S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T DISTRICT Surfing for More Info A S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T NEWSLETTER F O R G R A D E S 6 – 8 If you are interested in learning more about topics covered in this newsletter, check out these websites.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Key Weather Words Extreme Weather www.noaa.gov and Phrases: hurricanes and Mapping Tampa Bay Online (select weather) weather maps www.tbo.com tornadoes Weather is an important part of the never-ending water cycle that extreme weather exists within our environment. At times, weather conditions can be USA Today Weather weather forecasts EXTREME. asp.usatoday.com/weather/weatherfront.aspx thunderstorms n Florida, we experience some of the wildest accurate and up to date because of these Iweather in the world. Although snowy powerful advances in technology. blizzards are very unlikely, we do encounter hurricanes, tornadoes, waterspouts, heavy People have always been fascinated by rain showers and a lot of lightning strikes. extreme weather. Weather disasters are Our humid, subtropical climate creates an popular themes in movies, books and TV ideal breeding ground for these extreme shows. As you learn more about extreme weather conditions. weather and mapping, you will realize how important it is to be a weather-wise citizen. Modern weather forecasting has helped the Knowing more about extreme weather public prepare for severe weather like never conditions may even save you or your family before. Nearly all weather develops within a from harm! 5-mile atmospheric layer surrounding the earth, called the troposphere. Meteorologists, or scientists who study and predict weather, play an important role in alerting us to threatening conditions. Meteorology comes from the Greek word meteoron, which means “concerning things in the air.”
In addition to basic instruments such as thermometers, hydrographs, weather vanes, anemometers, barometers and rain gauges, meteorologists use high-powered computer systems to monitor weather patterns. is published by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. High-tech tools such as satellites and Doppler For a teacher’s guide or additional copies of this newsletter, please order online at radar systems are used with weather WaterMatters.org/publications, or call the Communications Section of the Public Affairs Bureau at (352) 796-7211 or 1-800-423-1476 (FL only), ext. 4757. balloons, ocean buoys and other instruments. The weather updates that we receive at home on our computers, radios and TVs are The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) does not discriminate on the basis of disability. This nondiscrimination policy involves every aspect of the District’s functions, including access to and participation in the District’s programs and activities. Anyone requiring reasonable accommodation as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the District’s Human Resources Bureau Chief, 2379 Broad St., Brooksville, FL 34604-6899; telephone (352) 796-7211 or 1-800-423-1476 (FL only), ext. 4702; TDD 1-800-231-6103 (FL only); or email [email protected].
COMrev-11/12 8
S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T …Hurricanes Just for Fun These activities are not only ost Floridians are familiar with the Coriolis effect, the storms spin counterclock- for fun — they’ll help you improve Mhurricane season, which runs each year wise in the Northern Hemisphere and clock- your problem-solving skills too! from the beginning of June until the end of wise in the Southern Hemisphere. Hurricanes Lightning Puzzler November. Unlike some other weather are the most powerful type of tropical cyclone. We live in an area that is often called the lightning capital of the world. Lightning can trigger patterns, hurricanes can last for several days Growth of a Hurricane forest fires, destroy buildings or even kill animals and people. But lightning also helps to or even weeks. It’s no surprise that hurricanes Like all other winds, hurricane winds are maintain a balance of electricity between the earth and sky. When collisions of storm clouds cause more destruction than any other type of caused by differences in atmospheric cause electrical charges to separate, lightning works to restore stability in the atmosphere. storm on earth. But did you know that pressure, which is basically the pressure Lightning can also be used to estimate how far you are from an approaching storm. hurricanes also have a positive effect on the caused by the weight of air molecules. By counting the seconds between a lightning flash and the first clap of environment? A hurricane can provide Hurricanes are born over the warm tropical thunder, you can determine the approximate distance between you and the much-needed rain to an area. It can also play waters of the oceans near the equator, where storm. Knowing how close a storm is can serve as a warning to find safe an important role in transferring heat from moisture evaporates into the atmosphere and shelter immediately! one region to another. As a hurricane system generates the power source for a severe storm. gradually moves forward, it draws heat and Thunderstorms develop as winds force warm Practice computing the distance of a storm. Perform energy away from the equator and pushes it air to rise higher into the atmosphere and the necessary computations and complete the chart. toward cooler areas. Read on to learn more begin a spinning motion. Winds continue The following hints will help you. about one of nature’s most extreme weather spinning faster and faster as a hurricane conditions. grows in size and strength. A hurricane can Hints: Word History span from 200–500 miles over a body of water. • To find out how many miles you are from a storm, Although hurricanes aren’t really evil, the divide the time between flash and thunder by 5. What’s in a Name? word hurricane gets its meaning from a dark • To find out the number of kilometers, divide the time Tropical storms and hurricanes are the only and stormy past. In South and Central between flash and thunder by 3. weather disasters that have names. For over America, the ancient Mayan people believed in • Time is given in hours: minutes: seconds. 50 years, tropical storms with winds of at a storm god named Hunraken. In the least 39 mph have been assigned names. A Flash Thunder Distance Distance Caribbean, the Taino people feared an evil god storm is a hurricane when it can sustain wind Time Time in Miles in Kilometers called Huracan, which is the Spanish word for 3:10:01 3:10:26 speeds of 74 mph or higher. Naming storms “great wind.” Over time, these two names 5:15:06 5:15:17 allows everybody to communicate informa- combined to describe the severe weather 2:30:30 2:31:00 tion about a particular storm more easily. condition known as a hurricane. There are six lists of alphabetical names, The Strongest Tropical Cyclone which are rotated each year. Names associ- Tropical cyclones are storms that spin around ated with deadly storms in the past, such as Weather Extremes Concept Map low air pressure systems typically formed in Katrina, Donna, Hugo and Andrew, are no A concept map can be used to diagram the tropics. Because of a force known as the longer allowed on the list. information. Make a list of eight facts you Extreme learned about extreme weather patterns. Weather Checkup Time Mark each of the following statements as true (T) or false (F). Write the facts on the lines surrounding the __ 1. Hurricanes have had names for only the past 10 years. extreme weather circle. Compare your concept __ 2. Hurricanes can cover an area of 200–500 miles over water. map with others. __ 3. A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone. __ 4. Hurricanes spin in a clockwise pattern in the Northern Hemisphere.
2 7 S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T You Can Make It! Learn More About It Hurricane Categories Weather Maps tropical storm that has become flooding caused by storm surges. The A powerful enough to be given a name potential destructiveness of a storm surge eather maps are used to show a variety Learning Goals may also eventually reach the status of a often depends on the severity of the Wof data about atmospheric conditions, - To engage in a hands-on activity about fully developed hurricane. However, not all hurricane that causes it. such as temperature, precipitation, pressure weather mapping hurricanes are alike. They vary in systems and fronts. In this activity, you will - To develop an awareness of the importance of atmospheric pressure, wind speed and Numbered categories are used to describe design your own weather map. You can weather forecasting potential damage caused by storm surges. the power of a hurricane. If a hurricane collect weather information from Storm surges are sudden rises in water reaches the status of a category 5, people Subjects newspapers, TV and radio broadcasts, levels that occur when the winds from are unlikely to forget its devastating - Science websites and other sources. If you are feeling hurricanes or other severe storms push impact. Use the information below to gain a - Mathematics really ambitious, develop a new map for each ocean waters onto land. Florida is a state better understanding of the destructive - Language Arts day of the week! largely surrounded by ocean waters, so we forces of hurricanes. are particularly vulnerable to coastal Materials - Outline of Florida or your region - Paper The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale - Colored pens or markers Category Wind Speed Damaging (Miles Per Hour) Effects Slight damage to trees, bushes and 1 74–95 unanchored mobile homes. Some trees and mobile homes may be blown 2 96–110 over. Some roofing, door and window damage Activity to small buildings and homes. Flooding of coastal roads. 1. Use the outline of Florida and create a map Structural damage to small buildings and homes. 3 111–130 Mobile homes are destroyed. Flooding and floating of either the entire state or your region in debris cause damage to structures. 0 10 170 20 160 the state. Extensive damage to buildings and homes. Major 30 4 131–155 150 2. Collect information about today's weather erosion of beach areas. Inland areas flooded. 40
140
50
Complete destruction of roofs on homes 0 miles per hour using one of the sources described above. (See 3
greater 1 and buildings. Major flooding. Buildings may
the list of specific websites on page 8 of this 5 Wind Speed 60
than 155 be completely destroyed. Massive evacuation 120 70
of an area may be necessary. 110
newsletter.) 80
100 100
3. Create the weather conditions on your map. 90 4. Develop a legend to help interpret the symbols Deadly Effects Most deaths from violent hurricanes are caused by the storm surge and colors used on your map. rather than damaging winds. Why do you think this is so? 5. Be sure to place a title on the map and include the date of the forecast. I Was Wondering… 6. Add any other information that would be useful to the Question: reader. I know that hailstones can ding our cars and cause severe damage 7. When you have finished, share your map with other to the roofs of our homes. How is hail formed? classmates. Answer: Additional Challenge Hailstones are balls of ice that fall from cumulonimbus clouds. Hail tesy NOAA Create a bulletin board in the classroom using individual maps for begins as frozen rain droplets. Inside a storm, vertical winds called updrafts keep the droplets from falling. The updraft causes the each day of the week. Include other forecasting information and Photo cour articles about current weather conditions. Develop a list of interesting The largest hailstone ever recovered in droplets to freeze together, becoming bigger and heavier balls of ice. the United States fell in Aurora, Nebraska, These chunks fall to the earth’s surface when their weight can no websites about the study of weather. in 2003 with a record 7-inch diameter and a circumference of 18.75 inches. longer be sustained or when the updraft weakens.
6 3 S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T Twisters Opposite Extremes — Floods & Droughts here may be no sight more frightening the world. Waterspouts are water columns Tthan a very dark, funnel-shaped cloud that rotate over bodies of water, such as the racing in your direction! Although tornadoes, Gulf of Mexico. They come in two forms: isitors to Florida are Extremely Dry also known as twisters, don’t last long, they tornadic and fair-weather. Tornadic often impressed with (Droughts) can uproot trees, level buildings and even waterspouts typically begin as tornadoes V our tropical, humid Drought conditions exist destroy entire towns. Sometimes tornadoes over land, eventually moving to open water. temperatures and lush when precipitation is far travel in clusters and a single storm can Fair-weather waterspouts usually form over landscapes. Our 50-55 below normal for a long spawn multiple tornadoes. the water and are small, weak types of inches of average annual period of time. Florida funnels. They are much less dangerous than In some years, Florida has more tornadoes precipitation contribute to typically receives a the tornadic form. Waterspouts occur most than any other state. Tornadoes most these naturally green significant amount of rain, often during the month of June. commonly exist in areas where a layer of cold, surroundings. However, so extremely dry dry air flows over the top of a layer of warm, Warning System excessive rainfalls from conditions have dramatic wet air. As air rises, it carries water upward Weather forecasters often use Doppler extreme weather conditions effects on our environment. with it and a low-pressure area is created. radar to monitor severe weather systems. can cause rivers to overflow Wildlife must search for Then air comes rushing in from all sides to Radar stands for RAdio Detecting And and inland areas to become covered with enough water to survive and replace the air rising in the low-pressure area. Ranging. Doppler radar is a large water. At the other extreme, severe dry agricultural activities suffer without The spinning winds form a vertical funnel, instrument used to determine the location, conditions can cause our normally green adequate water supplies. Vegetation which extends below a thundercloud. A speed and direction of wind movement. This environment to become faded and parched. becomes dry and parched, allowing tornado’s terror is fast and furious. In fact, information is especially important for Let’s learn more about what happens when it wildfires to trigger easily and spread most of the tornadoes in Florida last less than alerting the public of approaching rains too much or too little. quickly. In response to a drought, strict 10 minutes. tornadoes. In fact, Doppler radar can water conservation efforts may be provide up to a 30-minute warning. A Extremely Wet (Floods) required. Sometimes droughts can last for Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale (F-scale) network of Doppler radar systems exists Flooding occurs when a land area that is months or even years. The intensity of a tornado can be categorized across the continental United States. normally dry becomes covered by water. according to levels represented on what is Floods cause more damage and threaten Venn Weather Diagram commonly called the F-scale. The scale more lives than any other extreme weather Use the information you learned about numbers range from F0 to F5. The scale condition. Heavy rains make the water level floods and droughts to complete the Venn originally included ratings higher than F5, in a body of water rise so fast that it diagram below. Write the features that are but storms of this magnitude have never been overflows onto nearby areas. Florida consists unique to floods and droughts on the recorded and do not seem to exist. Fortunately of relatively low-lying land and a large correct side. Then list the features in the for us, most tornadoes in Florida are F0 or F1 number of water bodies, making it fairly overlapping area that may be common to tornadoes, with damage ranging from light to susceptible to flooding. both extreme weather conditions. moderate. Waterspouts Waterspouts are more frequent and damaging in Tampa Bay than almost anywhere else in
Flood Drought Analyze It Explain why early detection and warning of a severe weather system is especially important in a heavily populated area.
4 5 S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T Twisters Opposite Extremes — Floods & Droughts here may be no sight more frightening the world. Waterspouts are water columns Tthan a very dark, funnel-shaped cloud that rotate over bodies of water, such as the racing in your direction! Although tornadoes, Gulf of Mexico. They come in two forms: isitors to Florida are Extremely Dry also known as twisters, don’t last long, they tornadic and fair-weather. Tornadic often impressed with (Droughts) can uproot trees, level buildings and even waterspouts typically begin as tornadoes V our tropical, humid Drought conditions exist destroy entire towns. Sometimes tornadoes over land, eventually moving to open water. temperatures and lush when precipitation is far travel in clusters and a single storm can Fair-weather waterspouts usually form over landscapes. Our 50-55 below normal for a long spawn multiple tornadoes. the water and are small, weak types of inches of average annual period of time. Florida funnels. They are much less dangerous than In some years, Florida has more tornadoes precipitation contribute to typically receives a the tornadic form. Waterspouts occur most than any other state. Tornadoes most these naturally green significant amount of rain, often during the month of June. commonly exist in areas where a layer of cold, surroundings. However, so extremely dry dry air flows over the top of a layer of warm, Warning System excessive rainfalls from conditions have dramatic wet air. As air rises, it carries water upward Weather forecasters often use Doppler extreme weather conditions effects on our environment. with it and a low-pressure area is created. radar to monitor severe weather systems. can cause rivers to overflow Wildlife must search for Then air comes rushing in from all sides to Radar stands for RAdio Detecting And and inland areas to become covered with enough water to survive and replace the air rising in the low-pressure area. Ranging. Doppler radar is a large water. At the other extreme, severe dry agricultural activities suffer without The spinning winds form a vertical funnel, instrument used to determine the location, conditions can cause our normally green adequate water supplies. Vegetation which extends below a thundercloud. A speed and direction of wind movement. This environment to become faded and parched. becomes dry and parched, allowing tornado’s terror is fast and furious. In fact, information is especially important for Let’s learn more about what happens when it wildfires to trigger easily and spread most of the tornadoes in Florida last less than alerting the public of approaching rains too much or too little. quickly. In response to a drought, strict 10 minutes. tornadoes. In fact, Doppler radar can water conservation efforts may be provide up to a 30-minute warning. A Extremely Wet (Floods) required. Sometimes droughts can last for Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale (F-scale) network of Doppler radar systems exists Flooding occurs when a land area that is months or even years. The intensity of a tornado can be categorized across the continental United States. normally dry becomes covered by water. according to levels represented on what is Floods cause more damage and threaten Venn Weather Diagram commonly called the F-scale. The scale more lives than any other extreme weather Use the information you learned about numbers range from F0 to F5. The scale condition. Heavy rains make the water level floods and droughts to complete the Venn originally included ratings higher than F5, in a body of water rise so fast that it diagram below. Write the features that are but storms of this magnitude have never been overflows onto nearby areas. Florida consists unique to floods and droughts on the recorded and do not seem to exist. Fortunately of relatively low-lying land and a large correct side. Then list the features in the for us, most tornadoes in Florida are F0 or F1 number of water bodies, making it fairly overlapping area that may be common to tornadoes, with damage ranging from light to susceptible to flooding. both extreme weather conditions. moderate. Waterspouts Waterspouts are more frequent and damaging in Tampa Bay than almost anywhere else in
Flood Drought Analyze It Explain why early detection and warning of a severe weather system is especially important in a heavily populated area.
4 5 S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T You Can Make It! Learn More About It Hurricane Categories Weather Maps tropical storm that has become flooding caused by storm surges. The A powerful enough to be given a name potential destructiveness of a storm surge eather maps are used to show a variety Learning Goals may also eventually reach the status of a often depends on the severity of the Wof data about atmospheric conditions, - To engage in a hands-on activity about fully developed hurricane. However, not all hurricane that causes it. such as temperature, precipitation, pressure weather mapping hurricanes are alike. They vary in systems and fronts. In this activity, you will - To develop an awareness of the importance of atmospheric pressure, wind speed and Numbered categories are used to describe design your own weather map. You can weather forecasting potential damage caused by storm surges. the power of a hurricane. If a hurricane collect weather information from Storm surges are sudden rises in water reaches the status of a category 5, people Subjects newspapers, TV and radio broadcasts, levels that occur when the winds from are unlikely to forget its devastating - Science websites and other sources. If you are feeling hurricanes or other severe storms push impact. Use the information below to gain a - Mathematics really ambitious, develop a new map for each ocean waters onto land. Florida is a state better understanding of the destructive - Language Arts day of the week! largely surrounded by ocean waters, so we forces of hurricanes. are particularly vulnerable to coastal Materials - Outline of Florida or your region - Paper The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale - Colored pens or markers Category Wind Speed Damaging (Miles Per Hour) Effects Slight damage to trees, bushes and 1 74–95 unanchored mobile homes. Some trees and mobile homes may be blown 2 96–110 over. Some roofing, door and window damage Activity to small buildings and homes. Flooding of coastal roads. 1. Use the outline of Florida and create a map Structural damage to small buildings and homes. 3 111–130 Mobile homes are destroyed. Flooding and floating of either the entire state or your region in debris cause damage to structures. 0 10 170 20 160 the state. Extensive damage to buildings and homes. Major 30 4 131–155 150 2. Collect information about today's weather erosion of beach areas. Inland areas flooded. 40
140
50
Complete destruction of roofs on homes 0 miles per hour using one of the sources described above. (See 3
greater 1 and buildings. Major flooding. Buildings may
the list of specific websites on page 8 of this 5 Wind Speed 60
than 155 be completely destroyed. Massive evacuation 120 70
of an area may be necessary. 110
newsletter.) 80
100 100
3. Create the weather conditions on your map. 90 4. Develop a legend to help interpret the symbols Deadly Effects Most deaths from violent hurricanes are caused by the storm surge and colors used on your map. rather than damaging winds. Why do you think this is so? 5. Be sure to place a title on the map and include the date of the forecast. I Was Wondering… 6. Add any other information that would be useful to the Question: reader. I know that hailstones can ding our cars and cause severe damage 7. When you have finished, share your map with other to the roofs of our homes. How is hail formed? classmates. Answer: Additional Challenge Hailstones are balls of ice that fall from cumulonimbus clouds. Hail tesy NOAA Create a bulletin board in the classroom using individual maps for begins as frozen rain droplets. Inside a storm, vertical winds called updrafts keep the droplets from falling. The updraft causes the each day of the week. Include other forecasting information and Photo cour articles about current weather conditions. Develop a list of interesting The largest hailstone ever recovered in droplets to freeze together, becoming bigger and heavier balls of ice. the United States fell in Aurora, Nebraska, These chunks fall to the earth’s surface when their weight can no websites about the study of weather. in 2003 with a record 7-inch diameter and a circumference of 18.75 inches. longer be sustained or when the updraft weakens.
6 3
S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T …Hurricanes Just for Fun These activities are not only ost Floridians are familiar with the Coriolis effect, the storms spin counterclock- for fun — they’ll help you improve Mhurricane season, which runs each year wise in the Northern Hemisphere and clock- your problem-solving skills too! from the beginning of June until the end of wise in the Southern Hemisphere. Hurricanes Lightning Puzzler November. Unlike some other weather are the most powerful type of tropical cyclone. We live in an area that is often called the lightning capital of the world. Lightning can trigger patterns, hurricanes can last for several days Growth of a Hurricane forest fires, destroy buildings or even kill animals and people. But lightning also helps to or even weeks. It’s no surprise that hurricanes Like all other winds, hurricane winds are maintain a balance of electricity between the earth and sky. When collisions of storm clouds cause more destruction than any other type of caused by differences in atmospheric cause electrical charges to separate, lightning works to restore stability in the atmosphere. storm on earth. But did you know that pressure, which is basically the pressure Lightning can also be used to estimate how far you are from an approaching storm. hurricanes also have a positive effect on the caused by the weight of air molecules. By counting the seconds between a lightning flash and the first clap of environment? A hurricane can provide Hurricanes are born over the warm tropical thunder, you can determine the approximate distance between you and the much-needed rain to an area. It can also play waters of the oceans near the equator, where storm. Knowing how close a storm is can serve as a warning to find safe an important role in transferring heat from moisture evaporates into the atmosphere and shelter immediately! one region to another. As a hurricane system generates the power source for a severe storm. gradually moves forward, it draws heat and Thunderstorms develop as winds force warm Practice computing the distance of a storm. Perform energy away from the equator and pushes it air to rise higher into the atmosphere and the necessary computations and complete the chart. toward cooler areas. Read on to learn more begin a spinning motion. Winds continue The following hints will help you. about one of nature’s most extreme weather spinning faster and faster as a hurricane conditions. grows in size and strength. A hurricane can Hints: Word History span from 200–500 miles over a body of water. • To find out how many miles you are from a storm, Although hurricanes aren’t really evil, the divide the time between flash and thunder by 5. What’s in a Name? word hurricane gets its meaning from a dark • To find out the number of kilometers, divide the time Tropical storms and hurricanes are the only and stormy past. In South and Central between flash and thunder by 3. weather disasters that have names. For over America, the ancient Mayan people believed in • Time is given in hours: minutes: seconds. 50 years, tropical storms with winds of at a storm god named Hunraken. In the least 39 mph have been assigned names. A Flash Thunder Distance Distance Caribbean, the Taino people feared an evil god storm is a hurricane when it can sustain wind Time Time in Miles in Kilometers called Huracan, which is the Spanish word for 3:10:01 3:10:26 speeds of 74 mph or higher. Naming storms “great wind.” Over time, these two names 5:15:06 5:15:17 allows everybody to communicate informa- combined to describe the severe weather 2:30:30 2:31:00 tion about a particular storm more easily. condition known as a hurricane. There are six lists of alphabetical names, The Strongest Tropical Cyclone which are rotated each year. Names associ- Tropical cyclones are storms that spin around ated with deadly storms in the past, such as Weather Extremes Concept Map low air pressure systems typically formed in Katrina, Donna, Hugo and Andrew, are no A concept map can be used to diagram the tropics. Because of a force known as the longer allowed on the list. information. Make a list of eight facts you Extreme learned about extreme weather patterns. Weather Checkup Time Mark each of the following statements as true (T) or false (F). Write the facts on the lines surrounding the __ 1. Hurricanes have had names for only the past 10 years. extreme weather circle. Compare your concept __ 2. Hurricanes can cover an area of 200–500 miles over water. map with others. __ 3. A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone. __ 4. Hurricanes spin in a clockwise pattern in the Northern Hemisphere.
2 7 S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T DISTRICT Surfing for More Info A S O U T H W E S T FLORID A WA T E R MANA G E M E N T D I S T R I C T NEWSLETTER F O R G R A D E S 6 – 8 If you are interested in learning more about topics covered in this newsletter, check out these websites.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Key Weather Words Extreme Weather www.noaa.gov and Phrases: hurricanes and Mapping Tampa Bay Online (select weather) weather maps www.tbo.com tornadoes Weather is an important part of the never-ending water cycle that extreme weather exists within our environment. At times, weather conditions can be USA Today Weather weather forecasts EXTREME. asp.usatoday.com/weather/weatherfront.aspx thunderstorms n Florida, we experience some of the wildest accurate and up to date because of these Iweather in the world. Although snowy powerful advances in technology. blizzards are very unlikely, we do encounter hurricanes, tornadoes, waterspouts, heavy People have always been fascinated by rain showers and a lot of lightning strikes. extreme weather. Weather disasters are Our humid, subtropical climate creates an popular themes in movies, books and TV ideal breeding ground for these extreme shows. As you learn more about extreme weather conditions. weather and mapping, you will realize how important it is to be a weather-wise citizen. Modern weather forecasting has helped the Knowing more about extreme weather public prepare for severe weather like never conditions may even save you or your family before. Nearly all weather develops within a from harm! 5-mile atmospheric layer surrounding the earth, called the troposphere. Meteorologists, or scientists who study and predict weather, play an important role in alerting us to threatening conditions. Meteorology comes from the Greek word meteoron, which means “concerning things in the air.”
In addition to basic instruments such as thermometers, hydrographs, weather vanes, anemometers, barometers and rain gauges, meteorologists use high-powered computer systems to monitor weather patterns. is published by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. High-tech tools such as satellites and Doppler For a teacher’s guide or additional copies of this newsletter, please order online at radar systems are used with weather WaterMatters.org/publications, or call the Communications Section of the Public Affairs Bureau at (352) 796-7211 or 1-800-423-1476 (FL only), ext. 4757. balloons, ocean buoys and other instruments. The weather updates that we receive at home on our computers, radios and TVs are The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) does not discriminate on the basis of disability. This nondiscrimination policy involves every aspect of the District’s functions, including access to and participation in the District’s programs and activities. Anyone requiring reasonable accommodation as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the District’s Human Resources Bureau Chief, 2379 Broad St., Brooksville, FL 34604-6899; telephone (352) 796-7211 or 1-800-423-1476 (FL only), ext. 4702; TDD 1-800-231-6103 (FL only); or email [email protected].
COMrev-11/12 8