SEVERE WEATHER !

1. SEVERE WEATHER! M. Manzo

2. THUNDERSTORMS • each day, 44,000 thunderstorms occur! • Common in cold fronts where dramatic uplifting of air creates cumulonimbus clouds • Lightning is a discharge of electricity, usually from ground to thundercloud, but can be from thundercloud to ground or thundercloud to thundercloud • Lightning heats the air around the thundercloud to up to 28,000 ° C, which in turn causes the air to immediately expand in an explosive manner! • Sudden expansion of air causes thunder • Light travels faster than sound, so lightning is seen first, then thunder is heard • Lightning Strike

3. Lightning

4. T-Storms common in cold fronts where dramatic uplifting of air creates cumulonimbus clouds.

5. Each day 44,000 thunderstorms occur!

6. THUNDERSTORMS • DANGERS: • Lightning causes forest fires, power outages, and electrocution • About 2,000 people are killed worldwide by lightning each year. Hundreds more survive strikes but suffer from a variety of lasting symptoms, including memory loss, dizziness, weakness, numbness, and other life-altering ailments.

7. THUNDERSTORM SAFETY: • Stay inside a building • Stay away from televisions, telephones, sinks and bathrooms (electrical wiring and pipes conduct electricity!) • Avoid trees; they are tall and attract lightning • Crouch on the ground if stuck outside

8. TORNADOES • TORNADOES – a narrow, funnel-shaped column of spiraling winds that extends downward from the cloud base and touches the ground • Tornado funnel is a mixture of cloud and dust, and includes debris picked up from ground • A tornado travels with its parent thunderstorm • Occur where cP air masses meet up with mT

9. Joplin, Missouri After May 22, 2011 Tornado

10. TORNADOES • Spring to early summer is the most common time for tornadoes in the United States • “Tornado Alley” includes northern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska • Fujita Tornado Scale – based upon damage to buildings (F1 is least, F5 is greatest)

15. TORNADO SAFETY: • Stay in low places such as a basement, bathtub, under tables or heavy beds may help avoid falling objects • Stay away from outside walls, windows and doors • Make sure plenty of water, batteries, and food are stored securely in advance • Keep a battery-powered radio and flashlights handy at all times • Review local emergency procedures, identify shelters • Get away from mobile homes • If stuck outside, get to the lowest possible place such as a ditch or ravine!

16. HURRICANES

17. HURRICANES • HURRICANES – intense tropical cyclones with sustained winds of at least 74 mph • Atlantic Ocean hurricane season runs from July through November, although September and October are the most common hurricane months • Warm, tropical ocean waters provide the energy for hurricane development • Center of hurricane is called the eye, which may be calm and even sunny • Greatest damage is the storm surge, huge piling up of water along the coastline • Damaging winds, thunderstorms, and even tornadoes can be generated by hurricanes

20. This is the track of Hurricane / Tropical Storm Irene in August, 2011

21. Hurricanes • Hurricanes lose their power by moving over land or toward northern, colder waters • Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale: based upon wind speeds • Category 1: Winds 74-95 mph • Category 2: Winds 96-110 mph • Category 3: Winds 111-130 mph • Category 4: Winds 131-155 mph • Category 5: Winds greater than 155 mph

22. HURRICANE SAFETY: • Watch and listen for hurricane watches and warnings • Board up windows, secure loose furniture • Stock up on food, batteries, flashlights, and fill several jugs of water • Plan evacuation routes; if time permits, move to higher ground! • When hurricane hits, stay indoors and away from windows

23. WINTER STORMS: • Strong mid-latitude lows (cyclones) can bring many inches of snow and strong winds • Great Lakes can provide the moisture source for winter storms • Nor’easters are storms originating in the Atlantic and blowing in from the northeast U.S. coast

24. Lake Effect Snow

26. AVERAGE ANNUAL NEW YORK STATE SNOW

28. WINTER STORMS • Wind Chill Factor: Temperature will seem much colder if the wind is blowing • Temperature of 30° F with a wind of 20 mph results in a wind chill temperature of 17° F

30. WINTER STORMS…SAFETY • Store food, water, batteries, flashlights • Be careful shoveling snow, (heart attacks are common – do not over-do it!) • Avoid rooftops and icy areas • Stay off roads! Allow snowplows to do their job.

31. EXCESSIVE HEAT: • High temperatures can combine with high humidity to cause heat sickness • Heat Index: a measure of temperature and humidity to indicate how warm the air really feels • Temperature of 90° F with a relative humidity of 60% yields a heat index of 100° F! • Humid conditions do not allow for evaporation of sweat and cooling, so body heats up more easily

33. SAFETY (From excessive heat): • Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun • Avoid over-exertion on particularly hot and humid days • Drink plenty of fluids, water or electrolyte sports drinks especially • Make sure you have eaten before heading outdoors! • Wear shade hats or visors, use sunscreen liberally • Stay in the shade as much as possible, or plan activities in air-conditioned places