Hurricane - John

Dear Uncle Randy,

It seems like only yesterday that hurricane hit. Since my last post, I've have split my time between helping others and watching my siblings. Everyone is alright, just a little scared is all. Fortunatly, the storm soon stopped. Me some others went out to find more supplies and I took my digital camera and took some pics. Although only one got into here:

I've also done some additional research for hurricanes (this is getting interesting and I would think I should be hurricane savvy since it happened to me). Environmentally, these storms create storm surges, big "domes" of water thaat sweep across the hurricane's landing point and these can wash away beaches, plus they uproot trees. Economically, the costliest storm was Hurricane Andrew. There was an estimated $25 billion ($25,000,000,000.00) worth of damage. Now for humans, these storms impact us in many ways. They lift boats, destroy houses, roofs are torn off, large trucks are lifter cables and wires are ripped apart, and people have little chance of survival outdoors. Nationwide, hurricanes have an avg. of 17 deathes while it's floods have 147 per year.

Well, thats all for now, I might not get back to you at all because so much is to be done so wish me luck. Bye!

-John

P.S. Click here for damage caused by hurricanes.

Thunderstorm Day 3- Brittany

Howdy grandmommy and pop! Momma and poppa are home, safe and sound! As for the property though not so much! The storm did get classified as a severe storm. The wind speed got up to 67 mph and the hail size was that of a dollar coin. There are tree limbs all over the place and trash all over the yards and streets. What is so amazing is that there is a tree split right down the middle! It's such a sight grandmommy. My neighbor has a big mess out in her yard. She has a big family which equals lots of trash so there are 5 trash cans full of trash scattered all in her yard! In this storm there was only 1 death and one guy in critical condition from lightning but will be okay. This is actually a great number though grandmommy because on average about 152 deaths from hail, lightning, flooding, and tornadoes a year. Storms really do affect humans; people loose their homes, their cars, and sometimes even their animals and their own lives. There is also a huge economic impact from severe storms. 580 million dollars a year is spent on fixing transportation things like air planes, boats, cars. FEMA spends 8-9 million dollars just on disaster relief. The country also spends about 12.5 BILLION dollars on property and agriculture damage. The good thing though is that I’m safe and plan on staying that way. Just make sure ya listen out for the weather and if I hear anything I will let ya’ll know right away! I love ya’ll lots and lots like tater tots. Xoxo. Be safe, talk to ya soon!

Day 3 Thunderstorms - Alaina

Hey Grammi and Pop. How is it going? Well good news for us, the huge storm has passed and it was horrendous! It was crazy. The wind going so fast we heard it, the siding was creaking and the house felt like it could fall over any second. It didn't but some other things did. When we woke up this morning the storm was over but the evidence was clear as day. A massive storm had definitely been there. We went outside both of our trash cans were across and down the street. Dad made us run down and get them, in pajamas! Then the power went out for a little while because they were saying some trees went down on the power lines. But we got lucky the trees didn't come down on anyones house. People die every year because of tree crashes onto their houses or lightning strikes. Sometimes people get hail the size of baseballs and golf balls. That's really dangerous to go out in that because what if it hit you? The hailalso costs a lot of money too, the hail damages cars buildings everything. You might not think they are that dangerous but they are one of the most dangerous and common storms. A double whammy. There is also flooding which we did get. Out in the backyard we have a part that is lower that the other parts and it has about 3 inches of water. The ground is really soggy, when the dogs went outside they were sinking almost. I am suspecting

that the repairs and such

will probably be about 1 to 2 million dollars. They were showing all the damage on the TV..... well before the power went out. We got through it though. I guess we are going to be expecting some more storms. Hopefully not as bad. Everything will be fine! I can't wait until you

guys come to visit.

I'll Talk to you again later, Alaina

Tornado- Anthony- Day 3

Dear Sarah,

The devastation of this tornado is terrible. First of all the house i was living was completely torn apart. Also all of the crops that were once there are now gone. Even the trees have been uprooted which means some of the animals that live in them wont have a home. Including the animals that might have had time to move they are probably all dead. Every where I look there are houses and cars torn apart. There is going to bee alot of funirals because most of the peopl that live around here dont have a well buiol and strucured house. Don"t worry im fine and so is the dog. I should be home soon although im going to stay here a while and help the people that live around here clean up. if you need anymore info on what i might be doing to help these people click here.

Tornados Jayson Day 3

Dear Fernando

Its been about 10 hours I'm in my bunker. When I peeked out the sun was shining. Then all the sudden fish came falling down. I first thought it was hail. My house was completly safe but when I went to the back the lake was sucked up and my deck was completely destroyed. But I'm thank full my house was'nt destroy. But I felt bad for my next door neghiboors house and it was completly destroyed. I went looking under the rubble. To look for them but I found laying down under all the rubble and they were dead.

I think in my head how many more people out there need help. There can be alot of people injured from debree heading there head. Or there house proabaly collapse over them. Or how many people could have died from the hail because there like a size of a basketball. So pretend your in dodge ball and there using basketballs that come at you a 20 to a 60 miles per an hour. Or that there cuts are left open or if they break bones and they were not treated for there wounds. Bacteria could get in there body. This will cause major problems in the economy if a lot of people died or if there sick.

The torndos destruction left building destroyed. Including business building like walmart BJ's and Mcdonalds. It would leave many people with a jobs and to not have enough money to pay there taxes. Also the company who put that building there because they have to construct it. Bridges and roads and airports were destroyed so people can get around to there jobs. Or that the tornado pulled trees from the ground. That sometimes block the roads. To know more click here.

Torndoes can cause mass destruction in the enviroment. Farms could have been destroy like the tomatoe farm was completly destroyed. So now were going to have to pay extra for tomatoes. The landscape has change to like a forest could have a path now because the tornado could cut right trought it. Like it did to my deck but I'm okay and I'll being you soon.

Jayson

Tornados Day 3-Kathryn

Dear Uncle Sean,

The storm is finally over! My house and I made it through in one piece. A lot of debris was being blown around outside but my house didn't have any major damages. The tornado did cause lots of damages. There are millions of dollars worth of damages throughout the pathway of the tornado. It destroyed houses and many businesses. People are loosing their homes and their properties and don't have the money to pay for the damages. The tornado went through several farms and their farms, livestock, and crops were destroyed. This greatly effected the economy of our state.

There was much damage to the plants and environment around the area of the tornado. The large hail and trees damaged all different kinds of plants and ecosystems. Crops of the farmers were damaged and now have to be grown all over again. Lots of trees were ripped out of the ground and destroyed. Animals were affected as well. Especially many types of birds that couldn't fly away from the tornado fast enough. Forests were damaged by trees falling out of the tornado and trees falling on top of other trees. It affected many different aspects of the environment.

Many people were affected by the tornado. Only several people died, but over a hundred were injured. The power lines were knocked down and lots of people had no power. The wind and debris from the tornado caused the power lines to go down. Many people lost their homes to the tornadoes destructive path. Their properties were also damaged. Some cant pay for the damages and will have to move away and others will have to try to pay to fix their properties. But I am glad this storm is finally over and Delaware will try to repair the damage done by this tornado.

Sincerely, Kathryn.

Dear Christine,

Thanks for all of the tips on thunderstorms! They helped the whole family be prepared for this monster. Now do you have any tips for after the storm because none of us know what were doing! What do you do with all the humongous tree limbs that broke off? Do you know how long it takes for all the dirty water from the flooding to finally evaporate? So many questions such little time, well at least before the storm hits you guys in Massachusetts.

I wish i could at least watch the news to know what is going on outside of my house. But, a bolt of lightning striked the power lines. It is said that the power will be out for about a week. WHOOPEE! When i peeked out the windows the big chunks of hale were still sitting on the sidewalks waiting to be picked up, they are practically the size of baseballs! They destroyed almost everything under them. They damaged cars, buildings, tree's, mailboxes, anything else, you name it! It's ashame on how much money will need to be spent to fix everything.

With the high winds, hail, lightning, flooding, and tornadoes from this thunderstorm it damaged marine transportation, air planes, boats, and cars. They are spending the most money on air transportation, approxamitley 580 million. Thats entirely insane! I wish they could find a way to prevent thunderstorms,like this one, from happening. Oh yeah and did i mention, on top of that whopping amount of money they are spending 8-9 million on disaster relief and 12.5 billion worth of property and agriculture damage.

I'm so lucky that i'm not one of the people to get struck by a bolt of lightning. On our weather radio they reported about 5-10 deaths accured during this particular storm. But an average per year is 152 and not just from the lightning for all the other "symptoms" in a storm. Who knew?

Our food supply is low since we havnt gotten to go out and stock up in about a week! And we arent allowed to drink any tap water, since it may not be clean. I've been living off of orange juice and milk (yuck!). The gas station down the street is long gone! So i guess this means no more gas for miles :(.

O well, it seems really scary right now, but each day it gets a little better! Thanks for the tips and i hope my warning will have you even more prepared then i am. So stock up on food and make sure you always have a flashlight with you incase your power also goes out. Thanks again! Well our laptop is dead so i cant email you back after this but if you want to look up more facts click ">here.

Love,

Emily♥

Hurricane - Eric Mack - Day 3

Dear Uncle Bill,


Finally the strom is over and there is much destrucion. The area is flooded and houses are destroyed. Our house got some minor damage. Thats how I'm able to right this blog. Im just going to brifely tell you about the damages around this area of the storm. It really is eye opening to see all the damage and what it will take to put it all back together.

First off what you mostly see around here is all the pollution in the flood water. Oil has been spilled into the neighborhood, and I have also seen some human and animal waste in the water. Yuck! This make the water and soil polluted and unable to use or drink out of. I saw a rim of a basketball hoop in my front yard this morning. The wind was so strong that it took a metal hoop off of a metal pole. The wind must have been pretty strong. There were trees in my backyard that were blown over and if trees 50-100ft tall fell over that crops were blown over as well. It has been starting to have a smell of mildew and mold. Its all because of the stagnant water and it is allowing the mold and mildew to grow. The waste carries bacteria and viruses and its not helping any.

People are taking this very hard as well. They are getting sick because of the water and soil. The stagnat water is helping produce mold and mildew which is making people sick. It is very unsanitary because of the waste in the water. People treid eating the crops and died because they were contaminated with toxins and chemicals. It is hurting the emotionally too. This is a very tragic event. I have to go now.

~Eric~

Day 3-Julian did dis

OMG!

This place is really torn up. It doen't even look anything like the middletown I know. there's been major flooding. they're estimating half the population of Delaware to be wiped out. I'm just glad i'm ok. Our water supply has been contaminated by flooding in the sewers. But we stocked up on bottled water before the storm so were good on water for now. There is debree fall over the place. peices of cars, peices of houses, limbs from trees, and even limbs of people too. The delaware beaches are in need of some hefty reconstruction because they were mostly washed away. The feilds full of corn and soy re damaged and missing alot of their crops. The worst part is that an oil taker was blown over and spilled all of its oil all over the chesapeake bay. Many fish are dying.

This will really affect the Economy of delaware. The constuction costs will be cery high. The tourisim will be low.(not that there was very much to begin with). Oil prices will rise due to the transportation of supplies to rebuild the state. The hospitals are full. And peoples insurence probobly won't be able to cover the damages done. And hotels by the shore are losing money.But on the bright side we will receive alot of donations to help rebuild Delaware.

This storm has really impacted the people too. The dead bodies are causing an outbreak of diseses. Sewers have overflowed into our water supply and now were short on water. The spilled oil is killing may fish and the crops of delaware have little vegitation. This may cause famine. People will have to get their houses and mabeye even cars fixed too. And were stuck in our houses until some water drains out.

Here is some pictures about floods.

Thats pretty much it. BY!

Day 3 - Tornadoes Josh

Whew...we made it through the storm. The rest of the ranch was not so lucky. Animals and plants alike were lost to the raging winds. We don't know the full extent of the damage, but the farmer says it will be at least $10,000. The farmland was lost and they will lose most of their revenue for the year. The barn is badly damaged and the siloh fell over. I don't think anyone was injured, but some of the cows didn't make it... The power is out and I'm sending this on my i-Pod Touch. There is also no running water in the faucet so we are dring bottles now. The car is gone, so I won't be home for a few more days. It's for the best because I need to comfort the farmer and his wife after the mental and physical stress they've had and is yet to come. The animals are like family so it's like they've lost some family members. To learn more about the impact tornadoes cause, go to this site. I need to go help clean up now...it's gonna be a looooonnnggg time until I come home...

Day 3 - Tornadoes - Arden

Dear cousins,

It has now been four days since the tornado has begun. Since our internet is back up and eveything seems quiet, I think the tornado might be over. Really quickly, I'm going to go outside and check outside and see what kind of damage there is out there. Be back....................NOW! Sorry it took so long but I had to look and be amazed at all the destructive damage. Whe I looked outside, the only things I saw were car flipped over, buildings missing over seventy-five percent of its debrees, trees knocked over and lamposts all over the place. When I went outside, I saw some people gathering outside crying about losses in their family. I could see environmental, economicm and human imapcts all over the place. There were flooded areas all over the place. Since thunderstorms start tornadoes, it was raining when it hit so there are floods EVERYWHERE! Buildings are destroyed as well as cars flipped over and destroyed streets. Plus since evrything is destroyed, people can't go to work to pay for the damage done to their house. Now children are scared to death thinking that if they do something bad ever again, a tornado will come and get them. People are even dead as well as cows, chickens, cats, and dogs. This has really taken a hit on us. People are really depressed about what happened over the past four days. Wish us luck and please pay us so that we can pay for the damage done to our house.

Sincerely,

Arden

Thunderstorm (Day 3) - Sam Andersen

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

It's been a couple days since my last post, but here everything is going well, thank god! I just got home from helping some people get everything (that's not destroyed) out of their home, a tree fell on it. Tree's must weigh a TON because anything that was within the crash area was absolutely destroyed, even the refrigerator is now dead! Also our power just came back on today, that was the longest power outage I've ever been in! Did you know that the lightning is not what kills people in a thunderstorms, it's the trees being knocked over and the debris flying around.

While I'm writing this letter to you I am also watching the news, they say that there will be three types of impacts on our area from this storm, there is the environmental impact, the economic impact, and of course the human impact. Right now you can probably guess what the environmental impact is like here, but I'll fill you in with the little details. First they're telling us not to drink any tap water, even if you think it looks fine, apparently when the flooding from the storm hit some of the factories, their chemicals got mixed together and now they're concerned that the water may have pollutants and deadly chemicals in it. There have also been some concerns with fires raging on even after the rain came, can you believe it? Apparently there was allot of lightning that hit trees, actually come to think of it I did see an orange glow that seemed to be radiating out from the forest, I'm glad it was far from the house! But I feel kinda bad for the forest, being in over four feet of water and having lots of trees knocked over.

The forcast for the economic impact is that prices of foods, goods, and gas are expected to go up over the next week or so, but they will fall back to their normal prices again. When the power went out some of the factories got completly shut down and some things like cloths will be more expensive. Also at the RSW Bank near Mom and Dad's store in Wilmington they had to practically start over on the building project they were doing. Did you know that in a thunderstorm in Australia caused over $1.7 billion in damages (that's allot of money)!

We also have to deal with the human impact! There have been about 15 total fatalities in the tri-state area, and hundreds of homes destroyed, it seems that things can't get much worse. I'll write again next week telling you guys how everything is then, and hopefully news that everything has returned to normal. If you want to learn a little more about the damage from the storm, click here

I'm off to work again,

Sam

Thunderstorms 3 Sam Kaufman

Dear reader,

During this horrible thunderstorm there was severe flash flooding in all of Delaware . Every basement in Delaware got at least 5 inches of water. There were also strong winds and many trees were knocked down. Several trees fell on homes injuring the residents. During the storm it was very cold and there was hail the size of soft balls falling from the sky. Lightning strikes occurred frequently in the storm and one person got struck by the lightning. Trees were also struck by lightning and one strike caused a severe wild fire were 25 acres of forest were burned to the ground. 7 people were killed in various ways by the thunderstorm ,including the wildfire. Hundreds more people were injured and thousands lost their homes. This catastrophe has caused there to be higher taxes on everything and goods that normally were not taxed were forced to be taxed. This taxing is to help rebuild roads and houses that were destroyed during the storm. A thunderstorm this devastating has never been seen before and hopefully will not occur again. For more information Click Here

Tornado - AJ Duncan (Day 3)

Dear, MomMom and Grandpa





Hey I hope you two are alright after that disaster. Once again i been doing some research on some of the aftermath on the tornado causes. Since you live in the west some of the common environmental impact is a major lost of trees and it tears up the lands. Since you got alot of farm land where you are there will be major lost of crops and livestock. Some other stuff is:

• Barns/Farm Buildings
• Fences
• Revenue loss from lost production and bussiness
• Farm Machinery
  

Some of the human made resources are like:

• Damage to buildings
• Loss of landscaping
• Damage to cars
• Damage to Trucks
• Damage to Trains
• Damage to Airplanes
• Animals

Some of the local utilities will be off like:

• Power (Electricity could be out from 3 Days- A Month)
• Communications
• Drinking Water
• Transportation
• Food

Some of the economic impact would be bad because the goverment would have to pay for the lost of town and city. Also since after the tornado alot of the people in the town lose alot land and property. Since alot of farmers earn their money by selling crops and animals alot of animals get caught up in the storm and it destroy there farm land.

Nor-Easter - Courtney (Day 3)

So, the storm has passed. It's finally stopped snowing, but it's still pretty cold. The ground is still covered with snow, and the roads look treacherous. Granny is trying to motivate Tony and I into shoveling the driveway. I guess you can tell how that's going.

We were watching the news this morning, and the main story was about the storm. Apparently it's going to take alot of money to get all the snow off the roads in order for the cars to drive safely. I looked up past nor-easters online and found some interesting stuff.

In the blizzard of 1996, there were 154 deaths and various damages that cost billions of dollars (literally) to repair. Thankfully, there haven't been any major damages in our area. I'm also thankful that we had snow and not rain. After the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962, six feet of water covered the Main Street of a small town, and the entire mainland was flooded. The winds got up to 60 miles per hour, and all electrical power was down. Dan Jones, a waterman who lived on the island, said that the storm, "was the Lord's punishment on us."

Now, I wouldn't go as far to say that the storm that hit us is God's wrath, in fact we fared pretty well here at home. We never permanently lost power (however, the lights would go out for a couple seconds and then come back on again), and we had plenty of food. We attempted to make a fire, again but that didn't really work out so well.

Another interesting thing that I found was that during the Superstorm of 1993, 25% of United States flights were cancelled for two days. I really hope you guys can come home as scheduled...

Anyway, we have to go out and shovel now. Enjoy your last days in paradise - trust me you'll need the happy memories when you come back.

- Courtney :)

P.S. For more information about the Ash Wednesday storm (which was pretty interesting) click here. The pictures are amazing.

Hurricanes- Maddie (Day 2)

Hi Nana,

I know the storm seems really rough right now but there are ways to make you feel safe. Just stay calm! I'm sorry it has taken my a while to respond I know you are worried. As long as you follow my directions and make safe decisions you should be fine! Now there are mild and serve hurricanes, mild hurricanes are classified as a 1,2 or 3. A serve hurricane (which you are dealing with right now) is classified as a 4 or 5. The serve hurricanes can have winds up to 155 mph with torrential down pours! There are defiantly going to be some tree's flying! Just be prepared, here are somethings you can do to make sure you and your house stays safe1

First make sure you and Aunt Sally stay together! That is very important because you guys are the only ones in the house and you need to know what is happening at all times! Locate the safest room or area in your house and stay there for the storm. But before you guys hide out you should determine escape routes from the various angles of you house and make sure all doors and windows have all 3 hinges and are locked or boarded up. That is also important because these high winds can rip off your door, then there would be flooding. So then you would be door-less and your house would be flooding, which is not good at all. Also a good thing to do is call you retailer and ask if a retrofit is available for you garage door. That is so your garage door stays on. Just make everything is secure and that YOU feel that you, Aunt Sally and the rest of the house are safe. Double check everything!

Hopefully nothing bad will happen to you or the house. But lets put our selves in the worst case scenario. If your house floods or the roofs falls in or some other unfortunate accident happens, what are you going to do to make sure you and Aunt Sally come out of the trauma safely. You should prepare a survival kit! If you end up homeless because you house was destroyed you'll NEED to take this with you! It should have at least 1 gallon of water for each person ever day your out there, food at least enough for 3-7 days (make sure that the food you pack in non-perishable like peanut butter or canned foods), cash so buying anything extra can be possible, blankets and pillows, toiletries and hygiene items like toothpaste and sun screen, flashlights are good if you are outside in the dark for long periods of time, radio to communicate with other and Aunt Sally, and a cell phone. All of this stuff will help you survive the storm. Click here if you want to know more about the survival kit!

I know all of that sounds really scary and very real but that is worse case scenario. If you do everything that i said before like lock you doors and what not you should be fine and you won't have to worry about your survival kit. I would still make a survival kit just in case something were to happen you are ready! I am just trying to prepare you for whatever does happen, okay? Don't be overwhelmed. You will be fine now that you know what to do.

Stay safe!

Love Maddie :)

Hurricane ~ Krithika ~ Day 3

Hey Sarah!

I SURVIVED IT!!! I survived the storm! The storm was a disaster. Nobody expected it to come out this dangerous. It has been a week since the storm ended and most of New Orleans is under sea level. That idea just scares me. The first floor of our house is foot deep full of water. The roof on top of the garage has blown off, but lucky nothing happened to the 3 cars that were parked inside.

I literally went into shock when I was watching the news. Our side of New Orleans faced nothing compared to what happened near the Gulf. The estimated death toll is 1200 people. We had no power until yesterday and we couldn't get out of the house. Good thing that we were prepared though, my aunt has experience with hurricanes, so she was prepared with all the food and supplies we needed throughout the hurricane and after. Tens of thousands of people evacuated. Most of them came back to see that their houses and belongings are no longer standing. All those people are homeless. Everyone is trying to help those homeless but there are so many that it is becoming impossible to help everyone.

Hurricane Katrina impacted the environment really badly. It was the worst. There has been a lot of oil spills near the gulf and it is contaminating the flood water, which is seeping slowly into the groundwater, which people use to drink. Thats why the meteorologists are telling us not to use tap water. Oil spills are not the only problem, pesticides, heavy metal, and other toxic chemicals are making their way into the groundwater. The flood water is made up of billions of gallons of sea water. 80% of New Orleans is flooding. Flooding was not the only environmental impact, trees fell everywhere due to the wind, cutting of the electricity wires. That is not good because for some places it is going to take weeks to replace those wires.

The damage that this hurricane caused is going to take years to fix, and a lot of money. A lot of people lost their jobs because their work places got destroyed. More than 200,000 homes got destroyed, only in the New Orleans. It is going to take a lot of money to rebuild all those houses. Most importantly the oil productions and refining operations in New Orleans shut down. Also the Port of New Orleans is badly damaged which disturbed the shipping industry. They are losing a lot of money. This hurricane really is effecting the economy.

What I described to you right now is just in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina also hit a lot of another states, and much more damage has been done. Don't worry about me Sarah, I'm doing fine right now. I'm coming home sooner that I am supposed to so see you then. If you want to see more damage of hurricane katrina, click here.

~Krithika~

Hurricane Kelsey Day 3

Dear Aunt Donna,

The hurricane that hit us was way more intense then we thought. Once a beautiful place now a destroyed home and area for many to visit. There were winds had reached up to 155 miles per hour. These high winds and excessive rain falls had caused elevated sea level which is also know as storm surges. There is so much damage that has happened its unbelievable! All our vegetation is stripped and 70 percent of our sand from islands have been stripped also. 80 percent or more of Oyster reefs behind barriers are now smothered by 0.3-0.9 meters of sediment. Some of the vegetation that was stripped was mangrove trees, they now rest upon the shoreline along with everything else. I honestly can not tell you when our town will be back to normal. Some have said that we might even have long term flooding.

Everyone is in a panic state right now, trying to deal with jobs, money, family, and food. There is just to much on every ones mind, and to add to it the hurricane is making energy products fall. To fix up all this damage that has been created it will more then likely take our community tens of billions of dollars. Literally 400,000 people will be unemployed because there will be no transportation going through the town and jobs are going to be shut down and repaired for a long time. Since the storm our gas prices have been lowered because all our vehicles are unable to make it onto the roads. Most of the cars in our area are stuck in puddles of water and are unable to get out. I was told that if refineries come back online during the next two weeks, energy use will tend to be put to its highest value. In this case this will help our economic activity and it will not be affected.

As you know our area was once a beautiful place to visit, now not so exciting. Many of our attractions in the area have been destroyed and are no longer existing. To come to my senses this storm will take a long time to clean up. Many people around here will need to help and pitch in so we can make our so called town, a town again to live peacefully in. Although this is another major problem during clean up. Some have been aware of heart attacks and injury. I honestly can say that is the last thing we will need right now. Just to let you know, me and the family are all doing alright. Please do not be worried just send emotionally support to dad. He has been taking everything really hard lately and I understand why. I hope you have learned about all the mess that hurricanes can bring, and I wouldn't want you going through the same things. If anything ever happens like this near you, please let me know as soon as possible. Take care and love you always.

Love,
Kelsey

Hurricanes day 3 - Ryan Y.

Hey Mom, hey Dad! The good news is I'm still alive and are storm windows are working and not one thing has damaged are house. The storm is over now, but you should see all the damage that has been done! Their are pieces of houses every where, and there is twisted metal and toxic chemicals every where. I was listening to the radio and they said that the toxic fluids have seeped into the ground and into our groundwater that we drink and use. The army has now constructed a shelter for those in need of a home because the storm completely destroyed theirs. Their also are thousands who are sick and injured and need medical care. Off shores rigs are one of the many problems, thousands to millions of gallons of oil were spilled by the hurricane and all this oil seeped into water systems and people have been drinking the water and its getting them sick. I'd have to estimate over millions of dollars have been spent to fix the roads and building the hurricane has destroyed, and also most of money is spent to help those in need of food and shelter because the hurricane destroyed their house. People are now stealing more because lots of people have lost their houses and have nothing to live off of, so they are stealing things like food so they won't starve to death, and expensive things that they could sell to make money. I also was peering outside and I noticed that thousands of trees were destroyed by the storm, and contaminated water was getting into our water system. The hurricane also caused a flood and got into peoples houses and created mold every where and viruses spread. Many people have lost their family, and friends by the hurricane. Another problem was that people had know where to take showers because they had no home anymore so they got sick from filth or uncleanliness. It just broke my heart to see all these family's broken up by the storm, I'm glad your not here to see all this its very disturbing, we are also finally safe to come home and I'm so excited I miss you guys, I got to go, BYE!

Sincerely,
Ryan Young

Hurricane - John

Dear Uncle Randy,
We are sitting in the basement of a nextdoor neighbor right now. I'm on my laptop typing and as you are reading this the storm continues. I was lucky to be able to bring my laptop to communicate with you. While we were fighting the storm, our house began to flood. So we and several others traveled to a nextdoor neighbor. There I was asked to help others through the storm. I also found that someone was video taping the storm so I asked if I could upload it. Here it is:

Before that happened, we were busy getting ready for the hurricane. We collected water, flashlights, extra batteries, a battery operated radio, blankets, clothes, non-perishable food like canned goods, and a first-aid kit. You also must turn of gas, electricity, and water, call 911, find a radio station with news of the hurricane, and create a communication plan. We only forgot the communication plan because we had no time.

Beforehand I found what is called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale and we found out that this is a Category 3 hurricane. That means that the maximum wind speed is 111-130 mph, the storm surge is 9-12 ft high, and the damage is extensive. We are also seeing strong winds and heavy rains but we're surviving.

Gotta go and help out the others. Bye!

-John

P.S. Click here for the list that we used.

Day 3- Thunderstorms- Joey

Dear Dad,

Hey Dad. Sorry, I haven't written in days. The reason I'm writing now is because the power just came back. But thanks to our battery powered radio, we were able to keep up with everything. The radio said that a telephone pole was hit and the lines split. It must have been hard to fix. But unfortunately, in the power outage the fridge also lost it's power. So we had to throw away most of the food in there. It was a real waste, and I wanted the spaghetti that was in it. But none of the canned food went bad, so have been eating soup and raviolis ever since. But since the power came back, Mom and me were able to go out and get some real food. But I kind of wish we stayed home.

The things we saw when we left. You know are neighbors the Dudes? They had a tree fall over and land on their roof. There was some real damage done to the house. I just hope that they are alright. And you should have seen the amount of trees Bent over and split in half. Its disgusting. I just had to put it out of my mind until we got back home.

It looked like everyone had the same idea to go to the super market because there were tons of people there. But we could only get some bread and milk because the supply trucks were told to turn around when the storm was coming and the amount of people that were there. Oh well, its better than nothing.

Well the good thing is that I don't have school until next week because they are trying to clear out the schools parking lot. There is also a rumor that the school was hit by a tree that was uprooted. I don't mind. It gives me time to spend with Mom. She's the coolest. She knew what to do and when to it. But I still wish you were home. Things just aren't the same. Especially after that storm. But well make it through. I promise.

P.S. If you want to know more, Click Here.

Sincerely,

Joey

Day 3- Tornado- Casey

Dear Aunt Donna and Uncle Steve,

Thank you for replying on my last blog. I'm sorry to hear that damage is quite bad in your area. But thankfully, you're okay. For now at least; there is alot of human impact from tornadoes you should know about that doesn't always have to just deal with you.

The impact of tornadoes is desastrous, I know. But they can sometimes be replaced. People can't. I know that Christopher, Ryan, and Tara live in your neighborhood also, and if I were you I would make sure they were okay. Injuries, stress with loss of others, bad breathing, mental health problems, property loss, and even some fatalities can be caused by tornado aftermath.

Although the human impact is scary to even think about, imagine farmers. Loss of crops, livestock, power, trees, communication, drinking water, transportation, landscaping, buildings, fences, barns, houses, all result to loss of production. The envoirnment could be quite poor after tornadoes. Also, damage to utilities and services causes negative impact on economic multipliers as well.

Altogether, revenue loss from lost production in the business industry, trees demolished at the source, and people dying are some of the worst things tornadoes can accomplish. I'm just happy to know that you're okay and you'll be visiting here soon for some trama therapy.

Love you lots!

keep in touch,

--Casey

Day 3 Nor`easter Cecil

Nor`easter-Cecil

Dear Jay, Jon, and Joshua I`m blogging to see if you guys are ok from the so called storm of the century. I`m looking at the news and they said that this storm hit the south pretty good and it dropped 50 inches of snow in the states of Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina. I`m also on the internet right now and I`m looking at the destruction that this storm did to Atlanta, Georgia. I called Grandma and she said that the snow is turning into ice and is causing alot of problems on the road. You guys still won`t be going to school for a couple of days . When all the snow melts the Atlanta area might have a problem with fooding because alot of snow fell there a cople of days ago. The government is having problems because it costs the city alot of problems by getting the snow plowed away and clearing it off the streets. The human impact of this storm is that it is knocking out peoples power and school days that the students are supposed to have are being backed up to the point when they have to make the school days up at the end of the year. This mstorm also has cancled employees from going into work and is causing choas all around the south. Well this will be the last time I`m writing to you so I guess I`ll call. I`ll see you guys in the summer and hopefully all the snow will be melted by then!

Your`e cousin, Tre`

Day 3 Tornado- Joe

Hello Grandma.

Its been three days since my last post, that's because I've been so busy help clean-up the mess the tornado left behind. I also have been very depressed since the tornado. This is because my good friend, Matt, got hit by a piece of flying debris and killed him because he was outside walking home, unaware that the tornado was coming. Another friend Sam was in his basement, but near the window and a tree came in and landed on him. He was severely injured and is still in the hospital. Did you know that 90% of all tornado casualties aren't fatal?

I also am depressed because our house was destroyed, we have home owners insurance but that can't replace all the things that meant so much to me. Others who don't have home owners insurance have to buy another house. While we rebuild I am living with my parents friends who live nearby and also witnessed the tornado but it only did minor damage, such as lifting the shingles off the roof. It's going to take a very long time to recover from something as tragic as this. Trees toppled, trash and debris, also cars turned over in the middle of the street. After the tornado there was no sign of our cars, I still have no idea where they went.

The estimated cost for this tragedy is three million dollars! That is unbelievable! I feel bad for the farmers in this area, crops are destroyed which makes their main source of income gone. Also their cows and other livestock were mostly killed. This means that the cost for the supermarket are going to be sky high because there is a high demand for things such as milk, crops used for food, and other livestock that we eat and that there is a low supply of these things no which just shows that prices are going to be soaring.

Another terrible thing is that we have no where to go, this is because every one's car are totaled and all other means of transportation. Also no one can enter the area because it is practically impossible to drive because of the debris all over the place. Well that's all I have to say for today. If you want to know more about what I am going through click here. Hope to talk to you soon.

- Joe

Thunderstorms- Rachel Day 3

Hey Meghan,
It's been three days since our horrific thunderstorm and I finally have enough information to tell you what happened. Our thunderstorm was considered severe and lasted for almost an hour and a half, which is thirty minutes longer than the average storm. Winds reached extreme speeds at over 75 mph, and we had hail for a short period of time. Our area had both a flash flood and tornado warnings, but luckily none of those things happened. I was listening to the NWS radio alerts earlier and I heard all the impact on our environment, economy, and human life.

Our environment was affected by lightning because it burnt and killed trees and it started a wildfire in our forest. The hail that we received luckily did not kill any wildlife, but in some storms it actually does. Lucky for us, the flash flood and tornado never came, but they can also affect the environment. Flash floods can destroy man-made objects and move boulders. They can also create fast torrents for small creeks. Tornadoes can wreck havoc on weak structures.

The storm affected our economy greatly. The lightning that struck killed some livestock and caused damage to homes, barns, and other farm buildings life silos and stables. Fences have been damaged and so has machines. Also, telephone and electricity was affected that left people unable to do regular things at work. All of these things cost money to repair. Our economy is losing money because people are not working. Crops and property that have been damaged by hail cost more than a billion dollars to fix. Did you know that going by insurance costs tropical cyclones, earthquakes, floods, and brush fires each do not cause more damage than thunderstorms?

Humans were impacted by the thunderstorm also. Lightning did not kill anyone in this storm, but in other thunderstorms lightning can kill and injure people. Homes were damaged in this storm and hail damaged cars and windows also. Tornadoes per year average with about 62 people killed and 1,500 people injured. Do you know what is the greatest death cause in a thunderstorm? Flash floods-they kill more than 140 people every year!

As you can see, this thunderstorm took a toll on us down in Florida and we will be rebuilding for a little bit. Thankfully no humans died because of this storm. For more information on impacts of a thunderstorm click here. I believe that I stayed safe because I was well prepared, so the next time a thunderstorm is brewing around you, I hope you will remember all that I taught you and be prepared. I told you in my first blog that you would become a thunderstorm expert after you were done reading my blogs. So the question is, are you a thunderstorm expert now?

Nor-Easter-Day 3-Elena

Dear Katrina



The storm has finally ended. The impact of this Nor-Easter is insane! So many homes are lost. Every ones power was out for 2 days. Me and my family have been very safe and cautious with all the procedures,w have every supply needed that was listed. Fortunately, no one is hurt from all the fallen trees and power lines. Or any illnesses such as hypothermia or frostbite. My family is very safe with that. I haven't talked to my friends in a while due to the roads being icy and the state of emergency. Thankfully the snow has officially stopped but we have along way to go. i was listening to the weather on the TV and they said that it could take months for all this snow to melt. That's along time! But I dug through new paper, magazines and listened to the radio and TV. Here is what i found.

Apparently the environment was damaged too. I didn't think about that. But there was a lot of car accidents from trees fallen, icy roads, and debris flying around from the fierce winds. There was a lot of closed highways and roads. People's houses have been destroyed from power lines falling over and trees as well. Some houses even got hit by ice. The ice broke windows on the houses and cars. Not only did the windows get damaged but so did roofs, and porches. A lot of people are stuck in their homes because the snow is blocking the doors. People are suffering from cabin fever. Cabin fever is when you are going crazy because you are in your house for too long. Most animals have died too. Many have just died because of hypothermia or frostbite. The animals that live here in Delaware aren't used to this kind of weather. And just imagine the animals that live in ponds. They are probably dead because the ponds are too frozen to swim in. Lastly, is the farmers can't grow any crops, the fields are covered in heavy snow!

Next is the economic impact. Most people spent a lot of money because of all the damages the snow is causing. The cost of fuel is higher due to the isolation, people are using their houses more and the extreme cold, its making the houses REALLY cold. Many people have gotten into car accidents, and that will catch up to you! With all the bills you have to pay. One for the hospital bill for all the injuries, hypothermia and frostbite. A bill for your car damages to be repaired. And that can cost a lot even for a bumper to be repaired! Lastly is the house damage if you have any broken window, leaks, of damaged roofs. For farmers this could be tough too. No crops are being sold because the fields are covered in snow. None of the animals can produce anything because they aren't getting the proper food. Some livestock is even killed! Barns, stables, and equipment is destroyed as well. Lastly is the effect on payroll. If you can't get to your job you aren't getting paid, that makes it tougher for the paying of all the bills. And some communities are paying for snow plows to plow the roads. A snow storm is SO expensive!

Lastly is the human impact. There as been a totally of 7 deaths for this storm. people's power has been cut off. And everyone is in isolation in their homes. People are pouring into the hospital like crazy! So many accidents have been reported for the icy roads. People need to be more careful! the snow is precipitation so the oceans are given more water. People that live on the beaches, their houses are being flooded from the oceans. There has been deaths from illness, avalanches, trees, and extreme cold. Not that much human impact because people are being smart and staying inside their homes. That's what me and my family did!

Well that's all their is to know about this storm. Not much going on with our family. We are all safe and there is nothing to worry about. Hope you enjoy the upcoming summer and stay safe.

love you lots,
Elena

Tordanos Day 1-Kathryn

Dear Uncle Sean,

We are expecting a big storm on the east coast. It must be different from the storms you get over on the west coast, but there is the possibility we might be getting a tornado. They are the most violent storms on earth. The tornadoes come from thunder storms. They are violently rotating columns of air and are tornadoes when they touch down to the ground. They start in what is called the updraft of a thunderstorm, then spin down. They don't know how strong or when the tornado will come but i am preparing for the worst. The tornadoes winds are what cause the damage, and also the debris they pick up and then drop down. Large hail is also very dangerous.

The speed of the tornadoes is ranked with the six tiered fijita scale. A weak tornado is an F0 or F1. These have winds form 40 to 112 miles per hour. Strong tornadoes are F2 or F3 and they have winds anywhere from 113 to 206 miles per hour. The extremely violent tornadoes are F4 and F5. They have winds exceeding 206 miles per hour and are the fastest and most dangerous tornados.

When a tornado is coming, the sky may get a greenish color and all the wind may stop alltogether for a second, then the tornado will start to form and touch down. Large hail that is around the size of grapefruits may also appear and can cause many damages and injuries. They are still trying to predict if one will come from this very big storm, and I am waiting for the possible tornado.

Sincerely, Kathryn

Day 3 - Hurricanes - Sarah

Dear Krithika,

Hurricane Katrina has finally passed, but the damage it has caused will remain for years to come. We were far enough away from the coast, but there is still major flooding and we could still be in danger. But the worst is over, and now all that's left to do is clean up the wreckage.

There are fallen trees, downed power lines, and more. But the worst part is the oil and the seawater! They estimate that 7 million gallons of oil were spilled! And all the seawater in the city! All the water has mixed with trash, sewage, household chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, and even bodies. It all washed through the city and seeped into the ground! Almost 80% of the whole city is flooded! All the damage is said to cost over $200 billion!!!

Over 200,000 homes were destroyed in our area, and over 500,000 jobs were lost as a result of the storm! I also heard that when the storm passed through Louisiana, it damaged the Port of New Orleans! But the worst part is the death tolls. Including all the other places that Hurricane Katrina passed through, 1,200 people died as a result of the storm. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated, and 2.3 million were left without power. You can check out the Hurricane Katrina Statistics Page for more information.

We have been trying to help people for the past couple days that were hit by the stronger parts of the storm. There are so many people homeless that supplies aren't coming into the city fast enough! As time goes on it will get better, but that won't be for a long time.

I'll be home soon so wherever you are on your vacation, I hope that you're okay!

Hope to see you soon!

Sarah :)

tornado- Anthony B.- Day 2

Dear Sarah,

It's been two days since my last posting and the tornado has finally hit. It's hard to concentrate since the wind id so strong you can barely hear anything but it. The rain has gotten heavier and is now followed by hail. I'm lucky the winds haven't gotten to extreme cause if they do debris can start flying and slice right through a house. Right now I'm in my basement in a closet lying down with mattress's and blankets on top of me to protect me from anything that might hurt me. I'm also listening to the radio to hear about the tornado and where its heading. Also, the most amazing thing happened a little chocolate lab was strolling down the road and saw me and i guess followed me too my house, so now I'm taking care of her. I haven't thought of a name for her yet so if you can think of something let me know. If you would like to find out more on what to do during a tornado click here.



See you soon,
Anthony

Day 2 Tornados Jayson

Dear Fernando,

The hail just knock down my dish but the last thing I heard was that it was going to be a tornado warning. So I peeked outside my window and the sky was greenish. The hail grew as big as a basketball. My car got destroyed by those massive hail of ice. I saw a low lying cloud a few miles away. Then the radio said a violent tornado class 5 this is going to be a big one at Ohio. Then a funnel came out of the cloud and touch the ground and pulverise about 20 houses and it was about a mile wide.

I had an underground bunker in my house that was build years ago. I put a disaster supply kit that contains. A supply of 3 days of water, food that don't spoil, one change of clothes and foot wear, a blanket and a sleeping bag. It even has a first aid kit and medicine so if I get injured I take an antivirus to protect when I get out from flues. I put a radio, flashlight, and some batteries to see if my house gets destroyed I can go to a home shelter. Almost everyone forgets bringing all your money and there credit cards. I put fire distungihers inside the bunker and a fire alarm so if anything catches on fire I'll be ready. I even put a T.V to pass the time watching movies to calm myself down. To know more of how to protect yourself from a storm click here.

I write back as soon as possible because I hear a loud roar, like an frieght trains that only means that the tornado is on top of me.

Jayson

Day 2- Cecil

Nor`easter Day 2- Cecil

Dear Jay, Jon, and Joshua ,Im writing to see how you guys are doing during this storm. Im watching the news right now and you guys are being hit pretty hard right now. I hope you guys have plenty of things to do inside bacause this monster blizzard isn`t Atlanta until tomorow. They said when its all said and done this storm will drop 42 inches. It will break all of Atlanta`s records for amount of snow, temperature, and wind chill. It is supposedly called the blizzard of the century. They also said that you guys already have like 25 inches on the ground since yesterday and its not going to stop. It is said that we are supposed to get the same storm you guys are getting since all storms move north east where we are so we might get blasted in the next couple of days. You guys might as well go head and hook up the 360 and the PS3 because ya`ll going to need something to do for maybe a couple weeks. Schools will be closed after this storm moves through for a while because some of the snow will freeze if it is cold enough and Atlanta will have a problem with ice. I hope you guys listened to my last writing and went grocery shopping before the storm hit yesterday. Here is some information about a blizzard during its most powerful hours. The winds in a blizzard are very strong and it may just be powerful enough to knock you over, Jon hahaha. If you are to go out in make sure to put on multiple layers of clothes. Make sure to tell Auntie Cecilye and Uncle Jeff to save the fuel in their cars. Josh tell Jay and Jon to avoid shoveling to much snow at a time and stay off the streets. The precipitation begans to build up during a blizzard and the snow begans to stick to the earth`s surface.Well I was just writing to see if you guys are ok and you 3 keep staying strong through the cold temperatures, It will all be gone tommorow.

Youre cousin, Tre

Thunderstorms-Rachel Day 2

Hey Meghan,
The storm finally came today! About three minutes ago I started to hear the rumbling of the thunder and now the rain is starting to come down. The storm should only last from 30 to 60 minutes, but it will seem like a lifetime to us Floridians waiting for the damage to be done. They are predicting for the storm to be severe thunderstorm and everyone is extremely nervous. I am all prepared though, so don’t worry. Last night I went to the store and I bought all the items I needed. I also have a disaster plan ready and I am listening for news on the radio. After reading this blog, if you are ever in my position you will be prepared just like me. First things first, everyone should have a disaster plan. Even if there is no storm heading your way right this second, you should have a kit put together with disaster supplies and a plan. The kit I have together is filled with a 3 day food supply and an extra 4 day food supply for every person or pet that is in my household. Also, for our baby cousin I have baby supplies like diapers and formula. In case Grandma or Grandma is staying with me I have “elderly” supplies for them. If you are ever in the position when you could be with someone with life-threatening allergies or someone that is disabled, you want to have the proper materials for them also. Most importantly, I purchased 3 gallons of water and then an extra 4 gallons for every extra person or pet in my home. I also have miscellaneous objects like cups, plates, a manual can opener, a portable radio or television, flashlights, a first aid kit, for every person I included a full set of clothes, blankets and sleeping bags for everyone in my household, lots of extra working batteries, self-grooming supplies and disinfectants, paper, pencils, needles and thread, a fire extinguisher, an emergency preparedness manual, entertainment so I won’t get bored, a map, extra keys and identification, money, a list of prescriptions needed, matches, a tent, a shovel, and a compass. This may seem like a lot of supplies, but you can never be too prepared. Click here if you want a greater and detailed list of supplies for your kit. For a disaster plan, one thing you can make sure everyone in your household knows what to do and where to go during a disaster.

There are also certain actions you should follow during a thunderstorm if you cannot get indoors. If you are stuck in a forest, go under thick brush that is low to the ground. If you happen to be in an open area try to find the lowest area around and stay there. Of course if you are in the water, GET OUT! Also, if you ever feel that you hair is standing up on its end cover your ears with your hands and squat down, putting your head between your knees. Most importantly if you are lying flat on the ground during a thunderstorm it is a bad thing and you are putting yourself at a great risk and could possibly be struck by lightning. To prevent yourself from ever being stranded outside during a thunderstorm, the NWS alerts your county with warnings and puts alerts on the radio. Also, you can check the internet for warnings and alerts. By just using common sense and looking at the sky you can tell if there is bad weather coming. Did you know that your chance of being struck by lightning is 1 out of 600,000? Surprisingly, even though you have been told the rubber of your shoes and the tires on your car can protect you from lighting, they actually don’t. During a thunderstorm do not use anything with a cord; it puts you at risk at being struck by lightning.

Thunderstorms are very dangerous. In every thunderstorm there is lightning which is extremely dangerous. Lighting kills 55-60 people a year and injures 300 people a year. Lightning also affects a thunderstorm’s temperature; the air that channels the lightning can get up to 50,000°F which is even hotter than the Sun! To figure out an estimate of how far away lightning is, count the seconds between a flash of lightning and the roll of thunder and divide that number by five to get the distance from you and the lightning in miles. Another dangerous aspect of a thunderstorm is its winds. Wind speed can exceed 125mph in a thunderstorm. A thunderstorm can create a tornado, which can have 250 mph winds. Thunderstorms can also create hail and cause a flash flood.

There are three main stages of a thunderstorm. The first stage is called the “developing” stage. This is when there is little rain. The next stage is called the “mature” stage. This stage is when the thunderstorm is in full swing, with heavy rain. The final stage is called the “dissipating” stage. The dissipating stage is the final leg of the thunderstorm, when the rain decreases in its strength. For a regular thunderstorm to become severe, it either has to create a tornado, have winds that exceed 58 mph, or create hail that is three quarter inch in diameter. If a thunderstorm lasts longer than the usual 30 minutes to an hour, it is considered to be severe.
Did you know that at any part of the day around the world there are 1,800 thunderstorms going on? That totals up to 16 million a year! We Floridians are a part of that 1,800 now as the mature stage of the thunderstorm is starting up. I’d better go and listen to the radio for NWS alerts. Before I go, I want to make sure that you are making your list of disaster supplies and making a family disaster plan because if you are ever hit with a storm like this one, you will definitely want to be prepared. I will give you more details on this thunderstorm as soon as possible!

Yours Truly,
Rachel

Nor eastern Kyle day1

Dear David,
We are having a big storm coming it is called a nor eastern. It is very similar to a hurricane it is a counter clockwise cyclone. I heard on the news it is coming soon so I don’t think you should fly down. It is also 1,000 miles or more in diameter. Also it can last for more than a week so we are going to have to reschedule your visit. And yes I just heard there can be snow not like we haven’t had enough this year. But tell everyone not to worry we will be fine down here. There is also a big wind witch is why I don’t want you coming down here because I don’t need you risking your life just to see us for a couple of days. I just heard on the news there will be heavy rain and snow and flooding along the costal where is witch we live so we might have to move away. As the storm goes the wind will get warmer and so will the
The air will get warmer and so will the Atlantic water. If the snow gets to heavy the storm turns into bom cyclones. The news also said the neither last nor eastern killed 250 people and canceled over 25% of the United States flights for two days. So I suggest we really plan this for another time. Don’t worry.

Until Next time
Kyle Henry.

Day 2- Tornado- Casey

Dear Aunt Donna and Uncle Steve,

Hi, I just wanted to update you on the storm. However, if you are in the midst of the storm, I would hope you wouldn't be on your computer. But if your waiting for the storm to come within an hour, there are some things you should know for your safety.

First of all, turn on the radio to a non commercial weather station that could tell you the storm detected on the radar, and when it could hit you. Take the radio to a high rise building immediately to seek shelter, and go to the lowest place you can find. Hide in a corner with a survival kit with things such as water, food, flashlights, clothes, gloves, etc. in case of a more intense storm than predicted. You should also prepare yourself for the damage the storm could cause.

Keep in mind that with winds averaging from 30-70 mph, there are certainly damaging consequences. Tornadoes can devastate an entire neighborhood in a matter of seconds. Damaging paths can be in excess of 1 mile wide and 50 miles long per second! During a tornado, dust, debris, and other objects could be picked up and thrown through the air as if it's weightless. Rain, low hanging clouds, deep gray signs, etc. can happen before and while a tornado is occurring, so keep watch. All of these things are quite possible while a tornado is happening, so preparing yourself for the damage it can cause certainly wouldn't be the worst thing you could do. Stay calm, and seek shelter with a survival kit and follow these safety precautions and you should be fine.

Call me if you need anything.

I love you!

--Casey

Day 2-Julian did dis 2

Hi Its me again!

Hurricane mcnabb turned out to be a class 5 Hurricane! The winds are said to be at about 178 mph. Our buetiful beaches are gone because of mcnabb. thers been reports of tornados in our area. Lincon finacial feild it gone. Our basement is flooded. The streets are unreconizable. Tip Tides have flooded the beach areas. I'm Glad our cars are in our garage because all cars outside are floating away.Even houses are floating away. Theres not any house as far as I can see That isn't damaged. I just hope our insurence will cover these damages.

We were advised to build a safe room but there wasn't enough time. But we did intall roof staps to secure our roof. We also had to put on stormshutters to protect our windows from breaking from the intese winds. To limit branches from blowing around we were told to trim down out trees and bushes but again time disallowed it. But we did clear the gutters. And we secured our boat. Right now were listening to the tv and radio for any news. We have a water stock to drink clean water. Were stuck in our house because it was too dagerous to evacuate in time. W have to stay away from the windows just to be safe. I wouldn't even think about going outside. Were in the foyer because we were told to go to the middle of our hous away from windows and on the lowest floor. But as I said the basement is flooded.

LOOK AT THESE FLOODS!!!:-(

Day 2 Thunder Storms By: Sam

Dear Dude reading this,
There are many things that you need to do to prepare for a thunder storm but what you really need is a survival kit. In the kit there is a three day supply of water and food, a portable battery powered radio, a first aid kit, matches, a whistle, sanitation items, extra clothing, cooking utensils, identification cards, cash, and prescription drugs. You would alos need to remove dead branches and secure oudoor objects, and unplug appliaces before a thunder storm. During the storm you would need to stay off your porch and not wash your hands. This is because the electrical current could travel throught the water in the pipes and lightning could strike you if you are on your porch.

Wow! That storm is raging outside. There is a lot of lighting and thunder. Not to metion the flash flooding the rain is causing. The heavy rain is expected to continue for almost an hour.Its also really windy and trees are blowing away.

If you want more information Click Here!

Sincerely,

Sam

Hurricane ~ Krithika ~ Day 2

Hey Sarah!

Today I took all my belongings and moved inland. Right now I am staying in a suite at a hotel inland. Apparently this hotel is built to survive from hurricanes, so thats good. The storm started an hour ago and it is raining a lot! It rained 2 inches in the last hour! The wind is almost wiping away the trees. I'm trying to be brave but it looks like this hurricane is going to be a big one.

Hurricane Katrina is a category 4 hurricane. It is not the biggest but it can cause a lot of damage. Category 4 hurricanes cause major erosions on beaches, thats why I moved inland. There is a lot of flooding which causes major damage to lower floor structures. That doesn't mean that staying on the higher floors is safe either. Actually higher floors get the most wind impact, that is why the roofs get blown away.

The meteorologist warned us to take certain precautions. I might have to turn of all the electronics, including the computer. I have to also fill the bathtubs and all the very large containers with water. I also have to keep a disaster supply kit. Disaster Kit includes:

1. Clothing


2. First Aid Kit/ Meditation


3. Special Items ( for babies and the elderly)


4. Toiletries/Hygiene items/Moisture Wipes


5. Flashlight/Batteries


6. Radio (battery operated)


7. Fully charged cell phone & a traditional telephone set


8. Toys/Books/Games


9. Keys


10. Important Documents


11. A set of tools


12. Pet Care Items

If you don't know how a hurricane looks like when it is active, here is a picture.

If you want to learn more about how to prepare for deadly disasters such as hurricanes click here.

This is going to be the last time I am going to talk to you before the storm. Be safe because you are getting hit by the hurricane to. I will write another blog as soon as the hurricane is over.

~Krithika~