What We Did When The Lights Went Out!

The lights flickered once, twice, three times and then they went out entirely. No power, and later into the night, no water. Spring in the Deep South is tornado time and storms were springing up everywhere.

EF5 tornados are a rare thing, but they struck all over the state of Alabama last week, a record number; over 160 in our state alone. Two of them hit within 10 miles of my house but we were blessed to have missed them. The devastation is unbelievable! For me, the only thing we had to contend with was the lack of power.

In the midst of all this we discovered something about us and our neighbors. People are resilient. Throughout the state there were a million people without electrical power to their homes and businesses. While there were thousands hurt and hundreds killed through the path of these storms, many of us were not. Here's how we dealt with the boredom and burden of no electricity.

Out of electric power for five days, we had to survive in a world without the electronic gadgetry that we have come to rely on. Without a household generator to give us some sense of normalcy, we literally were left in the dark 24 hours a day for five days.

In the morning coffee is a necessity, not a luxury. I fired up the charcoal grill with a small mound of briquettes and started a fire. After placing a pan of water over the hot coals, we soon had enough hot water to fill three cups. We placed a coffee filter over each cup and poured in two spoons of coffee. Pouring in the hot water we soon had a delicious cup of coffee.

Like everyone in the Tennessee Valley without electricity, we had no idea of when it would be restored. We did know that food in the refrigerator and freezers was thawing with every passing hour, but there was little that we could do about that problem. Almost everyone in town needed ice. A few stores opened for emergencies that had cash only transactions.

With basically all businesses closed due to no power, it was an excellent time to pick up the debris that had fallen from the sky. Plenty of limbs up and down the street gave us a chance to clean up. Trees had to be sawed and dragged out of the street. Trash from some of the destroyed homes had blown to our street and had to be picked up and set out for the trash man.

Every evening we had a block party. Each family ate food that was in the pantry for lunch, then food from their freezers that was thawing for dinner. Some days we had chicken dishes, with families bring sides and the first couple of days we had hamburgers that had just thawed, cooked on the grill; chili and soups. Whatever was unfrozen was slapped on the grill.

By the fourth day we were eating dried foods like beans, peas, corn and vegetables that had been frozen but were now thawed. Grills were still in action; cooking pots of beans simmered over hot coals and propane gas.

Thankfully the days were warm enough and the nights cool enough so that we didn't need heating or cooling of any kind. The water supply for us was only off for one day. In the midst of our jubilation at having survived, there was always the reminder that we were one of the blessed ones.

When the sun went down, we did something that we rarely do; we talked, played games got out the guitar and sang songs. Even the grandkids joined in the fun. If we had had power, we would have done none of that.

Let's pray for the survivors. While they are all resilient, all of them need help!

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The Undetectable Dangers Of Humidity

One of the least liked weather conditions is the hot, humid day. The sun is terribly hot, and walking only a few blocks exhausts you like you'd just run a marathon. Not only that, but despite having just stepped out of the shower a few minutes ago, your clothes are sticking to your skin, and you can feel the sweat stinging your eyes. Far from being merely an uncomfortable weather condition, humidity comes with hidden and deadly dangers. In this article you'll learn a few of them.

One of the biggest dangers that comes with humid weather is that it decreases your body's ability to maintain a proper temperature. When you get hot, you sweat. The sweat is then evaporated on your skin by the air, which cools you off. However, when the air is humid, it's much more difficult for the sweat on your skin to evaporate. So maintaining a normal body temperature is much more difficult in humid weather.

Something else that is dangerous about humid weather is that it makes it much more difficult to sleep through the night undisturbed. Sleep is very important, as it gives your body a chance to rebuild damaged cells. It is also necessary for maintaining a healthy immune system. Without proper sleep, your immune system is weakened, and you will not be able to fight off illnesses as easily. Being weaker from lack of sleep also makes it easier to suffer from heat stroke during the day.

Another hidden danger of humidity is it can lead to drastic dehydration. Because your body has to produce so much more sweat to regulate your body temperature, you lose a lot of fluid. Unless you drink a significant amount of water during the day, you are likely getting dehydrated during periods of excessive humidity. Many people become dehydrated without even knowing it, and this can lead to a higher risk of heat stroke.

Another element to consider regarding humid weather is that it provides an excellent breeding ground for germs, pests, and other pathogens in your home. When you combine the increased amount of germs with your decreased immune system from lack of sleep, and you've got a deadly recipe for disaster on your hands. This is one aspect of humid weather that most people don't consider.

What can you do to protect yourself from the seemingly inescapable heat and humidity without becoming a statistic in the latest round of deaths? A couple of simple tips can go a long ways in protecting you. Stay indoors as much as possible. Drink plenty of water or other fluids, but don't wait until you are thirsty to drink. Drink during the day regardless of whether you're thirsty or not. This can keep you sufficiently hydrated, which can go a long way to protect you from the deadly humidity.

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How Do Hurricanes Start?

Hurricanes are tropical storms with wind speeds over 74 mph. "Hurricane" is a word meaning "evil spirit and big wind" in the Caribbean Indian language. Three ingredients make a hurricane: warm water, moist air, and converging winds. When winds meet over warm water (at least 80 degrees F) and push in a circular pattern, a hurricane may form. Most Atlantic hurricanes begin on the west coast of Africa and are pushed across the ocean to the east coast of the USA.

The majority of hurricanes begin near the equatorial belt. The leftward-circulating winds from the south meet right-circulating winds from the north due to the Coriolis effect (spin of the earth).

These winds pull warm air from the surface of the water and push it up, creating a funnel. The center of the funnel is the hurricane's Eye, which is surprisingly, calm. The wall of the eye (or Eye Wall), however, is where the wind is most turbulent as it compresses into a relatively tight space with the spin of the cloud formations. The warmer air rising from the ocean brings moisture with it, which forms the clouds.

The center of the Eye is calm while the turbulence begins at the walls of the eye, where winds are most intense. From the Eye Wall outward it is turbulent, but becomes decreasingly so as the area of the storm gets larger. The circulating cloud formations around the Eye are dark because they are the rain bands where rain falls, though most of this evaporates back into the storm before reaching the surface.

The heat of the water is the fuel source for the feeds on itself - spinning left if moving south and right if moving north. As they move, hurricanes recirculate much of their energy, growing with a exponential growth. Because a crucial element for hurricane growth is warm water, they often lose their energy when they make landfall or enter cooler climates.

Many storms become hurricanes on the map, move into a small area of cooler water, and then lose their force and die off.

Most hurricanes last only a few days. The storm will begin as a tropical depression, or a low pressure zone in the tropics with relatively low wind speeds. As winds pick up and feed on one another, the storm might begin moving north or south of the equator, increasing in size and intensity. This is a tropical storm, or baby hurricane.

Eventually, if conditions are right, the tropical storm will continue moving north or southwards|south or north] and will reach wind speeds of over 74 miles per hour. Only then is it a hurricane. Generally, the less spread out a hurricane is, the more potential damage it will do on landfall. Imagine a ball thrown at your nose, for example. The bigger the ball is, the more spread out the impact area will be and the less damage your nose will incur. Smaller balls like baseballs or golf balls, however, will hit your nose directly and put all of their force in a smaller area, causing more damage.

About a hundred tropical storms develop every year. About half of those become hurricanes, but only about 5-10% of those make landfall in an inhabited area. Most hurricanes never make the shore, instead running themselves out out in the ocean. For more information about how to protect your house from hurricanes, see miami hurricane shutters.

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A Brief Introduction to Climate Change and Global Warming

One aspect of being a green business is being aware how much carbon and other greenhouse gases the business emits into the atmosphere. We have all heard the terms global warming, climate change and greenhouse gas but as they are often used interchangeably, it can be difficult to understand exactly what these terms mean. However understanding these terms is important before taking action to reduce emissions from the business. Here is a brief guide to the most common terms:

Global Warming: The phrase global warming refers to an overall warming of the planet based on the average temperature over the entire surface. Global warming has both natural and manmade causes with the main manmade cause being increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases spread around the earth forming a cover trapping solar energy that would normally be radiated into space resulting in increased temperatures.

Climate Change: Although the expressions climate change and global warming are used interchangeably, they do mean different things. The term climate change refers to long term regional changes in climate including temperature, humidity, wind, rainfall and severe weather events. Like global warming, climate change has both natural and manmade causes with the manmade causes of climate change being credited to increased levels of greenhouse gases. Natural causes of climate change include the continental drift, volcanoes and ocean currents.

Greenhouse Gases: These gases are what prevent solar radiation from being discharged to space and are the main cause of both climate change and global warming. Some greenhouse gases such as chlorofluorocarbons are synthetic while others such as carbon and water vapour occur naturally in the environment. While some greenhouse gases occur naturally, human beings have altered the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere through their activities such as burning coal, oil, natural gas and wood.

Air Pollution: Air pollution is a related problem and many of the pollutants responsible for poor air quality and smog are also greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. Discussions about air pollution usually focus on visibility and air quality but reducing emissions that cause air pollution will also reduce greenhouse gas levels.

Ozone Depletion: Ozone depletion is a different but related problem to climate change and global warming. The ozone layer is a gaseous layer in the upper atmosphere that absorbs ultra violet radiation. A reduction in the ozone layer causes more ultra violet radiation to reach earth which can affect crop growth and cause health problems such as skin cancer. Closer to the earth ozone is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

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2010 Hurricane Season Summary

The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season was a busy one. As of early November there were 19 named storms of which 12 officially became hurricanes. Four of those hurricanes became major hurricanes. A major hurricane is denoted by achieving a category three or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Historically, long term averages over the past century suggest that about ten named storms will form in the Atlantic basin, of which six will become hurricanes. An upswing in Atlantic hurricanes has been noted since the mid 1990's. Threre is no conclusive evidence that this is linked to Climate Change. An increase in tropical cyclone activity was anticipated in the 1980's when it was relatively calm.

The United States fared well this past hurricane season. There were no direct hits from hurricanes. Hurricane Earl passed about 75 miles east of Cape Hatteras. During its closest approach, the Outer Banks of North Carolina received tropical storm force winds with a couple of gusts to near minimal hurricane strength. Hurricane Alex made landfall in northeastern Mexico, but was a small tropical cyclone. Because of this, wind damage was confined to Mexico south of Browsnville, Texas. Some gusts to tropical storm force were seen in extreme south Texas with some the the squall bands that passed through. The greatest impact to the United States came from Tropical Storm Hernine. It brought soaking rains to south and central Texas. Rainfall totals were five to ten inches with isolated spots of ten inches plus. The only other tropical cyclone to affect the United States was Tropical Storm Bonnie which moved into south Florida early in the season. It was a weak system which brought some rain squalls.

Other parts of the Atlantic basin did not fare as well. Several tropical cyclones threatened parts of Central America and Mexico. Mexico was hit by several tropical cyclones. Hurricane Alex made landfall in northeastern Mexico as a category two hurricane. Hurricane Karl was the strongest hurricane that made landfall in Mexico near Veracruz. it was a category three hurricane at officially 120 mph.

Bermuda was threatened by tropical cyclones several times, but each time the storm veered away. Nothing more than some gusty winds and rain squalls were seen on Bermuda. The strongest hurricane of the season was Hurricane Igor in the open Atllantic Ocean. It topped out at 155 mph, which is just below category five strength. Earl was the next strongest with winds to 135 mph.

This season did live up to the number of expected named storms and hurricanes. The true number of hurricanes is up to debate since a number of named storms may not have really reached hurricane strength. Minimal hurricanes such as Lisa, Otto, and Shary are all up to debate on their actual strength. As with many hurricane seasons, the 2010 season saw several tropical cyclones travel around the Bermuda high harmlessly out to sea. As this year bears out, a landfall in the U.S. is not guaranteed even with a very active season. It is always wise to stay vigilent regardless of the preseason predictions.

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What Is the Weather Going to Be?

If you have ever watched the British TV programs, you would find that they spend on much time talking about what the weather is going to. Following we will talk about the weather of the British people.

A survey published recently that British people spend most of their times on talking about whether it's going to rain or shine. They usually complaint about the cold and exclamation about the heat, they are the first points of conversation with strangers or business acquaintances, the subject comes up more often than work, TV, sport or gossip. Britons talk about the weather for about 50 hours every year. I believe that they can predict the weather as well as a professional weatherman.

The most usual explanation for the situation with weather is that it is so changeable here, even though this does not explain why other challenged countries are not similarly interested. Whatever the reason, they pay attention to the climate very much.

One of the most important factors to take into account when going to vacation to someplace is the weather. The wet weather is one of the most attractive features of this vacation spot. The temperature and maritime conditions on this weather are perfect to practice water sports and to enjoy comfortable time there. This weather in UK offers tropical weather during the whole year. Like in most tropical areas the weather seasons are divided between summer and winter. The term winter here is a bit loose since there are no extreme cold conditions like in some other places around the world. I think you can do other things as well.

There are so many interesting things all over the world.

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