Monday, July 31
In the Living Room
It's 8:00 PM in the evening on Monday, July 31. This is your 2nd day visiting the Castillo family. You find yourself in the living room. The window blinds are open and it's starting to get dark outside.
Your stomach is grumbling and your mouth is watering because the whole house is filled with the delicious fragrances of a spaghetti dinner that Carla is cooking. While waiting for dinner, you decide to check the weather forecast on TV.
After listening to the weather forecast, you laugh out loud when you notice the Castillo's golden retriever, Hugo, standing near the couch, wagging his tail, and holding a notebook in his mouth! What's he up to now?
Just then, Carla comes in from the kitchen. Seeing Hugo, she remarks, "That dog's a real storm hound! He's got our family emergency plan. We can talk about that over dinner."
Family Emergency Plan
It's dinnertime and you find yourself at the table with the Castillo family. Your stomach grumbles in anticipation of the plate of spaghetti and meatballs set before you.
As you eat, you notice the emergency planning notebook and pick it up to find out what's there.
It turns out to be a list of questions, so you just start asking them.
Who orders an evacuation?
Gilbert answers, "Local officials or the governor will call for an evacuation if it's necessary. They always broadcast it on TV and news radio and also the NOAA weather radio."
How do we know whether to evacuate or not?
Camille answers, "Aunt Betsy always has to evacuate because she lives in a mobile home that can be damaged in high winds. For others like us, the emergency management office has maps that show which coastal areas or zones might flood with different categories of hurricanes. Our map is on a bulletin board in the office. We only have to evacuate when we think our zone might flood, which for our location is usually only during really strong hurricanes. If the officials say we're in a zone that should evacuate, we'll leave as quickly as possible. Otherwise, we'll just stay put and get our home ready for the storm."
How do we know where to go if we have to evacuate?
Gilbert replies, "Our first choice is to stay with family or friends. If we have to go to a shelter, we listen to the radio. They always have the latest updates. Since the Red Cross opens shelters based on need, they don't always open every shelter listed in the phone book or that pamphlet we got from the grocery store. So, we listen to the radio or call the Red Cross for the latest information."
If we get separated, how can we find each other?
Carla responds, "Ah, that's when we need a little help from Uncle Bob. Bob lives in Chicago where he's safe from hurricanes, so he's our family communications center. If anyone needs to get in touch with anyone else, call Uncle Bob."
Carla hands you a business card, saying "Here's a card with his name, address, and phone number on it. Keep it in your backpack in case you need it later."
What if we have to evacuate, but the hurricane misses us?
Carla answers, "That might be a hassle, but it's not a problem. Better safe than sorry, you know. We evacuated once several years ago, and then nothing happened. Some folks were complaining about it, but not us. Hurricanes are so difficult to predict. Even the supercomputers at the National Hurricane Center have a hard time. We don't blame the emergency managers or forecasters if they get it wrong sometimes, and we have to evacuate. Hey, it's a chance to practice for the real thing. Plus, it can be kind of fun if you keep the right attitude."
When should we call 911?
Gilbert explains, "Hurricanes can wipe out phone lines, so we try not to use the phone unless we have to. If you see a fire or power lines down, or someone gets seriously injured, call 911 for help."
Click here to print an example of a family emergency plan. (A "Return" link at the bottom of the page will take you back to the living room.)
In the Office
After dinner, you start wondering what might be new on the Castillo's computer today. You head down the hall to their office and start up the computer to check it out.
The room is the same as the day before. The laptop and the printer are on the desk, and the calendar and two charts are on the corkboard. It looks as though someone has plotted Erin's new position on the Atlantic Hurricane Tracking Chart.
You sit down to see what's new on the Castillo's computer.
On the Laptop
There are two big icons on the computer screen, and they both seem really interesting. One of them was on the laptop yesterday; it looks like a map with a hurricane on it and says "Storm Track". The other one is called "Create-a-Cane", and it shows four strange little boxes surrounding a circular map of the Atlantic Ocean. Follow the links to check them out. You'll need them when you work on today's Worksheet.
Stuff to Check Out
Previous Learning Topics
- Hurricanes & Tropical Cyclones (To return here, you'll need to click the link in the exercise that returns to the main menu and then choose the link for Monday.)
Earlier Tracks
- Sunday, July 30 (To return here, you'll need to click the link in the exercise that returns to the main menu and then choose the link for Monday.)
Resources
(Use the back arrow on your browser to return to this page.)
- Print the Worksheet
- Print a Track Chart (To print the chart, choose "Landscape" orientation on the Printer properties and set the page margins to the minimum possible on the Page Setup options for your browser.)
- Conversion Chart
On to Tuesday
That's all for today at the Castillo home. Now, you can continue to the next day, Tuesday or you can return to the menu page.