Thomas M. Kostigen - National Geographic Extreme Weather Survival Guide: Understand, Prepare, Survive, Recover

Copyright 2014 National Geographic Society. Text copyright 2014 Thomas M. Kostigen.

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ISBN: 978-1-4262-1376-2

ISBN: 978-1-4262-1486-8 (deluxe hardcover)

eBooks ISBN: 978-1-4262-1377-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kostigen, Thomas.

National Geographic extreme weather survival guide : understand, prepare, survive, recover / by Thomas M. Kostigen.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-4262-1376-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)

1. Severe storms. 2. Natural disasters. 3. Weather. 4. Emergency managementHandbooks, manuals, etc. I. National Geographic Society (U.S.) II. Title. III. Title: Extreme weather survival guide.

QC941.K67 2014

613.69dc23

2014005362

v3.1

A mile-wide tornado kicks through north-central Kansas.

CONTENTS

PART 1
WET

PART 2
DRY

PART 3
HOT

PART 4
COLD

WARNING

WE INVITE YOU to use this book many times and in many ways: casual browsing, focused reading, and for reference when you need it. Because much of its advice and information pertains to times when reading is difficult-time is of the essence, power is down, other demands are more pressingthe best approach would be to roam and absorb the chapters on weather extremes you are most likely to face, so you know the basics and the organization of this book if and when catastrophe hits.

All content and information published in this book is provided to the reader as is and without any warranties. The situations and activities described in the book carry inherent risks and hazards. The reader must evaluate and bear all risks associated with use of the information provided in this book, including those risks associated with reliance on the accuracy, thoroughness, utility, or appropriateness of the information for any particular situation. The authors and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence of the use and application of any of the contents in this book.

Flooding from the Souris River breaches a highway in North Dakota.

GET READY

A hurricane is coming. Do you have a plan? Should you leave home or stay put? Do you know how to access local alerts? At home, are you better off upstairs or downstairs? Is your yard in order? Where would you go if you had to leave home? Do you have what you need to make it through a power outage? What about family members? What about pets? Perhaps youve faced such an emergency. Were you ready? Did you even know what to do to be sure you were ready? Many face those questions in the heat of the moment, but its best to think the answers through carefully, long before the storm begins. This book tells you how. It will help you understand, prepare, survive, and recover.

We seem to be getting slammed harder and more frequently by extreme weatherwith record-breaking temperatures, storm intensities, property destruction, and even fatalities. The news is filled with catastrophic eventsHurricane Sandy brought epic destruction to New York and New Jersey in 2012; monster Typhoon Haiyan wrought havoc in the Philippines in 2013; and a dip in the polar vortex in 2014 made Chicago colder than the South Poles summer temperature. In many places, summers are hotter, winters are colder, and new weather records seem to be set all the time.

Whats causing all this destructive phenomena? Why do they appear to be happening more frequently than they used to? Is climate change to blame? If so, how and in what instances? Well discover the answers to these questions and more in the pages that follow. What seems to be certain: Abnormal is the new normalwe need to learn to expect the unexpected.

The general mantra for an emergency is to plan and prepare in order to survive and recover. In fact, everyone can take three actions to remain safe during any extreme weather event. The first is to get informed. The second is to make an emergency kit. And the third is to have a plan.

The information in this book goes a long way toward helping you achieve these three steps. Here, youll learn how to prepare, survive, and recover for and from just about every kind of extreme weather eventfrom driving in blizzards and whiteouts to preparing to take shelter from a tornado; from beating the heat to battening down for a hurricane; from building a seawall against floods to following natures signals to determine if a storm has passed.