Now consider a house on the Florida coast, where a hurricane's wind can be very strong.

Strong covers close over each window. They are called storm shutters.

The storm shutters hold back the wind and the things the wind throws, so the windows do not break.

Gray storm shutters closed over both windows. The wind streaks arrive from the left, and a branch stops at a shutter.

Real storm shutters closed over a window.

Now consider a tall barn in Oklahoma, where thunderstorms bring lightning.

A metal rod stands on the roof, with a wire running down to the ground. It is called a lightning rod.

Lightning strikes the rod instead of the roof, and the wire carries it safely into the ground.

So the lightning rod keeps lightning away from the roof, and the roof does not catch fire.

The yellow bolt ends on the rod's tip. The wire runs down the barn's side into the ground. No flame.

Now consider a road in Minnesota, where blizzards bring deep snow.

A slatted fence stands in the field beside the road. It is called a snow fence.

Blowing snow piles up at the fence, not on the road.

So the snow fence holds the deep snow back from the road.

The wind streaks arrive from the left. A white drift piles up at the brown fence, and the gray road stays clear.

A row of trees planted beside a farmhouse is called a windbreak. It holds back strong wind from the house.

Four trees in a row take the wind. The house behind them is out of the wind.

Six defenses, the harm each one holds back, and what it keeps safe.