Natural Disasters

Jill Brookes
Saks Elementary
Calhoun County Schools – Technology Integration Project 2005
 Types of Natural Disasters

 Tornadoes
 Hurricanes
 Earthquakes
 Volcanoes
 Floods
 Tsunamis
 Winter Storms
 Wildfires
 Tornadoes

 Rotating, funnel-shaped clouds from powerful

thunderstorms
 Winds up to 300 MPH capable of producing major damage
 More occur in the United States than anywhere else in the
world; they occur in every state in America.
 Related Websites:
FEMA for Kids
National Geographic: Nature’s Fury
Scholastic Weather Watch
National Geographic: Tornado Chasers
Effects of Tornadoes in Alabama

Tuscaloosa County: December 16, 2000

 Hurricanes

 Massive severe storms occurring in the tropics

 Winds greater than 75 MPH
 Clouds & winds spin around the eye
 Produce heavy rains, high winds, large waves, and
spin-off tornadoes
 Related Websites:
NOAA: Hurricanes Tropical Twisters
National Geographic Kids – Hurricane!
BrainPop movie
Effects of Alabama Hurricanes

Hurricane Frederick - 1979 Hurricane Ivan 2005

 Earthquakes
 Shaking caused by movements of plates in the
earth’s crust
 Occur along faults – borders between two
plates
 Occur most often along the Ring of Fire
 Related Websites:
 National Geographic: Earthquakes
 Exploratorium Faultline Project
 USGS: Earthquakes for Kids
 Volcanoes

 More than 500 active volcanoes in the world; over

half in the Ring of Fire
 Pressure builds below the earth’s surface
producing eruptions of lava, rock, and volcanic
gases
 Related Websites:
National Geographic Kids – Volcano!
Build a Volcano Activity
Volcano World Virtual Field Trips
 Floods

 Result from heavy rains

 May involve rivers overflowing, storm
surge/ocean waves, & dams or levees breaking
 Most common natural hazard
 Flashfloods = floods that happen very fast
 Related websites:
PBS: In Focus – Floods!
How TVA Stops Floods
Nova – Hot Science: The River’s Gift
 Tsunamis
 Form as a result of earthquakes, volcanoes, or
landsides under the ocean
 Waves grow taller as they reach the coast
 Four out of Five occur in the Ring of Fire
 Over 200,000 people killed in the 12/26/05 Indian
Ocean tsunami
 Related Websites:
National Geographic Kids – Killer Wave!
Pacific Tsunami Museum – Student Corner
PBS – Savage Earth: Tsunamis
Effects of Tsunamis
Indian Ocean Tsunami – December 26, 2005
 Winter Storms

 May include snow, ice storms, sleet, freezing rain,

and extremely cold temperatures
 Most deaths occur in automobiles
 Storms may cause widespread power outages
 Related Websites:
National Weather Service: Winter Storms
Risk Watch: Severe Winter Storms
Scholastic – Winter Storms
 Wildfires
 Occur in forests, grasslands, and wooded areas
 Most common causes: lightning and human
accidents
 Burn more than 4 million acres in the U.S. each
year
 Related Websites:
Smokey Bear: Kids
National Geographic: Wildfires
Dialogue for Kids – Wildfire Facts