UNDERSTANDING AND PREPARING FOR SEVERE WINDSTORMS IN 2011 AND BEYOND

1. UNDERSTANDING AND PREPARING FOR SEVERE WINDSTORMSIN 2011 AND BEYOND A PRIMER OF KNOWLEDGE THAT CAN MULTIPLY AND SPILL OVER FOR THE BENEFIT OF MILLIONS Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of North Carolina, USA

2. SEVERE WINDSTORMSTORNADOES, HURRICANES, TYPHOONS, AND CYCLONES

3. THE PHYSICS OF SEVERE WINDSTORMS SEVERE WINDSTORMS: TORNADOES HURRICANES TYPHOONS CYCLONES

4. HEAT AND HEAT FLOW PRESSURE AND PRESSURE FLOW GRAVITY FIELD KINETIC ENERGY POTENTIAL ENERGY BASIC PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICS UNDERPINNING WINDSTORMS

5. SEVERE WINDSTORMS TORNADOES OCCUR OVER LAND AS THE RESULT OF INTERACTIONS OF THE SUN, ATMOSPHERE, LITHOSPHERE, AND BIOSPHERE

6. TORNADOES: LITHOSPHERE-ATMO-SPHERE-BIOSPHERE INTERACTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES

7. TORNADOE SEASON • The peak tornado season is late winter through midsummer,…. • But tornadoes can happen any time of the year when the atmospheric conditions are right.

8. TORNADO ALLEY • ALTHOUGH TORNADOES HAVE OCCURRED IN EVERY STATE, THEY OCCUR MOST FREQUENTLY IN “TORNADO ALLEY,” WHICH INCLUDES PARTS OF: TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, ARKANSAS, TENNESSEE, NEBRASKA, KANSAS, MISSOURI, ILLINOIS, AND IOWA.

9. THE PHYSICS OF TORNADOES • TORNADOES ARE CAUSED BY THE COLLISION OF DESCENDING COLD AIR MASSESS COMING FROM THE NORTH AND ASCENDING WARM AIR MASSES COMING FROM THE SOUTH.

10. THE PHYSICS OF TORNADOES • THE COLLISION CREATES A FUNNEL OF HIGH-VELOCITY WIND THAT IS VERY DESTRUCTIVE AS IT “TOUCHES DOWN” ONE OR MORE TIMES ALONG A LONG, NARROW (TYPICALLY 10-100 M) PATH.

11. PHYSICS OF A TORNADO

12. HAZARDS OF A TORNADO (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS) • WIND: SPEEDS CAN REACH 500 KM/HR (300 MI/HR) • THUNDER, LIGHTNING, AND HEAVY PRECIPITATION E EXTREME • HAIL CAN BE VERY DAMAGING

13. THIRTY TO FORTY TORNADOES STRIKE FIVE SOUTHERN STATES Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee impacted 54 dead FEBRUARY 5, 2008

14. MAP

15. TORNADOE SEASON AFFECTED BY LA NINA • This tornado outbreak could be a consequence of La Nina, the cooling of the Pacific Ocean, which can cause changes in weather patterns around they world.

16. WARNING • The people had ample warning to get out of harm’s way and take cover, … • But some of the warning sirens did not work.

17. A TORNADO TOUCHES DOWN NEAR ATKINS, ARKANSAS

18. DEVASTATION NEAR ATKINS, ARKANSAS

19. DEVASTATION NEAR ATKINS, ARKANSAS

20. DEVASTATION NEAR ATKINS, ARKANSAS

21. COLLAPSE OF WAREHOUSE IN SOUTH HAVEN, MS

22. COLLAPSE OF WALL IN SHOPPING MALL: MEMPHIS, TN

23. A FIRE BROKE OUT IN A NATURAL GAS PUMPING STATION: HARTSVILLE, TN

24. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM SYSTEM SPAWNS TORNADOES IN TEXAS:APRIL 24, 2008

25. A SUPERCELL

26. THE FUNNEL

27. WORST DAMAGE NEAR FT WORTH, TX WITH LOSSES ESTIMATED AT $35 MILLION WIND SPEED REACHED 116 KM/HR (70 MI HR) IMPACTS IN WEST AND NORTH TEXAS

28. HEAVY RAIN FALL CAUSED POWER OUTAGES AND MINOR FLOODING BASEBALL-SIZED HAIL IMPACTS IN WEST AND NORTH TEXAS

29. WIND DAMAGE

30. TORNADOES STRIKE IOWA AND MINNESOTA Continuation of deadliest tornado season in a decade Accompanied by large hail May 25, 2008

32. HUGO, MINNESOTA: DEBRIS MARKS STORM'S PATH

33. PARKERSBURG, IOWA: DAMAGE

34. PARKERSBURG, IOWA: LOOKING FOR SURVIVORS

35. SEVERE WINDSTORMSHURRICANES, TYPHOONS, CYCLONES CREATED IN THE WARM WATER OF OCEANS AS THE RESULT OF INTERACTIONS OF THE SUN, ATMOSPHERE, HYDROSPHERE, ATMOSPHERE, LITHOSPHERE, AND BIOSPHERE

36. HURRICANES • In the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Eastern Pacific areas cyclonic tropical storms with well-formed central “eyes” and with wind speeds above 74 mph are referred to as HURRICANES.

37. PHYSICS: HURRICANES

39. TYPHOONS • The exact same phenomenon, with clockwise rotation about the eye, in the Western Pacific Ocean region is called a TYPHOON.

40. PHYSICS OF A TYPHOON

41. SEVERE WINDSTORMS: CYCLONES • The exact same phenomenon in the Indian Ocean region is called a CYCLONE.

42. CAUSES OF RISK WIND AND WATER PENETRATE BUILDING ENVELOPE UPLIFT OF ROOF SYSTEM FLYING DEBRIS PENETRATES WINDOWS STORM SURGE AND HEAVY PRECIPITATION SEVERE WINDSTORMS IRREGULARITIES IN ELEVATION AND PLAN CASE HISTORIES POOR WORKMANSHIP IGNORING NON-STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS

43. HAZARDS OF A HURRICANE, TYPHOON, OR CYCLONE THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA ASSOCIATED WITH A LONG, OCEANIC TRAVEL PATH AND EVENTUAL LANDFALL

44. HAZARDS OF A HURRICANE/TYPHOON (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS) • WIND FIELD (COUNTER CLOCKWISE OR CLOCKWISE DIRECTION; CAT 1 (55 mph) TO CAT 5 (155 mph or greater) • STORM SURGE • HEAVY PRECIPITATION • LANDSLIDES (MUDFLOWS) • COSTAL EROSION • TORNADOES (SOMETIMES)

45. “SEVERE WINDSTORMS ARE LABORATORIES” EACH PAST EVENT PROVIDES VALUABLE LESSONS FOR POLICY ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

46. 1325+ HURRICANES: DYNAMIC LABORATORIES FOR LEARNING • EACH HURRICANE HAS IMPORTANT TECHNICAL AND POLITICAL LESSONS THAT CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO DISASTER RISK REDUCTION. POLICY

47. 2005: A RECORD HURRICANE SEASON • Twenty-eightnamed storms occurred during the 2005 season. • Over $100 billion in losses.

48. LESSONS LEARNED FROM ALL SEVERE WINDSTORMS • RECOVERY TAKES LONGER ANDCOSTS MORETHAN EXPECTED.

49. LESSONS LEARNED FROM ALL SEVERE WINDSTORMS • EVACUATION IS A COMPLEX ENDEAVOR THAT IS NOT ONLY COSTLY, BUT REQUIRES SUPERIOR PRIOR PLANNING.

50. LESSONS LEARNED FROM ALL SEERE WINDSTORMS • TIMELY COMMUNICATION OF CRITICAL INFORMATION IMPROVES: • MASS EVACUATIONS AND COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS