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Holiday Puzzle 9 | What movie is this?
Disaster movies frequently take liberties with scientific accuracy for the sake of entertainment. Here are three short clips from popular ones.
What’s the movie?
For bonus points, what are the glaring scientific inaccuracies?
Open to reveal the answer
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
This film portrays catastrophic climate change effects, leading to a new ice age. While it raises awareness about climate change, the speed and severity of the environmental changes depicted are highly exaggerated, and admittedly so by the film makers. Climate change is a gradual process, and the sudden, extreme weather events shown in the movie are not consistent with the current laws of thermodynamics.
Open to reveal the answer
Twister (1996)
Centered on storm chasers researching tornadoes, “Twister” dramatizes many aspects of tornado behavior. For instance, the film shows characters surviving in extremely close proximity to violent tornadoes, which in reality would be far more dangerous and likely lethal.
Open to reveal the answer
Dante’s Peak (1997)
A film about a volcanic eruption in a small town, “Dante’s Peak” exaggerates the speed at which volcanic events occur. Additionally, certain scenes, like the one where the protagonists drive a vehicle across a lava flow, defy the actual destructive nature of lava.
So, don’t believe everything you see in the movies — there probably won’t be a film crew standing by to help if this happens to you!
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Holiday Puzzle 8 | Crossword disaster
Tis the season to be jolly and wise about the natural forces that shape our world. Our holiday crossword puzzle is a merry foray into the variety of natural disasters!
Open to the solution
- blizzard: Occuring during winter months, this disaster makes it difficult to travel (and may cause you to lose power)
- tornado: This type of disaster is typically mesasured by the “f scale”
- heatwave: A period of abnormally hot weather, keep your water and suncreen near by!
- earthquake: Disaster that occurs when two techtonic plates move suddenly
- wildfire: Natural or man-made disaster, resulting in extreme heat. Can move very rapidly and damage human and natural habitats
- tsunami: If you live near a coastline, you may be in danger from this large wave
- flood: Things are getting deep! When waterways overflow, you might be experiencing one of these
- volcano: Some may lay dormant for hundreds of years
- landslide: Can occur when a natural slope becomes unstable
- drought: A natural disaster where there is a extreme lack of water
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Holiday Puzzle 7 | Sequence of events?
When a disaster strikes, many things happen in order for aid to get to those who have been impacted. Here are some of the key steps, but in the wrong order!
Can you put them into the correct order?
- An event occurs.
- FEMA (and other federal agencies) provides federal aid.
- The President of the US declares an emergency.
- If state can’t provide enough help, they request aid from the federal government.
- If local authorities can’t provide enough help, they request aid from the state.
To get some hints, and to learn more about what it takes to get you aid in a crisis, read our article.
Open to reveal the answer
- An event occurs.
- If local authorities can’t provide enough help, they request aid from the state.
- If state can’t provide enough help, they request aid from the federal government.
- The President of the US declares an emergency.
- FEMA (and other federal agencies) provides federal aid.
There are many more steps in this process, This diagram shows just a few!
In general, help begins and ends at the local level. The state only gets involved if the local authorities needs help. The federal government only gets involved if the state needs help. To deliver aid to those who need it, both state and federal governments coordinate with local governments.
It is a complex but necessary process that aims to get aid to where it’s needed quickly, yet ensure accountability in the spending of tax dollars. Unfortunately, it means that it can take longer for people to get government help than many expect.
Fortunately, there are other sources of help, many of which arrive much more quickly!
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Holiday Puzzle 6 | It’s about timing!
A disaster, such as a wildfire or hurricane, is coming! When should you evacuate?
- When the newscasters make dire predictions about bad weather.
- When an evacuation warning is issued.
- When forest animals are running past you.
- When an evacuation order is issued.
- After you’ve packed the car, tidied the house, and you’re sure you have everything.
- When you actually see fire, water, or the whites of their eyes.
- Never!
For a hint and to learn more about evacuation timing, read our article.
Open to reveal the answer
You have to decide for yourself what you must do — Get meds? Pets? Supplies? — before leaving, but …
Earlier is always better than later.
The longer you wait to evacuate, the more you risk running into problems when you do. Traffic gets worse as more people leave, roads may close because of increasing danger, and hotel rooms, campgrounds and shelters fill up. If you wait too long, you risk being trapped, unable to get out, and emergency crews may not be able to get in. So, …
If you are unsure, feel threatened, or lose power or communications, leave!
In other words, no later than
4. When an evacuation order is issued.
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Holiday Puzzle 5 | A clue
…
6. What’s the biggest threat to your home in a wildfire … and also the ending of two cold months?
…
For a hint and to learn more about why this is the biggest threat, read this article.
Open to reveal the answer
Evil embers burn 60% of the homes damaged in a wildfire. An ember can travel as much as 5 miles, although usually less than 1 mile.
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