Deck 3: Meteorological and Hydrological Hazards

Question 1

Between the years 1980 and 2012, there were a total of ____ disasters in the United States that reached over 1 billion dollars each in damages as a result of weather-related natural hazards

A) 6
B) 16
C) 90
D) 144

Answer 1

D

Question 2

A major element of hurricanes that causes damage to property and threatens human life is:

A) Storm surge
B) Wind velocity
C) Inland flooding
D) all of the above

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Hurricane formation requires the following conditions:

A) a low pressure disturbance
B) sufficiently warm sear surface temperature
C) rotational force from the spinning of the earth
D) any of the above

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Category ___, ___, and ____ hurricanes are the most potentially dangerous, and can be categorized as major hurricanes.

A) 1, 2, and 3
B) 2, 3, and 4
C) 3, 4, and 5
D) 4, 5, and 6

Question 5

Major damage to lower floors of all structures less than 15 feet above sea level within 500 yards of shore; low-lying escape routes inland cut by rising water 3 to 5 hours before hurricane center arrives; and massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5 to 10 miles of shore possibly required best describes which level of hurricane damage:

A) Extensive
B) Massive
C) Extreme
D) Catastrophic

Question 6

Historically, Atlantic hurricane activity has experienced a great deal of ______________from one year to the next.

A) variability
B) consistency
C) volatility
D) predictability

Question 7

Climate change is expected to increase the number of major Atlantic hurricanes. True of False.

Question 8

Flooding is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States.

Question 9

Flying debris often causes even more damage than the force of the wind alone.

Question 10

The prime time of year for ideal hurricane conditions lasts from April 1^st through July 31^st.

Question 11

Flash floods are caused by precipitation over a longer time period and over a given river basin.

Question 12

"Riverine flooding" is a function of precipitation levels and water runoff volumes within the watershed of a stream or river.

Question 13

Tornadoes are spawned by a thunderstorm and produced when cool air overrides a layer of warm air, forcing the warm air to rise rapidly.

Question 14

Tornadoes classified as F0-F1 are considered violent; those classified as F2-F3 are considered strong, while those classified as F4-F5 are considered weak.

Question 15

A blizzard is a snowstorm characterized by low temperatures (usually below 20°F) and accompanied by winds that are at least 35 miles per hour or greater.

Question 16

A __________ is typically described as extremely high temperatures lasting for three or more consecutive days.

Question 17

________________in the Northeastern United States are ranked according to the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS), developed by Paul Kocin of The Weather Channel and Louis Uccellini of the National Weather Service.

Question 18

_____________ describes what happens to the human body when there is a combination of cold and wind.

Question 19

A significant percentage of winter weather-related deaths are from _________ ________due to overexertion while shoveling snow.

Question 20

________________ is a condition brought on when internal human body temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

Question 21

The massive ice storm of January 1998 covered the St. Lawrence River Valley with a veneer of solid ice. Detail the destruction that resulted from this ice storm in addition to offering lessons learned from this event.

Question 22

Provide two examples that demonstrate the connection between climate change and meteorological or hydrological disasters.