T: What is a hurricane daddy? Dad: Hurricanesarestrong winds that come from the Ocean. T: Can they come here? Dad: You mean can a Hurricane hit us hear? They can not hit Northern Virginia as hard. If we’re in Norfolk or Virginia Beach area we may get heavy rains and higher winds. We may get a little bit of rain and some winds around here – that’s all. We’re not that close to the Ocean. Florida, Carolinas, those regions are hit the hardest. T: What do we do? Dad: Nothing. We just hang around and let it pass through! T: Can they hit New York? Dad: Yes they can. They can hit all coastal regions. C O A S T A L - regions are areas near the Ocean. But, as they move up North they get weaker and weaker. T: You mean beaches. Dad: Right honey; hurricanes form in the Ocean. Usually, they happen in the summer – the sun hits the Ocean, water gets hot, the air above water gets hot, then it moves up, it cools down and turns to water - then it rains. Again, water heats up, moves higher, and cools down – again and again and again.Of course, it starts to move and becomes a wind. Do you want me to try that again? T: Can it kill people? Dad: Yes, It can! Two years ago it killed more than a thousand people in Louisiana. T: Is Louisiana in Virginia? Dad: No. It’s a state; it’s on the Golf of Mexico. It looks like the letter “L” if you look at the map. T: Can you show it to me when we go home? Dad: I want you to find it and color it. T: Can you show it to me? Dad: It’s in the Golf of Mexico. Hurricanes can form in the Golf too. T: Why Hurricanes don’t come to Virginia? Dad: They do; but, once a hurricane hits the land it looses its power. It becomes weaker and weaker as it moves through the land. It hits mountains, hills, valleys, buildings and everything else on its way and the wind looses speed. We’re way inside and far from the Ocean. So, when they hit the Northern Virginia, they’re not as powerful. T: Did you ever see a hurricane? Dad: I’ve seen several. You’ve been in one too! T: I was? Dad: Yes, three years ago, when you were three years old! Dad: It was stronger then I expected it. We got some rain – a lot, actually, and heavy winds. We lost a tree. That’s all. And, we lost power for a day. T: I don’t remember daddy. Dad: You wouldn’t. I took you to Pennsylvania. We went to Dutch Wonderland. Do you remember that? T: No. Dad: You don’t remember Dutch Wonderland? T: No. I don’t. Dad: Okay. T: Dad, what is a tornado? Dad: What is a tornado kick? T: Round houses kick! Dad: Ha, ha, ha.What does it look like? T: I can’t show you now; I’m buckled up in my car seat. Dad: Describe it to me! Tell me in words. T: You bring your left foot up and turn and stump it in the ground and kick with your right foot when you turn. Dad: Awesome! The key word is Turn.That’s were that kick gets its name. A tornado is a turning - rotating high speed wind. It looks like a funnel. T: What’s a funnel? Dad: Ice cream cone; sugar cone. T: Can it come here? Dad: It can happen any where. They are strongest and most powerful near the Golf of Mexico. Let me explain something to you; hot air crashes into cold air and a tornado comes about. T: What is a twister? Dad: I think it is the same as a tornado. T: Can earthquakes come hear? Dad: They can happen here! But, I wouldn’t worry if I were you. We’re safe here. T: Thunderstorms, volcanoes? What else dad? Dad: We’re safe here, sweetie. You have nothing to worry about! T: So, Hurricane, Tornado, thunderstorm, volcano, and earthquake, and what else daddy? Dad: Let’s see; Flood, Blizzards, Avalanche, drought, I can not think of any other natural disasters, Oh, a Tsunami too. T: Can a volcano happen here? Dad: The question is; can a volcano erupt here? And the answer is; NO. T: How can it kill people? Dad: Molten rocks and lava erupt from the center of the earth and come through thin surface of the earth. T: Through mountains, daddy! Dad: Yes through mountains. We don’t have any of those conditions existing around this area. T: How about drought? Dad: Drought in Northern America, we have so much water around here. T: Daddy, in the summer we had drought. Dad: Here? T: No in the summer camp! Dad: We did not have rain for a couple of weeks. T: We had drought, daddy. Miss M. said so. Dad: Okay! Okay!It was a drought. If there’s no rain for a long time, then we’ll have a problem.But, around here it’ll never happen; drought, around here is unheard of. T: How about earthquakes, daddy? Dad: Earthquakes are different. They happen all the time. But they are the worst when natural earth plates meet. T: Can you show me a plate when we go home? Dad: I’m not sure where to look for them. I can draw it for you. T: Do they look like dinner plates? Dad: No. they’re more like a rectangular silver tray – a serving dish.Think of the back of my truck, then, think about many of these trays sitting side by side in the truck bed. Now, all of a sudden, I drive forward – fast. Trays start to move. They go over and under each other and they crash to each other – something like that. That’s an earthquake. Only the edges of the trays get hurt the most. Around here we’re not at the edge of plates. T: Why was there fire in San Francisco in 1906? Dad: It must have had to do with gas explosions. How do you know about 1906 earthquake? T: I read it in a Magic Tree house book book #24. It happened in April. Dad, do you know what school childrendid in the 1870 when there was a twister? Dad: No, I don’t; but, I’d love to know T: They would go in cellar rooms and wait untill the twister passed. Dad: Very logical. That’s what we would do in case of Hurricane or twisters. In case of earthquakes, though, we need to be out in the open. T: How about blizzards, dad? Dad: We don’t get enough snow around here. You worry too much. T: Dad, how can blizzards kill people?
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