Meteorology - 1010
Disaster Preparedness
As we live our lives, our mind is too caught up in the moment. We primarily focus on our responsibilities and sometimes never the important information such as being prepared for emergencies. At any given time, we’re bound to experience some sort of natural disaster, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. Learning how to take certain precautions is very crucial because it could end up taking a life. Taking the time to remember safety steps on dealing with natural disasters would benefit you and those around you. As I’m majoring in Criminal Justice, safety plays a big role in this field. One day it’ll be my duty to instruct the public on taking the right steps for their own safety and others. Being prepared for natural disasters is beneficial.
When it comes to natural disasters, the most common and destructive disaster is tornadoes. Tornadoes can be and are the most violent forms of natural disasters. These strike at any time and they’re difficult to predict; watching for signs will help. It’s best to keep an emergency kit on hand as well as having an emergency plan. During tornadoes, seek shelter immediately, preferably a safe room or something similar. It’s best to stay away from windows and electricity. If you can’t get to shelter, find a vehicle and get inside, buckle the seatbelt, and cover yourself with a blanket. Do not try to outrun a tornado under any circumstances. If you have no access to shelter or a vehicle, find somewhere that’s lower than ground level and cover yourself if possible.
Another common, destructive disaster is hurricanes. Their high-speed winds and strong currents swallow everything in its path. Having an evacuation plan and emergency kit are very important. If you live in a hurricane area and have no intentions of evacuating, it’s best to try and reinforce your home to make it as “hurricane proof” as possible to reduce damage. Staying up-to-date with reports to understand and being aware of the conditions can help if you’re preparing a plan to evacuate. Also following any orders that are given by local, state officials can help prepare you as well. In a hurricane, stay away from any windows, power lines, or anything that can in harm you. Find a safe place to keep out of the hurricane because the strong wind could carry debris; avoid going outside as much as possible. If it’s possible, try to turn off the electricity to avoid damage to self and property. Make sure your disaster supplies are in an easily accessible designated area.
References
- "Tornadoes." Ready.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. <https://www.ready.gov/tornadoes>.
- "Hurricanes." Ready.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. <https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes>.
- "Hurricanes: Science and Society: During a Hurricane: How to Be Safe."Hurricanes: Science and Society: During a Hurricane: How to Be Safe. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. <http://www.hurricanescience.org/society/risk/huricanesafety/>.
- Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. <http://onearchive.carey.jhu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/disasters.jpg>.
Weather in the Movies
The movie I decided to watch for my project was Into the Storm. I was pretty surprised by the intensity brought by the film. This is no “Twister” but this movie will entertain and I do recommend this if you want some sort of entertainment. Into the Storm is about of team of expert videographers/meteorologists that are traveling around the Midwest of North America trying to capture severe weather storms. The team’s meteorologist tracked a potential storm located in Silverton, Oklahoma where devastation was afoot.
The beginning of the storm started off as hail that gradually became larger in size and moments after a tornado had spawned in. Most tornados are formed by thunderstorms, but not just a regular thunderstorm. The type of thunderstorm that breeds twisters is called a Supercell. To create a tornado, you must mix warm, moist rising air with cold, dry air. When those two air masses converge, it creates instability in the weather. Tornadoes lose its momentum when atmospheric conditions stabilize and/or moisture that’s in the air starts to dry up. The twisters that formed in this small town of Oklahoma caused lots of destruction and this movie did a perfect job demonstrating what this natural disaster can do. Never underestimate a tornado because they can and will destroy everything in its path.
One visual that I found interesting in this film was the tornado that drew in a flame and formed a fiery cyclone. Though fire twisters are more common than we think and they’re not as large in size depicted in the film. These fire twisters occur in all over different parts of the globe. According to National Geographic, if a tornado is near a flame, the tornado is able to draw in the flame. I liked how this film was specifically about tornadoes and the plot stayed on target. The team strived to catch tornadoes on film and be in the eye of the storm. But one part of this movie seemed a little exaggerated towards the end. To add more dramatic effect, of course Hollywood had to throw in a monstrous tornado into the film. This massive twister looked like it was big enough to nearly destroy ten cities or so in one event. In my opinion, the effects of this twister seemed like it went way overboard. But if it were to be put in perspective, a colossal cyclone could possibly occur depending on how extreme weather conditions are at the time. Tornadoes have a classification scale ranging from mild (F0) to dangerous (F5), but this tornado looks as if it went beyond that scale.
Overall, this movie is entertaining but it’s nothing too special. There are certain things that have exaggerated the natural disaster in this film, but it’s Hollywood so you have to deal with what you get. This isn’t the greatest weather film but it’ll do somewhat of the job. I’d recommend watching Twister since it got a better raining and it’s probably less dramatic effects since the film is older than Into the Storm. Enjoy!
REFERENCES:
By Brian Clark Howard, National Geographic PUBLISHED May 11, 2015. "How Tornadoes Form and Why They're so Unpredictable." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2016. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150511-tornadoes-storms-midwest-weather-science/>.
"Tornado Classification, F-Scale: EnchantedLearning.com." Tornado Classification, F-Scale: EnchantedLearning.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2016. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/weather/tornado/fscale.shtml>.
TED-Ed. "How Do Tornadoes Form? - James Spann." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmWh9jV_1ac&feature=youtu.be>.
"Weather Wiz Kids Weather Information for Kids." Weather Wiz Kids Weather Information for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2016. <http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-tornado.htm>.
= 5, 2010 PUBLISHED September. "Fire-Tornado Pictures: Why They Form, How to Fight Them." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2016. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/photogalleries/100903-fire-tornadoes-pictures-whirls-vortex-firenadoes-devils-science-weather/>.
The movie I decided to watch for my project was Into the Storm. I was pretty surprised by the intensity brought by the film. This is no “Twister” but this movie will entertain and I do recommend this if you want some sort of entertainment. Into the Storm is about of team of expert videographers/meteorologists that are traveling around the Midwest of North America trying to capture severe weather storms. The team’s meteorologist tracked a potential storm located in Silverton, Oklahoma where devastation was afoot.
The beginning of the storm started off as hail that gradually became larger in size and moments after a tornado had spawned in. Most tornados are formed by thunderstorms, but not just a regular thunderstorm. The type of thunderstorm that breeds twisters is called a Supercell. To create a tornado, you must mix warm, moist rising air with cold, dry air. When those two air masses converge, it creates instability in the weather. Tornadoes lose its momentum when atmospheric conditions stabilize and/or moisture that’s in the air starts to dry up. The twisters that formed in this small town of Oklahoma caused lots of destruction and this movie did a perfect job demonstrating what this natural disaster can do. Never underestimate a tornado because they can and will destroy everything in its path.
One visual that I found interesting in this film was the tornado that drew in a flame and formed a fiery cyclone. Though fire twisters are more common than we think and they’re not as large in size depicted in the film. These fire twisters occur in all over different parts of the globe. According to National Geographic, if a tornado is near a flame, the tornado is able to draw in the flame. I liked how this film was specifically about tornadoes and the plot stayed on target. The team strived to catch tornadoes on film and be in the eye of the storm. But one part of this movie seemed a little exaggerated towards the end. To add more dramatic effect, of course Hollywood had to throw in a monstrous tornado into the film. This massive twister looked like it was big enough to nearly destroy ten cities or so in one event. In my opinion, the effects of this twister seemed like it went way overboard. But if it were to be put in perspective, a colossal cyclone could possibly occur depending on how extreme weather conditions are at the time. Tornadoes have a classification scale ranging from mild (F0) to dangerous (F5), but this tornado looks as if it went beyond that scale.
Overall, this movie is entertaining but it’s nothing too special. There are certain things that have exaggerated the natural disaster in this film, but it’s Hollywood so you have to deal with what you get. This isn’t the greatest weather film but it’ll do somewhat of the job. I’d recommend watching Twister since it got a better raining and it’s probably less dramatic effects since the film is older than Into the Storm. Enjoy!
REFERENCES:
By Brian Clark Howard, National Geographic PUBLISHED May 11, 2015. "How Tornadoes Form and Why They're so Unpredictable." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2016. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150511-tornadoes-storms-midwest-weather-science/>.
"Tornado Classification, F-Scale: EnchantedLearning.com." Tornado Classification, F-Scale: EnchantedLearning.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2016. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/weather/tornado/fscale.shtml>.
TED-Ed. "How Do Tornadoes Form? - James Spann." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmWh9jV_1ac&feature=youtu.be>.
"Weather Wiz Kids Weather Information for Kids." Weather Wiz Kids Weather Information for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2016. <http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-tornado.htm>.
= 5, 2010 PUBLISHED September. "Fire-Tornado Pictures: Why They Form, How to Fight Them." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2016. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/photogalleries/100903-fire-tornadoes-pictures-whirls-vortex-firenadoes-devils-science-weather/>.