Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

August 12, 2010 Thursday

Last week I wrote urging teachers to discuss how geography can influence natural disasters with their students. I used the example of how the slope of a continental shelf can influence the magnitude of a storm surge. I received a phone call shortly after posting the blog from a friend asking me, "Please explain more about a storm surge so I can be smarter than my 5th grader."

So here is a little more information to help all the struggling parents/grandparents stay ahead of their children. A storm surge is simply water being pushed ashore by the fierce winds which accompany a major storm system (usually a hurricane). The difference in a storm surge and a tsunami is the force responsible for the water coming ashore. If the causing force comes from below the water, an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption, it will be a tsunami. However if the causative factor comes from above the water, a hurricane or cyclone, it will be a storm surge.

What geographical features can make a storm surge more dangerous? The level of the land above sea level is a critical factor. If your house is located only a few feet above sea level it doesn't take much water to flood it. The Gulf Coast and Atlantic coastlines of the United States are densely populated areas situated an average of only 10 feet above sea level.

Another important factor in the height of the storm surge is the continental shelf slope off shore. If there is a shallow shelf leading up to the land the surge will be bigger because there is nowhere else for the water to go. The coming wave will have to keep growing up (since downward growth is not a possibility) until it hits land. A steep off shore continental shelf is able to contain the water and diminish the surge which comes ashore.

Just to make things a little more complicated you must remember to factor in the time when a storm surge is likely to occur. A surge combined with high tides results in more water. A low tide and a storm surge will produce less water.

Well that is enough of a geography lesson for one day. Remember that you asked me for the information. On the bright side, I am certain that you are now smarter than a 5th grader.

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com

Know Your Geography

Wednesday August 4, 2010

How much geography are the schools teaching our children these days? Geography and history have been combined and placed under the broad and vague heading of social studies. (I think social studies is a ridiculous name. It suggests that you will be tested on the previous day's Entertainment Tonight report.) Most of my teacher friends say that the priority is placed on reading, writing, and math development. There just isn't a lot of time left to spend on geography.

I am lobbying all teachers to spend the little time they have allocated for geography teaching their students the information which could one day save their lives. Consider the natural disasters which are most likely to threaten the area in which you and your students live. It could be wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, etc. Next design a class plan which will identify and explore the local geographical conditions which will impact these disasters.

For any schools located along the Atlantic and Gulf Coast an important geography lesson should be about the slope of the continental shelf off their local coastline.
There could be a discussion and demonstration of how a shallow shelf will produce a greater storm surge compared to a steeper continental shelf. Teachers could divide their students into teams, give each team a set of geographical facts (hurricane strength, landfall coordinates, and tide tables) and let them figure out if they would survive the storm. My experience is that kids love this kind of exercise. The most important thing is that one day it might be much more than a classroom exercise. If this should happen you will have imparted valuable skills which could help them survive.

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com

Program That Dial!

Wednesday July 28, 2010

We are fast approaching the dangerous time period of hurricane activity. Although the Atlantic hurricane season is officially from June 1st to November 30th, the peak of hurricane activity is from August to October. During these three months 87% of all category 1 or 2 hurricanes and 96% of all category 3, 4, and 5 hurricanes occur. All but one of the ten deadliest hurricanes in United States history have struck during this time frame.

During this critical time period it is important to stay informed about any developing storm systems. One of the easiest ways to stay informed is to know the emergency broadcast systems for your area. It is wise to program one of the emergency stations onto your car radio. These radio stations will announce vital information related to storm strength and direction, evacuation routes and road closures, and shelter openings. (For Okaloosa County, Florida the EMS stations are AM 1260, FM 99.5, FM 105.5, FM 96.5, and FM 93.3).

So go ahead and program that radio dial. During the dangerous time, on the dangerous road during an evacuation it is wonderfully reassuring to have an informed calm voice leading you to safety.

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com

Vacation Time

Tuesday June 22, 2010

What happens if a disaster threatens your home while you are away on vacation? I consider myself the queen of evacuation preparedness but this talent won't do me any good if I am not home to use it. Before going out of town for a vacation you need to have a contingency evacuation plan in place. I understand that you are very busy with last minute packing and errands related to your trip so here are five steps to quickly complete your contingency plan.

1. Identify a friend or relative who would be willing to evacuate a few items for you should you be out of town during an evacuation.

2. Select only the most important items to be taken.

3. Consolidate and pack the items for transport.

4. Leave a written list of the items you are requesting to be evacuated and their location posted in your home.

5. Be sure to exchange all important contact information with the person responsible for the contingency plan.

Now go ahead and have a wonderful vacation! When it is time to come home don't forget to bring your "evacuation back up buddy" a nice souvenir.

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com

What Are Your Dreams?

Wednesday June 16, 2010

I love to talk with children about their dreams. Children are very candid in discussing both their night time dreams and their dreams for the future. I am amazed at the ability children have to remember their dreams from the night before with all of the dream's amazing details. Children describe their dreams for the future with equally great enthusiasm. They might plan to be an artist and create beautiful paintings or perhaps a builder who constructs "the tallest building ever!" I find it refreshing that kids haven't yet learned to limit what they believe they are capable of accomplishing.

As we get older we can lose our dreams. We are often in such a rush in the morning that we can not remember the dreamworld we just left. Even the future dreams which were once so precious to us can fade away if we allow them to. If you have managed to hold onto and continue working towards your dreams into adulthood it is critical to evacuate this body of work with you during any disaster.

I have met people who failed to evacuate their "dream work" and bitterly regretted it. One young woman, a writer and artist, left her complete portfolio behind when she evacuated from Hurricane Katrina. She had spent years creating this portfolio and it was all lost. Another woman, middle-aged but determined, had been designing handbags and planning for the day she could launch her own label. She too lost everything in the haste and confusion of evacuating from a wildfire. After a disaster, any disaster, what will sustain you are your hopes and dreams for the future. Don't leave them behind!

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com

The Danger We Know

Thursday June 10, 2010

I have been beating the drum and calling out warnings related to the potential danger of the present hurricane season. "Listen, I cry out, the sea temperatures which fuel the storms are warmer than 2005. Surely you remember Hurricane Katrina, Rita, and Wilma and what they did to us. Now is the time to prepare!"

People are still listening to me but their reaction is much different this year. I am encountering a great deal of fatalistic and apathetic behavior and I don't like it. Everyone wants to know one thing from me and that is, "How will the oil spill impact hurricanes?"

So I've spent some time doing a little research trying to find the answer. If a hurricane forms and tracks from the west to the east of the oil slick it could push the oil to shore. However if the hurricane comes at the oil slick from the east the winds could push the oil away from landfall. (Remember that a hurricane spins in a counter-clockwise rotation.) There are just too many variables to take into consideration. So the truth is I don't know how the oil spill will impact a hurricane and I don't think anyone does. This is a disaster we have never had to face before and so there is no past experience to guide us.

We have had a great deal of experience with hurricanes. We know what they can do and what we need to do to be prepared for them. The coming storm season could be a deadly one. Everyone needs to start preparing now for the danger we know.

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com

Worried?

Thursday June 3, 2010

The start of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane was 2 days ago and I am already exhausted. I, along with many other Gulf Coast residents, am exhausted from worrying about the oil spill and the disaster lurking somewhere out in our beautiful waters. I am doing everything I can possible think of related to the oil spill. I am monitoring the projected path of the oil on the NOAA website. I am going to the beach every day just to enjoy nature's beauty while it is still available to me. I am praying that my community will be allowed to keep the pristine white beaches it is so famous for. Okay enough! I will continue to do all of these things but I am also going to try and not worry so much. Instead I intend to transform my senseless worry energy into productive actions.

I will make some evacuation plans for the present hurricane season. I hope you will too. We should start by making a list of the top ten items to take during an evacuation. Let's focus all of our positive energy into identifying the ten items in our homes which mean the most to us. Once we have made our selections it is important for us to write down our list of items and their locations. When rushed it is easy to forget where something has been stored. Congratulations! We have taken an important first step in preparing for this hurricane season. I feel much better. Now everyone needs to have a glass of wine and a little bite of chocolate and try not to worry so much.

Additional evacuation information available at www.wineandchocolateplan.com