Chapter 9 – Natural Disasters – Flashcards
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Which way do winds around a low pressure system in the Northern Hemisphere circulate?
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Counterclockwise and in toward the low
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What does the Saffir-Simpson Scale use to classify hurricanes?
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Wind speed.
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Which of the following would NOT cause hurricane dissipation?
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Moving over a warmer part of the ocean.
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Where in a hurricane do you find the heaviest precipitation?
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Eye wall.
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Why are hurricanes uncommon on the equator?
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There is too little Coriolis Effect there.
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Which of the following conditions do you NOT need for hurricane formation?
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Dust in the atmosphere.
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What is a typhoon?
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A tropical cyclone in the Western Pacific near China and Japan.
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What is a storm surge?
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An increase in sea level from strong winds.
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Katrina first formed as a tropical wave off of what continent?
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Africa
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What was Hurricane Pam? Select all that are correct.
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A disaster training exercise.
It took place about a year before Hurricane Katrina.
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Where do the thunderstorms in hurricanes draw their heat from?
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Warm ocean water.
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What could be done in New Orleans to reduce the hazard from future hurricanes. Select all that are correct.
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Restore coastal wetlands.
Build stronger levees.
Invert the bow
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Why does rising sea surface temperatures potentially cause hurricanes to be stronger?
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Warm oceans are the energy source for hurricanes.
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Near downtown New Orleans, levees were not over topped, they were undermined. What does this mean?
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Soft soil under the levees failed and water pressure pushed the levees like a bulldozer.
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What technology has improved hurricane forecasting? Select all that are correct.
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Weather satellites.
Hurricane Hunters.
Powerful computers.
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What do the dropsondes from Air Force Hurricane Hunters measure? Select all that are correct.
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Temperature.
Relative Humidity.
Rainfall.
Pressure.
Wind speed and direction.
GPS location.
Sea-surface temperatures.
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If much of New Orleans is below sea level, how does the city remain dry? Select all that are correct.
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Pumps.
Flood walls.
Levees.
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Since hurricanes in the northern hemisphere spin counter clockwise and Hurricane Katrina is moving northward, the greatest wind and storm surge is on which side of the storm is strongest?
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Eastern Side.
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Which of the following is true about the wetlands around New Orleans? Select all that are correct.
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The construction of levees has caused wetlands to be destroyed.
Wetland cypress trees act as a wind break.
They protect New Orleans from storm surges.
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Why do not all residents under mandatory evacuation order evacuate? Select all that are correct.
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They are one of a few critical employees that is asked to stay to monitor activities.
They choose to stay with family that has decided not to evacuate.
They have been through hurricanes before and don't think they need to evacuate.
They don't have transportation to evacuate.
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What was the "second flood"?
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The breaching of the levees and canals
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Why were rescue efforts so difficult and lengthy? Select all that are correct.
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75% of New Orleans was flooded.
There wasn't sufficient food, water, and shelter.
Many people did not evacuate.
Officials did not expect the levees to fail.
Rescues could only be made by air or boat in many areas.
Power and communication systems were down.
