Transcript Sandyx
The Implications of Hurricane Sandy for Disaster Response Thomas Chandler, PhD National Center for Disaster Preparedness The Earth Institute Columbia University 1,000 miles long The 700 Year Storm? • Knocked power out for 8 million people • 32 ft wave recorded in New York Harbor • 3 feet of snow in West Virginia Linkage to Climate Change? • Sea levels have risen 1 ft since 1900 • Intensity vs frequency • Insurance industry: Munich Re: Weather risks are changing faster in North America than anywhere else in the world. But, Wait… • Recent IPCC report downplayed linkage between hurricanes and climate change • Historical record of hurricanes in the Atlantic is not extensive • Monstrous hurricanes have always threatened the US east coast: The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 would have cost $180 billion today What We Know • 1/3 of all Americans live in counties immediately bordering the oceans • The sea level will continue to rise this century and impact storms like Hurricane Sandy Risk Communication: What Happened? • NYC residents expected strong winds, not flooding • 1/3 of residents did not have flood insurance • Uncertainty about evacuation zones • Underestimation of power failures and lack of fuel Why Didn’t People Evacuate? • • • • • Lack of family or financial support network NYC Shelter System: Concerns about safety Fear of looting Religious fatalism Inability to leave: Eg, Elderly residents in the Far Rockaways. • -> Take Away: Government messages need to be decentralized Typhoon Haiyan • How do we define a disaster? • Haiyan affected 11.3 million people and displaced at least 673,000 Filipinos. In contrast, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed perhaps 250,000 people throughout Southern Asia but affected roughly 5 million. • Strongest tropical storm ever recorded at landfall, packing sustained winds of at least 195 mph with gusts of 235 mph Building a Culture of Preparedness • In many nations, disaster preparedness is part of the school curriculum • 2004: Hurricane Ivan struck Cuba as a category 5, no deaths • 2005: Hurricane Katrina, 1,833 deaths You Are Your Own First Responder • Misperception that help will arrive immediately • Need 3 day supply of water and food Resources • ready.gov • fema.gov • ncdp.columbia.edu Preparedness Wizard In Conclusion • 1/3 of all Americans live in counties immediately bordering the oceans • The sea level will continue to rise this century and impact storms like Hurricane Sandy