Dr. Scott the Paleontologist talks about hurricanes. (IMAGE: The Jim Henson Company. All Rights Reserved.)

The fourth episode of “Dinosaur Train – Weather Week” is titled “Hurricane at Pteranodon Terrace/Rafting the Cretaceous”. In this episode, the rain and wind begin to pick up, and Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon begin to worry that their nest is in the path of a hurricane.

Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon indeed realize that their family is in danger from a hurricane, and they seek shelter. While they are in their safe place, Mr. Pteranodon explains to the kids and neighbors how a hurricane works.

The Pternanodon Family safely survives the hurricane, and they emerge from their shelter ready to rebuild their nest. Afterwards, Dr. Scott the Paleontologist did a wonderful job further explaining the awesome power of hurricanes.

Hurricanes are a common occurrence every summer, yet only a fraction of them make landfall over the United States. Nevertheless, it is important to prepare during a hurricane watch, and evacuate during a hurricane warning. These weather alerts are brought to the public from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida.

Hurricanes bring a powerful punch, and not just with their incredibly high wind speeds. Along the coast, storm surge provides the greatest danger to life and property (storm surge is the “abnormal rise of water that is generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tide,” as defined by the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory). Further inland, torrential rains, flooding, and tornadoes are associated with these storms as well. In fact, Hurricane Katrina spawned 18 tornadoes across Georgia within an 8 hour time span, with 14 of them occurring in counties north of Macon.

Although Georgia has not experienced a direct landfall from a hurricane since 1979, the state is still frequently affected by hurricanes and tropical storms as they make their way inland from Florida and Alabama. Abiding by all weather watches and warnings is paramount in order to avoid property damage and personal injury during these weather events. Most importantly, be sure to have an action plan in case you have to evacuate, and also create emergency disaster kits for your office, home, and car so that you are well prepared whenever severe weather strikes. Tips for developing disaster kits and emergency action plans can be found at Ready.GA.gov.

I hope you are excited to watch this episode of the Dinosaur Train! Episode #210 will air on GPB on Friday, February 10th at 8:30am and again at 1:00pm. Let me know what you think about this episode, Nature Trackers! Also, let me know if you’ve ever had to evacuate for a hurricane!

Additional Resources You May Like
List of Dinosaur Train - Weather Week Episodes
Tour Through The Hurricane Hunters' Airplane!
A Hurricane By Any Other Name Would Still Be As Stormy
FEMA: Hurricane Preparedness
GEMA: Hurricane Preparedness
National Hurricane Center
Dr. Scott the Paleontologist's Blog
Dinosaur Train Activity Coloring Sheet
Dinosaur Train on PBSKids.org