first lego league nature’s fury united states weather hazards professor paul sirvatka college of...
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Museum of Science and Industry
FIRST LEGO League
Nature’s Fury United States Weather Hazards
Professor Paul SirvatkaCollege of DuPage Meteorology
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College of DuPage Meteorology
• Most comprehensive community college meteorology program in the nation.
• Courses include:– Intro to Meteorology– Severe and Unusual Weather– Forecasting– Intermediate Meteorology– Mesoscale Meteorology– Severe Weather Analysis– Thunderstorm Lab– Climate and Global Change
• Home of NEXLAB – comprehensive data web site• Well-known for its storm chase program
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Natural Hazards Relating to Weather
• Avalanche or landslide • Tornado or cyclone• Earthquake • Tsunami• Flood • Volcanic eruption• Hurricane • Wildfire• Storm (wind, sand, blizzard, or rain)9/8/2013
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Billion Dollar Events
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Most Expensive Weather Disasters
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2012 Weather Disasters
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Natural Disasters World-wide
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Deadliest US Disasters
1. Galveston, TX Hurricane - 1900 ~ 10,000 Dead2. San Francisco Earthquake - 1906 ~ 3400 Dead3. Great Okeechobee Hurricane, Florida - 19284. Johnstown, PA Flood - 18895 - 9 Hurricanes10. Tri-state tornado 1925 695 Dead
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Thunderstorms
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Hail
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AnnuallyCrop losses ~ $1.3 Billion
Property Losses ~ $1 Billion
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Tornado ClimatologyThere are more than 1000 tornadoes in the US per year.
Har
old
Broo
ks -
SSL
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Tornado Frequency
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All Tornadoes
Significant Tornadoes
Deadly Tornadoes
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Still Nature’s Most Furious Wind
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Tornado Destruction
• House Destroyed
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Wind Storms
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DerechosCoastal WindsVolcano Blow Downs
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Lightning
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Flashes per Square Mile per Year
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Flash FloodsFlooding is the most common type of natural disaster worldwide - 40% of all
natural disasters
Flash flooding is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S.- approximately 200 deaths per year
Over the 10-year period from 1988 to 1997, floods cost the United States on
average $3.7 billion per year
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Flash FloodsOver 50% of
flood-related drownings
are vehicle-related.
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Hurricanes
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Hurricane Tracks
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Winter Weather!
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Heavy Snow
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Over 70 percent of the nations roads are located in regions which receive more than five inches
Over 1,300 people are killed and more than 116,800 people are injured in vehicle crashes on snowy, slushy or icy pavement annually
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Major Snow Storms Cause Major Impacts
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One of the damaging and costly ice storms in recent history struck North America in January, 1998. Phone and power lines collapsed, electricity pylons buckled, and 4 million people were left without power. 25 people were killed by falling ice or fires set by collapsing electrical units. The total damage cost around $1 billion.
ICE STORMS
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ICE STORMS
A 1/2" accumulation on power lines can add 500 pounds of extra weight.
Ice can increase the weight of branches by 30 times.
The most devastating storms contain ice accumulations of an inch or more!
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To some extent, all weather related disasters are predictable
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Preparedness is the Key
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What will you do?
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Thanks and good luck on your projects!Paul SirvatkaCollege of DuPage Weather