Nature’s Fury- Hurricanes

1. Nature’s Fury- Hurricanes BMMS Lego Robotics Team 2013

2. Our Chosen Community! Quincy MA Quincy MA is located just south of Boston, MA which is the capital of Massachusetts. Quincy can be hit by natural disasters such as hurricanes, blizzards, and flooding.

3. Hurricanes! Formation of Hurricanes Air above warm waters is warmed. As the warm air rises, there is less air in the area below it, creating an area of low pressure. Since air moves from high pressure to low, wind rushes into the low pressure area. The air that just rushed in also gets warmed, and rises as well. This cycle continues, bringing in  more and more air. The air begins to swirl. Clouds form from the humid air (remember, this is all happening above the water). Eventually, the whole area becomes as system of swirling clouds and wind, which is fueled by the warm water beneath it and the new air rushing in. The system becomes a hurricane when the wind speeds reach 74 miles per hour.  • When a hurricane strikes land it causes heavy rain and a storm surge, which is when a wall of ocean water gets pushed ashore by the oncoming hurricane. Hurricanes are categorized using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, which has 5 categories (5 being the strongest.) The hurricane season in New England is from June 1st to November 30th. The most recent hurricane that has affected Quincy, MA was Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.

4. A Problem With Hurricanes • Hurricanes can knock down telephone poles and lines. • As a result of this, the following can occur: • Road Blockages • Power Outages • Property Damage • Electrocution Hazard These problems can be very costly to fix and these problems can also be life threatening.

5. Current Solutions! • As of today, there are some current solutions to this problem. • Electrical workers fix the down line/pole. This is very dangerous and very costly for the city. • In some areas, the telephone poles are underground. Underground telephone poles are less vulnerable to wind and damage from fallen trees, but they are also more costly to install than above ground utility poles. • Also, utility poles are reinforced with steel to help make the pole stronger.

6. How people prepare, stay safe, and rebuild from a hurricane: • On the American Red Cross Website, (http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/hurricane) there are many tips for hurricane safety. Here are some. Preparation • Check your disaster supplies. Replace or restock as needed. • Bring in anything that can be picked up by the wind (bicycles, lawn furniture). • Close your windows, doors and hurricane shutters. If you do not have hurricane shutters, close and board up all windows and doors with plywood. During a hurricane – Staying safe • Use flashlights in the dark. Do NOT use candles. • Avoid drinking or preparing food with tap water until you are sure it’s not contaminated. • Drive only if necessary and avoid flooded roads and washed out bridges. • Keep away from loose or dangling power lines and report them immediately to the power company. What to do after a hurricane: • Secure double entry doors at the top and the bottom. • Strengthen existing garage doors to improve the wind resistance, particularly double- wide garage doors. • Select trees that are not as subject to uprooting to replace damaged ones. A gardening or landscaping professional can give you excellent advice.

7. New Technology being developed today to prevent or manage the problem of hurricanes: • Giant “inner tubes” made from old car tires are set afloat. As warm water waves wash into the ring in the middle, the level of water inside the tube is higher than the water around it. The warm water is pushed far down into the deep water, which prevents hurricanes from forming. This is effective, but this method can also can lead to more litter in the oceans, if the tire structures fall apart. This technology was developed by Stephen Salter and Bill Gates, and is still developing. • Pumps are employed to pump cold water from the deeper parts of the ocean into the path of storms which rely on warm water to keep them going. This process is very expensive. Bill Gates took part in developing this new technology.

8. Programs that help people deal with hurricane disasters: FEMA ( Federal Emergency Management Agency) This group is a large, government run agency with over 7,000 employees. Their job is to “… ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.” Aid from FEMA FEMA provides money for temporary housing and money to cover non-housing expenses, such as medical needs, to people who have been affected by natural disasters, including hurricanes. People may apply for assistance on the FEMA website or by calling FEMA. MEMA (Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency MEMA is an organization which deals with natural disasters within the state of Massachusetts. It provides information for citizens on how to prepare for natural disasters, and also helps guide cities and towns on reimbursing losses due to the natural disasters, as well as planning and rebuilding after the natural disaster. American Red Cross The American Red Cross is an organization that assists people in need. The American Red Cross helps with disaster relief, supports America’s military families, donates lifesaving blood, and provides health, safety, and international services.

9. Our Innovative Solution:  • Our solution is to make utility poles flexible at the point just below the area where the wires meet the pole. This area will be replaced with a piece of flexible metal tubing like the type found in gooseneck work lamps. The tubing will be coated with plastic to make it non conductible to electricity and also protect it from the environment. During high winds, this area will bend instead of breaking, which makes it easier to repair. To prevent the lines from snapping when the pole bends, the lines will be sagged. That way, the utility poles will be easier to fix than a broken pole.

10. Cost and Technology needed to make our solution: • Replacing a utility poles costs from $5638 to $9396 USD to  “removed the pole, replaced it with a new one, reinstalled the framing and installed the components, you are looking at anywhere from $6,000 to over 10,000 on average (canadian dollars)” according to http://oldgreypole.com/questions.html • We have contacted several companies, such as Uniprise International Incorperated, but have not received a reply for the cost of the metal tubing.

11. How difficult would our solution be to come true and how our solution benefits people: • Our solution will be pretty difficult to install in an already established area due to the high costs and inconvenience , and danger that happens when utility poles are replaced. In areas that are being newly built though, the poles can be installed more easily. • Our solution benefits people by helping prevent power outages, making repair safer, and preventing collapsed utility poles.

12. How we shared our solution with others: • This power point can be found on our science teacher’s website: http://gradeeightscience.weebly.com/ • Teachers, students, and parents can view and learn more about interesting and essential information about hurricanes. They can also share our power point with others, so that they too can learn more about hurricanes, and our solution. • We also mentioned our solution in the emails that we sent to FEMA, MEMA, and the Quincy electrical department; but we have received no reply.

13. What the Professionals Say: • We have contacted FEMA, MEMA, and the Quincy electrical department by email, but we have not received a reply.

14. Thank you for watching!!! 