Hurricanes

Hurricane Operation

• A cyclones' primary energy source is the release of heat of condensation from water vapor condensing at high altitudes. Condensation leads to higher wind speeds. The faster winds and low pressure associated with them cause increased surface evaporation and thus even more condensation.
• Bottom line – hurricanes need a warm body of water to function.
• Hurricanes can last anywhere from one day to one month
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The Power of Hurricanes

• Hurricanes can produce a driving wind speed anywhere on average between 68 and 138 mph
• Highest recorded wind speed was by Super Typhoon Tip – 190 mph (1979) – Record also shared by Typhoon Keith
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Analysis of the Problem

• Hurricanes account for billions in damages
  • Hurricane Katrina – damages exceeding $100 billion
• Loss of property
  • Hurricane Andrew left around 6,500 people homeless
• Unprepared cities are doomed to high morality rates
  • 1970 Bhola Cyclone (Bangladesh) – killed 300,000 people
• Technological shortages
  • 900,000 lost power as a result of Hurricane Katrina

Those most affected by hurricanes

• Minorities
  • African Americans are estimated to have accounted for approximately 44% of the storm victims.
    • socio-economic status that the general population of minorities live under
• Elderly and Children
  • An estimated 88,000 elderly persons (age 65 and older), many with strong community ties, may have been displaced, along with 183,000 children, many of whom were just starting the school year when the storm struck.
  • Lack of mobility, physical dependencies
• The Lower class
  • 30% had incomes that were below 11⁄2 times the poverty line.
  • Live in lower cost of living areas, i.e. those areas susceptible to hurricane damage

Predicting Hurricanes

• Weather patter technology
  • “…thanks to satellite technology, no hurricane goes unnoticed. "It's impossible for an existing storm to sneak upon the coast," James L. Franklin, Hurricane Specialist at UM
  • We can plot past, present, and forecast positions
• Satellite technology (NOAA)
  • NOAA warns of dangerous weather
  • charts seas and skies
  • guides the use and protection of ocean and coastal resources
  • conducts research to improve understanding environment.
• Early Warning Systems
  • Used to predict serious hurricane activities
  • A public evacuation order is often sent out 24 hours or sooner, from when the storm is predicted to strike land. (approximately 300 miles away)

Modern Defenses

• According to FEMA’s website:
• Work with professionals to secure your home's roof, shutters, doors and garage doors. It is recommended to fasten metal straps or clips to connect the roof to the walls of the building. If your roof has trusses, make sure they are tied to the wall by either anchoring them to the top plate and then the top plate to the wall stud, or strapping the trusses directly to the wall stud.
• Preparation!!!
• Prepare a family evacuation plan and a disaster supply kit. A room should be chosen as the "safe room" in your home. There may also be a safe place elsewhere in the neighborhood or community if your home doesn't have a room that you feel is safe enough. Post emergency phone numbers and an address where everyone knows to go — including an out-of-state location — in case of emergency.

Federal Emergency Management Agency

• Formed in 1979, Federally funded program
• Purpose: coordinate the response of a disaster which has occurred in the United States that overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities.

What Does FEMA Do?

• Provides grants to eligible applicants with uninsured disaster related personal needs (dental, medical, property, funeral expenses, etc.)
• Conducts search and rescue operations in areas devastated by hurricane activity
• Houses, feeds, and sustains those who are left homeless or are in immediate distress by the disaster at hand

Local Recovery Programs

• Ex. Disaster Housing Assistance Program – New Orleans
  • State Run
  • The DHAP program replaced the existing FEMA rental-assistance program located in New Orleans.
  • Those individuals who ceased to receive more funding by FEMA were taken under wing by this program (must apply)

Rescue Robots

• Robots that can move through crevices in a collapsed building to bring water light and two-way communications to trapped survivors
• Miniature robot planes and helicopters that can survey the scene from above and send wireless video back to the team in the field;
• Sensors that can detect signs of life from 3 feet away, based on thermal imaging
• Small sensors developed for detecting the smell of a survivor's faint breathing
• Devices and software that can turn walkie-talkies into Internet grids when the phones are out
• Sensor systems that can sniff out public health threats in the storm's aftermath.
• GIS (Geographical information systems) – used to view and analysis geographic knowledge
• (Some of these technologies were also deployed after the tsunami that hit South Asia at the beginning of the year.)

Problems with these systems

• FEMA
  • Grant aids are generally minimal
  • Hurricane Katrina
  • Criticized widely for its slow response time to the disaster (same with Hurricane Andrew in 1992)
  • Supply shortages were all to prominent in aiding the homelessAug. 26, 2008 Homeland Security Watch Article-
  • Showed FEMA was found to have made limited progress in establishing regulations, policies, and operating procedures for major emergencies, in staffing and training, and in the management of mission assignments.
• Early Warning Signals
  • Unfortunately not every individual has access to these warning signals
  • Some individuals may be incapable of receiving the messages (hearing impaired, blind?)
  • A 24 hour notice is relatively short notice
  • Can cause massive blocks on local highways limiting access to those who leave later

Analysis of Problem

• Why couldn’t FEMA do its job (Katrina)?
  • Rescue personnel were overwhelmed by the number of evacuees in need
  • Lack of training was a recorded issue stated by the DHS
  • Lack of immediate access to resources
  • Lack of preparedness for the situation at hand (underestimated devastation)
• Technological meltdowns
  • Evacuation Warnings
    • Scientist may be reluctant to issue due to associated criticisms if they are wrong
  • Technology is only as smart as the person controlling it
    • What the experts don’t see, the technology doesn’t see
    • Technology cannot make up for personal negligence
      • Understaffed crews, lack of planning by government agencies, lack of
  • Loss of power, loss of control
    • Weather conditions associated with hurricanes are not the most suitable areas for technological
    • Generators are often brought in
  • Loss of Communication = total break down in structure
    • Katrina
      • local landlines were completely destroyed
      • Lack of understanding who would head rescue operation between the local and state government

Viable solutions

• FEMA
  • In schools
    • Instruct to students aspects of hurricane evacuation
    • Instruct parents of the dangers and offer recommendations to improve their chances of safety
  • Before Hurricane
    • Proper allotted hours of training for FEMA officers
    • Dispatch of federal rescue officials three days before (including rescue officers and medical staff)
    • Estimate given population before storm and reserve a minimal ration of food and water
    • Locate an area that could possibly used as shelter to house the large population of homeless individuals
  • After Hurricane
    • Appropriate specific number of FEMA officers to specific areas that need relief more
    • Send constant groups of search parties to find survivors or those incapable of finding aid
• Early Warning Signals
  • Earlier evacuation signals
  • Dispatching of signalers to those in the community who are not able to receive warning
• Technology
  • Allocate the designed ‘high tech equipment’ to be immediately available to communities in Hurricane prone areas.
  • PATHFINDER
    • With Pathfinder, the incident commander can outline where responders should go and then send a detailed map directly to the responders' phones
    • Pathfinder allows volunteers and emergency workers to provide same day information to an emergency operations center
  • Back up communication devices should be stored in bunkers.
  • Communities should be educated about proper hurricane procedure
    • Safety kits, back up generators in hurricane prone areas, alternate forms of communication for homeowners, preconceived evacuation plan
• NASA engineering a faster method for hurricane predictions
  • NASA scientists have taken simultaneous high-altitude radar, temperature, and wind measurements that reveal the anatomy of hurricanes and shed light on what makes them intensify.