Learn More!
Curious Kids: Disasters
Click on the magnifying glass to explore other topics!
Did You Know?
The eruption of Mount St. Helens in Skamania County, Washington in 1980 created the biggest landslide in recorded history, burying an area of about 24 square miles (more than twice the size of the entire city of Centerville!) and spreading volcanic ash hundreds of miles farther!
Some books below may be eBooks or audiobooks. ask a librarian or parent for help.
Fiction Books
Non-fiction Books
Fun Activities
Family Disaster Plan
Take the NOAA Family Disaster Plan quiz and learn what should be in your family’s plan.
Disaster Master
See how well-prepared you are for disasters. Be sure to write down the password revealed at the end of each quiz, so you can open the next one!
Movies
Night of the Twisters [DVD]
Raging tornados change the lives of the people of Blainesworth, Nebraska forever. Based on an actual 1980 tornado outbreak, this movie is rated PG.
Balto II: Wolf Quest [DVD]
When a blizzard closes off all routes of transport, there's no way to obtain life-saving medicine ... unless a team of sled dogs can race through the blinding Arctic storm with it.
The Science of Extreme Weather [eVideo]
Learn about the world's wildest weather-and learn how to protect yourself. Each episode of this series is a separate checkout from hoopla. At the link, click on "Instantly available on hoopla," and have your library card handy. Look down the list for episodes about tornadoes, ice storms, blizzards and hurricanes.
Websites
1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens
All about the 1980 volcanic eruption! Click on the tabs below the photo display to see how the eruption happened, step by step, and its effects. Click on "Biology" above the photo display, then on "Changing Landscape," to see time-lapse photos of plants starting to grow back after the disaster.
Ten Freaky Forces of Nature
National Geographic’s explanation of ten forces with potential for disaster, including fire whirls, hailstorms, freak waves, and more. (You may need to type "ten freaky forces" in the search box at the link.)
Know the Facts
Learn the best ways to respond to different types of disasters, from home fires to tornadoes, and many others.
Remembering the Titanic
National Geographic gives you the basics on the famous ship and why and how it sank.
Tsunami
Learn what a tsunami is, and why it is so powerful. Following an earthquake under the Pacific Ocean, a tsunami hit Japan in 2011 and caused enormous damage. Scroll to the bottom of the Tsunami page above for a video of the Japanese tsunami as it happened.
Tornadoes
All about tornadoes, including how they form, varieties of tornadoes (what’s a gustnado?), and record- breakers.
