A presentation for Incarnation Catholic Schools for grade 6 students on the topic of meteorology. Ms. Hernandez is a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Phoenix.

1. Natural Hazards in the Sunshine State
Bianca Hernandez
Meteorologist - National Weather Service Phoenix

2. The most destructive tornadoes are
most frequently reported in Florida
during the spring and summer.

3. How Do I Keep Myself and My Family Safe During a Flood?
Before the flood reaches your area:
• Know if floodwaters might affect your home and property. Know your elevation
above flood stage.
• Develop a flood emergency action plan.
• Evacuate immediately, if advised to do so. Bring important documents with you.
• Move to a safe area before access is cut off.
• Keep abreast of road conditions through the news media.
During the flood:
• Avoid areas subject to flooding.
• Never drive through flooded roadways.
• Do not drive around barricades, they are there for your protection.
• If your vehicle stalls, leave it immediately.
• Never try to walk through or allow children to play around flood water.
After the flood:
• Throw out food that has come into contact with the floodwater and boil drinking
water before using it.
• Stay out of buildings that remain in flood waters.
• Do not handle live electrical equipment in wet areas.
• If the power is out, use flashlights to examine buildings. Flammables may be inside.

4. Use ‘The 30-30 RULE’ to determine the
threat of lightning in your area:
Count the seconds between seeing
lightning and hearing thunder. If this time
is less than 30 seconds, lightning is still a
potential threat. Seek shelter immediately.
After hearing the last thunder, wait 30
minutes before leaving shelter. Half of all
lightning deaths occur after the storm
passes. Stay in a safe area until you are
sure the threat has passed.
Reported Florida
Lightning Fatalities
1959 - 2003

5. Hurricanes
Hurricane‐force winds, 74 mph or
more, can destroy buildings and mobile
homes.
Storm Surge is an abnormal rise of
water generated by a storm's winds.
Storm surge can reach heights well over
20 feet and can span hundreds of miles
of coastline.
Tropical cyclones often produce
widespread, torrential rains in excess of
6 inches, which may result in deadly and
destructive floods.
Tornadoes most often occur in
thunderstorms embedded in rain bands
well away from the center of the
hurricane; however, they can also occur
near the eyewall.

6. What Starts a Fire?
Florida Fire Facts…
Florida has the second highest number of
wildfires in the nation.
In 2011, Florida saw over 4,800 wildfires burn
nearly 300,000 acres of state and federal lands.
Smoke and toxic gases kill more people than
flames do.
Fire is FAST!
Heat is more threatening than flames.

7. Is Cold Weather a Threat in the Sunshine
State?
During the harsh winter of 1989-
1990, 26 Floridians died of
hypothermia. These severe cold
outbreaks occur in Florida at least
once a year.
In addition to the actual low
temperatures, when strong winds
combine with cold temperatures,
the heat loss from a person's skin
can be accelerated. This is called
the wind chill.
Two days of record-breaking cold
damaged nine-tenths of Florida's
orange and grapefruit crop

8. Building a Weather-Ready Nation