Flood Trivia

1. How much rapidly moving water can knock a person down?
A. 3 inches
B. 6 inches
C. 12 inches

The answer is B. It only takes 6 inches of fast-moving water to bring you down.

2. Tropical Storm Alberto in 1994 dropped how many inches of rain on Americus, Georgia in a span of 24 hours causing rivers to burst their banks and flood the area?
A. 21 inches
B. 32 inches
C. 44 inches

The answer is A. 21 inches

3. How high was the wall of water that hit Shadyside, Ohio, in a flash flood on June 14, 1990?
A. 10-15 feet
B. 15-20 feet
C. 25-30 feet

The answer is B. 15-20 feet. After thunderstorms drenched Southeastern Ohio that day, three tributaries of the Ohio River flooded and sent a wall of water into Shadyside, killing 26 people.

4. This "Great" flood occurred in 1993 and caused a very well known river to flood and cause massive damage in the Midwest. What is the name of this river?
A. Snake River
B. Chattahoochee River
C. Mississippi River

The answer is C. The Mississippi River. This flood is one of the worst of all time. The Mississippi River broke through many dikes and walls after months of rain. The floodwaters stayed in some streets for 2 months or more.

5. What's a muddy flood?
A. a flood caused by runoff on farmland
B. a flood caused by a landslide
C. a flood with a lot of mud in it

The answer is A. Muddy floods happen when heavy storms on cropland cause a great deal of runoff. They've increased in some areas because of new home construction and the planting of erosion-sensitive crops.

6. In 1976 the Teton Dam failed and caused the loss of 14 lives with the flood it caused. What state was this doomed dam built in?
A. Wyoming
B. Idaho
C. Utah

The answer is B. The dam was located in Idaho and the dam was doomed when seepage started to wear away the bottom of it. The dam was never rebuilt.

7. Which of these can cause floods?
A. Heavy rain
B. Snow melt
C. Ice jams
D. All of the above

The answer is D. Most floods are caused by heavy rain but some of the worst floods ever have been caused by rapid snow melt. Ice jams can cause major flooding problems also.

8. What caused the famous 1889 flood in Johnstown, Pennsylvania?
A. Sudden ice melt in the Allegheny Mountains
B. Hurricane Clara
C. Broken dam

The answer is C. On May 31, 1889, after days of torrential rain, the South Fork Dam burst near Johnstown, sending the waters of Lake Conemaugh roaring downhill. The flash flood killed more than 2,000 people in a matter of minutes.

9. What should you do if a flash flood is approaching you?
A. Climb to higher ground any way you can
B. Run as fast as you can
C. Go limp and let the flood waters carry you

The answer is A. You should  climb to higher ground out of the path of the flood.

10. What percentage of the city of New Orleans was flooded after Hurricane Katrina in 2005?
A. 30 percent
B. 50 percent
C. 80 percent

The answer is C. Because of the failure of the city's levee system, 80 percent of New Orleans flooded.

Water Damage Restoration - What's In a Name - Part II

Part II - Yesterday in 'What's In a Name' we explored the most common customer last names that Champion has had the privilege to work for over the last decade, and SMITH took the prize. On the flip side, our customers communicate with a number of Champion employees throughout their project, and keeping all of us straight can no doubt be a challenge especially considering we have a Gary, a Jerry, a Larry, a Mary, and a Jeremy. Not to mention an M. Brown and M. Smith.

Greg Ahlstrom - Accounting Manager

Water Damage Restoration - What's In a Name - Part I

Part I - One of the 'little things' that makes our industry and our jobs intriguing is that our customers are individual homeowners, so we have come across thousands of different first names, last names, and combinations of names. Of course, we all know some of the most common last names. Over the length of more than a decade having assisted thousands of people, these are Champion's most common customer names: Anderson 23 times, Moore 31 times, Brown 33 times, Jones 38 times, Williams 48 times (did you know that one was common?), Johnson 50 times, and the winner is Smith 70 times.

Greg Ahlstrom

Ice Cold Trivia

1. TRUE OR FALSE: You have to use the bathroom more when you are cold?

The answer is TRUE. When you're exposed to cold weather, your blood vessels constrict, and the flow of blood to the skin is reduced, resulting in an overall slowdown of the circulatory system and a rise in blood pressure. To reduce this pressure, the body wants to get rid of as much fluid as possible through urine production. This phenomenon, known in medical terms as cold dieresis, explains why you may have to visit the bathroom more often when it's cold.

2. What are cold water swimming organizations known as in the United States and Canada?

A. Eskimo Clubs
B. Walrus clubs
C. Ice Swimming Clubs
D. Polar Bear Clubs

The answer is D. Polar Bear Clubs

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Useless Knowledge Quiz

January 4th is Trivia Day!  In honor of trivia day please enjoy this “Useless Knowledge” Quiz...

1. What musician’s real name is Robert Allen Zimmerman?
Bob Dylan

2. What kind of fruit is a kumquat?
Small Orange

3. What is the world's tallest grass?
Bamboo

4. What happened to the first traffic lights in 1868?
They exploded

5. In the Old Testament which book comes between 'Obadiah' and 'Micah'?
Jonah

6. What was Thomas Edison’s phobia?
The dark

7. Who was featured on the cover of the first issue of Rolling Stone?
John Lennon

8. In America what color is the Green Card?
White

9. If you were caught pandiculating what were you doing?
Yawning

10. What river flows through 8 countries and four capital cities?
Danube

11. What animal's eye is larger than it's brain?
Ostrich

12. Which country grows the most fruit?
China

13. If you were crapulous what would you be?
Sick from over-drinking

14. In a standard deck of cards (excluding the jokers) there are 42 what?
Eyes

15. The first pucks used in ice hockey games were made of what?
Frozen cow manure

16. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was the first US group to do what?
They were the first American group allowed by the Soviet Union to tour Russia

17. What word in the English language has the most definitions?
Set - 464 definitions according to the Oxford English Dictionary

18. Who wrote 'Les Miserables'?
Victor Hugo

19. The name of which country's capital means 'good air'?
Buenos Aires, Argentina

20. How was USA president James Buchanan different from all rest?
He was a bachelor

Wintertime Trivia

1. How big was the largest snowflake ever recorded?
A. 5 inches in diameter
B. 8 inches in diameter
C. 15 inches in diameter
D. 21 inches in diameter

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Winter Fire Safety Quiz

1. Where do most fires start in the home?

A. The bedroom
B. The living room
C. The kitchen
D. The bathroom

The answer is C: 30% of house fires start in the kitchen.

2. In the United States, a home fire claims a life every _________.

A. 2 hours
B. 3 hours
C. 6 hours
D. 8 hours

The answer is B: In the United States, a home fire claims a life every 3 hours.

3. TRUE OR FALSE: Use a fire extinguisher if you have a grease fire on your stove.

The answer is FALSE: Never pour water or use a fire extinguisher on a grease fire.

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Flu Season Trivia: Test Your H1N1 IQ...

1. TRUE OR FALSE: Hand washing does not work if there is no hot running water.

The answer is FALSE: The CDC recommends that you wash your hands thoroughly with clean, running water and soap. Use warm water if it’s available.  If clean, running water is not available use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

2.TRUE OR FALSE:  People over 64 who have chronic ailments not eligible for the H1N1 flu vaccine.

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Preparedness Quiz

1.  How much water per person per day should your disaster supply kit have?

A. One gallon
B. One liter
C. Two gallons
D. Twelve ounces

The answer is A - one gallon per person per day for at least three days.
  
2. Which of the following is not a safe water source in the home?

A. Melted ice cubes
B. Water beds
C. Toilet tank
D. Hot water tank

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Summertime Quiz

1. What day does summer officially begin in the United States?

At the moment of the summer solstice, June 21, when the sun reaches its highest altitude in the north.

2. What favorite summertime footwear was inspired by traditional Japanese sandals?

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