Natural disasters happen all of the time. Some states get more tornados while others get more fires. Recently our community had to evacuate because there were multiple fires right outside our community. It was so windy and fires were out of control.
We had such a scary wake up call with cars honking their horns, people screaming: FIRE! EVACUATE!
Neighbors running around knocking at everyone’s doors to warn them.
Our electricity was out and it was dark. We were panicking. We tried to get jackets from our closet with the light from our phones.
All I know is that God is good. He is always good even when natural disasters strike.
In so many ways we are reminded how much we need God.
Those who don’t believe in God, cry out to God.
We left everything at home. Wait a minute, we took the most important things with us: FAMILY.
God is good. His plans are good. He is always good. And I’ll hold on to that truth until my last breath. No matter what.
Tornado in a Bottle
What you need:
- 2 clear 2 liter plastic bottles
- duct tape
- 3 cups of water
- blue food coloring
You first want to remove all of the labels from the bottles. Wash the inside as well.
Mix a few drops of blue food coloring into 3 cups of water. Pour it into one of the bottles.
Place the empty bottle upside down and on top of the first bottle.
Use duck tape and cover the necks of both of the bottles.
Wrap it up a few times to ensure that it is sealed.
Swirl the bottle quickly in a circle and set the bottles down. Watch how the tornado will appear.
Tornado Types: Checker Game
There are many different types of tornadoes. They all look a bit different. This is a great way to remember the different names of the tornado.
Here is a list of different tornado types you might see: wire, rope, needle, V-shape, cigar, cylinder, cone, land spout, concave-sided, straight-sided, convex-sided, segmented, truncated cone, bulb shaped, bowl shaped, wedge, flared base, hourglass, and sheathed.
I covered the names of the types of tornadoes so that every time we land on a different square my children and I have to say which tornado type we landed on.
The Fujita Scale
The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF) rates the strength and estimated wind speed of tornados. This scale was introduced in 2007 by the tornado expert Tetsuya “Ted” Fujita. A twister is divided into six categories.
EF0 :
105-137 km/h Light damage to roofs, can damage chimneys, breaks limbs off trees, and blows over shallow-rooted trees.
EF1 :
138-177 km/h Mild damage. Broken windows, overturned mobile homes and trucks, and surface of roofs peeled off.
EF2 :
179-217 km/h Considerable damage. Cars lifted into the air, the entire roof frame of house torn off, demolished mobile homes, and uprooted large trees.
EF3 :
219-266 km/h Severe damage. A forest can be uprooted, heavy cars are lifted off the ground and houses damaged.
EF4 :
267-322 km/h Devastating damage. Homes that are well constructed are demolished. Destruction to homes where only a few walls are standing.
EF5 :
more than 322 km/h Total destruction. Trains have been lifted off their tracks.
At first I printed out different pictures off google and asked my children to guess the strength of the tornado based on the damage done. Then I made a simple game where I placed different information about the fujita scale and they had to guess which category it belonged to.
Tornado Alley
Every single state in the United States experiences tornadoes. However, there are two regions that get hit with tornadoes the most : Florida and the middle section of the county (South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas).
it is called an alley because it is bounded by the Rocky Mountains to the west and the Appalachians to the east. We made a salt dough to represent the Tornado Alley.
To make a salt dough you’ll need:
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup salt
Mix everything together .
Preheat oven to 250F.
Using the dough, form it into a square. Draw the tornado alley. Bake in the oven until it is dry. It takes about two hours. After it has cooled completely you can paint it.
Tornado Drill
The best way to prepare for a disaster is to practice. People who prepare for disasters are able to think rationally.
If it looks stormy go inside, shut all windows, and outside doors. If you hear a roaring sound, gray sky, rotating wall cloud, large hail, or blowing debris then you need to do the following:
1.GET IN:
You don’t want to be outside, it isn’t safe. Do not take shelter under a bridge because vehicles can be tossed and they can kill you. If your driving you have to get out of your car and find a sturdy building. If no building is in sight then you need to run as far from it as possible and lie face down flat on the ground in a low spot such as a ditch.
2. Get Down:
You need to go to the lowest level in your house. If you have a basement then this is where you need to go. If you don’t have a basement then find a room that has no windows. Windows break and can cut you. The more walls between you and the tornado, the better. If you have a closet under the stairs then this is where you want to go.
3.Cover up:
Grab a helmet if you can. Put it on. Don’t stand around. You want to cover your head and lay down face to the carpet. Use pillows, blankets, and even a soft mattress to cover your body from falling debris.
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Nicole
I love these ideas, thank you for sharing!