Hurricanes
A natural hazard is when extreme events which cause great loss of life and or property and create severe disruption to human lives, such as a hurricane. Editor Philip Whitefield brings up an important point in ‘ Our Mysterious Planet’ when he comments;
‘At a time when we know how to aim a space probe directly at Mars and trigger the gigantic forces of nuclear power, we are still at the mercy of hurricanes and volcanoes.’
It seems peculiar how we can be at such an advanced stage technologically yet we are unable to completely stop a natural hazard from causing loss of life and damage to existing constructed resources and infrastructures.
Hurricane Gilbert, September 1998 was described by meteorologists at the US National Center in Miami, as the most intense western-hemisphere tropical cyclone on record. Large areas of Jamaica were devastated and the country’s Prime Minister, Edward Seaga, pronounce it the worst natural disaster ever to strike his country. Greatest loss of life however, occurred in Mexico where Gilbert hit twice, first of all traversing the Yucatan Peninsula and two days later making landfall some 150 km south of the border with the USA, finally dissipating near the city of Monterrey.
During its most intense phase at the western end of the Caribbean Sea, Gilbert was estimated to have central pressure of 885mbar, and maximum sustained winds in its circulation over 150kt (knots) with highest gusts in excess of 175 kt. The central pressure outrivalled the 899 mbar of the Florida Keys hurricane of 1935. Gilbert, at that stage an un-named tropical depression with maximum sustained winds around 30kt, was first spotted on Thursday 8 September some 300km east of Barbados. It brushed past Barbados and St Lucia the following day with limited wind-damage and some flooding, and was upgraded to ‘tropical storm’ status (means winds 34kt or more).
Gathering strength over the warm waters of the eastern Caribbean, Gilbert achieved ‘hurricane’ status (means winds 64kt or more) , with gale force winds brushing the south coasts of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The island was swept by the full force of the storm , first from the north and then from the south, Central pressure at this stage was estimated at 960mbar, wi...
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...ive in the paths of approaching storms. Development policies that diversify the economy so that the poor do not need to live near flood prone land for a livelihood should be encouraged. Similarly, primary healthcare must be implemented so that the population is more resistant to disease in the aftermath of disaster.
Communications infrastructure should be improved to enable more rapid evacuations. The science of prediction must be continually developed by investing in appropriate technology and research. Again, this would only be possible in more economically developed countries as only they have the necessary funding. Perhaps it would be a good idea to increase the access of the poor to low interest loans to increase their recovery prospects after a disaster.
It is clear that at the moment total prevention is virtually impossible. While in EMDC’s hazards may be just an inconvenience (even if it is a very expensive one), whilst it is still a matter of life or death in the developing world. Referring back to Philip Whitfields remark at the beginning, it seems man still remains virtually powerless against nature ,even as we approach the millennium.
Nearly 45 years ago one of the most powerful and damaging weather phenomenon’s ever to be recorded slammed into the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, a storm that effected people far and wide. Camille formed on August 14th just west of the Cayman Islands and rapidly intensified overnight becoming a category 3 hurricane approaching the island of Cuba. The storm trekked north-northwestward across the Gulf and became a stage 5 hurricane and maintained its strength before making landfall on the Mississippi Coast on the eve of August 17th. The devastating aftermath in the weeks to follow induced by the winds, surges, and rainfall took the lives of 256 people, and caused an estimated damage of 1.421 billion dollars.
Lowering the legal drinking age would create problems such as infringing on the mental and physical development of the young drinker. As a respected author, Matt Nagin puts it, “The late teens and early twenties are formative years where character building, leadership in the community, and scholastic excellence should be emphasized. Alcohol detracts from all of these.” In other words, Nagin believes that the teen years are an imperative time of growth in a person’s life. Scientists have proven that the brain is not fully developed until the age of twenty five. If Nagin’s argument is correct, and I believe it is, then people should understand that scientists have proven the negative affects that alcohol has on the development of the brain. Alcohol has the power to kill brain cells and damage growth hormones. By making alcohol legally accessible to an eighteen year old, we are literally poisoning his or her brain.
In response to the damage caused by Hurricane Isabel, Virginia Governor Mark Warner described it as, “Probably the worst storm in a generation” (Washington Post, Ambrose). This was certainly not an overstatement as the National Weather Service reported that Isabel created 925 million dollars of damage in the state of Virginia alone (Johnson). While Isabel was not the most intense storm once it reached the United States, the size of this storm and the population of the area it impacted was why it caused so much damage (Johnson). This paper will discuss the science behind the creation of this storm, the impact of the storm in Richmond, Virginia and its surrounding areas, and the efforts to decrease the effects of the storm along with what could have further prevented any damages.
On September 8, 1900, the United States experienced the most devastating natural disaster in history, the 1900 storm. Originating as a tropical storm off the coast of Cuba, the 1900 storm didn’t reach hurricane status until passing Key West, Florida. While in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico, the storm took an unexpected turn heading towards the Texas coast. Because of the lack of technology during this era, the people were warned that a storm of moderate intensity was headed toward them. Unaware that the storm was forcefully gaining speed, the Galvestonians were in no way prepared for the extraordinary weather which was quietly approaching. Suddenly, the ruthless hurricane struck the shores of Galveston, Texas, one of the wealthiest cities in the United States, famous for its shipping port. The brutal winds of the storm shocked the city, as they desperately sought shelter.
On Friday evening, September 7, 1900, many of the 37,000 residents of Galveston, Texas, were settling down to dinner, few if any of them concerned about the steady 15 mph northerly wind rattling their windows. Within 48 hours, at least 8,000 of the townspeople would be dead, victims of the single worst natural disaster in U.S. history. Relatively few people are aware that the deadliest natural disaster in the United States was the hurricane that struck Galveston Island on September 8, 1900. One of the best resources that can be found to help fully understand the significance of this storm is Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson.
A systemic crisis is a crisis in which the breadth of impact reaches many individuals within the system; for example, schools, businesses, entire communities, regions, or it may be worldwide. The individuals involved in a systemic crisis can become overwhelmed with the enormity of the situation and need physical and/or psychological assistance to regain control. Systemic crisis interventions require a combination of strategies working cooperatively together across multiple agencies to effectively address all potential needs of the victims. However, not all systemic crises are the same and require interventions that are specific to the systemic crisis category. The following paragraphs will give a brief description of a natural disaster
Legal drinking age varies by many countries. In U.S.A, There has been a lot of debate when it comes to the legal drinking age here in US. When it comes to law. There is always an opinion, some are for it and some are against. When it comes to the legal drinking age being 21 we are totally against it. Many people still say the government should prohibit using alcoholic drinks at the age of 18. Legal adults deserve to be treated as such it is time the arbitrary drinking age of 21 Was lowered to 18, because there is no evidence that the National Minimum Drinking Age Act is effective or protects the people it is intended to protect . The Notional Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed in 1984 in an attempt to decrease the number of drunk driving related accidents. The act threatens to decrease a state’s budget for high way construction and maintenance if it sets its drinking age under 21. According to Cuccoli , “ Keeping the drinking age at such a low age is leading to more cases of binge drinking,” (Cuccoli). Mothers against drunk driving reports that the number of alcohol related fatalities involving a vehicle decreased from 26, 173 to 16, 885 between 1982 and 2005.
The legal drinking age has been a highly controversial topic since the prohibition. After the prohibition in 1933 the legal drinking age was either set or lowered to the age of 18 in states such as North Carolina, New York, Florida and a few others. There are both pros and cons to lowering the legal drinking age. There are many cons to lowering the drinking age, such as; medical studies have shown in young adults that the consumption of alcohol may interfere with the development of the individual’s brain but more specifically the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe handles the functions of the brain; such as organization, and planning, and even emotional regulation. “When alcohol consumption interferes with this early adult brain development, the
... middle of paper ... ... What can we do to be prepared for future natural disasters? The federal government began increasing the height and strength of the levees shortly after Katrina, and millions of dollars have been spent on coastal restoration programs.
The word justify means to declare or made righteous, it 's pretty simple to understand and strongly established here. Also note that word righteous is not meant we are not change into a righteous person. This word means to be declared righteous upon the act of their confession of faith that based on the works of Jesus Christ. According to Holman 's Illustrated Bible Dictionary "Justification involves both the forensic, legal declaration of the righteousness of Christ as the grounds and basis of their acceptance". The works of Christ are perfect, and because it 's works are perfect, we are too a perfected in our relationship with
To begin with, cell phones are problematic in classrooms because they become distractions to both the students using the phone and to those that are trying to learn. In either case, they will both miss out on the opportunity to learn. According to M. Beth Humble-Thaden, “Cell phones ringing during a class time present unwanted distractions and, for some students, sending or receiving text messages can lead to cheating” (10). The usage of cell phones will also cause students to go off task and not give their school assignment the attention that it deserves,
Hurricanes are one of the deadliest and most expensive natural disasters around. They are more common in areas of humid yet moist weather so they are very foreign to certain places. But to the places were hurricanes are the norm, the people take them extremely seriously because they kill people and ruin countless amounts of property. Hurricanes can attack and harm people in so many ways they can kill people, leave them homeless, it leaves children orphaned and disable them. On the west coast of the United States and other places hurricanes aren’t taken as seriously as other more common disasters, such as, earthquakes and volcanoes yet the hurricane can be a lot more damaging that both of those. Hurricanes are cyclones that develop over warm oceans and breed winds that blow yup to 74 miles per hour.
The minimum drinking age doesn’t just affect the teen safety, it also affects the safety of the general public because young adults are allowed to drive and perform other tasks that be can be dangerous to others. I agree with the logic of the argument that establishing a safe environment for drinking is an effective way to enforce alcohol safety for young people and to prevent them from irresponsible drinking. So if we can’t stop young people from drinking, it may be better to teach them how to drink safely, right? But something to consider is lowering the age to 18, could also possibly make alcohol more accessible to even younger teens. Keeping in mind that some 18-year-old are still high school seniors, it may open up alcohol as the “cool and popular drink” to juniors or sophomores set by the example of their older peers. As a society we have worked towards protecting our young from harmful substances, knowing how irresponsible teenagers and young adults can be (myself included), this may create new problems in high
Cell phones have only been in the picture for a short amount of time compared to how long people have been going to school but cell phones are everywhere now and make it difficult for schools to come up with what to do. As many believe they are a distraction and can be used for cheating and other negative stuff. There are also people that are highly in favor of having cellphones as they can be helpful with all the tools they provide and people who are not and it 's all about who makes a better argument. Cell phones used to just have communication abilities but that is far gone now you have the abilities to use apps and different functions that fit nicely into a school environment. Cell phones should be allowed in the classroom as cell phones provide positive benefits and are a helpful tool in learning.
Everyone has their own definition of a strong person. A strong person to me is a person that can overcome the adversities in life positively. My friend Ivery, my dad, and my sister can be boldly described as a strong person in so many ways. In order to be characterized as a strong person you have to be stable-minded, courageous, and honest. Every strong person has their own character traits but there are some that stand out more than others. Some people may define people strong by their physical strengths. Others might say you are strong because you didn’t cry when you should have cried. Defining a strong person is based off of your perception of something. There are three people that demonstrate strong qualities as an individual.