Athena Magazine
for girls
for girls
| The 411 on Natural Disasters by Laura McCloskey “I think that thing smoking is my guitar,” said 14-year old Kelsey Perry, a teen affected by the recent wildfires near San Diego. “My bed was like right here. It’s pretty much gone now.” Kelsey Perry lost the only home she ever knew to the Witch Fire near San Diego. The fire destroyed over 700 other homes and buildings including Kelsey’s house. She spent the night in the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, and returned to find her home burnt to the ground. Natural disasters are disasters caused by natural forces like wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes and tsunamis. Just like Kelsey Perry, natural disasters affect millions of people around the world. Whether you are in the New Orleans or Pakistan, natural disasters threaten most people. Could you be at risk? What should a teen do if you experience a natural disaster? Here are three examples of natural disasters that have affected teens in United States and around the world. Wildfires Kelsey escaped from the San Diego wildfire with two pairs of clothes and a couple of photo albums. Every year, more than 100,000 wildfires occur in the United States. As the U.S. population grows, more homes are built near the wilderness, putting more people at risk of a wildfire. Humans start approximately 90% of wildfires, while lightening starts the other 10%. The most recent fires in Southern California charred almost 500,000 acres and the authorities investigating the fire suspect that people started two of the fires on purpose. A young boy playing with matches started one fire that destroyed over 21 homes. Hurricanes Two days after Hurricane Katrina passed over New Orleans, 16-year-old Vickey Brown saw water in the courtway of her house. She ventured out to see where it came from and saw water rushing through a nearby street. “I really began to panic then,” said Vickey. A combination of air movement, changing air pressure, wind, thunderstorms, and the earth's rotation causes the storms called “hurricanes” over the Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes the ocean swells 25 feet above the normal tide. Deaths from hurricanes happen as a result of inland flooding caused by a surge of water released from the storm. |
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Earthquakes Thirteen-year-old Farina experienced the 7.6 magnitude earthquake in her tiny town of Balako, Pakistan. Farina remembers bricks flying through the air and walls falling on her in her classroom. “I had to get out and save my sisters,” she said. She searched the fallen bricks for her three sisters, but sadly one sister . |
| died from the collapse of the school.Earthquakes happen daily – 35 quakes a day and 18 major earthquakes a year. The largest earthquake ever recorded was a 9.5 magnitude earthquake in Chile. When the large plates shift that cover the whole surface of the earth, we feel an earthquake. Most earthquakes occur where the plates meet around the Pacific Ocean. How to prepare for a natural disaster Ready.gov has three steps for youth wanting to prepare for natural disasters. |
| 1) Create an emergency kit: Create a portable kit with a three day supply of water and non-perishable food, battery powered radio, and other important items. The full list is described on ready.gov. 2) Make a plan: Have a plan for evacuating your home and getting in touch with your family members if you are separated like a meeting place. 3) Know the facts: It is important to know what to expect in the variety of natural disasters. In a tornado, you should head to your basement or in an earthquake, you should take cover under a heavy piece of furniture. Sources cited |
November 2007