Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Erie News Now Weekend Meteorologist Sara Tonks talks with students at Beaty-Warren Middle School about the history of weather.

Discussing the weather isn’t always small-talk.

From storm-chasers and hurricane-hunters, the Galveston Flood of 1900, the Super Outbreak of 2011, and Hurricane Irma in 2017, Erie News Now weekend meteorologist Sara Tonks brought weather to life for students at Beaty-Warren Middle School.

Tonks spent an afternoon last week talking to students about weather — events, technology, forecasting — with a focus on its history, since she was presenting to history classes.

She spent some time on the Super Outbreak of 2011 — the largest outbreak of tornadoes in recorded history. Some 175 tornadoes developed, causing havoc from the Deep South to New York between April 25 and 28.

“We haven’t had an outbreak this bad since,” she said.

Tonks told the students that storm surge — rising water pushed inland — is the greatest danger in tropical storms.

She showed a picture of herself standing next to a storm surge gauge in Georgia. The Category 5 surge was more than double her height of 5 feet,10 inches.

Tonks then talked about the storm with the highest recorded surge — Tropical Cyclone Mahina. When Mahina struck northern Australia in 1899, its surge was over 40 feet.

She also talked about the devastation wrought in Galveston, Texas, by a 1900 hurricane.

Tonks said experts in Cuba predicted that the storm would make landfall on the Texas coast. U.S. officials ignored the warning and went so far as to restrict any telegrams from Cuba that included the word “hurricane,” she said. Had Galveston received the warning and acted upon it, the city could have gone on to be the largest in Texas. Instead, people stopped flocking to the coast and settled a little farther inland — and Houston is the largest city in Texas.

Beaty social studies teacher Joe Errett asked if people fly through hurricanes.

Tonks said very specially trained pilots — Hurricane Hunters — fly into tropical storms to gather data. She warned students that are thinking about signing up, “if you get motion sick at all, you will need a barf bag… maybe several of them.”

Tonks showed students the list of names that will be affixed to storms this season. The list, developed by an international panel, will start with Alex and includes Shary, Hermine, and Virginie. It does not include a name starting with F this year. Tonks explained that some letters, usually ones that start fewer names, are skipped.

Although the program was geared to the history of weather, Tonks fielded questions about the current weather in Warren.

Asked why it was snowing in April, she said, “Part of it has to do with the fact that we are on a warming trend. It pushes things back.”

“It’s part of why we had a ‘not white’ Christmas this year,” she said.

Student questions were recorded and were scheduled to air on ENN Friday and Saturday.

“It’s a great opportunity to talk to our kids about weather history and preparation,” Errett said. “The kids questions for Sara really exceeded our expectations.”

“I geared it toward the fun side of weather,” Tonks said. “I’m always trying to encourage children to get into weather fields.”