The foundation bears the load of the entire building resting on it. The forces that act on a building end up being transferred down to the foundation. It is important to remember that the soil underneath the foundation needs to have the strength to support the foundation and building, or problems like shifting and cracking can occur.
Often times unpredictable weather is perhaps the most important task on our list. By setting aside a little bit of time each weekend or whenever there might be downtime, we only help ourselves become more prepared for whatever Mother Nature has in store for our city or town. Not only can we prepare our homes for natural disasters such as hurricanes by mitigating our homes, we can also prepare ourselves for the aftermath by creating emergency kits with enough supplies for at least 72 hours after a storm.
The National Hurricane Center defines a hurricane as a tropical cyclone, found in the Northern Hemisphere, with a maximum sustained surface wind of 74 miles per hour. The cyclone is accompanied by thunderstorms and, as a hurricane, creates a counterclockwise circulation of winds near the Earth’s surface.
Using the hurricane data and the tracking charts on the pages following, plot the latitude and longitude coordinates, with respect to intensity and time for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.
Learn more about preparing for hurricanes and weather of all kinds with these short animations.
Follow along as the Crisp family and their dog Buttercup learn how to strengthen their home and get ready for hurricane season.
