Social Studies DISASTERS 11/1 and RIGHTS STUDENTS PDF 11/4 Mr. Flannery

Name:

Period: 

Date:

Do Now: What are some natural disasters that can happen? How would you prepare for a natural disaster?

Objective: Students will be able to analyze current event through reading article and answering guided questions.

Activity 1: Read the article and answer the questions below:

SANTA ROSA, California — Strong winds have caused several wildfires. Almost 200,000 people have had to leave their homes. California's governor declared a statewide emergency Sunday, October 27. Millions of residents do not have power. Their electricity was cut off to help prevent the fires from spreading.

Governor Gavin Newsom said that officials are doing everything possible to respond to the wildfires. The fires include a large blaze in Northern California. Strong winds were causing the fire to spread. California fire officials said Monday that the fire had burned 119 square miles. That is an area almost three times the size of San Francisco. The officials added that only 15 percent of the fire was under control, and at least 189 structures have been destroyed. Another 39 structures were damaged.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, the smoke from the fires made it hard for drivers to see. Two grass fires briefly stopped traffic on an interstate bridge.

n Southern California, a wildfire in the Santa Clarita area near Los Angeles destroyed 22 structures. As of Tuesday night, the Tick Fire was 90 percent contained.

The biggest evacuation was in Northern California's Sonoma County. Around 180,000 people had to pack up and leave their homes, many in the middle of the night. Some were allowed to return. However, they might need to evacuate again if the fire spreads. 

Many people have lost power during the fires. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is a company that provides gas and electricity to many homes and businesses in California. PG&E decided to turn off electricity for many homes. The company feared that the high winds could cause power lines to spark. Those sparks could then cause more fires. In total, nearly 1.3 million people are without power. 

Many people are upset with PG&E for the power outages, including the governor of California. He thinks that PG&E should have updated their electrical systems a long time ago. People are also worried about how the power outages will affect nursing homes and hospitals. 

Fire officials feared the fire could spread, so they began evacuating parts of the city of Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa was devastated by another wildfire in 2017.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office tweeted that it is the largest evacuation they can remember. They encouraged people to "take care of each other."

Hundreds of people arrived at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa on Sunday. More than 300 people slept inside an auditorium.

One of them was 19-year-old Maribel Cruz. Cruz was hopeful that the wind would slow down and save her town.

Mark Essick is the Sonoma County sheriff. He urged residents in the evacuation zone to get out immediately. 

Some people were concerned that too many people were being evacuated from their homes. Essick disagreed with those concerns, pointing out that the fire had already grown.

On Sunday, the Soda Rock Winery burned down after the fire spread. The historical site is near Healdsburg, a town in Northern California. The winery's buildings included a general store and a post office founded in 1869.

In central California, strong winds knocked down a tree. A woman was killed and a man was injured.

Fire officials fear that the Northern California fires may continue to spread. 

Two grass fires shut down part of Interstate 80. The other section runs through Sacramento, the California state capital.

The city of Vallejo lost power during the fires. They say the blackout prevented the city from getting water, causing an emergency. The city asked its residents to limit bathing and flushing toilets to save water.

Many residents said the situation makes them angry.

Cody Rodriguez is 20 years old. He says the fires have made people nervous. He lived for a week at a Santa Rosa shelter during the 2017 fires and checked into a Napa County shelter on Sunday. "I was like, 'I don't want to go through this again,'" Rodriguez said.

1. What is causing wildfires in California?

2. What has the governor declared?

3. How many structures were destroyed and damaged in the fires?

4. Where did the biggest evacuation occur?

5. How many people were forced to leave their homes?

6. What is PG&E?

7. Why did PG&E decide to shut off power?

8. Why are people upset with PG&E?

9. What happened to the city of Vallejo?

10. What has the city asked citizens to limit?

11.. How does 20 year old Cody Rodtiguez feel about the fires?

Activity 2: Pretend you are a new reporter covering the wildfires in California. Write a one paragraph news report about the fires. In you article include:

A title

An image

How the fires started

How people are effected by the fires

Why people are mad at PG&E

What some cities are asking citizens to limit