My latest series of caches regarding disasters brings “my
work home with me”. Over the past dozen or so years I have
learned more than I could ever want too about natural and
“man-made” Disasters. So, this little puzzle series
will enlighten you as well. If nothing else, hopefully this series
of caches will remind you that a disaster can strike at any time
and help you better prepare yourself for when such a time presents
itself.
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm, characterized by strong winds.
By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is
the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have
winds in excess of 56 km/h (35 mph) with blowing or drifting snow
which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or less and must
last for a prolonged period of time — typically three hours
or more. Ground blizzards require high winds to stir up already
fallen snow.
Blizzards can bring near-whiteout conditions, and can paralyze
regions for days at a time, particularly where snowfall is unusual
or rare. The 1972 Iran blizzard, which caused approximately 4000
deaths, was the deadliest in recorded history.
N 38° 38.ABC
A = The Great Lakes Storm of 1913,
historically referred to as the "Big Blow", the "Freshwater Fury"
or the "White Hurricane", was a blizzard with hurricane-force winds
that devastated the Great Lakes Basin in the Midwestern United
States and the Canadian province of Ontario from November 7 through
November 1(A), 1913. The storm was most powerful on November
9, battering and overturning ships on four of the five Great Lakes,
particularly Lake Huron. Deceptive lulls in the storm and the slow
pace of weather reports contributed to the storm's destructiveness.
The deadliest and most destructive natural disaster ever to hit the
lakes, the Great Lakes Storm killed more than 250 people, destroyed
19 ships, and stranded 19 others. The financial loss in vessels
alone was nearly US $5 million, or about $100 million at current
value. This included about $1 million at current value in lost
cargo totaling about 68,300 tons, such as coal, iron ore, and
grain.
B = The January 31 – February
(B), 2011 North American winter storm, also called the 2011
Groundhog Day Blizzard, was a powerful and historic winter storm,
situated around the US and Canadian holiday Groundhog Day. In the
initial stages of the storm, some meteorologists predicted that the
system would affect over 100 million people in the United States.
The storm brought cold air, heavy snowfall, blowing snow, and mixed
precipitation on a path from New Mexico and northern Texas to New
England and Eastern Canada. The Chicago area saw between 1 and 2
feet of snow and blizzard conditions, with winds of over 60 mph.
Blizzard conditions affected many other large cities along the
storm's path, including Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, St.
Louis, Springfield, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Detroit, Indianapolis,
Dayton, Cleveland, New York, New York's Capital District, and
Boston. At least 24 deaths were reported to be related to the
storm, many of them in shoveling or auto-related incidents. The
total damages from the ice storm alone may exceed $1
billion.
C = The Saskatchewan Blizzard of
200(C) was a winter storm that struck northeastern British
Columbia, central Alberta and central Saskatchewan on Wednesday,
January 10, 200(C). The storm hit the city of Saskatoon
severely and is considered to be one of the worst storms in
Saskatchewan's history. It brought motor vehicle traffic to a
standstill, stranded people and shut down many public services.
There were two fatalities from the storm.
Checksum ABC = 9
W 121° 03.DEF
D = The Chicago Blizzard of 197(D)
was a major blizzard that affected northern Illinois and northwest
Indiana, U.S. on January 13-January 14 of that year. 16.5 inches of
snow fell on January 13 alone, setting a new record for snow in one
calendar day. By the end of January 14, 18.8 inches of snow had
fallen.
E = The Armistice Day Blizzard (or the
Armistice Day Storm) took place in the Midwest region of the United
States on November 11 (Armistice Day) and 12, 1(E)40. The
intense early-season "Panhandle hook" winter storm cut a
1,000-mile-wide path through the middle of the country from Kansas
to Michigan. A total of 145 deaths were blamed on the
storm.
F = The Great Blizzard of 19(F)7 was
a record-breaking snowfall that began on Christmas without
prediction and brought the northeastern United States to a
standstill. The snowstorm was described as the worst blizzard after
1888. The storm was not accompanied by high winds, but the snow
fell silently and steadily. By the time it stopped on December 26,
measurement of the snowfall reached 26.4 inches in Central Park in
Manhattan. Seventy-seven deaths are attributed to the
blizzard.
Checksum DEF = 22
You can check your answers for this puzzle on
Geochecker.com.
Congrats to gplamy for the
FTF.
As always Enjoy!