Extreme Weather

Content Standard F:
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives:
Natural Hazards
Risks and Benefits

1. There is a variety of severe weather.

2. It is necessary to plan in advance for severe weather.

3. Personal and societal decisions are made based upon an understanding of the probability of severe weather.

Students will:

recognize the range and variety of severe weather.

plan for severe weather conditions that they may experience on an immediate and long-term scale.

use climate information in making personal and societal decisions.

Cross-Curricular Connections:

Economics:
• Determine the cost of severe weather such as the damage incurred by a hurricane.

Math:
• Calculate the percentages and probability of encountering severe weather.

Science:
• Communicate the need to understand climate and predict weather.

Sociology:
• Identify the reasons people choose to live in areas vulnerable to severe weather.

Graphing
Interpreting
Predicting
Investigating

Materials:

Activity 2 Forms:

Hurricane tracking chart

sample data

Per Student
Hurricane tracking chart (and data)

Procedure:

Scenario 1

1. Using a Hurricane tracking chart, have students individually plot a hurricane’s daily coordinates on the tracking chart.
   
   
2. Once the storm has entered the Gulf of Mexico, cooperative groups should make the decisions required in the Decision section.

Scenario 2

1. In cooperative groups, make the decisions required in the Decision section.
   

Scenario 1 (Decision section)

1. Each cooperative group is to assume the role of the emergency planning agency for the city of New Orleans. Through the results of studies and strategic modeling, it has been determined that it will take 48 to 72 hours to evacuate the city. It has also been calculated that the cost of such an evacuation will be 50 to 75 million dollars a day, due to loss of revenue to business and the additional public safety expenses.
   
   
2. Students should use the information gleaned from the hurricane tracking map to decide whether or not the city should be evacuated and at what point they should call for an evacuation. Have the students justify their decisions based on scientific data.
   
   
3. Have the students continue plotting the storm and making decisions after each data entry.
   
   
4. Have the group reflect on how the time-frame for evacuation influenced these important decisions.

Scenario 2 (Decision section)

1. Your group is comprised of the Superintendent of Schools, Associate Superintendent, Chair of the School Board, and the Mayor of a small city in the mid-western part of the US. It is springtime. The weather forecast calls for a cold front to pass through your area sometime in the mid-afternoon. At 1:00 PM you are alerted that in locations where the cold front has passed, severe thunderstorms have occurred and two tornadoes have been spotted. At 2:00 PM a Severe Thunderstorm Warning and a Tornado Watch have been posted for counties that are approximately 50 miles to the west of your city. The storm is traveling toward the Southwest at 30 miles an hour. Normal school dismissal is at 3:30 PM. It takes the busses approximately 45 minute to finish their routes. Baseball and track practices are also scheduled after school.
   
   
2. Based upon this information: Do you dismiss school early? Do you delay the dismissal of school? Do you cancel extracurricular activities? Justify your decisions. What scientific information did you use to make your decisions?
   
   
3. Consider what would be the consequences of leaving school early or late to you, your family, or your community.
   
   
4. Reflect on the time frame given to make this decision.
   

Suggested Discussion Questions:

What other information would have helped you make these decisions?

Who in the community should be responsible for making such decisions?

Should economics be considered along with decisions to save human life?

Can you create a flow chart that would automate or speed up the decision making process?

Further Investigations:

Flooding
Obtain GIS data or topographic maps for your local area. Create scenarios of the flooding associated with severe local weather such as flash floods, snow melts and long periods of heavy rain. Identify the areas that will probably be flooded and determine evacuation routes. Research the emergency action plan established by the local agencies.

A similar activity can be done using storm surge protections. Select a coastal area where a storm surge of 5 meters (approximately 15 ft.) is predicted. What areas will be flooded by the storm surge?

Predictions
Using temperature and barometric pressure data for major cities across the United States, draw isotherms and isobars on a map. Predict the next day’s weather in several cities.

Emergency Planning
Have students develop a personal emergency plan for the type of severe weather they may encounter. Each student should consider worst case scenarios and include plans for preparation, immediate action when the severe weather strikes and long term conditions.

What contingencies should be planned? For example, it is important to know which roads will flood early limiting evacuation routes and forcing people to use alternate routes. Students may develop a severe weather plan as a group activity. Students could assume the roles of the various planners, public safety officials or weather forecasters.

District Planner
Meteorologist
Hydrologist
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Specialist
Media Specialist

Assessment Procedures:

Student hurricane maps may be evaluated.

Use a rubric to assess student presentations/justifications for their decisions.