Geology Natural Disaster Final Exam Questions with Correct Answers Latest Update
2025/2026
Flash Flooding: - Answers >Very Rapid Rise in stream levels
>Typically occur in normally dry stream
beds(ephemeral)
>Typically occur in semi-arid regions
>Clay-rich soil
>Infrequent precipitation
>Very Little infiltration
>High hazard conditions
>unexpected by public
>SHort notice
>Highly erosive & damaging
Case Study: Flash flooding on Washington Blvd. in Pittsburgh
>Aug 9,2011 4:30pm(rush hour)
>volume =208 Olimpic sized swimming pools
>10 feet of water
>Killed 4 people
>sewer capacity exceeded
Wind Types - Answers >Hurricane Wind Velocity
>Storm Center velocity
Hurricane Wind Velocity - Answers >Speed of the CCW winds
>number quoted when assessing the category of the storm
>79 > 155 mph
Storm Center velocity - Answers >Speed of the storm movement over ocean/land
,>commonly 5 to 60 mph
>Influenced by the upper level winds,regional temps other weather patterns
>example:Andrew in 1992 changed direction twice due to a high pressure system over the
southern US and upper level winds over the gulf of mexico.
Landfall - Answers >Coastal Parallel track
>Coastal normal track
Coastal Parallel track - Answers >Storm moves along the coast
>Weaker winds over the land & stronger winds over the ocean
>land is affected by two storm surges
>flood surge ahead of the storm and an
ebb surge behind it
>results in moderate-heavy damage along
the coast
Coastal normal track - Answers >storm moves perpendicular to coast , moving over land
>Strongest wind on the right side of the storm produces a band of extreme damage off the
center to the right of the storm track
>caused a large flood surge along the entire coast line
Monitoring & Prediction - Answers >Can monitor a storm much better because of satellites.
>Watch it spawn and develop(Days-weeks)
>Examine the final movement prior to
landfall(hours-days)
>Satellite images every 30 minutes over the equatorial regions.
>visible and infrared
>Planes flying through the storm center.
>measure vertical structure,wind
speeds,pressure and temperatures
, >Use drop-sondes to relay information
regarding the change with height
>Doppler radar
>useful only when storm is within ~100 miles
of a coastal radio station
Hurricane Satistics - Answers Averages:
>Number of named storm since 1995: 13
>compared to 8.6 since 1970
>7.7 hurricanes and 3.6 major hurricanes since 1995
>compared to :
>5 hurricanes since 1970
>1.5 major hurricanes since 1970
Case Study :Hurricane Maria - Answers >11/3/17 -50% of the roads are destroyed
>Significant period of time after ,people in NYC were still in shelters
>20% still no electricity as of January (4 months post landfall)
>March 5 -15% left without power
>Limited representation - Lack of political support
>94 billion in damage, received 5 billion in repair efforts
>Irma (CAT 5), hit two weeks before putting stress on the island
>Storm got his name on 9/16 by 9/18 it was a CAT 5
What is a flood? - Answers >Damaging floods results when the volume of a river flow exceeds
levels of flood preparedness
>Because flow is greater or longer than
expected
>because of incomplete understanding of
local hazard
2025/2026
Flash Flooding: - Answers >Very Rapid Rise in stream levels
>Typically occur in normally dry stream
beds(ephemeral)
>Typically occur in semi-arid regions
>Clay-rich soil
>Infrequent precipitation
>Very Little infiltration
>High hazard conditions
>unexpected by public
>SHort notice
>Highly erosive & damaging
Case Study: Flash flooding on Washington Blvd. in Pittsburgh
>Aug 9,2011 4:30pm(rush hour)
>volume =208 Olimpic sized swimming pools
>10 feet of water
>Killed 4 people
>sewer capacity exceeded
Wind Types - Answers >Hurricane Wind Velocity
>Storm Center velocity
Hurricane Wind Velocity - Answers >Speed of the CCW winds
>number quoted when assessing the category of the storm
>79 > 155 mph
Storm Center velocity - Answers >Speed of the storm movement over ocean/land
,>commonly 5 to 60 mph
>Influenced by the upper level winds,regional temps other weather patterns
>example:Andrew in 1992 changed direction twice due to a high pressure system over the
southern US and upper level winds over the gulf of mexico.
Landfall - Answers >Coastal Parallel track
>Coastal normal track
Coastal Parallel track - Answers >Storm moves along the coast
>Weaker winds over the land & stronger winds over the ocean
>land is affected by two storm surges
>flood surge ahead of the storm and an
ebb surge behind it
>results in moderate-heavy damage along
the coast
Coastal normal track - Answers >storm moves perpendicular to coast , moving over land
>Strongest wind on the right side of the storm produces a band of extreme damage off the
center to the right of the storm track
>caused a large flood surge along the entire coast line
Monitoring & Prediction - Answers >Can monitor a storm much better because of satellites.
>Watch it spawn and develop(Days-weeks)
>Examine the final movement prior to
landfall(hours-days)
>Satellite images every 30 minutes over the equatorial regions.
>visible and infrared
>Planes flying through the storm center.
>measure vertical structure,wind
speeds,pressure and temperatures
, >Use drop-sondes to relay information
regarding the change with height
>Doppler radar
>useful only when storm is within ~100 miles
of a coastal radio station
Hurricane Satistics - Answers Averages:
>Number of named storm since 1995: 13
>compared to 8.6 since 1970
>7.7 hurricanes and 3.6 major hurricanes since 1995
>compared to :
>5 hurricanes since 1970
>1.5 major hurricanes since 1970
Case Study :Hurricane Maria - Answers >11/3/17 -50% of the roads are destroyed
>Significant period of time after ,people in NYC were still in shelters
>20% still no electricity as of January (4 months post landfall)
>March 5 -15% left without power
>Limited representation - Lack of political support
>94 billion in damage, received 5 billion in repair efforts
>Irma (CAT 5), hit two weeks before putting stress on the island
>Storm got his name on 9/16 by 9/18 it was a CAT 5
What is a flood? - Answers >Damaging floods results when the volume of a river flow exceeds
levels of flood preparedness
>Because flow is greater or longer than
expected
>because of incomplete understanding of
local hazard
