Hazards in the U.S.

A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that forms during thunderstorms when warm, humid air collides with cold, dry air. Wind speeds increase, and the air rises and forms a funnel. The funnel drops from the clouds to the ground, picking up speed as it rotates. Tornadoes can destroy homes, buildings, and anything else in their path.

Although tornadoes can form anywhere, most tornadoes occur in Tornado Alley. Tornado Alley refers to an area in several states where most tornadoes touch down in the U.S.

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There are over 1,000 tornado recordings each year. So how do people who live in areas prone to tornadoes prepare for such an event?

The best way to prepare for a tornado is to seek shelter. Many people who live in tornado-prone environments have shelters built next to their homes. These shelters are called storm cellars.

The doors to storm cellars can be locked, and everyone can stay inside until the tornado has passed. Many people store water, food, blankets, and a radio in these shelters. In this way, they can wait out the storm and listen for when the danger has passed.

A hurricane is a massive rotating storm with high wind speeds that form over warm waters in tropical locations. When warm, moist air from the ocean rises to meet the cooler air above, it causes warm water vapor to condense and form storm clouds. The storm clouds rotate, and wind speeds pick up as the cycle continues. Hurricanes have wind speeds starting at 74 mph.

Heavy rains and high speed winds can cause extensive damage to homes and businesses. A hurricane is classified into different categories depending on its wind speed.

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Hurricanes form during peak seasons. Hurricane season in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans starts around May and last until November. Since the summer brings warmer weather, the threat of a hurricane is greater during these months.

So how do people adapt to this environment? How can they protect themselves and their families from hurricanes that have the potential to do a lot of damage?

Depending on the category of the hurricane, people prepare by boarding up the windows of their homes, buying extra supplies, and placing sandbags around their houses to prevent flooding, if necessary. However, if the hurricane is really large and dangerous, many people evacuate, or leave their homes for safer locations.

An earthquake is an intense shaking of the ground caused by two pieces of the Earth's crust moving. When the pieces, or plates, slip past one another, they release tension, causing waves of energy that create the movement or shaking.

The amount of pressure and shifting of the plates determines the magnitude, or size, of an earthquake. The Richter scale is used to measure the size of earthquakes.

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The largest earthquake in the United States occurred in Alaska. It was a 9.2 magnitude earthquake. An earthquake of that size can cause significant damage.

How do people adapt to this environment? Keep in mind that people have very little warning before an earthquake occurs, and the damage can be catastrophic. Although scientists can't predict when the next earthquake will occur, they can predict where earthquakes are more likely to happen.

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One way people prepare is to build earthquake-proof buildings, which can withstand the force and impact of many earthquakes. They also make outdoor walls with stronger materials, make windows more flexible so that they won't shatter during an earthquake, and build house and building roofs with lighter weight material. Then if a roof does collapse, there is less risk of injury to the people inside.

People who live in areas that are more prone to earthquakes can prepare by having supplies on hand, such as food, water, flashlights, a fire extinguisher, and a whistle. When an earthquake happens, these people should also be prepared to find the safest place and "drop, cover, and hold" until the shaking stops.

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