The tires of your jeep kick up dirt as you drive down the jungle road. Ava sitting in the passenger’s seat rolls down her window to let the jungle air and sounds in. The jungle colors look bright and vibrant. You see a family of marmosets sharing a bundle of bananas and you can hear a pair of toucans singing loudly high in the branches above. You close your eyes and take a deep breath of fresh air. This will be day three out at the dig site and you still can’t believe you are here. It’s all so surreal.
It’s still very early, but the five of you couldn’t wait to get back to the site. You found a promising cavern near the ruins yesterday and Skye wants to get a drone down there to have a better look. You woke up before the sun and quietly drove from the small village where you have been staying. The ruins are only about 60 miles away. It was very nice of the village mayor to offer you and your friends a place to stay while you are on this “amateur archaeological quest”, as Jackson calls it. You are not surprised though; Gage seems to have connections everywhere. He was able to make an agreement with the region's governor and local authorities that will allow the five of you to study the ancient ruins with the condition you occasionally volunteer in the local village. Overall, not a bad agreement. You aren't really expecting to find anything on your “quest”, just hoping to test out the new skills you have learned in college this last year. But wouldn't it be terrific if you did discover something...
Gage reaches over and turns on the jeep’s radio interrupting your musings. Besides yourself, Gage is the only one who speaks the native language. You hear the announcer in the region’s native language declare the area is in a very high fire danger due to the unusually dry wet season. Gage always says it’s important to stay apprised of any alerts or notifications that go out in case of an emergency situation. Must be words of wisdom from his vast experience traveling and volunteering in relief organizations.
Learn more about emergency alerts and notifications below. To learn more about what each icon represents go to the Quest Icon Legend.
A light breeze rustles the leaves and the smell of bacon and quiche still wafts in the air from morning's breakfast. Ava always was an excellent cook. You have just set up camp outside the ruins of a stone building. The cavern you found the day before is located about 150 paces west through the dense trees. You had wanted to learn more about the ancient civilization who once lived here and so you did some research the night before. The people who once lived here believed that caves were entrances for gods. You wonder what, if anything, you might find in that cavern. You look up at the old ruins. Maybe this stone building will offer some clues?
You watch as Jackson carelessly kicks up dirt to smother the campfire before casually walking away to help Ava set up the laptop equipment. Skye is tinkering with the drones. Behind you Gage pulls the generator from the jeep. As he walks toward the equipment table Gage bends down next the extinguished campfire and inspects the ground. His hand hovers over the coals before he asks for a canteen of water. You hear Jackson protest loudly that the fire is out. "If it's too hot to touch, it's is too hot to leave," Gage simply replies.
Explore the resources below to learn more about lightning. To learn more about what each icon represents go to the Quest Icon Legend.
It took most the morning to get the drones and equipment working properly. Jackson and Skye left for the entrance of the cave about a half hour ago. Skye didn’t want to risk flying the drone through the dense vegetation and Jackson is always up for an adventure. Ava and Gage are huddled around the laptop monitoring the data sent back by the drone. You wanted to get a closer look at the ruins. As you enter one of the ancient chambers you are amazed at the amount of artwork on the walls. It was said that this civilization did not leave behind a written language, but they created the most elaborate artwork, and their people were skilled craftsmen. You move closer to the far wall and marvel at the geometric precision of the designs. The artwork reminds you of Huaca del Dragón…
Suddenly the ground begins to shake underneath you. You heard this area was prone to quakes, but you never expected it to happen when you were here! You wonder if you should quickly run outside. You take a deep breath and remember reading major earthquakes during their time influenced this civilization to construct amazingly seismic-resistant architecture. You crouch on the ground and cover your head with your arms. Your mind races to your other colleagues and you wonder what they are doing to stay safe.
Explore the information below, one section for summer weather and one section for winter weather. To learn more about what each icon represents go to the Quest Icon Legend.
A light breeze rustles the leaves and the smell of bacon and quiche still wafts in the air from morning's breakfast. Ava always was an excellent cook. You have just set up camp outside the ruins of a stone building. The cavern you found the day before is located about 150 paces west through the dense trees. You had wanted to learn more about the ancient civilization who once lived here and so you did some research the night before. The people who once lived here believed that caves were entrances for gods. You wonder what, if anything, you might find in that cavern. You look up at the old ruins. Maybe this stone building will offer some clues?
You watch as Jackson carelessly kicks up dirt to smother the campfire before casually walking away to help Ava set up the laptop equipment. Skye is tinkering with the drones. Behind you Gage pulls the generator from the jeep. As he walks toward the equipment table Gage bends down next the extinguished campfire and inspects the ground. His hand hovers over the coals before he asks for a canteen of water. You hear Jackson protest loudly that the fire is out. "If it's too hot to touch, it's is too hot to leave," Gage simply replies.
Explore the resources below to learn more about what you can to prepare for a wildfire. For your Wildfire Challenge, consider signing Utah's Wildfire Prevention Pledge found at sparkchange.utah.gov. To learn more about what each icon represents go to the Quest Icon Legend.
It took most the morning to get the drones and equipment working properly. Jackson and Skye left for the entrance of the cave about a half hour ago. Skye didn’t want to risk flying the drone through the dense vegetation and Jackson is always up for an adventure. Ava and Gage are huddled around the laptop monitoring the data sent back by the drone. You wanted to get a closer look at the ruins. As you enter one of the ancient chambers you are amazed at the amount of artwork on the walls. It was said that this civilization did not leave behind a written language, but they created the most elaborate artwork, and their people were skilled craftsmen. You move closer to the far wall and marvel at the geometric precision of the designs. The artwork reminds you of Huaca del Dragón…
Suddenly the ground begins to shake underneath you. You heard this area was prone to quakes, but you never expected it to happen when you were here! You wonder if you should quickly run outside. You take a deep breath and remember reading major earthquakes during their time influenced this civilization to construct amazingly seismic-resistant architecture. You crouch on the ground and cover your head with your arms. Your mind races to your other colleagues and you wonder what they are doing to stay safe.
Explore the information below to learn more about earthquakes and protective actions. For help with the cross word puzzle browse Utah's earthquake handbook Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country. To learn more about what each icon represents go to the Quest Icon Legend.
Thankfully the earthquake lasted less than a minute. You carefully pick your way out of the ruins into the open air. Ava and Gage get up from under the table they were covering under. A few moments later Jackson and Skye come crashing through the trees, no worse for wear though a little shaken. The camp is in disarray. Several tables were knocked over and research equipment is strewn everywhere. Gage turns on the radio in the jeep. The announcers voice sounds a little shaky.
“They say the earthquake knocked out power in several areas” you translate for the others. Gage walks over to the generator providing the campsite with power and unplugs it.
“What are you doing?” Jackson asks.
“There are reports of several injuries coming in. Medical facilities will be overrun and with the power out they will need generators to help supply power,” Gage explains as he loads the generator into the back of the jeep.
“What about tonight? What will we do for light?” Jackson complains. “We can’t use our cell phone’s flashlight because that will use up battery power and now we can’t even recharge our phones either!”
Gage shrugs, “You will have to use any flashlights you brought with you for light. I hope you have plenty of good batteries.”
Learn more about preparing for a power outage below. To learn more about what each icon represents go to the Quest Icon Legend.
You have been driving along the rugged terrain back to the village for about an hour now. What would normally take about an hour drive in the city takes double the time in the jungle. The jungle seems unusually quiet. You don’t feel like talking either. Suddenly Gage brings the jeep to a halt. You watch as he gets out and walks a few feet forward. He inspects the road before coming back to the jeep.
"It looks like that small stream we crossed this morning is now a flood of mud and water about a foot high,” He says as he gets back in the vehicle.
“What? How?!” Jackson asks, sitting up all suddenly. “They said it’s been a dry wet season. Where did all the water come from?”
“It’s not unusual for one disaster to cause a secondary disaster. The radio alert said the earthquake caused the dam up north to lose integrity. The water must have made its way down here overflowing the levees. There is another road leading to the village from the other side. We can turn around and take it.” Gage shifts the vehicle into reverse.
“Whoa, wait!” Jackson protests, “Can’t we just try driving across? If it’s only a foot high and our jeep has good tires and a snorkel…" he says waving to the snorkel at the front of the vehicle.
"When you see flood water 'Turn around, don't drown'. The other road will take more time, but it will be safer," Gage replies.
Explore the resources below to learn more about floods. For help with the flood cross word puzzle look through Floods - What You Should Know About Living In Utah. To learn more about what each icon represents go to the Quest Icon Legend.
As the jeep pulls into the village you witness the devastation of the earthquake. The facade of several buildings had collapsed and were in heaps of rubble invading the roadways. A few buildings had completely collapsed. Homes were in shambles with bricks and straw thrown everywhere and glass and debris littered the streets. Groups of people roaming outside crying and taking consolation in each other. You have never seen anything like it.
"Careful," Gage warns as he gets out of the jeep "Looting and violence can increase after a disaster. Watch yourselves!"
There are several man-made hazards that may affect us today. From active shooters and terror events, to hazardous chemical spills and technological disasters we need to be aware of these dangers and how to guard against them. Learn more by clicking on the icons below. To learn more about what each icon represents go to the Quest Icon Legend.
