Greetings to one and all! I hope this week’s post finds you health and happy. Across much of the North American continent, a persistent drought continues to plague much of the western states and provinces. Much of the great plains and southern states are in the grips of a heat wave with dangerous heat indicies. Meanwhile in the Atlantic, all is quiet for now. For 2021, an active Atlantic hurricane season is forecast. There’s a complete section of information on hurricane safety in this week’s post. We’ll also continue our review of summer heat safety. There are many other good science reads to review for this week, so let’s get started.
- Here’s a fascinating astronomy read. “X-rays can echo & bend around the back of supermassive black holes.”
- The ‘carefree’ summer that many Americans were looking forward to has been snuffed out by a monster that is nothing like the virus we were dealing with a year ago.
- If you’ve been wondering why the Delta variant is so nefariously evil, here’s a very detailed explanation of this particularly nasty virus.
- Forget about sharks, tigers, lions, and bears. This is the most dangerous critters to humankind. “10 myths about mosquitoes debunked by experts.”
- The costs of climate change go far beyond extreme weather events and include substantial effects on finances and potentially lethal public health challenges.
- Speaking of finances, a warming climate leads to warming rivers. That’s not good for the fishing industry or consumers.
- This is a badly needed change to severe thunderstorm warnings issued by the National Weather Service in the USA. “New “Destructive” Severe Thunderstorm Warning category to trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts on mobile phones.”
- The ongoing wildfires in the western USA and elsewhere on the planet are just one of many signals of our changing climate. “The Climate Change Link To More And Bigger Wildfires.”
- Across North American counties, drought or abnormal dryness has spread in the West, Central Plains to Upper Mississippi Valley, New England & Hawaii. The USA drought area increased to 39.5% by the end of June, 2021.
SUMMER HEAT SAFETY
In light of the ongoing North American heat wave, here are some very helpful infographics on heat safety that could save someone’s life.
HURRICANE SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS
The official start of the Atlantic hurricane season began June 1, 2021. As is the case with most years, the late summer and autumn months comes the peak of activity. This is a list of tropical cyclone safety and preparedness links that I hope you’ll find helpful and spearhead your preparedness plan. None of the links on this page should be used for life-&-death decisions or the protection of property!
WEATHER DATA
Central Pacific Hurricane Center
National Weather Service Homepage
National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center
NOAA Climate Prediction Center
NCAR Tropical Cyclone Guidance Project
HURRICANE SAFETY & EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION
American Red Cross Severe Weather Safety Information
American Red Cross Hurricane Safety Checklist (PDF file)
Extensive FEMA Emergency Preparedness Document (34 Page PDF File)
Ready.gov Basic Disaster Supply Kit Info
Preparing Your Pets For Disasters And Emergencies
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
Flash Flooding: Turn Around, Don’t Drown
Interactive NOAA Weather Radio Coverage Map
The following infographics cover many important topics including emergency kits, staying informed, and avoiding misinformation and disinformation that are applicable to tropical cyclone scenarios. Tornadoes are also common in land-falling tropical storms and hurricanes. If in doubt, always stay with OFFICIAL sources of important information, forecasts, and warnings.
Even though this infographic is focused on winter weather, it certainly applies to weather information year round. Diligence from January through December is important to cull through misinformation, disinformation, and unfounded rumors.
Please keep in mind that ONLY NOAA weather radio, your local National Weather Service office, or reliable broadcast media are the BEST sources of important, timely, and potentially life-saving information on hurricane/tropical storm watches, warnings, and other related warnings! None of the links on this page should be used for life-&-death decisions or the protection of property!
That’s a wrap for this post! If you’d like a detailed review of tornado and severe weather safety, please review April and May posts. Next week we’ll continue information on hurricane preparedness and summer heat safety. I’d like to extend a big ‘Thank You’ to my followers in social media. I’m glad you’re along for the fun! If you’re on Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram, let’s connect! As for the COVID-19 pandemic, get vaccinated, sport a spiffy mask, practice good hand-washing hygiene, mind your social distancing, stay safe, and stay healthy!
See you next Saturday!
Media inquiries: tornadoquest@protonmail.ch
Please note: queries regarding marketing, promotions, sales schemes, prizes, or papers/research that have not been under & approved by scientific peer review WILL NOT be accepted.
Copyright © 1998 – 2021 Tornado Quest, LLC
TORNADO QUEST 