Introduction
According to Richard Wild, the first use of the word ‘blizzard’, to define a set of weather conditions, was used in 1860 to describe a mid-west weather event in which “warm and balmy” condition suddenly took a turn for the cold. The result: freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall and massive drifts of snow (1996, web). A blizzard is the most severe of all types of snowfall. Its effects exceed those of heavy snow warnings, flurries, blowing and drifting snow and traveler’s warnings. Blizzards are caused through a confluence of cold-air, moisture and lift (which is necessary to raise the cold air and form it into clouds which produce precipitation) (Weather Almanac, 2004, p. 81). In the case of a blizzard warning, inhabitants can expect winds of over 35 mph, heavy accumulation of light, powdery snow and low visibility. These conditions make it difficult for individuals to get to and from work and school, which, in turn, makes it difficult for businesses to function, governments to deliver services and utility companies to deliver essential services (e.g. electricity, gas, etc.).
The Blizzard of 1888; Importance of Topic
The Great Blizzard of 1888 (which lasted from March 11 to March 14) hit the northeast U.S. with a snowfalls of over four feet, whiteouts and winds between 40 and 50 miles-per-hour. The storm received a great deal of attention because it shut down New York City, stranded many of its inhabitants and created life-threatening hazard as precipitation rested on overhead wires causing them to collapse. As Polly Fry notes, several conditions must exist in order to distinguish a blizzard from a snowstorm: a blizzard must have winds of over 35 mph, reduced visibility because of the “blowing or drifting ...
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...ge that it is simply a fact of life. Part of the reason blizzards are difficult to define is because peoples perceptions of what constitutes a blizzard vary.
Works Cited
“Arctic Climatology and Meteorology.” NSIDC.org. 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.
Fry, Polly. "Blizzards." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003: 485-487.
Hayden, Edward E. West Indian Hurricanes and the March Blizzard, 1888. New York: Forest & Stream Publishing, 1889.
“In a Blizzard’s Grasp.” NYTimes.com. 1888. Web. 25 Oct. 2011.
“Nor’easters.” Web.Archive.org. 2002. Web. 25 Oct. 2011.
Wild, Richard. “A Historical Review on the Origin and Definition of the Word Blizzard.” DrRichardWild.co.uk. 1996. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.
"Winter Storms." Weather Almanac. Ed. Richard A. Wood. 11th ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2004: 81-92.
A lot of homes, businesses, and other places were destroyed. Atlantic city homes were flooded. Many people, not just in New Jersey, had no power for days to weeks. The storms surge made it all the way past the board walk. Hoboken, New Jersey was hit hard. Their homes, businesses, and transportation ways and means were destroyed. Winds there were counter-clockwise making it worse for Hoboken. A lot of New York was hit too. They also had no power for long periods of time. Many of their homes and etc. were destroyed during the storm.
In conclusion, the deadliest and most devastating U.S. tornado outbreak of the 20th century was the April 3–4, 1974, “Super Tornado Outbreak.” It lasted 16 hours and at least 148 twisters tore up 2,500 miles of Earth through 13 states over a 24-hour period, according to the National Weather Service. The "super outbreak," as meteorologists now call it, left 330 people dead and 5,484 injured. Property losses were placed at $600 million and only ten of the thirteen states that were hit, were declared a disaster area.
A series of cold spells and heavy snowfalls culminated in the first week of January, when a huge snowstorm accompanied by high winds hit the central plains. Drifts of six feet or more were common and the temperature dropped to 30 degrees below zero in some places. Many prairie homes had been quickly and cheaply built, leaving settlers ill prepared to protect themselves from such cold. The snow and wind were so fierce that people became lost a few yards from their homes.
The Blizzard of 1888 tested how much the human spirit could take. Stacking problems on problems, it was unforgiving to everybody in the area. Though the immigrants who came to the US all took different paths and ended up settling in different places of the Great Plains, in the end they both went through the same cold, unpredictable blizzard.
WHITE HURRICANE November gales are a curse on the Great Lakes. In 1835, a storm was said to have "swept the lakes clear of sail." Lake Erie was blasted by 60 mph winds on November 22 and 23, 1874. On Nov. 25, 1905 a November gale sank or stranded more than 16 ships. On Nov 11, 1940 (Armistice Day Storm) a storm wrecked 12 vessels.
“There has always been extreme [weather]. There is extreme weather forever. In 1977… "Time" and "Newsweek" both had on their covers, the coming ice age because of the world cooling so fast. That was 40 years ago. All of a sudden we go from the globe cooling too fast to it warming too quickly”
The Dust Bowl is a drought that occurred in the southern plains region of the United States. The Dust swept crossed from Nebraska to Texas. The Dust Bowl occurred in the late 1930’s. The massive dust storms did not begin until 1931. The Dust Bowl was a long-term disaster that impacted people for a long time. The conditions were very scary and last for a while. During the Dust Bowl, serve dust storms would sweep across the great plains. The serve dust storms were often called “Black Blizzards”. The dust storms would also cause the sky to darken for days at a time. The dust would drift like snow and the residents would have to clean it up with a shovel. The worst of the storm occurred in Oklahoma and about three million tons of topsoil were blown off the great plains. Lastly, the dust would work its way through people’s homes and would leave a type of coating on their furniture, food, and skin.
October 29th 2012 the high wind destroyer struck the heart of New York. They called her sandy; she was a very devastating hurricane. She demolished more than 300,000 homes and left them homeless, and confirmed 285 deaths. Imagine big strong winds whistling around your home, no power, and a big river down your street with cars bobbing down it, scary, isn’t it. These are some of the tragic events that happened during hurricane sandy. What is a hurricane? The proper definition is, when a series of cold gusty winds mix with the warm humid air. It’s just like a tornado but it forms over water.
Technology was a lacking factor on that January 12th day of 1888, which did not give those people warning on what was coming their way. Forecasters that were subject to human error did not have access to information that could have been provided by the Army. Certain weather terminology was forbidding to use for the fear that some cities were immune to these storms. During that day of the blizzard there were no advanced warning signs (outside of the temperature dropping) that the worst blizzard was about to occur, technology had not yet reached that point. If on that day or any day, the Army would have made weather a top priority some of those children could have been saved or at home with their families instead of dying alone in the snow. Forecasters could only get weather information the day of or twenty-four hours before. Many of the weather disasters were not accurate, so if there were any weather predictions good or bad, the people had no choice to believe it. Both parties really did not know any more than the
In the book, The Children’s Blizzard, David Laskin wrote the stories of immigrant families from Europe who, after coming to the United States with high hopes, experienced a heartbreaking blizzard in January 1888. The immigrants had staked their future on the land and instead of rewarding them for their commitment, the land brought them heartbreak. The blizzard led to different outcomes for different families, but the outcome largely included loss.
For the purpose of this paper, we will discuss a weather event that few think of regarding natural disasters; winter storms. Winter storms are different from a snowy day in that a winter storm can include heavy snow, damage-causing ice, high winds, dangerously low temperatures, low visibility, or any combination thereof (America’s PrepareAthon, 2015) and makes travel extremely hazardous. A winter storm can affect an entire region and victims may experience loss of utility services, limited mobility, among various personal crises (illnesses, accidents, or death). For example, between November 17 and November 20, 2014 Buffalo, New York was buried under 7 feet of snow causing thirteen fatalities, hundreds of roof collapses/structural failures, thousands of stranded motorists, downed trees, and power outages in addition to food and gas shortages (National Weather Service, n.d.). In the most severe winter storms, snow plows, and emergency services personnel often have a difficult time keeping up with the needs of the region; therefore, it may be hours, days or even weeks until conditions are safe and services are
The Dust Bowl was a storm that was created by strong winds blowing topsoil off of the fields of farmers. The winds would carry lots of dust, soil, dirt, and sand. The dust would leave sandy soils that drifted into dunes along the walls, fences, and ditches. It occurred in the Midwestern and southern plains of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, however, the worst Dust Bowl area was where Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico bordered each other (Living History Farm). The places would not get any rainfall all season and sometimes not for years at all! The worst years had between 60 and 75 dust storms each year (Public Broadcasting System). In the second year of the Dust Bowl, 1932, there were as many as 14 black blizzards (Alchin). A black blizzard was a dust storm so thick and big, there was no daylight even in the middle of the day (Gregory). In 1933, President Roosevelt took office and created several legislative acts to try and help the farmers (Alchin). These acts included The Emergency Banking Act of 1933,
"Snow Storms: What's a Blizzard." Forces of Nature: TQ 2000. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. .
Snow Storm Baby The year was 1992; a cold December arctic wind had brought a chance of snow to the area. It was the weekend and time to relax after a long, hard week at work. The weather service had predicted several inches of snow to blanket the region by the next day. Not to worry: it was the weekend and traveling was not a necessity.
Rosenfeld, Jeffrey O.; Eye of the Storm: Inside the World's Deadliest Hurricanes, Tornadoes, and Blizzards; HarperCollins Trade Sales Dept, January 1999