Extreme Weather

Drought by Ms. Kelly &amp; Ms. Ryan &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A drought happens when it’s supposed to rain, but it doesn’t rain for a long time. Drought happens because rain clouds do not form. I wonder why the clouds don’t form. Drought can happen when too many trees are cut down, so they can’t hold the soil and put moisture in the air. The water in lakes and rivers gets lower, and they start to dry out. Dry plants can catch fire easily and don’t make food. There can be dust storms. People try to save water. Some places save, clean, and reuse water because of drought.

Flood by Blueberry &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A flood is water that overflows. Some floods happen in lots of places. Stormy places are mostly where floods happen. Floods can be caused three ways: by too much rain, by melting snow, and when the ocean comes to shore. A flash flood is like a super flood, because the water goes really, really fast. It can pick up cars. Floods are dangerous. People should go to a high place where there are not bridges, trees, or cars. Floods can make a mess and make the power go out.

Blizzard by Addy &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A blizzard is a snow storm. Crystals of frozen water get too heavy and fall as snow. I wonder why some snow is powdery. Avalanches happen when there are blizzards. Avalanches are dangerous. In a blizzard, people are warned not to drive. Cars can get covered in snow. Heavy coats and snow boots and mittens and scarves keep people warm.

Hurricane by Emilly &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A hurricane is a storm that has strong winds and a lot of rain. They can destroy the land. There can be hail, thunder and lightning. When winds get up to 74 mph, they are called hurricane winds. It takes about 2 or 3 days to get ready for it, so prepare early. Parts of Australia sometimes get hurricanes. People in those areas now have to build stronger buildings that will not be destroyed in a hurricane. Tropical trees can bend and sway without breaking. They can stand up to strong winds. There was a hurricane named Hurricane Andrew. I wonder what it is like to be in a hurricane.

Flood by Jason &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A flood is when the water rises when rain drops fall in the water. Floods can happen in North America which is where we live. Floods can pick up rain drops of water vapor. Strong winds blow across oceans and water comes up onto the shore. Do people get trapped in the flood in their car? Yes. A flash flood is fast moving water. “Turn around! Don’t drown!” Go to a high place so you are safe from the flood.

Blizzard by Chris A blizzard is a kind of snowstorm in winter. The wind blows really hard and it snows a lot. The wind blows to make drifts taller than an adult. Avalanches can happen on mountains. Rescuers have dogs. People should not go outside. Warm clothes keep them warm. The power can go out. You can have a radio, flashlight, batteries, food and water to stay safe.

Thunderstorm by Charlie &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Thunderstorms are really dangerous. During thunderstorms it can get really dark outside. It’s really soggy outside, because thunderstorms are rain storms. Lightning strikes and the storm booms. Lightning heats up air quickly. It expands with a loud crack. Lightning rods protect buildings by bringing the electricity to the ground. Don’t be a fool, get out of the pool. When thunder roars, go indoors.

Tornado by Nathaniel A tornado is clouds that spin in the shape of a funnel. Dark tornado clouds hold icy hailstones. Sometimes a tornado happens as part of a thunderstorm. Winds can blow 200 mph. Most tornadoes happen in hot, moist weather. There is always water vapor in the air. If a tornado warning happens, go to an underground shelter. You may want a radio to tell you when it’s safe to come out. The power might go out. Make sure you have a flashlight.

Tornado by Nicanor &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A tornado is a spinning funnel of cloud or air that can spin 200 miles per hour! Tornadoes sometimes happen in thunderstorms. Tornadoes usually happen in April because it is spring and it is one of the warmest parts of the year. Tornadoes usually happen in the afternoon, because it is the warmest part of the day. Dark tornado clouds hold icy hailstones. Tornadoes pick up rocks that can damage crops and buildings. In one day, 148 tornadoes were reported in 13 states!

Thunderstorms by Lily &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Thunderstorms happen when cumulonimbus clouds form and lightning heats up the air quickly making it expand with a loud crack. We see the lightning before we hear the thunder. After you see lightning, start counting. If you count to 5 before you here the boom of thunder, it is 1 mile away. I wonder why electricity builds up inside the clouds. Lightning can look different depending on how far away the thunderstorm is. Lightning can look different but it is the same. A lightning flash is made up of more than one flash. Big buildings sometimes have lightning rods that protect it by bringing the electricity to the ground. Sometimes lightning strikes people or animals and it can hurt them. Thunderstorms can also bring hailstones. Warnings for thunderstorms usually happen on the TV or the radio. To stay safe during a thunderstorm remember these rhymes. When thunder roars, go indoors and don’t be a fool, get out of the pool.

Name

Safari may block some audio or video from playing automatically and ‘read to me’ will skip these. You can configure this in Safari’s preferences.