The Complete Weather Resource Guide

by | Feb 7, 2020 | Uncategorized

Fred Jaicks  Written and compiled by Fred Jaicks

 

Tornado fact 1 – In 2004, the largest tornado recorded in the United States struck in the state of Nebraska. The tornado measured two and a half miles wide. The majority of, though not all, tornadoes occur in the United States.

Tornado fact 2 – The state of Texas receives more tornadoes than any other state with approximately 110 twisters occurring annually.

Tornado fact 3 – Tornadoes are measured on the Enhanced Fujita Tornado scale that ranges from EF0 to EF5. There have been 51 EF5 tornadoes measured in the United States. An EF5 tornado contains wind speeds over 200 miles per hour.

Lightning fact 1 – Lightning really can strike twice and large skyscrapers, such as Chicago’s Sears Tower are struck by lightning repeatedly.

Lightning fact 2 – More than 8,300 people have been struck by lightning in the United States with the majority of all fatalities due to lightning strikes occurring in Florida.

Lightning fact 3 – One family has a history of being struck by lightning. In the 1920’s a man and his brother were struck and killed by lightning. Later, in 1965 and 1970, a family member of the two men was struck by lightning. In 1995, two more family members were struck by lightning.

Precipitation fact 1- Of all the states in the United States, Hawaii receives the most rainfall. The city, Hilo, has the honor of being named the United States’ wettest city averaging 128” of rain per year. 

Precipitation fact 2- A raindrop is made up of one million drops of water             

Precipitation fact 3- A hailstone the size of a soccer ball was found in Nebraska.

Temperature fact 1 – Crickets can predict the temperature! By counting the number of cricket chirps heard in 15 seconds and then adding the number 37 to the figure, you can get an estimate of the temperature on the Fahrenheit scale.

Temperature fact 2 – The human body sweats to cool down in what is known as evaporative cooling.

Wind fact 1- The largest wind gusts ever recorded occurred in 1934 during a storm. The Mount Washington Observatory collected data during the storm and recorded wind speeds of 231 miles per hour, making it the largest wind gust speed ever recorded on earth.

Wind fact 2- Persia had the world’s first windmills.

Hurricanes fact 1 – Two category five hurricanes have hit the southern United States’ coastline: Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Camille. The two hurricanes were separated by forty years.

Hurricanes fact 2 – The deadliest hurricane in the history of the United States is the 1900 hurricane that struck Galveston, Texas. There was no time to prepare or evacuate and the storm killed approximately 8,000 people.

Hurricanes fact 3 – The most expensive hurricane in U.S. history was Hurricane Andrew, which hit Florida as a category five storm in 1992. Hurricane Andrew caused more than $26 billion in damages to both Florida and Louisiana.

Hurricanes fact 4 – Hurricanes are tropical cyclones with maximum sustained wind speeds of 74 miles per hour. If the tropical cyclone forms in the Atlantic Ocean it is called a hurricane, if the storm forms in the Pacific Ocean, it has called a typhoon.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – NOAA stands for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is the oldest science agency in United States history even though it was formed in 1970. NOAA consists of several agencies that were founded in the 1800s including the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, which was created in 1870.