As the leaves begin to change we are treated with a beautiful display of yellows, reds, oranges, and browns.  Unlike last year, this year should turn out to be gorgeous.  New Hampshire's tourism industry suffered last fall due to "less-than-ideal foliage" resulting from damage caused by the Tropical Storm Irene.  This is an example of the effects resulting from hazards; this would be an example of direct losses.  You can read the full story here.  New Hampshire's fall foliage  Here in Wisconsin we don't worry about the results of tropical storms, rather we have the privilege of full view before we are covered in snow.  Enjoy the view of Wisconsin in the fall!

When weather strikes, are you prepared?

Given the recent topics that have been discussed in class, I found this article to be thought provoking.  Nancy Larson writes for the StarPress and wrote a piece giving advice to prepare yourself and your family in case of a natural hazard.  She suggests the storing of food and water supplies, enough for three days per person and per pet.  Some of the things she suggests be stored are canned fruits and vegetables, dried milk, crackers, granola bars, etc.  Her suggestion for water is enough for a person to have one gallon a day.  Seems like a lot, but when survival is at stake no level of preparedness is too much.  I thought this seemed interesting given that we have been talking about natural disasters and hazards and the number of people they affect.  Being prepared is never a bad thing and it would be best to do it before the storm hits.

More Weather Game Fun!

The National Weather Service has created a game that is designed to educate and inform young students about the dangers and preventative measures involving severe weather.  The game is called PLAN!T NOW! and features a fun and helpful owl named Owlie (how original).  The game is designed for children in grades 3-8 and teaches children about hurricanes, lightning, floods, tornadoes and winter storms.  I thought this sounded similar to what we did in class and reminded me of all the educational games I once played.  A video of the game is listed in the videos post so be sure to check it out!

Wind Powered Earth?

According to studies by two US science teams, the earth produces enough wind to match the amount of power used today.  In fact, it produces 10-20 times as much energy as is used today or would be used in the near future.  Wind is a clean, efficient source of energy, so why is it not utilized more?  The problem is money (go figure).  In order to convert the world's main energy source to wind, there would need to be about 100 new turbines for every 1 that exists now.  While this idea of a clean, efficient, wind powered earth is satisfying, it may be some time before it becomes a reality.  For the full article, follow the link below.
http://www.keyc.tv/story/19504074/studies-wind-potentially-could-power-the-world

Allergy Season

Fall is near!  And with it this season should come a barrage of pollen, meaning more sneezing for you.  Already this summer I have experienced the increase in allergens.  Never before have I experienced such allergies, and the reason is linked to the mild Winter and early Spring this year.  The warmer temperatures have caused plants to produce more pollen, four to five times more according to the article by Becky Kellogg.  She forewarns us about the increased amount of allergens that will be produced this Fall, particularly that of ragweed.  With this information, we may all benefit from a box of tissues!  Follow the link below for the full story.
http://www.weather.com/health/allergy/fall-allergy-season-20120822

For help with dealing with your allergies at home, here's a short video that may be able to help!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1543561927001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAAQxtuk~,N9g8AOtC12flp8PmRxlLqTu0V7oMP9Ia&bctid=1619897431001