrIday February 16TeMperaTure

eXTreMes & WILdFIreS

If a tornado struck tomorrow, would you be prepared? Would you know what actions to take? In Florida, tornadoes strike all too often. Planning and practice are keys to tornado safety. Whether in homes, schools or businesses, everyone should have a plan in place for severe weather. The tornado drill gives Floridians a chance to realistically test their plans and determine whether or not they are prepared. This is especially true in schools.

Here are THe plans for THe drIll:On the morning of the drill, all

participants should consider themselves under a Tornado Watch. Remember that a watch means you should monitor the weather and be prepared to go a safe place in the event of a warning. At approximately 10:10 a.m., the National Weather Service will issue and practice a Tornado Warning. The Warning will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio as a “Weekly Test” message. By 10:30 a.m., an all clear message will be issued.

Public and commercial broadcasters are encouraged to participate by broadcasting these messages immediately.

For the Florida Panhandle counties within the Central time zone, all drill activities will be repeated one hour later (9-10 a.m. Central Standard Time).

In real life, you must listen for the Watch and Warning messages and determine the threat to your area. Then you should decide which protective actions to take. Important: When in doubt, take immediate protective action!

Plans may vary depending on staffing, vulnerability, communications and a host of other factors. All Floridians should use the tornado drill to develop and practice their plan. Being prepared saves lives!

If actual severe weather threatens Florida, the drill will be postponed

until Friday, February 16.

Florida Hazardous WeatHeraWareness Week

Weeks Before the Drill Prepare

• Inform staff, students, parents. •Reviewandrefineatornadoplan.

After 8:00 am consider a tornado Watch to be in Effect.•announce watch to staff, students.•designate authority (coordinator). •evacuate tornado vulnerable areas.

10:10 am tornado Warning

• receive message.• Coordinator determines threat.

10:20 am• Upon determination of immediate

threat, give “take shelter” or “duck and cover” command.

10:30 am Termination of Watch

and Warning• Give instructions to return to

normal activities. (remember: Youwillnotreceivenotification.Terminatethedrillasyouseefit.)

After the Drill

Wrap up• following the drill, assess and

revise plan as needed.

Today will be thestateWide

tornado drill

school districts, private schools, preschools and

daycare centers are urged to participate in the drill.

�

For more inFormation, please visit these web sites:

Florida division of emergency Managementwww.FloridaDisaster.org

national Weather servicewww. weather.gov

american red Cross www.redcross.org

Florida department of educationwww.fldoe.org

Just read, Florida! www.justreadflorida.com

Florida newspaper in education Coordinators www.fniec.org

national Hurricane Center www.nhc.noaa.gov

Jetstream online school for Weather www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/index.htm

storm Prediction Center www.spc.noaa.gov

Hurricane Hunter Web site for teachers and students www.aoc.noaa.gov/Teachers_and_students.html

national Wildland/urban interface Fire Programwww.firewise.org

Federal alliance for safe Homeswww.flash.org

contEnts4 lightning

6 riP currEnts

8 tornadoEs

10 thundErstorms

12 hurricanEs

14 Flooding

16 tEmPEraturE ExtrEmEs

18 WildFirEs

19 small boat saFEty

tsunami and Florida

20 noaa WEathEr radio

21 El niño and Florida

22 hazardous WEathEr Fun PagE

24 2007 hazardous WEathEr

aWarEnEss PostEr & Essay contEst

byRobertMolleda,WarningCoordinationMeteorologist,MiamiWeatherForecastOffice

Monitor noaa Weather radio.�

Sparky

Young People at risk!Continued from page 1

necessary ingredients all the elements that make florida such a great place to live and play, such as the sun and the ocean, also play a role in the development of the thun-derstorms that produce lightning. These ingredients come together most often during the summer months when lightning can be a daily occur-rence in florida. July is the deadliest month, because many young peo-ple are on vacation and enjoying our many parks and beaches, which end up being bad places to be during a lightning storm.

lightning Packs a Punch Most people who are struck by lightning are not killed, but they are left badly bruised and burned. The force of being hit by lightning can literally blow off people’s shoes, shred their clothes and throw them violently through the air. It not only hits you hard, but at 50,000 degrees, it also burns rightthroughyou,leavingyouwithdisfiguringscarsandinternaldamage.lightning survivors often have pain, loss of memory and other bad effects that sometimes last a lifetime.

Play it safe How many times each summer have you been playing baseball, soc-cer or some other outdoor activity, and have seen a lightning storm approaching?Allthetime,right?Youprobablyfigurethatit’sprettyfar away and that you’re not in any danger. Besides, it’s not even rain-ing. That type of thinking can get you killed! Adarkeningcloudisoftenthefirstsignthatlightningmaystrike.Assoon as you see lightning or hear thunder, you are immediately at risk. By playing another inning or waiting even a few minutes to see if the storm is getting closer, you could be risking your life. Go immediately inside a house or other enclosed structure to stay safe. no place outdoors is safe! Covered vehicles are fairly safe locations, but remember to keep your hands and feet away from the side of the car and away from the dashboard, steering wheel and windows. even indoors, playing computer or TV video games, watching a dVd or dry-ing your hair can be hazardous during a lightning storm. for more information about lightning safety, check out the national Weather service Web site at:

www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov.

lightning safety actions avoid open high ground and

isolated large trees. avoid water — swimming

pools, lakes and rivers — beaches and boats.

seek shelter inside a building or an automobile but not a convertible or golf cart.

stay away from doors, windows and metal objects such as pipes and faucets.

stay off corded telephones and away from electrical devices.

lightning Facts lightning heats the air up to

50,000 degrees fahrenheit. This rapid heating of the air produces the shock wave that results in thunder.

a ground stroke can produce somewhere between 100-million to 1-billion volts of electricity.

The length of an average cloud-to-ground lightning channel can range from two to 10 miles.

You can tell how far away lightning is by counting the seconds between seeing the lightningflashandhearingthunder.Foreveryfiveseconds you count, lightning is one mile away.

ligHtning saFetY aWareness Week

June 24 - 30, 2007

www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov

the 30 - 30 rule Use the 30-30 rUle to determine the threat

of lightning in your area.30 seconds:Count the seconds between seeing lightning and hearing thunder. If this time is less than 30 seconds, lightning is still a potential threat. seek shelter immediately.

30 Minutes:after hearing the last thunder, wait 30 minutes before leaving shelter. Many lightning deaths occur after the storm passes. stay in a safe area until you are sure the threat has passed.

Masters of Disaster

a disaster safety curriculum for use by teachers of grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8

teachers: Refer to the lesson plans and activities in your school's

Masters of disaster curriculum kit.

www.redcross.org/disaster/masters/

www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov

student activity

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shocking energyIn 1751, Benjamin franklin experimented with electricity in a thunderstorm, using a kite, a key and a leyden jar (a device for storing static electricity). Staticelectricityisafixedelectricchargethatisbuiltuponamaterial.Acommon example of static electricity is the slight electrical shock that we can get when we touch a doorknob during dry weather. The static electricity is formed when we gather extra electrons (negatively charged particles, which we rub off carpeting) and they are discharged onto the doorknob. Try this: rub a wool (not acrylic) cap on your hair (on a dry day). This removes some of the electrons from your hair, giving each hair a slight positive electrical charge. like charges repulse one another, so each hair resists the other hairs. The result is your hair will stand straight up on your head. did you know that static electricity and lightning are both forms of energy? There are many different forms of energy. look in the newspaper for pictures and words that are forms of energy. Cut out the words and pictures youfindandcreateanenergycollagetosharewithyourclass.Writeanessayexplaining the importance of energy to your life. Sunshine State Standards: MA.A.4.3; MA.B.1.3; SC.B.1.3; SC.D.1.3; LA.A.1.3; LA.B.1.3; LA.B.2.3; LA.C.1.3; LA.C.3.3

Monitor noaa Weather radio.

ByRandyLascody,SeniorForecasterandMarineProgramLeader,MelbourneWeatherForecastOffice

Swim where a lifeguard is on duty and always practice the “buddy” system.

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Rip”

What’s More dangerous, a shark or a rip Current? according to the florida Museum of natural History, there were 297 shark attacks in florida from 1994 through 2005, with four fatalities (one every three years). In contrast, an average of 10 people die in florida each year after getting caught in rip currents. This shows that rip currents cause a tragic loss of life much more frequently than sharks do.

What is a rip Current? a rip current, erroneously called a rip tide or undertow, islikeashallowriverorchannelofwaterflowingawayfromshore. rip currents are part of the natural nearshore ocean circulation and occur on most days at the beaches. Weather or ocean conditions can cause them to be strong on some days, pulling unprepared swimmers away from shore into deeper water. However, rip currents do noT pull you under the water.

rip currents in florida form where breaks occur in the sandbar.The photo on the right shows the two main parts of aripcurrent,whichareidentifiablebyafoamandsedimentplume.

1. The neck of the rip current is where the seaward pull is narrowest and fastest.

2. The head is where the current broadens and slows.

know Before You go Photo: Dennis Decker

Going to the beach should be a fun time. But before you head out the door, check expected beach conditions by going online and reading the national Weather service’s surf Zone forecast. see whether the rip current risk is low, moderate or high at www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/forecasts.shtml.

Before laying your towel down on the sand, look for the nearest lifeguards and check with them about existing water conditions. If you’re going to a beach with no lifeguard on duty, look forwarningflagsorsigns.Ifwindsarestrong or the surf is rough, avoid going into water above your knees.

www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov

riP Current saFetY aCtions learn how to swim!

do not overestimate your ability to swim in ocean waters and strong currents.

If possible, always swim at beaches staffed by lifeguards or beach patrols and heed their advice.

If caught in a rip current, try to remain calm and signal for help in the direction of the beach patrol.

If caught in a rip current, do not try to swim directly back to shore! Instead, turn and face sideways to the shore and wade or swim until you are out of the rip current. Then move back toward shore at an angle away from the rush of water.

an alternate method of escape from a rip current for thosewhoaregoodfloatersand swimmers is to let the rush of water take you offshore until it slows, then swim back to the beach at an angle away from the rip current.

do not get caught in a rip current while trying to save someone else. Throw the personaflotationdeviceand get help from the beach patrol.student activity

riP Current saFetY aWareness Week

June 3-9, 2007

www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov

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Break the grip of the riptM

Ian Crocker is a four-time olympic medalist for the U.s. swimming Team and holds the men’s world record for completingthe100meterbutterflyin50.28 seconds, a pace of nearly six feet per second. “a rip current is one competitor all swimmers should avoid challenging,” says Ian. rip currents can move at speeds of eight feet per second, and it’s hopeless to try to swim directly against them. Many good swimmers become drowning victims while trying to swim directly back to shore against a rip current.

a survivor’s story Bill proenza is director of the national Hurricane Center. at age 11, he was swimming at a beach near Miami when he was pulled seaward by an unseen force. after calling for help, he was rescued. later, Bill found out that he had been in the clutches of a rip current. Two years after that incident, Bill was able to save a man struggling in a rip current, pushing the victim parallel to the shore, away from the seaward pull. This individual was certainly lucky to have Bill’s help, but, unfortunately, rip currents, often called “killer currents,” still claim more lives in florida each year than do hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning.

Photo: Dennis Decker Cour

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Facts about rip currents� Rip current speeds vary. Average

speeds are 1-2 feet per second, but they have been measured as fast as 8 feet per second—faster than an Olympic swimmer!

� Rip currents can be very narrow or more than 50 yards wide.

� Sometimes rip currents end just beyond the line of breaking waves; however, they may continue to pull hundreds of yards offshore.

� Rip currents do not pull people under the water—they pull people away from shore.

� Rip currents are not “undertow” or “riptides.” These improper terms should not be used to describe them.

Safety tips� Know how to swim.

� Never swim alone.

� For maximum safety, swim near a lifeguard.

� Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards.

� Be cautious at all times.

� If in doubt, don’t go out!

Where can I get more information about rip currents?� Before you leave for the beach, check

the latest National Weather Service forecast for local beach conditions. Many offi ces issue a Surf Zone Forecast.

� When you arrive at the beach, ask on-duty lifeguards about rip currents and any other hazards that may be present.

� More information about rip currents can be found at the following web sites:

www.ripcurrents.noaa.govwww.usla.org

A break in the incoming wave pattern is one sign of a rip current.

United States Lifesaving Association statistics indicate that the chance of death by drowning at a beach protected by lifeguards is 1 in 18 million.

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NOAA’s National Weather Service, National Sea Grant College Program, and the United States Lifesaving Association are working to educate the public on the dangers of rip currents.

NOAA PA 200455

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rip_brochure_final.indd 1 2/8/2006 9:09:57 AM

Masters of Disaster





Public service rip currents can be very dangerous. an average of 10 people die in florida each year after getting caught in rip currents. It is important to educate people throughout the state about the dangers of rip currents. Your job is to create a rip current aware-ness campaign for your school. look for advertisements in the newspaper. With a small group, write as many different advertising slogans as you can in your notebook. discuss with your group members the different slogans from the newspaper and their effective-ness. Using these slogans as models, come up with a slogan for your awareness cam-paign. Using the advertisements you found as models, create your own public service announcement in the form of a poster promoting your slogan and campaign to help make people aware of rip currents. on the back of the poster, list the top 10 reasons for being aware of rip currents. Sunshine State Standards: SS.C.2.2-4; SS.D.1.2-4; LA.A.2.2-4; LA.B.2.2-4; LA.C.2.2-4; LA.D.2.2-4; SC.C.2.2-4; SC.G.2.2-4; SC.H.1.2-4; SC.D.2.2-4


ByDanielNoah,WarningCoordinationMeteorologist,TampaBayWeatherForecastOffice

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the new enhanced Fujita tornado scaleThe enhanced fujita scale (ef-scale) replaced the fujita scale (f-scale) on february 1, 2007. The original fujita scale (f-scale), created by meteorology professor doctor Theodore fujita, was used by the

national Weather service from 1971 to 2006 to rate the strength of tornadoes. His scale used tornado damage to estimatetornadowindspeeds.However,Dr.Fujita’sscaledidnotconsiderhowwellastructurewasbuiltorflyingdebris around the tornado. as a result, some tornado wind speeds were reported higher than they actually were.

The enhanced f-scale (ef-scale) was created by meteorologists and wind engineers to make estimating tornado winds more accurate. The ef-scale looks at 28 different types of wind damage to trees, homes, power lines, businesses and skyscrapers. The original f-scale did not take all of these details into account.

The ef-scale will usually result in a lower wind speed than the f-scale if the damage is similar. for example, an ef-scale f3 tornado would have wind speeds between 136 and 165 miles per hour (mph), while the old f-scale f3 tornado would have wind speeds between 162 and 209 mph. The wind speeds needed to cause f3 damage are not as high as once thought. More information can be found at http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-scale.html.

Where do tornado warnings come from? AtornadowarningisissuedbyyourlocalNationalWeatherService(NWS)ForecastOffice.TheNWSisagovernmentagency,andthemeteorologiststherearetheonlyoneswhocanissueanofficialtornadowarning.Theywillissueawarning either when radar detects the tornado or if one of their trained sKYWarn severe Weather spotters reports thetornado.Thereare125NWSofficesacrossthecountry,andthetornadowarningsinFloridacomefromoneofthefollowingNWSoffices:KeyWest,Miami,Ruskin,Melbourne,Jacksonville,TallahasseeorMobile,Alabama.Thewarningmessage is broadcast on noaa Weather radio, which is a special radio that can turn on automatically to warn you that a tornado is coming. The warning message also is broadcast on your local radio and television stations. These stations want to make sure as many people as possible know about the tornado before it reaches them.

How do tornadoes differ from hurricanes? The differences are in strength and the size. The strongest tornado can create winds in excess of 300 mph while the strongest hurricane can create winds near 200 MpH. However, hurricanes cause much more damage than tornadoes. a typical tornado may be one to 10 city blocks wide, while the destructive core in a hurricane may be 40 miles wide and the entire hurricane could be bigger than florida. Hurricanes tend to cause much more overall destruction than tornadoesbecauseoftheirlargersize.Theylastmuchlonger,andtheycausepropertydamageduetowind,floodingduetorain,andfloodingduetostormsurge.Tornadoestendtolastonlyafewminutes,andmostofthedamageiscaused by extreme wind. In fact, most hurricanes produce tornadoes in areas more than 100 miles from the eye.

What is a waterspout? Waterspouts are tornadoes over water. They are usually weak and are common in the offshore waters of south FloridaandtheFloridaKeys.Waterspoutscanoverturnsmallboats,damageships,dosignificantdamagewhentheyhitland and kill people. The national Weather service will issue special marine warnings when waterspouts are likely or have been sighted over coastal waters, or tornado warnings when waterspouts can move onshore.

How does a doppler radar detect a tornado? EachNationalWeatherServiceForecastOfficeusesDopplerradartodetermineifatornadowarningisneeded.Theradar usually cannot see the tornado itself because the radar is not designed to see such small features. a radar designed to see an actual tornado would cost way too much money. Instead, a radar detects strong winds blowing toward and away from it in a way that tells forecasters, “a very strong rotation probably exists in this storm and a tornado is possible.” possible doesn’t mean certain, though. That is why local forecasters also must depend on reports from trained sKYWarn severe Weather spotters.

Homes When a tornado watch is issued, be

prepared to take action.

When a tornado warning is issued or a tornado is imminent, go to the innermost room on the lowest level away from windows. Interior closets, halls and bathrooms are good places to go.

If you do not have time to get to the lowest level, get under a bed. If you are at school, get under your desk.

Consider constructing a tornado-safe room in or adjacent to your home.

open Country seek a nearby shelter, if time permits.Ifnot,lieflatinthenearest

depression, ditch or culvert. Cover your head with your arms.

Vehicles abandon your vehicle and seek refuge in

a building or, as a last resort, a ditch. do not try to outrun a tornado.

offices, Hotels and Condos When action is required, take shelter in aninteriorhallwayonthelowestfloor,or in a closet or small room.

as a last resort, get under heavy furniture, away from windows.

Manufactured and Mobile Homes Have a plan of where to go during

a tornado threat — a nearby pre-identifiedsafestructurewithinwalkingdistance. abandon mobile homes and go toafirmlybuiltshelter.

tracking tornadoesUse the Internet, the lightning ledger and your local newspaper to research tornadoes. explore the following questions: What are tornadoes? How do they form? When do they form? How can you be safe when a tornado is approaching? What is a noaa Weather radio? What do storm chasers do? How many tornadoes hit your county last year? Compile all of your information for an oral presentation to your class.Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.3; LA.A.2.3; LA.B.2.3; LA.C.1.3; LA.C.2.3; LA.C.3.3; SC.B.1.3; SC.D.1.3

tornado saFetY aCtions

student activity

www.weather.gov

tHe FuJita sCalethe Fujita scale (eF-scale) uses actual damage

to estimate a tornado’s wind speedTornadoes are classified according to the damage they cause on the Fujita Scale. This scale was named after its creator Dr. Theodore Fujita. The EF-scale is to be used with caution. Tornado wind speeds are still largely unknown, and the wind speeds on the EF-scale never have been scientifically tested and proven. Winds of different speeds may cause the same damage depending on how well built a structure is, wind direction, wind duration, battering by flying debris and various other factors.

eF 0 gale tornado 65-85 miles per hour (mph)Some damage to chimneys. Tree branches broken off. Shallow rooted trees uprooted.

eF 1 Moderate tornado 86-110 mphPeels surface off roofs. Mobile homes overturned. Moving autos pushed off roads.

eF 2 significant tornado 111-135 mphConsiderable damage. roofs torn off frame houses. Large trees snapped or uprooted. Light-object projectiles generated.

eF 3 severe tornado 136-165 mphSevere damage. roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed homes. Most trees in forests uprooted. Heavy cars lifted off ground.

eF 4 devastating tornado 166-200 mphWell-constructed houses leveled. Structures blown off weak foundations. Cars thrown and large projectiles generated.

eF 5 incredible tornado 200+ mphStrong frame houses lifted off foundations and disintegrated. automobile-sized projectiles fly through the air in excess of 100 mph. Trees debarked.

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the no. 1 Wind safety ruleThe no. 1 wind safety rule is to get as many walls between you and the outside world as possible so the debris in the wind cannot reach you. It is not the wind that kills and injures people; It is the debris in the wind. for example, a person in a vehicle can drive on the Interstate at 70 mph and stick his or her hand out the window and not be harmed. However, that person would suffer serious injury if their hand hit a brick or branch while speeding down the interstate. If you can keep the debris in the wind from reaching your location, you will survive the wind event — whether it is tornado, hurricane or thunderstorm downburst wind.

Masters of Disaster





Monitor noaa Weather radio.10

ByJonathanRizzo,WarningCoordinationMeteorologist,KeyWestWeatherForecastOffice

Stormy

Florida’s light & sound showsThunderstorms are frequent weather visitors to florida. lightning

flashesthroughtheskies.Loudboomsofthunderfollow.Strong,gustywinds blow rain sideways. sometimes, balls of ice called hail may fall to the ground.

Thunderstorms help the atmosphere balance differences in temperature and moisture. The rain from thunderstorms provides water for plants and animals during the hot summer months. Most thunderstorms are only 15 miles wide and last only 30 minutes. sometimes two or more thunderstorms combine and last for an hour or more. approximately 10 percent of thunderstormsbecomestrongenoughtocauseflooding,largehail, damaging winds and tornadoes. These powerful storms are called severe thunderstorms.

How thunderstorms forma thunderstorm requires three ingredients. These ingredients are moist air,

lift and an unstable atmosphere. The ingredients act as the fuel and engine for a thunderstorm.

Moist air contains a lot of water vapor. Water vapor is water in the form of a gas. More water vapor makes the air feel humid. The water vapor needed for thunderstorms comes from liquid water that evaporates from the oceans, lakes and rivers. It can even come from wet ground and green plants. Moisture is the fuel for thunderstorms.

lift is a way to get the moist air to rise. There are different ways to lift the moist air. one way is from the sun. The earth has lakes, oceans, land and cities. Therefore, sunshine warms the surface of the earth unevenly. When a lump of moist air becomes warmer than air surrounding it, it starts to rise. Warm air is not as heavy as cold air and will rise on its own like a hot air balloon.

a cold front is a better way to lift moist air. a cold front is the leading edge of heavier cold air. It acts like a giant shovel, lifting warm moist air upward. as the air rises, the water vapor turns back into liquid water drops. We see this as puffy clouds called cumulus clouds. lift is like starting an engine, using moisture as fuel.

a thunderstorm requires one more ingredient before it can form. It needs unstable air. Instability is the difference in temperature of the air inside and outside the growing cloud. The cloud will continue to grow larger as long as air inside the cloud is warmer than the air outside of the cloud. The bigger a cloud can get, the better the chance for a thunderstorm. Unstable air keeps the thunderstorm’s engine running.

tHunderstorM saFetY aCtions

student activity

www.weather.gov

number of thunderstorm days

Per Year

You are

here

troPiCal reCiPe florida’s tropical atmosphere and sea breezes provide the perfect recipe for the making of thunderstorms! Three ingredients are needed — moisture, an unstable atmosphere and lift. Thunderstorms are part of life in florida. They are nature’s way of providing badly needed rainfall. research the hydrologic cycle on the Internet. Write a well-developed paragraph, based on your research, discussing the importance of thunderstorms to florida’s hydrologic cycle. Create a poster representing the hydrologic cycle and showing the importance of thunderstorms to the hydrologic cycle. next, use your local newspaper to track thunderstorms throughout the month. Keep a chart of your results. Sunshine State Standards: SC.D.1.3; SC.G.1.3; SS.B.1.3; LA.A.1.3; LA.B.1.3; LA.C.2.3; LA.B.2.3; LA.A.2.3

11

tools to track thunderstorms

Meteorologists use many tools to forecast and keep close watch on thunderstorms. Weather balloons and weather instruments detect moisture andunstableair.Computerscollectthisdataandperformdifficultmathequations.Theseequationshelpthemeteorologistsfindareaswheremoistair can lift to become thunderstorms. doppler radar is used to see inside thunderstorms. It can see heavy rains, hail and strong winds.

YourlocalNationalWeatherServiceofficehasmeteorologistsandtechnicians working every hour of the day and every day of the year. They issue safety messages called warnings when thunderstorms may become severe. Warnings give people time to move to places of safety.

tHunderstorM FaCts

Monitor noaa Weather radio. listen for “severe Thunderstorm Watches and Warnings.”

When severe thunderstorms threaten, go to a small interior roomonthelowestfloorofyourhome, school or business. avoid windows.

Before a severe thunderstorm, move vehicles into garages or carports to help prevent damage, time permitting.

severe thunderstorms can produce hail the size of a penny (3/4 inch) or larger.

penny-sized hail or larger can cause significantdamagetotheexteriorsurface of your vehicle, and break windows and damage roofs of homes and businesses.

penny-sized hail or larger can cause significantbodilyinjuries,suchasbroken bones and even blindness.

severe thunderstorms produce straight wind, called downbursts, of 58 mph or greater. downbursts have been measured in excess of 100 mph.

Downburstscancausesignificantdamage even to well-constructed homes, topple or snap large trees, blow down road and commercial signs, and remove roofs from structures.

downbursts can cause damage similar to that of a strong tornado, and causelossoflifeorsignificantbodilyinjury from wind-blown debris and toppled structures.

Masters of Disaster





Monitor noaa Weather radio.12

By steve letro, Meteorologist in Charge, national Weather service, Jacksonville

one size doesn’t fit allence. The coastal area near a hurricane’s landfall, which experiences strong winds blowing in from the ocean, will see much larger storm surge than areas where winds are blowing offshore.

Yetanotherfactorthatcanplayasignificantrolein a storm’s effects on your area is the direction from which it is moving. Usually, a storm will produce more wind and storm surge along florida’s east coast if it ap-proaches from the atlantic ocean than if it crosses the state from the Gulf of Mexico. In the same way, the worst storms for the west coast and panhandle areas normally will be those that approach from the Gulf of Mexico. More inland areas, such as orlando, Gainesville and Belle Glade, may not experience effects as strong as those experienced along the coasts, but they still can experience considerable damage, as we saw during Char-ley and frances in 2004 and Wilma in 2005.

The speed at which a storm is moving is just as im-portant as its direction. a storm moving at 20 mph will pass through an area twice as fast as a storm moving at 10 mph. for example, both Charley in 2004 and Wilma in 2005 were devastating storms, but each lasted less than 12 hours in any given location. By contrast, frances in 2004 was not as strong, but was larger and literally crawled across the state, resulting in some areas expe-riencing tropical storm-force winds or greater and heavy rainfall for up to two days.

The lesson that we should learn from all these differences is that we need to prepare for

every storm based on that storm’s poten-tial, and not on our memories of what

happened in some other storm, even if it was the same strength. our preparedness plans should be based on the worst that can happen in our area, and our response to each storm should be based on the advice from our emergency management pro-fessionals, who will tell us the best actions we can take to pro-tect ourselves and our property. While each storm is an individual, our basic response should be al-ways the same: to make sure we have the preparedness supplies we

need, to have an individual action plan and to be ready to put that plan

into action when we are advised to do so.

for more than 50 years, hurricanes have been given human names. While this is done in order to help identi-fy individual storms, it turns out that these devastating events actually have another characteristic that is dis-tinctively “human” in nature: Hurricanes are all individu-als, coming in different sizes and shapes and sometimes displaying very different and unusual behaviors.

Understanding these differences is important. one of the biggest mistakes you can make in preparing for hur-ricanes is to assume that just because you’ve been af-fected in a certain way by one hurricane, every storm will affect you in the same manner. While nearly the entire state of florida was affected by at least one of the storms in 2004 and 2005, less than 25 percent of the state actually experienced full hurricane conditions. as a result, many floridians think they are now hur-ricane veterans, even though they actually saw only the fringe effects of storms. The danger is that some of those people may believe that every storm will produce the same effects.

The truth is that hurricanes can have great varia-tions not only in strength, but also in size and structure. for example, in august 2004, florida saw the passage of Hurricane Charley, which was a very powerful but also a very small storm. despite making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles perhour,thepathofsignificantdamagewasonlybe-tween 25 and 50 miles wide as it crossed the state. less than three weeks later, the state was visited by Hurricane frances, which made landfall as a Cat-egory 2 storm with 110 mph wind. But this storm was very large in size and didsignificantdamageovermorethanhalf of the state.

The effects that you experience fromahurricanealsocanbeinfluencedgreatly by the structure of the storm. We often think of hurricanes as perfectly circular storms, but in fact, that is a very rare occurrence. There is almost al-ways one side of the storm that is stronger or larger than the other, so there could be a big difference in the effects you experience from a storm making landfall 50 miles to the right of you versus one passing 50 miles to the left. Suchadifferencealsocanhaveahugeinflu-ence on the storm surge that you might experi-

hurry

www.weather.gov

student activity

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Know if you live in an evacuation area. Know your home’s vulnerability to stormsurge,floodingandwind.Haveafamily plan.

at the beginning of hurricane season (June), check your supplies, replace batteries and rotate your stock of food and water.

If a storm threatens, listen to your local authorities. evacuate if ordered.

troPiCal storM Winds 39-73 mph

CategorY 1 HurriCane Winds 74-95 mph

no real damage to buildings. damage to unanchored mobile homes.


some damage to building roofs, doors and windows. Considerable damage to mobile homes. some trees blown down.


some structural damage to small homes. large trees blown down. Mobile homes and poorly built signs destroyed.


Wall failures in homes and complete roof structure failure on small homes. Total destruction of mobile homes. Trees, shrubs and signs all blown down.

CategorY 5 HurriCane Winds 156 mph +

Complete roof failure on homes and industrial buildings. some complete building failures.

HurriCane saFetY aCtions

saFFir-siMPson sCale

WatCH and Warning … knoW tHe diFFerenCe

Masters of Disaster





a HurriCane WatCH issued for your part of the coast indicates the possibility that you could experience hurricane conditions within 36 hours. This watch should trigger your family’s disaster plan, and protective measures should be initiated.

a HurriCane Warning issued for your part of the coast indicates that sustained winds of at least 74 mph are expected 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.

Being prepared steve letro reminds us that the lesson that we should learn from all these differences in hurricanes is that we need to prepare for every storm based on that storm’s potential, and not on our memories of what happened in some other storm, even if it was the same strength. You and your family need a family disaster plan, especially if you need to evacuate your home. Create a plan for evacuation purposes. What important items will you take to an evacuation shelter or a relative’s house. You need to plan carefully. Choose 15 items to take with you when you evacuate your home. look for pictures of these items in the newspaper. Cut out the pictures and paste them on a piece of paper. next to each item, brieflyexplainwhyyouneedtotakeitwithyou.Sunshine State Standards: SS.B.1.3, SS.D.1.3, SC.H.3.3, LA.B.2.3

generator safety: Be safe when the power is out

Landfallinghurricanes,floodsandotherseverestormsnotonlyposeimmediatethreats to public safety, but they also cause long-term problems when power is out for days or weeks. Many people decide to use portable electric generators during these situations, yet each year citizens fall victim to improper or unsafe generator use. It is important for all who use generators to use proper safety guidelines. These include, but are not limited to:• safely store and transport fuel in authorized containers away from

generators.• Install generators outdoors, away from windows, doors, vents and other

sources of fresh air for building interiors (generator fumes include carbon monoxide, which can be toxic without warning). neVer operate a generator indoors or in a garage!

• Install and routinely check battery-operated carbon monoxide and smoke detectors with alarms wherever generators are used.

•Turngeneratorsoffandwaitforthemtocoolbeforerefuelingtoavoidfiredanger. never refuel a generator while it is in operation.

always follow manufacturer’s instructions for any generator purchased. excellent and comprehensive safety tips are available online from the U.s. fire administration at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/safety/co/generator.shtm.

— Paul Ruscher, Department of Meteorology, Florida State University

Hurricane tracking Maps:http://www.weather.gov/os/hurricane/images/atlchartshpmillclr.pdf

http://www.weather.gov/om/hurricane/images/atlnoaachart.pdf

Monitor noaa Weather radio.1�

ByAlSandrik,WarningCoordinationMeteorologist,JacksonvilleWeatherForecastOffice

Florida Flooding Hazards although we call florida the “sunshine state,” in most years the majority of the state will receive a large amount of rainfall. The national Climatic data Center tells us that the average annual rainfall for the state of florida is 54 inches, but some areas of the florida panhandle and southeast florida can receive more than 60 inches of rain in a year. This heavy rainfall is due to our proximity to very warm bodies of water as well as the many lakes and swamps which dot the state. Most of the annual rainfall comes during our normal warm-season afternoon thunderstorms, but sometimes hurricanes and other types of storms can bring large amounts of rain in very short time periods. When those heavy rains occur, the groundmaynotbeabletoabsorballoftherainwaterandfloodingmayresult. Floodingmayoccuralongcreeks,streamsandriversbutbecausemostofFloridaisveryflat,floodingalsomayoccuroverlargeareasofthegroundevenwheretherearenorivers.Whenthishappens,manypeoplecallit“sheetflooding,”since the water moves over the ground like a sheet on a bed. This happened in many places in north and central florida duringthe2004hurricaneseason.InsomelocationsofnorthFlorida,thesheetfloodingwassoseverethatInterstate10wascloseduntilthewatersubsided.Also,duetotheflatgroundinportionsofthestate,floodwatersmaysometimesremain in an area for days, weeks or even months.

Hurricanes and Flooding Because of florida’s location and the fact that much of the state is a peninsula, florida has more hurricanes than any other state in the country. Most hurricanes move out of the warm waters of the atlantic ocean and Gulf of Mexico, bringing very heavy rainfall. In fact, the florida record for the most rainfall during a 24-hour period occurred during Hurricane easy in september of 1950. during that storm, 38.7 inches of rain fell at Yankeetown, florida, along the Gulf Coast. ThisheavyrainfallcausedextensivefloodingnearYankeetownandsouthofOcala.Morerecently,HurricaneIrenefloodedmuch of south florida in 1999, and Hurricanes frances and Jeanne floodedmanyareasin2004.Hurricanesmayfloodneighborhoodsandtownsduetopoordrainage,andmayfloodstreamsandriversasalloftherainwaterflowsintothestream.Meteorologistsatthe national Hurricane Center, the southeast river forecast CenterandlocalFloridaweatherofficesallwatchhurricanesveryclosely to try to forecast how much rainfall a hurricane may produce and how muchfloodingmayoccur.Thesemeteorologistsusesatellitepictures,doppler radar and computer models to try to warn people well in advanceofthefloodingsotheycansavelivesandproperty.

Poor drainage Flooding In some areas, people have built many buildings, sidewalks and roads. each of these reduces the ability of the ground to absorb rainfall and increases theamountofrunoff,whichiswaterthattriestofinditswayintoariverorstream. When engineers are designing buildings, parking lots and roads, they try to account for this runoff and design storm drains and retention ponds to collect the extra water. sometimes the rain falls too rapidly, or so much rainfallsthatthedrainagesystemisoverwhelmed.Poor-drainagefloodingmayoccuratthesetimes.Mostofthetimethiswillfloodstreetsandsmallstreams, but in some areas it may actually enter buildings and homes. When yourparentsaredriving,theyshouldnotenterareasoffloodwaters,asitmayonlytake12to16inchesofwatertocauseacartofloat.Sometimespeoplearedrownedbydrivingintofloodwaters.

Drench

www.weather.gov 1�

To estimate the total rainfall in inches from a hurricane, divide 100 by the forward speed of

the storm in miles per hour (mph). as an example:

10 mph forward speed ≈ 10 inches of rain

Yourlocalweatherforecastofficewillprovide a more accurate rainfall forecast as the

storm approaches.

rule oF tHuMB Flooding saFetY aCtions Neverplayinfloodedareaswhere

hidden sharp objects, electrocution and pollution are serious hazards.

Inhighlyflood-proneareas,keepmaterials on hand such as sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, plastic garbage bags, lumber and shovels.

Be aware of streams, canals and areasknowntoflood,soyouoryourevacuation routes are not cut off.

stay away from downed power lines and never drive into moving water.

drive carefully when water covers the road. If the road surface is obscured, water may be deeper than it appears.

Heed water contamination advisories. do not use food that has come in contactwithfloodwaters.

Flooding FaCts as little as one foot of moving water

can carry most cars off the road.

Just six inches of fast-moving floodwatercansweepapersonoffhisor her feet.

Mostflood-relateddeathsoccuratnight and are vehicular.

Urbanandsmall-streamflashfloodsoften occur in less than one hour.

Tropicalcyclonesposesignificantriskwellinlandduetofreshwaterflooding.

Masters of Disaster





student activityturn around … don’t drown!

Manypeoplediefromfreshwaterfloodingbecausetheytrytodrivethroughwaterthat covers roads. Moving water only as deep as a car’s hubcaps can be enough to move the car, possibly into a river or a stream. remember, when you approach water covering a roadway, Turn around … don’t drown! did you know that just six inches offast-movingfloodwatercanknockyouoffyourfeetandtwofeetofwatercansweepanSUVoffaroad?Eachyear,moredeathsoccurduetofloodingthanfromany other thunderstorm-related hazard. The main reason is people underestimate the force and power of water. Many of the deaths occur in automobiles, as they are swept downstream. of these drownings, many are preventable, but too many people continuetodrivearoundthebarriersthatwarnyoutheroadisflooded.Floodscanhappen in most of the places where people live. look in your local newspaper (don’t forgetthenewspaper’sWebsiteforarchivedstories)tofindinformationaboutwhenandwheretherisksoffloodingwashigh.Writeafullydevelopedparagraphinresponse to the following questions. How did the weather create those conditions? How quickly did the water level rise? did people prepare for the possibility in some way? Was there any property damage or loss of life? Who is responsible for monitoring and predicting these conditions in your area? Write a second paragraph explaininghowpeoplecanavoidinjuriesduetoflooding.Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.3; LA.B.1.3; LA.B.2.3; SC.D.1.3; SC.H.1.3; SC.H.2.3

Moving Floodwaters Insomeareasthewaterwillallflowtoward a stream, creek or even a river. When it does so it is moving water and all of the water in one area will usually move toward a particular location or river. The area where the water is moving is called a“floodbasin,”andmeteorologistswatchthese areas very closely during storms. Usuallyastreamorcreekwillfloodfirstand then several days later the water from manyfloodedcreekswillmakeitswayintothelargerriverscausingthemtoflood.Whenfloodingoccursalongtherivers,people may have to leave their homes and businesses for several days until the water goes down. It is important that you do not swimorplaynearfloodedstreams,creeksor rivers as you could easily be swept into the water.

el nino and Flooding Everyfewyears,thewatersofthePacificOceanneartheEquatorandalongthe west coast of south america warm up. When this happens we call it an el niño and el niño can have large effects on the weather in florida. a warm and moist jet streamcomesoutofthePacificOceanandoverFlorida,causingourcoldseasontobeveryrainywithpossibleflooding.Thishappenedin1998and2003.Thiswinteritappears that an el niño may be forming and it is possible we may see yet another cold season with very heavy rainfall.

dress in loose, lightweight, light-colored clothes. lighter colorshelpreflectheatandsunlight.

slow down and limit your outdoor activities. restrict strenuous activities to a cooler time of day.

stay out of the sun and in an air-conditioned place during the heat of the day.

Use sunscreen to avoid sunburn. Consider wearing a hat and sunglasses.

drink plenty of water. never leave a child or pet in

an unattended vehicle. during prolonged heat waves,

check on elderly family, friends and neighbors.

Hot Weather saFetY aCtions

1�

By david Zierden, state Climatologist, fsU, Center for ocean-atmospheric prediction studies

‘it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.’

Though florida is known as the “sunshine state,” the southwestern United states is really the sunniest place in the continental U.s. each summer, tourists visit from all over the world to enjoy florida’s warm weather and sunny beaches; however, most are unaware of just how hot it can get in florida. surrounded by the atlantic ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, the state is continually influencedbytropicalmoisture,especiallyinthe summer. The humidity is a measure of how much water vapor is present in the air, and these percentages can be very high during the summer months.

In order for our bodies to keep cool, we sweat to get rid of excess body heat. as the sweat evaporates from our bodies, it pulls the heat from our bodies and cools us. However, when high humidity values are combined with high temperatures, our bodies feel hotter than they actually are. This phenomenon is called the heat index. The increased moisture in the air limits our bodies’ ability to cool off by not allowing the sweat to evaporate. When the heat index tops 105 degrees fahrenheit, conditions become dangerous for the general population. a person can experience sunstroke, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and even heat stroke if they are exposed to these conditions for a period of time.

The national Weather service (nWs) will issue heat advisories and warnings when the combination of heat and humidity causes the heat index to reach the extreme Caution level.

In addition to the heat, people forget the dangers of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and often get sunburn. sunburn can occur within 15 minutes of exposure, depending on the level of UV radiation and skin type. even on cloudy days, the sun’s UV radiation can do damage to skin. over time, with prolonged exposure, this UV radiation can cause cancer and blindness.

provided by the national Weather service

Hot Weatherfacts The hottest temperature ever

recorded in florida is 109 degrees fahrenheit on June 29, 1931, in Monticello.

Miami has never recorded a temperature higher than 100 degrees fahrenheit.

The hottest temperature recorded in the continental United states is 134 degrees fahrenheit on July 10, 1913, in Greenland ranch, Calif., located in death Valley.

The hottest temperature recorded on earth is 136 degrees fahrenheit at al’ aziziyah, libya, on sept. 13, 1922.


Sunny

stay indoors and use safe heating sources.

Keep space heaters and candles awayfromallflammablematerials,such as curtains and furniture, and install smoke detectors.

Indoors, do not use charcoal or other fuel-burning devices, such as grills that produce carbon monoxide. Install at least one carbon monoxide detector.

outdoors, stay dry and in wind-protected areas.

Wear multiple layers of loose-fittingclothes.Wearahatandgloves.

drink plenty of liquids and eat high-calorie foods.

Weather temperatures are very important to people and animals. look for the weather map in the newspaper or on the Internet to monitor the temperature in florida for a two-week period. Chart the temperatures on a bar graph. Using the information about extreme temperatures,chart on a separate bar graph the prime times to avoid outdoor activities.Sunshine State Standards: MA.D.2.3; LA.A.2.3; SC.G.1.3

ColdWeathersaFetY aCtions

student activity Masters of Disaster





provided by the national Weather service

‘Baby, it’s cold outside’Though many people head south to escape the cold temperatures in the winter, it isn’t always warmer in florida. during the past 150 years, there have been numerous severe cold outbreaks that have affected the state. These cold weather outbreaks can produce below freezing temperatures and are usually accompanied by strong winds that cause bitterly cold wind chills. Increased wind speeds at cold temperatures accelerate the heat loss from exposed skin, and the wind chill is a measure of this effect. Basically, these conditions make a person or animal feel colder than the actual temperature.The national Weather service will issue wind chill advisories or warnings, along with freeze advisories or warnings when cold weather will threaten the area.

www.weather.gov

cold Weatherfacts The coldest temperature recorded

in florida is minus two degrees fahrenheit in Tallahassee on feb. 13, 1899. at the same time, snow up to three inches deep was reported in several cities in the panhandle.

on Jan. 19, 1977, snow fell on Miami and was seen in Homestead (which is 22 miles south of Miami). Unfortunately for snow fans, it melted when it hit the ground.

The deepest snowfall ever measured in florida, four inches, occurred in Milton on March 6, 1954.

The coldest temperature recorded in the lower 48 states is minus 70 degrees fahrenheit at roger’s pass, Montana, on Jan. 20, 1954.

The coldest temperature recorded on earth is minus 129 degrees fahrenheit at Vostock II, antarctica, on July 21,1983.

1�

Sunny

student activity

good fire vs. bad fireWildfires are bad fires that can cause major environmental, social and economic damages.

Florida averages 5,000 wildfires each year. The loss of timber, wildlife habitat, homes and even lives may result from a devastating wildfire. Since 1995, more than 2-million acres of forest land has been burned by wildfires, and arson was the cause of approximately 20 percent of these fires. As more people move to the state and build homes in and around forested areas, this problem will continue to get worse. Prevention is the key to reduce the number of human-caused fires. Prescribedfires are good fires that reduce the hazardous accumulations of brush to lower the risk of loss to homes, businesses, recreation areas and forests when wildfires occur. Prescribed fire also controls forest tree diseases and recycles nutrients in the soil. Florida has one of the most aggressive prescribed fire programs in the country. The Division of Forestry issues permits for all prescribed fires in the state and authorizes where and when these fires can take place.

Fighting wildfiresThe Florida Division of Forestry has a unique array of

equipment that enables it to attack wildfires in many situa-tions and in different terrains and locations. The state has one of the foremost firefighting aviation programs in the country with a combination of specially equipped helicopters and fixed-wing airplanes. Most firefighting in the forest is done using bulldozers equipped with fire plows. Plows are used to dig a wide fire break in the surface fuels, so the fire cannot spread. Helicopters may be used to drop water and cool the fire or slow its spread, so firefighters on the ground are able to use bulldozers to plow fire breaks around the fire.

Wildfire factsThe firewise (www.firewise.org) program was designed to

help homeowners reduce the threat of wildfire around their homes. Homeowners can make their yards fire resistant by planting specific species of vegetation and landscaping in a way that fire will not threaten their homes. fire Weather Watches and red flag Warnings are issued by the National Weather Service to alert prescribed burners and land managers to po-tentially hazardous burning conditions that may lead to the loss of control of a prescribed fire or add to wildfire danger. Wildfire season in Florida is considered to be 12 months long. Fires can occur at any time of the year in contrast to other states where wildfire season is usually in the spring or fall months. However, most wildfires occur during the January-June period, when tropical moisture is cut off to the state and cold fronts bring dry, windy conditions. Fire season usually ends in June, when the afternoon sea breeze brings moist air and thunderstorms to the state.

www.Firewise.org

Create a defensible or safe space of at least 30 feet around your home that is lean, clean and green.

To help emergency vehicles gain access, make sure driveways are at least 12 feet wide with at least 15 feet of overhead clearance and areeasilyidentifiable.

Keep gutters, eaves and yards clear of debris, sticks, pine needles and leaves.

Trim all tree branches that hang over the house or are lower than 6 to 10 feet from the ground.

Plantfire-resistantplants such as dogwood, sycamore, magnolia, oaks, red maple, wild azalea, sweetgum, black cherry and ferns instead of pines and palmettos.

Usefire-resistantconstruction materials wherepossibleandfire-resistant barriers when attachingflammablematerials, such as wood decks or fences, to the house.

follow local regulations for the burning or disposal of yard waste and other materials.

develop a personal disaster plan, including a plan for evacuating your home. Be sure to identify at least two routes out of your neighborhood or subdivision.

an ecosystem is a living community of plants and animals that need each other to exist. Whywouldawildfireoraprescribedburnbeapositivethingforanecosystem?Whywouldawildfirebenegative?Drawalinedownapieceofpaper.Labeltheleftsideof the paper “positives.” label the right side “negatives.” look for an article in the newspaperaboutawildfire.Writeabriefparagraphexplainingifthefirehadapositiveor negative effect on the ecosystem.Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.3; LA.A.2.3; LA.B.2.3; LA.C.2.3; LA.C.3.3; SS.B.2.3; SC.F.1.3; SC.G.1.3

Wildfire safety actions

By deborah Hanley, Meteorologist, florida division of forestry

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tsunami and FloridaBy al sandrik, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, WeatherForecastOffice,Jacksonville

several tsunami struck around the world during the past several years, and some had very wide impacts. after the big Indian ocean tsunami, the question must have come up in your mind, “Can a tsunami happen here?” The answer is yes, because any large body of water, such as the atlantic ocean or Gulf of Mexico, is capable of producing a tsunami.

“Tsunami” is a Japanese word, which means harbor wave, and they are well named because tsunami waves easily pass beneath a ship at sea without even being noticed; however, when those waves reach land they swell to great heights in coastal areas and harbors. Tsunami also move very fast, almost as fast as a jet plane and can strike with little or no warning.

Tsunami can be generated whenever a large amount of water is rapidly moved, and there are several ways that this can happen. some of the possible causes are volcanoes, large underwater earthquakes, underwater landslides, large landslides (when a portion of an island breaks off and slides into the water) or even an asteroid striking the ocean. some of these events, such as island landslides and asteroids, may not occur for thousands of years, but earthquakes that generate tsunami happen every couple of years. In 2006, there were several earthquakes in the Gulf of Mexico, and while they were not strong enough to cause tsunami, they do show that there is much aboutthestructureoftheoceanfloorthatwesimplydonotknow.

We can think of a tsunami like a rock thrown into a pond. When the rock enters the pond, it pushes water away from the point of impact, and several circular ripples begin to move across the water. These ripples spread out until the wave reaches the edge of the pond, and then they roll over the edge as breaking waves. This is what happens with a real tsunami, except instead of a pond, the waves can cross entire oceans and instead of a ripple the breaking waves can be very tall.

There is a fault in south Carolina that actually has generated a tsunami in florida. on aug. 31, 1886, a strong earthquake shook the city of Charleston, destroying a large number of the city’s buildings. This earthquake also shook northern florida, and, approximately 15 minutes later, a tsunami hit the beaches near Jacksonville. luckily, not too many people lived in Jacksonville at that time, but if the same thing occurred today, many people could be hurt or even killed. a strong earthquake is nature’s natural tsunami warning, and if you feel a strong earthquake, or if the water begins to act strangely for no apparent reason, you should get to higher ground quickly.

There are several areas near puerto rico and europe where large tsunami-generating earthquakes can occur, and these tsunami can travel great distances, even crossing an entire ocean. This type of tsunami is called a tele-tsunami, and one occurredinthePacificOceanlastNovember.OnNov.15,2006,an earthquake near the Kuril Islands of russia sent a tsunami waveacrossthePacificOceantoHawaiiandCrescentCity,Calif.While no one was killed, some people were swept into the water and docks and roads were damaged. In the United states, we have a system to watch for this threat, and if florida were to be threatened by a tele-tsunami, we would have several hours of warning to get to higher ground.

When a tsunami strikes a coast, it can do so as a series of waves, and each new wave can be larger than the wave before it. additionally, there may be some time between waves, so it isnotsafetoassumethatthetsunamiisoverafterthefirstwave hits. Very strong currents and rapid changes in the height of waves could be very dangerous along the florida coast. It is very important to follow the instructions of emergency managers andpublicofficialsifaTsunamiWarningisissued.IfaTsunamiWarning is issued, never go to the water to watch the waves, and remember that you may only have minutes to take action.

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small Boat safetyBy don shepherd, senior forecaster, WeatherForecastOffice,Mobile

florida’s abundant inland and coastal waterways, and its typically beautiful weather, combine to produce a boater’s paradise. as a result, recreational boating is a favorite outdoor activity for many of our residents and visitors alike. although the weather here in florida is usually quite tranquil, it can quickly change for the worse. These sudden changes in the weather can rapidly turn a pleasant day on the water into a dangerous situation. some examples of weather that can be dangerous to small boat operators on florida’s waterways include strong winds, rough seas, lightning and waterspouts.

Boaters most often encounter unexpected sTronG WInds over florida waters. These winds can be caused by thunderstorms, a tropical storm or even a passing cold front. In general, wind gusts of 34 knots (39 miles per hour) or greater can be strong enough to overturn small boats. strong winds can also produce roUGH seas. Many small boats have difficultymaneuveringinseasofjust2to4feet,butseasof5 feet or greater are especially hazardous to small boats.

lIGHTnInG also presents a danger to boaters. florida has more lightning strikes than any other state, and florida also often leads the nation in lightning related fatalities and injuries. Many of these deaths and injuries occur on the water. If you hear thunder, you potentially can be struck by lightning. If you are on a boat and lightning is occurring, return to safe harbor. If you are unable to get to safe harbor quickly, lie down or, if possible, get below deck.

WaTerspoUTs are similar to tornadoes; however, waterspouts form over water. Waterspouts form during severe thunderstorms that occur over water, and they can be quite strong. But they also can form during fair and relatively calm weather. such “fair weather waterspouts” are not as strong, but they can easily damage or destroy a small boat. The best way to avoid a waterspout is to move at a 90-degree angle to its apparent movement.

The national Weather service issues a variety of products that will alert boaters to the presence of dangerous weather conditionsonthewater.Themostefficientmethodofreceivingthese warnings and other forecast information is through noaa Weather radio. The U.s. Coast Guard also re-broadcasts some of these warnings, advisories and statements across the marine radio emergency channel. another popular method of receiving national Weather service information, especially before you headoutonthewater,isontheInternet.AllNWSofficeshave a Web site containing important local weather information.

a safe and enjoyable florida boating experience is up to you. always plan ahead and follow safe boating practices.

Gale

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tune in to noaa Would you live in a home without a smoke detector? probably not. after all, a

firecanhappenanytime.Youcouldbeasleepandthedetector’salarmcouldsave your life. The cost of a smoke detector is a small price to pay to protect yourself and your family.

so what about severe weather or other emergencies? Tornadoes, floods,severestorms,wildfiresandotherdangerscanhappenanytime.Will you hear the warnings?

You will with a noaa Weather radio. a noaa Weather radio can alert you to danger just like a smoke detector. The alerts are broadcast fromthelocalNationalWeatherService(NWS)officeservingyourarea.The nWs meteorologists are watching the weather 24 hours a day, every day. sophisticated doppler radars and other technology help the forecaster decide when to issue watches and warnings. When the decision is made and the message is broadcast, your Weather radio can alert you to the danger.

In 1975, the noaa Weather radio was designated the sole government-operated radio system to provide warning information directly to the american people both for natural and other hazards. now, there are more than 900 stations around the nation, including 30 in florida.

It’s not just a “weather” radio. It’s an “all hazards” radio. noaa’s national Weather service works very closely with emergency management agencies to provideyouwithotheremergencymessages.Ifawildfireorachemicalspillthreatens your area, emergency management agencies may produce evacuation messages for broadcast on your noaa Weather radio.

Weather radios are manufactured by several companies and sold in many stores and on the Internet. The florida division of emergency Management recommends you buy a Weather radio with the public alert designation. This means the radio can be programmed to receive only the alerts that are important to you. This is alsoknownasSAME(SpecificAreaMessageEncoding)technology.

Many weather radios can be attached to personal computers, strobe lights or other devices to make sure you are alerted.

If you live in a home that is vulnerable to high winds or tornadoes, you would program your weather radio to alert you of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. You should set the weather radio to ignore warnings for counties far away from your location. This way, you will get only the alerts that you need.

pay attention when your weather radio sounds a warning. listen to the watch or warning message. Check out your local television or radio stations that serve your area. They may be able to tell you much more about what is happening. also, get the big picture on nWs Web sites. The nWs Web sites can show you the latest warnings, overlaid on doppler radar loop images.

during other times, when the weather is quieter, you may listen to the routine noaa Weather radio program. It gives you current conditions, local forecasts, marine forecasts, tropical weather outlooks and other information.

TheNOAAWeatherRadiocannotwarnyouifyourhomecatchesfire;That’syour smoke detector’s job. for many other life-threatening events, get a noaa Weather radio. It just might make the difference. oh, and don’t forget the spare batteries!

Careers in MeteorologYby paul ruscher, associate professor and associate Chair, department of Meteorology, Florida State university, are you interested in studying Meteorology as a career? Meteorologists serve the public in many ways, including as broadcasters, teachers, researchers, emergency preparedness workers, air quality specialists and weather forecasters.

There are several university programs that serve florida residents who are interested in further study in meteorology. Here are links on the World Wide Web that will provide further information.

• embry-riddle aeronautical University (daytona Beach)

http://www.erau.edu/db/degrees/b-appliedmeteorology.html

• florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne) http://my.fit.edu/wx_fit/home/

• florida International University (Miami) http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/geology/Program2.

htm (program under development)

• florida state University (Tallahassee) – http://www.met.fsu.edu/

• University of Miami (Miami), rosenstiel school http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/

• University of south alabama (Mobile) http://www.southalabama.edu/meteorology/

further information on careers in meteorology may also be obtained from the american Meteorological society at http://www.ametsoc.org/atmosCareers/.

student activitytracking natural disasters

a noaa Weather radio can alert you to dangerous weather just as a smoke detector can warn you about dangerous smoke. The noaa Weather radio alertsarebroadcastfromthelocalNationalWeatherService(NWS)officeserving your area. Your Weather radio can alert you to potential dangers. Weather and natural disasters affect our daily lives, health and economy. for example, tsunami, hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes can be very costly to an individual or the community at large. Many of these disasters occur only in certain parts of the world, but their occurrence can have an impact on thelivesofthosewhohavenotexperiencedfirsthandthedramaandtragedyaccompanying these events. Use the newspaper to keep track of natural disasters over a two- or three-week period. Keep a natural disaster journal. Identify the disaster and its location in your journal. Create a chart listing all of the natural disasters. Choose a disaster that did not happen in your area and make a list of some of the ways in which you or other people in your community would be affected by this particular kind of disaster. Write a brief essay outlining the disasters and how they affect communities. share your information with your class.Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.3; LA.A.2.3; LA.B.1.3; LA.B.2.3; LA.C.2.3; LA.C.3.3; SC.B.2.3; SC.D.1.3; SC.H.3.3;

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

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el niño/la niña &Florida Hazardous Weather ElNiñoandLaNiñaarethenamesgiventotheperiodicwarmingandcoolingofthesurfacewatersofthePacificOceannear the equator. Most attention has been given to el niño, which means the (boy) child in spanish. It was so named around the 1890s because of the unusual ocean warmth that occasionally appeared off the coast of peru around Christmastime. The systemhasdevastatingeffectsonthecoastalfishingeconomyandcausesdeadlyflashfloodingintheotherwisearidregion.Formanyyears,theimpactsoftheElNiño/LaNiñaphenomenawerethoughttobeconfinedtotheimmediatecoastofSouthAmerica.Overthedecades,however,researchhasshownthatthesephenomenahaveprofoundinfluencesonregionalweatherfarfromtheequatorialPacific.Theselong-rangeinfluencesarecalledteleconnections.IntheUnitedStates,theweatheroverCaliforniaandFlorida,inparticular,isgreatlyinfluencedbyElNiñoandLaNiñafromlatefallthroughearlyspring.

ElNiño,theperiodicwarmingoftheoceansurfaceintheeasternPacificalongtheequator,usuallybeginsinthesummerand reaches its peak in late winter. The extra heat and moisture released into the atmosphere cause stronger than normal temperature differences between the equator and higher latitudes. as a result, the jet stream — the river of air 5/7 miles above the earth — is much stronger than normal and further south, often right over florida and blowing at more than 120 miles per hour.

ThejetstreamhasamajorinfluenceonFloridaweathersincelow-pressure systems generally develop and move along the jet stream. during strong el niño events, florida experiences more frequent and stronger low-pressure systems from late fall through early spring. This increased storminess brings slightly cooler-than-normal temperatures, a greater chance of heavy rain and flooding,and severeweather, suchas tornadoesanddamagingwindstorms.ThisinfluenceonFloridaismostlikelyduringverystrong el niño periods, such as during 1997—98 when record-breaking rainfall, storminess and deadly tornadoes occurred. across the whole nation. the greatest death and destruction was wrought on florida, while other parts of the nation, such as the upperMidwest,reapedthebenefitsofmilderwintersthatsavedheating fuel and reduced cold weather-related deaths.

la niña, the periodic cooling of the ocean surface along the equator, causes weaker temperature differences between the equator and high latitudes and results in the average position of the jet stream being much further north, away from florida. strong la niña events typically bring fewer low-pressure systems to florida in the fall and winter. Weather conditions are much drier and slightly warmer. la niña brings an increased chance ofdroughtandwildfiresand,surprisingly,agreaterchanceoffreezingweather.Thewintertimestormtrackiswellnorthofflorida, increasing the chances that strong low-pressure systems will pull cold Canadian air into the deep south behind them. after record rainfall during the 1997—98 el niño, florida suffered through four seasons of drought as la niña conditions prevailed.

el niño, la niña and Hurricanes The stronger-than-normal high-level winds that el niño produces help give strength to wintertime storms that thrive on wind

shear. However, hurricanes need weak wind shear to develop and grow, and when el niño begins brewing in the summer it can significantlylowerthenumberofhurricanes,particularlyCapeVerdestormswhichformintheextremeeasternAtlantic.

el niño and la niña have an impact on every hazard in this guide. el niño generally means fewer hurricanes, but there is no guarantee that florida will be spared. Hurricane andrew struck in august 1992 in a below-normal hurricane season during a moderate to strong el niño. el niño often means stormier winters, but one cannot rule out a major winter storm, such as the March 1993 superstorm, in any year. la niña generally brings more hurricanes, but with no guarantee of a florida landfall. la Niñaalsobringsagreaterthreatofdrought,wildfires,andfreezesinwinter.EffortstoforecastElNiñoandLaNiñahaveshown great improvement, and research into the teleconnections with florida weather has evolved to the point where experi-mental forecasts of impacts on florida are now being produced. Knowledge of the future state of el niño and la niña and what it might mean for florida should help to prepare for, and mitigate the effects of, hazardous weather. However, the bottom line remains — be prepared. la niña and el niño favor certain types of hazardous weather, but it is important to remember that dangerous weather can occur in any year, at any time, and you should always be ready.

Web referencesel niño and la niña Tutorial from the Climate prediction Center:

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensocycle/enso_cycle.shtml

educational information on el niño/la niña and florida weather and an experimental forecast of their effects from nWs Melbourne florida:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/enso/mlbnino.html

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Hazardous Weather awarenessCrossword Puzzle

Directions: Find the answers to the crossword puzzle clues inside the pages of the Lightning Ledger.Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.3; LA.A.2.3

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2. Hurricanes may flood neighborhoods and towns due to poor _____.

4. These help the atmosphere balance differences in temperature and moisture.

7. Tsunami is a Japanese word, which means this.

10. These are part of the natural nearshore ocean circulation and occur on most days at the beaches.

11. Turn around; don’t do this.

15. When it is cold outside, you should dress in these.

17. The best way to avoid a waterspout is to move at this angle to its apparent movement.

18. These can have great variations not only in strength, but also in size and structure.

20. Florida lies in the middle of two bodies of water (see number 29).

22. National Weather Service (abbreviation).

28. National Weather Service will issue these warnings when waterspouts are likely.

29. Florida lies in the middle of two bodies of water (see number 20).

30. The Florida Division of Emergency Management recommends you buy a Weather Radio with this type of designation.

31. This Florida city has never recorded a temperature higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

32. In 1886 a tsunami struck this Florida city.

DoWN

1. Florida has more of these than any other state.

3. Moist air contains a lot of this.

5. Most of the damage caused by a tornado is caused by this.

6. These people are particularly at risk for being hit by lightning.

8. The heavy rainfall in Florida is the result of the state’s proximity to this type of water.

9. This is a measure of how much water vapor is present in the air.

12. Meteorologists and engineers created this type of F-Scale to make estimating tornado winds more accurate.

13. This is nature’s most deadly hazard.

14. The number one wind safety rule when a tornado is coming is to get as many of these between you and the outside world as possible.

16. Strong winds over water can produce these.

19. As soon as you see lightning or hear this, you should go inside.

21. rip currents cause more deaths than these.

23. The National Weather Service (NWS) will issue these advisories and warnings when the heat index is high.

24. These professionals at the NWS are the only ones who can issue an official tornado warning.

25. Before laying your towel down on the sand when you arrive at the beach, look for these people.

26. This type of weather radio can alert you to danger.

27. These form during severe thunderstorms that occur over water.

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CroSSWorD PUZZLE SoLUTIoN:

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Hazardous Weather awarenessCrossword Puzzle

Hazardous Weather awareness Word Jumble

Directions: Find the answers to the crossword puzzle clues inside the pages of the Lightning Ledger.Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.3; LA.A.2.3

When you study meteorology and weather, you come up against some tough vocabulary words! Most vocabulary words are learned from context clues or good old-fashioned dictionary work. While you read the Lightning Ledger, be sure to highlight or circle words you don’t know. Try to figure out their meanings by looking for clues in the sentences around these unknown words. Write down your best guess, and then look the words up in a dictionary. As a group activity, make a list of the words you and your classmates have identified and see which ones stumped the class. Here are some words from the Lightning Ledger that you may not know. Find these words in the word search. Look up these words in a dictionary, write down the definitions and add them to your list.

Next, find these words in the word search puzzle.

AtmosphereCurrentDebrisEvaporateFault

CroSSWorD PUZZLE SoLUTIoN:

disaster supplY kit: newspaper

scavenger huntdisaster typically gives little warning and can leave confusion and devastation in its wake. That is why it is important to be prepared. a disaster supply Kit for your home, and for use during an evacuation, should include items in six basic areas: (1)water,(2)food,(3)firstaidsuppliesandmedications,(4)clothing and bedding, (5) tools and emergency supplies, and (6) important family documents.

Below are some samples of items that should be in a disaster supply kit. look for pictures or words in the newspaper of the following items for your disaster supplies kit. Create a collage, dioramaorposterwiththeitemsyoufind.

• Bottled water• 10 cans of food (different types of food)• Cans of cat or dog food• High-energy foods such as peanut butter, crackers and trail

mix• an extra set of clothes including shoes or boots• paper/plastic plates and cups• Battery-operated radio• Batteries• flashlight• non-electric can opener• Utility knife• fire extinguisher• duct tape• aluminum foil• paper and pencils• Toilet paper• soap• Household chlorine bleach• plastic trash bagsnow it is your turn to create your own disaster supply kit for your family. share the list with your family.

design an adIf a tornado struck tomorrow, would you be prepared? Would you know what actions to take? In florida, tornadoes strike all too often. planning and practice are keys to tornado safety. Whether in homes, schools or businesses, everyone should have plans for severe weather. That is why students throughout the state of florida will participate in a tornado drill on Wednesday, february 14, 2007. The tornado drill gives students a chance to realistically test their plans and determine whether or not they are prepared.

not everyone is aware of this statewide tornado drill. Your job is to create an public service campaign for your school about Hazardous Weather Week and the tornado drill. study some of the display ads in your local newspaper and then design a public service ad for one of this event. With a partner, create a print ad, poster, radio ad and television ad to share with your classmates.

P S I T E H Q W T K C K R W L K P Y R D

Y G U U R E A I L Q E L Z A V S U L J E

S E M V E O A Z U X L L I W Z O F O T E

M E O S H K F J A U A T B Y J S Q A H K

N O L Z P T L B F R N E V A P O R A T E

W H K J S S I R B E D G T H T U N G H L

K O C G O J Q H R O S O A S T S D Q I J

F Q C I M P I R Y G L R U A A P V G R U

J V M C T N O L H Q I Y S S I C H P F P

H I P S A T M T C D D M E K N T E P I D

X K F D E T K Z U D E K Q E N L F R P R

T S I G O L O R O E T E M I W E F V O A

A N O I T A I D A R M N N E M L O T B F

Y Y G F C S C T V P J G G G J L I Q F T

T R A N Q U I L C H K R Y Y C A L C U V

O O W M A G R H I E U P K A J R Z F E O

Y W R T I X H R Z S J A N C A A Z J B J

P V Z Y X Z R V E V W O O V Y P K K E R

G U J N V D J P M N Y A R O A G P Q O G

S A O J N H W J C J T N U P Y Q I T D D

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SurgeTorrentialTranquilUpdraftVolcano

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2007 Hazardous WeatHer aWarenessPoster & essay Contests

The 2007 Hazardous Weather awareness poster & essay Contests are part of the activities to promote weather safety during the 2007 Hazardous Weather awareness Week february 11th through 17th.

for information on the posTer ConTesT for Middle school students: redcross.tallytown.com/hwaw.htmlfor information on the essaY ConTesTforHighSchoolstudents:www.justreadflorida.org/HWAW/

FIRST PLACE 2006:Tyler Traniello, Fifth Grade, Deep Creek Elementary

School, Charlotte County

SECOND PLACE 2006:Lashodd Carey, Fifth Grade, Bethune Elementary School,

Broward County

THIRD PLACE 2006:Casey Ebeling, Fifth Grade

Atlantis Elementary School, Brevard County

2006 REGION ONE - RUNNER-UP:Angelica Voje, Fifth Grade, Blue Angels Elementary

School, Escambia County

2006 REGION FOUR - RUNNER-UP:Hannah Wise, Fifth Grade

St Petersburg Christian School, Pinellas County

2006 REGION THREE - RUNNER-UP:Ryan Marovsky, Fifth Grade,

Resurection School, Duval County

2006 REGION FIVE - RUNNER-UP:Grady Maynard, Fourth GradeTreadway Elementary School

Lake County

2006 REGION SIX - RUNNER-UP:Cayton Chrisman, Fifth GradeFreedom Elementary School

Manatee County

2006 high school essay contest

Winners

2006 REGION SEVEN - RUNNER-UP:Devon Blank, Fifth Grade

Seawind Elementary SchoolMartin County

REGION 1: Ryan Wells, 11th grade, Altha Public School, Calhoun County, Teacher: Ms. Sherry Joyner

GRAND PRIZE WINNER (REGION 2): John Turner, 11th grade, Lincoln High School, Leon County, Teacher: Mr. Mark Williams

REGION 3: Joseph Pardo, 12th grade, Newberry High School, Alachua County, Teacher: Ms. Deena Whitehurst

REGION 4: Michael Bastian, 11th grade, Lakeland High School, Polk County, Teacher: Ms. Conni Shelnut

REGION 5: Emily Plaggemars, 10th grade, Lake Mary High School, Seminole County, Teacher: Mrs. Mary Jane Wright

REGION 6: Vanessa Attia, 11th grade, Charlotte High School, Charlotte County, Teacher: Mrs. Gale Tidwell

REGION 7: Leonicka Valcius, 11th grade, Atlantic Community High School, Palm Beach County, Teacher: Dr. Susan Baum

February 11-17, 2007 Statewide break the Grip of Tornado ... › wp-content › uploads › 2019 › 09 › Lightning-Ledger.pdfMore details inside February 14, 2007 Statewide Tornado

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