By Mike MacCracken (Bethesda MD 20814)
on June 6th, 2012
In calculating storm surge height, I assume this is referring to mean height and that (wind-whipped) waves are on top of that, so water can get pushed in much further and so make the situation even worse, especially as the ability of the water to be taken from the regions by storm sewers becomes much reduced, so slowing the removal rate of water. Is this correct, and what more damage (or at least risk of damage) would this involve?
By Andrew
on June 6th, 2012
Mike,
Yes, I believe you are correct re: storm surge height. Each storm would be different in terms of impacts, depending on timing/direction/tide level, etc. so it’s hard to say how much more or less damage that each would involve.
By Jeb (Hollywood, Florida 33019)
on June 6th, 2012
So Republicans scheduled their convention in the city most vulnerable to hurricanes during the week that just happens to be at the very peak of hurricane season. That’s horrendously lousy planning, and they want to run the country?
By Roy Leep (Tampa fl 35479)
on June 9th, 2012
I hope Sarasota takes a hit from a storm
It would be good for the construction business
By David Lewis (Seattle)
on June 29th, 2012
Roy Leep’s comment that he hopes Sarasota takes a storm hit as it would be “good for the construction business” illustrates how insane US federal disaster policy has been. In their book “The Rising Sea”, Orrin PIlkey and Rob Young explain that because of the Stafford Act which mandates federal disaster funds to rebuild what is lost no matter what the chances of a repeat are:
“hurricanes have become urban renewal programs. The replacement houses become larger and even more costly to replace again in future. The problem is compounded when even people whose rental investment houses were destroyed are considered victims; maybe people who insist on building adjacent to eroding shorelines facing the open ocean should be considered fools not victims”.
Now that climate change threatens hurricanes of greater intensity FEMA Director Fugate is calling for a change to the attitude:
“We cannot afford to continue to respond to disasters and deal with the consequences under the current model,” said Fugate. “Risk that is not mitigated, that is not considered in return on investment calculations, will often set up false economies. We will reach a point where we can no longer subsidize this.”
By sadiya brown (North Carolina)
on December 1st, 2014
I need the answer on my project that im doing
By Santiago Burgos (New Orleans, LA 70125)
on September 8th, 2012
Two years ago I chose to live in New Orleans and head a small community development organization in the deepest part of the bowl: the Broadmoor neighborhood. It’s been an awe-inspiring experience joining the leaders, out of the box thinkers, young talent and regular residents, who made this neighborhood’s recovery a text book story now used overseas to assist in disaster recovery efforts. Broadmoor has been racially and economically mixed since the 1930s, is historic and has survived many man-made disasters from Jim Crowe to the post Katrina federal floods and a local government challenge to comeback on its own after that.
I hope I misread Mr. Lewis (Seattle) reaction to those who continue to live in places like New Orleans. Otherwise while understandable, the reaction entirely misses the point. Calling those people “fools” is like being inside a large boat with a huge leaking cavity on one side and pointing the finger laughing at them because they happen to be closest to the hole letting the water in. Eventually, we’ll all be sinking if we do that.
People who chose to live in places like these do it I’ve learned, because of deep cultural, social, even spiritual reasons and sometimes economic too. And for example, anyone who has lived in New Orleans will admit like it or not that this is a very unique place you will not find anywhere else. If you love it you will become attached to it. In fact, people in NOLA have one the highest levels of attachment found in any city having lived/ stayed in this town for multiple generations at a rate of nearly 80% of households.
But whether we get that or not we could also argue that we are all in denial because it’s the human thing to do. While a sheet of ice one kilometer thick and billions of tons slowly slips into the ocean, we all go about our business (in Seattle too)acting like at the last minute we could send Superman (or the US Army) to simply rope the glacier back into place and save the day.
So we can conclude we all live in a planet of fools or use the new normal as an opportunity to learn how to adapt, become more resilient, better able to prevent and recover. I like the latter more. Maybe we can learn about building smaller, storm resistant, highly energy efficient housing and about flood mitigation, floating cities and how they’ve survived. I have to agree that recovery as in getting back to the old ways isn’t going to cut it but pointing fingers only helps if we just need to vent more hot air.
By ONeill (Virginia Beach, VA)
on October 26th, 2012
“With warmer than average water temperatures off the East Coast right now, perhaps this year will see another Virginia storm?”
It seems like you were right.
By Pat (Boston, MA)
on February 10th, 2013
Toni neighborhoods or natural disasters waiting to happen?
Americans, nor anyone else in the world has been all that smart about where they build, and why.
With all of our new ability to track climate, and storms, etc, people may come to the realization that where people build matters.
Flood plain a are constant sources of hazard prone storms, and while they may be great places to visit, or great places to work, most people would not want to live there - or incur the costs of maintence and rebuilding in those areas.
How long Americans are expected to subsidize these repetitive hazards is anyone’s guess, but hazard-aware taxpayers are increasingly resistant to pay for the subsidies of zoning policies that ignore realities, so a mere few can enjoy the privileges of the views which remain exclusively their’s, while others pay the bill.
By Don (Minnesota )
on April 22nd, 2014
Way back in the early 1970s, National Lampoon did a satire on a civilization known as the “Dolts”. This is a quote from NL edition no. 12:
“The Dolts, By Chris Rush”
An “anthropological report” on the Dolts, an early European people whose culture was based entirely on stupidity.”
In a nutshell, the fault of the Dolt civilization, other than being based entirely on “stupidity”, was their desire to live on the sides of active volcanoes in paper mache’ huts. A mistake, despite their deep rooted ties to their “cultural roots” and it’s affinity for combining paper mache’ structures with locations known for prodigiously producing infallible ignition sources.
Take what you want from this. No matter how we look at it, building and living in known hazardous areas such as along flood plains, hurricane prone low lying coastal areas, known locations vulnerable to landslides, sink hole areas etc. is at the very least unwise and foolhardy. No amount of “cultural ties” is worth the risk, unless of course that culture holds extreme value in discomfort, fear/terror, and endless worry.
Are moments of glee worth a lifetimes of uncertainty and foreboding? Should those with the wisdom to choose not to live that way be required to perpetually subsidize those that do?
By dave e (TAMPA/fl)
on December 8th, 2014
Yes!! I barely missed being stuck in Katrina. I was born in Norfolk. I live in Tampa and trying to move to Miami soon… This is good to know.. I didnt realize the potential dangers of where I reside. Plus an evacuation out of Fl would have highways cram packed. I need to store a boat in my garage.
By Jean-Jacques (New Iberia, LA 70560)
on May 13th, 2015
No matter where one is living, there is always some thing to worry.
CA, has Forest fire, mud slide and earthquake, NM, may have some place with radiation form the H Bomb experiment from WWII.
Other states build houses in the flood zone, forgetting that none can stop the Mississippi from flooding even if it is every 100 years. Fire burn every thing in other states all over, flood happen in the Texas desert or in AZ , and NM.
We also have tornadoes alley.
All states close to the ocean, or gulf are at risk, how can one stop mother nature ?
From what I read some people think that we should not pay to help reconstruction.
Fine with me, where do we need to live at ?
Show me one state that never had any problems?
I live in the South for one reason, I can’t stand the cold.
The problem is not so much where do we build a house, is how do we build it.
If you know that hurricanes are going to hit one day or another. Build up, and build a house who can take hurricanes force wind.
If you live in tornadoes alley, build a house who can stand a tornadoe, not one like the one that was blow away.
You live in the middle of the forest, cut down the trees around your house, or it will be nothing left when a fire hit.
I am looking to bye a new house, and move away from where I am now, it is not going to be too far north of I -10, 50 miles north is yankee country, it is cold in the winter, and people don’t know how to have a good time, the food suck, they are stick in the mud.
Any way, if some one is that smart to tell us how to solve that problem, please send us a ring, we sure like to know.
By Charles X White (Houston, Texas 77033)
on October 25th, 2015
What is the loss measured in terms of, money, infrastructure or human life??
By albert
on January 18th, 2016
New Orleans is an amazing country for traveling as tourism point of view. My few friends recently came back visit from this amazing country. They told me much about it. I have a plan to go to there once during my <a >1 day bus tour from boston to New york</a>
By H (Portsmouth/Virginia/23704)
on June 1st, 2014
Thank you for your work.
H. E. Butler III M.D., FACS
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