Catastrophic Events and/or Natural Disasters

BASIC INFORMATION

Encyclopedias - if you need passwords, please email Mrs. Cutler

General Encyclopedia --- use the ADVANCED search top right, then exact phrase
Groliers Online Encyclopedia

Subject Encyclopedia
McGrawHill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology - from Seattle Public Library - need a library card number

BOOKS

  • Library Catalog
    • search for your event/place and click on KEYWORD (to see if it is in a chapter of a book)
    • search for your topic and click on SUBJECT
  • Seattle Public Library catalog
    • check on what kind of resource - some government documents can be far too detailed

CURRENT and ONLINE INFORMATION

Internet -- hints

  • put the name of your specific event/place in QUOTATION MARKS
  • do an ADVANCED search and put your event as the TITLE of the PAGE
    • use this exact wording line
    • use the last section "Date, usage rights, numeric range, and more" and then Where your keywords show up = Title
  • check the URL address to see who is publishing the web page and their perspective
    • a newspaper? -- current, popular account
    • a government agency? --overview, specifics
    • an organization? -- purpose?

Magazines and periodicals

ELibrary : magazines, newspapers, pictures, maps, TV and radio transcripts, and books

Proquest Direct : an online database of over 2100 magazines and newspapers -- use ADVANCE search and drop down menu to SUBJECT

Online websites

  • CBS News - Disaster Link
    Links to disaster-related websites, arranged in broad categories such as biological and chemical weapons, contamination, hurricanes and severe weather
  • Discovery Channel - Earth News
  • EarthObservatory - Natural Hazards NASA- up to date view of all the natural disasters around the world. It is categorized by earth natural hazards and you can observe them on the website’s earth observatory
  • EarthWeek.com A diary of the planet on what's happening to the planet globally
  • Planet Dairy
    Provides a weekly update of articles on the environment, focusing on events such as floods, fire, fauna, flora, earthquakes, drought, health, volcanoes, oil spills, radioactivity, hurricanes, tornadoes, and tropical storms. Good background material with links to more.
  • World news on National disasters - from Britain's Guardian newspaper
    Collection of news articles about recent natural disasters around the world. Covers topics such as the May 2008 earthquake in China's Sichuan province, May 2008 Burma (Myanmar) cyclone, November 2007 floods in Tabasco, Mexico, wildfires in Southern California in fall 2007, and an earthquake in Manchester, England, in August 2007. Also includes links to interactive guides on earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, and Mount Etna

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES and other ORGANIZATIONS

SPECIFIC TYPES OF NATURAL DISASTERS

Avalanches - links from King County Library

Blizzards

Droughts

Earthquakes

Floods

Hurricanes - Hurricane Andrew 1992 - NOAA -- Hurricane Mitch 1998

  • All about hurricanes - interactive diagram USAToday
  • Historical Hurricane tracts - NOAA
  • How Stuff Works. com - information, pictures, video, etc.
  • Hurricane Center
    Information on past and present hurricanes and tropical storms. Includes detailed information on current disasters, weather forecasts and updates, satellite photos, hurricane fact files, storm preparation tips, and a list of retired storm names.
  • Hurricanes - BBC animated guide interactive
  • National Weather Service - National Hurricane Center
    Current and historical storm information Includes satellite imagery, weather radar, and PDA-accessible updates. The "Learn About Hurricanes" section links to extensive information. "Season Summaries and Reports" has information on activity in the Atlantic and East Pacific regions
    • Hurricane Preparedness National Weather Service National Hurricane Center.
      Information for the public about hurricanes. The site features a brief history of major hurricanes back to 1900, information about how hurricanes are categorized using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (from Category 1 to Category 5), the forecasting of hurricanes, disaster plan tips, and information about marine safety, storm surges, high wind, tornadoes, and inland floods.
  • US Extreme Weather - NOAA

Tornadoes

  • How tornadoes form
  • Hunt for the super twister - PBS
  • Online Tornado FAQ - NOAA
    This list of Frequently Asked Questions provides a "quick-reference summary of tornado knowledge." It covers forecasting, climatology, damage, spotting and chasing, safety, research, and history. Many of the answers include related links and pictures to more detailed information.
  • Tornadoes - nature's most violent storms - NOAA
    What causes tornadoes, what types of tornadoes are there, how tornadoes form, tornado myths, tornado locations, and much more from NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory.
  • Tornado : WhyFiles - Explores the whys and hows of tornadoes, with lots of images. Click on the first snapshot to get started.
  • Tornadoes - BBC animated interactive guide
  • US Extreme Weather - NOAA
  • US Tornado Climatology
    * Overview * Tornado Alley * Timing * Historical Records and Trends * State Maps * Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes * Special Reports * Links to Additional Information

Tsunami

Volcanoes - extensive list of links

  • Shadow of Vesuvius - PBS
  • Volcano World -an extensive website on volcanoes; includes images and video. Click on For Educators for volcano facts, how to build volcano models, glossary and more
  • Volcanoes - Annenberg - interactive
  • Volcanoes - BBC - animated guide interactive

Individual events - see Disaster Research Links or Individual events list

How Stuff Works. com - information, pictures, video, etc.

Sky Diary - storm chasing - with photo gallery

Home Icon

St. Joseph School Home Page. Comments, or complaints? Please email Barb Cutler, Librarian.. Last updated 1/2010