Lessons Learned Between Hurricanes From Hugo to Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne: Summary of the March 8, 2005 Workshop of the Disasters Roundtable (2005) / Chapter Skim
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The unprecedented series of 2004 hurricanes are part of a long and storied history of memorable hurricane events. Hurricane Hugo pounded the southeastern United States in September 1989, and at the time was the second most costly hurricane disaster in U.S.
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The extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 classified it as the largest hurricane disaster in terms of dollar losses at the time, and highlighted the importance of accurate elevation mapping and evacuation. Hugo, a category 4 hurricane (see Box A for an explanation of categories)
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Category One Hurricanes: Hurricanes produce winds 74-95 mph (64-82 kt or 119-153 km/hr) and storm surges are 4-5 feet above the normal range.
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Smaller Category Hurricanes The perception of the threat posed by Hurricane Irene in 1999 mirrored that of Hurricane Mitch just one year earlier, as people once again dismissed the potential damage of a category one hurricane. Irene produced 15-20 inches of rainfall in southeastern North Carolina, submerging many vehicles and eventually impacting the auto insurance industry's policies for totaled automobiles.
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The actual storm surge surpassed predictions, peaking at 16 feet. Hurricane Mitch, a category five hurricane of the 1998 season, further demonstrated the potential flux in a hurricane's intensity.
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It operates within the United States, but has outreach efforts in other countries such as the Dominican Republic to assist them in their responses to hurricanes. One of the major challenges for the NHC during the 2004 season was dealing with rapid intensity changes in hurricanes, according to Louis Uccellini of the National Weather Service.
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To help convey this to the public, the inland wind model was developed to estimate the maximum inland penetration of hurricane force winds by determining the speed at which the storm will likely decay as it moves over land. To further stress the potential danger of hurricanes to inland communities, emergency managers have replaced "marine advisories" with tropical cyclone forecast advisories, inland hurricane watches, and hurricane inland wind warnings.
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Although technological advances, public surveys, and research on past hurricane disasters are now used to inform evacuation planning and implementation, many of the issues that predate Hurricane Hugo remain. There are misconceptions about vulnerability, as evidenced by shadow evacuations, as well as a false sense of security evidenced by residents who choose to ignore evacuation orders.
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Reinhold noted that engineers need to know the typical wind speed in built communities in order to adequately assess the impact of enforced building codes on the overall performance of building structures during a hurricane. For example, the hurricanes of the 2004 hurricane season were primarily considered "design events," or events that the buildings were designed to withstand (performance based design)
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According to Reinhold, there has been a major effort in Florida to educate builders and homeowners about the 2001 Florida Building Code that was enacted March 1, 2002 in response to Hurricane Andrew. Reinhold also observed that hurricane wind gusts are not uniform within a region, yet all residents receive the same general hurricane information and reports of wind gusts within their 10
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Brown noted that during the 2004 hurricane season, FEMA relied on lessons learned from previous hurricane responses. He indicated that in previous hurricane seasons FEMA was criticized for not being able to efficiently distribute ice to damaged areas.
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As of the Disasters Roundtable's March 8, 2005 workshop, Hurricane Andrew was the most expensive insurance disaster on record. Hurricane Andrew was a turning point for the insurance industry's response to natural disasters.
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. The Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology was also established following Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
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research meteorologist, explained that there is immense uncertainty regarding the effect of climate change on the frequency of hurricanes, however both hurricane intensity and precipitation are likely to increase. In comparison to recent hurricane seasons between 2000 and 2003, the 2004 season was not unusual in terms of the total number of named storms or the number of hurricanes, but it was unusual in terms of the number of major hurricanes that made landfall in the United States, according to Knutson.
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Rodríguez relayed the experience of Oklahoma emergency managers now presented with the challenge of effectively communicating emergency information to an increasing Hispanic population with specific language needs. The rapid aging of the U.S.
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They don't look at them as flat planes, rather as three dimensional environments, according to Godschalk. Livability includes public space, movement systems, building designs, and transit-oriented development to move people to the coast without the use of bridges.
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The land loss is largely due to the intrusion of salt water introduced into the marsh by hurricane winds. Salt water kills marsh grasses anchoring the soil and results in soil erosion.
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Laska estimated that it will take at least nine months to drain New Orleans after a direct hit from a major hurricane. During that time, relocation sites in other parts of the United States 18
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, Pielke stated that exact figures for government expenditures on hazard loss reduction, hazards' costs, and the links between funds allocated to research and the reduction of hazard losses are unknown. Without this information, reliable and informed decisions cannot be made about the allocation of funds for disaster research and reductions.
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CONCLUDING REMARKS The ongoing need for enhanced hurricane disaster preparedness and response plans, that include effective and enforced mitigation practices, advanced forecasting technology, and evacuation and sheltering plans, was highlighted by speakers and participants throughout the workshop. Ensuing discussions about the lessons learned from previous hurricane seasons suggested that it is important for at-risk communities to employ a combination of adjustments involving science and technology, regulations, institutional and organizational arrangements that include partnerships and intergovernmental linkages, and processes.
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. Natural Disasters Roundtable.
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