Natural Disasters, A Study Of Events

What originated as a dare then lead to the one of the most esential aspects of our daily lives. Hurricane data was origionally collected through daring avaiationist who risked themselved at every turn to get information on hurricanes before they hit the land. After poineering meterologists realized the benefits to such collection methods, these flights became far more frequent. The data collected saved who knows how many lives by providing a foretaste of the impending storm. The storm chasers can be acreddited for coaxing weather into a new age of advancement from weather fliers to satellite imaging. The removed method saves potential lives and provides far more conclusive and accurate data. Not only can it give far better data, but also far more in advance, providing a longer window for evacuations; and for the stubborn, time to board up their

On August 24th, 1992 in the state of Florida, complete destruction was the end result of Hurricane Andrew. A Hurricane that began in the Atlantic ocean at 20mph. That is almost twice the strength that normal hurricanes begin at. The peak strength of Hurricane Andrew was so strong that devices were not able to measure the winds. An approximation of the force of the winds was said to be up to 200mph. Andrew destroyed about 28,000 homes, damaged 100,000 homes and left 250,000 people homeless along with 30 billion dollars in damage and almost 30 deaths. Hurricane Andrew did not end its devastation in Florida, soon it went to Louisiana causing more damage. (Fig.1)

Hurricane Andrew was formed of the west coast of Africa on August 14. When it passed the Caribbean, the pressure system made it stronger. From there, the wave moved the storm to the North Atlantic.

Natural disaster threats accompany people practically everywhere and often people are unaware of the fact that one day the disaster may strike and change their life drastically, such as the ones that can occur in Huskietown. In such a situation, it is important to get prepared for potential disasters and know how to act and behave in different situations. To make it clearer, it is necessary to have a clear plan of action in case of a disaster and, what is not less important, it is necessary to clearly understand what real natural disasters can really occur in the given area. In such a way, it is obvious that in order to come prepared to a disaster it is necessary to know as much information about the disaster itself, its effects

Florida’s list of natural disasters ranges from floods to wildfires. The most notable natural disaster that impacts Florida are Hurricanes. Hurricanes are powerful storms that can cause intense winds and massive damaging floods. One of the most famous hurricane to hit Florida was Hurricane Andrew. Compact in size Hurricane Andrew devastated southern Dade and Monroe counties. David Hickcox notes that “Andrew’s damage path was quite narrow; it appeared that a tornado had struck, rather than a hurricane” (par 8). Andrew is one of two category five hurricanes to ever hit Florida with winds reaching 145 mph (Williams and Duedall 42). Hurricane Andrew impact was felt in many ways such as environmentally, economically, and socially in Florida.

Critical incidents require immediate action (Levinson & Granot, 2002). Additionally, they also require ongoing support in order to ensure that they are correctly managed and the long-term effects are mitigated (Schneid & Collins, 2001). Addressed here are four specific events - earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and tornados. There are ways to mitigate the damage of these events, and there are also ways to try to prepare for them. Additionally, the type of response to these events is important as is the recovery from them. For earthquakes, mitigation is limited. It is possible to build houses and buildings stronger and more able to withstand shaking, and in earthquake-prone areas the cabinets often have latches and large appliances are strapped to the wall (U.S., 2007). People who live there should also have emergency supplies of food and water, and should be prepared for an earthquake by knowing information about evacuation routes (U.S., 2007). The response to earthquakes and the recovery from them are usually strong, because the areas that are most prone are also most prepared. When an earthquake hits in an unusual area, however, it can take much longer to help people and to rebuild the infrastructure.

“The sound of the wind, that’s what you never forget. The initial whisper. The growing mewing that turns into a howl. Then they cry of glass shattering. The grumbling of a roof peeling apart”, said Ana Veciana-Suarez, as she remembers one of the worst, fiercest, and most powerful storm to hit South Florida, Hurricane Andrew. On August 24, 1992, Category 5 Hurricane Andrew came through and devastated South Florida turning its full forces on Miami-Dade county. The aftermath of this hurricane was completely unbelievable and devastating, being that it was the most high-priced storm ever recorded in United States History. Rebuilding the community took several years and even after everything was rebuilt, citizens of South Florida, would never forget Hurricane Andrew.

According to the National Ocean Service, an organization that strives to protect coastal areas, a hurricane is defined as “a type of storm called a tropical cyclone, which forms over tropical waters” (1). That is to say, when a storm sustains winds with a count greater than 74 miles per hour, it is officially classified as being a hurricane. Generally originating over the Atlantic Ocean, hurricanes are formed when air from surrounding regions with high pressures rush to low pressure areas, causing the air above such warm, tropical waters to rise. As the warm, moist air rises and slowly cools off, water in the air begins to form clouds. Overtime, the number of clouds and strength of the winds significantly increases as a result of the heat and water evaporating from the ocean’s surface, creating a strong rotating storm that is soon recognized as being a tropical

Hurricane Andrew formed on August 14 as a tropical wave that emerged off the west coast Africa into the Atlantic Ocean. Two days later on August 16 Hurricane Andrew had spawned into a tropical depression which at that time made it a tropical storm. Four days after that on August 20 Andrew almost dissipated due to the vertical wind shear. A day after that on August 21 Andrew was turning westward midway between Bermuda and Puerto Rico. On August 22 Andrew was reaching category 4 hurricane strength. While it was briefly weakening over the

Hurricanes, a well known natural disaster, can be very devastating depending on what happens during its formation. Hurricanes in the eastern pacific or atlantic, typhoons in the western pacific ocean, or cyclones around coastal regions of Mexico, south-east Asia, Australia and south Pacific islands. Hurricanes form when energy from warm parts of the ocean is collected and it creates a tropical storm. Surface winds can come together and strengthen the storm making it a hurricane. The speed the hurricane winds are going, the more destructive it is.

A hurricane or a tropical cyclone is an intense, rotating oceanic weather system that possesses maximum sustained winds exceeding 119 km/hr (74 mph). It forms and intensifies over tropical oceanic regions. Hurricanes are generally smaller than storms in mid-latitudes, typically about 500 km (311 miles) in diameter. At the ocean’s surface, the air spirals inward in a counterclockwise direction. This cyclonic circulation becomes weaker with height, eventually turning into clockwise

Natural disasters have never been an issue for me in the twenty years I have been living in Florida. There have always been the threats of dangerous hurricanes living near the coast, but I never took them seriously. I always thought " they're just little storms, what's the worst that could happen?". I was so naive to think that way.

Due to diverse geo-climatic conditions prevalent in different parts of the globe, different types of natural disasters like floods, droughts, earthquakes, cyclones, landslides, and volcanoes etc may strike according to the vulnerability of the area.

While natural disasters such as floods, drought and hurricanes are commonly thought to occur due to environmental forces such as weather, climate and tectonic movements; a deeper investigation into the ‘disaster’ displays other contributing forces. Human factors have a large, if not equal, contribution to the occurrance and outcome of such disasters (Pelling, 2001). As Pelling (2001) argues, there is both a physical and human dimension to ‘natural disasters’. The extent to which the natural occurrence of a physical process, such as a flood or earthquake, impacts on society is constructed by that society, creating a ‘disaster’ as measured by a

This paper will discuss the differences between two different natural and man-made disasters. The disasters that will be discussed are Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Additionally, this paper will look into the specifics of what constitutes a natural and man-made disaster. Specifically, this paper will look into each disaster to include the events surrounding them; the risks; and the assessments. Furthermore, this paper will look at some of the details of each disaster and why there was so much devastation. Finally, this paper will look at a few similarities, but mainly the differences between the two, and how the effects of each still linger today.