Mt saint hellens - Research Paper Example

Mt saint Hellens Hurricane Andrew Hurricanes are tropical storms that possess massive winds of approximately 74 Mph and having size ranging amid 200 to300 miles. They are violent and cause so countless tragedies due to the potential hazards that they pose to the nature, economy and buildings. The wind’s high speed is the core cause of the deaths and damage on nature, people, economy and structures. Hurricane Andrew occurred in United States amid August 16 and 27 1992 (Harper 93). It hit American during Atlantic Hurricane season and marked as the second severe disparaging in the US account nearly for a period of 30 years.

This hit many lands, which include the Bahamas, Southern Florida, and the land of South Central Louisiana. The process happenings expound the subsequent events of the dangerous Hurricane (Zhang & Walter 8). Research depicts that it originated from Africa in the west coast of Africa in the same year early August. It then turned to a tropical depression by nature between Africa and the famous Caribbean islands. Afterwards during the same day (August 17), thunderstorms developed and the storm began moving at fast speed, hence its strength fluctuated over the subsequent days.

It augmented to hurricane status on August 22. On the evening, of 23 August, it passed over the land of Bahamas but the wind gust weakened (Dodge et al 1708). It struck Southern Florida on 24 August morning, but the wind gust here increased to around 140 mph. Hurricane arrived at the state Gulf of Mexico on 25 August. Afterwards in the same day, it struck South Central Louisiana, where it downgraded to category 3. Finally, it relegated to become a tropical storm in the land of Bay ton Rouge and Lafayette in Louisiana.

The consequences Research confirms exceptionally severe consequences of the hurricane Andrew because of the adverse damages that it caused. It caused grievous damage to life and a lot of property. South Florida was the mainly affected, compared to the other lands that the hurricane hit. The estimated harm totaled to roughly $26 billion in 1992 (Harper 93). Many people passed on from the hurricane, estimated to be 65 people in total, both the poor plus the rich, injuring states too. It destroyed about 600000 homes belonging to numerous people and towering buildings destroyed because of the strong wind and waves (Zhang & Walter 12).

It left many people homeless who estimated between 150000 and 250000. There are those who argue that the direct loss on lives was relatively low, considering it the cause was hurricane. The hurricane outcomes were the same mutually on the poor and the rich, as it did not choose who to affect and who to leave out. Conversely, arguments emerge that effects on the poor were more because they ignored the government’s directions concerning housing and shelter codes, hence distracting government statements.

That implied the underprivileged encountered more harm. People lost loads of their equity and property; hence, leading to the formation of many insurance agencies in the state of Florida, for illustration, Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Insurance Agency - FHCFIA (Dodge et al 1700). There was the obliteration of Florida’s oil services, water and electricity connections. In addition, there was ecological damage too, caused by the destruction of mangrove trees in the forests, national parks, fish and other marine life forms and coral reefs.

However, this led to positive consequences as it made people aware of the impact and power that hurricanes (Elner & Jagger 140). This makes them alert every time and ready for hurricanes by taking the necessary measures, for instance, revising the building codes of structures in South Florida. Today, they are the toughest in the country. All this is in the effort to defend them, incase they hit by such a hurricane in the future. The people vacated such regions and inhabited in less harmful places, while others moved to other shelters (Zhang & Walter 9).

Historical data confirm that the greatest menace to life is the storm surge, because of its high speed and waves. This leads to structural distraction and damage, for instance, the damage caused on the coastline of South Florida by the hurricane (Elner & Jagger 154). Massive evacuations done in Florida and Louisiana when the effects and likelihood of the hurricane occurring augmented (Harper 93). That accounts for the relatively low number of deaths caused, where the estimates of those evacuated is 1,250,000 people.

Evacuation from the hurricane harm in the South Central Louisiana eased mortality rate. The hurricane disaster was natural; no human associated with it. However, humans can do something to prevent it from ever happening again, like protective measures. Many disasters occur in the globe each year, the effects, damages and consequences are what makes them memorable. For instance, the remembrance of the hurricane is because of the deaths it caused and the much destruction caused too. There are many effects on the economy of the country and equity on the people that make the disaster memorable because it makes it remarkable.

Figure 1: Hurricane Pictures. Retrieved from http://www.hurricane-facts.com/Hurricane-Pictures.php. Figure 2: Hurricane Andrew Facts. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/hurricane-andrew-facts.html. Work cited Dodge, Peter, P. et al. A Reanalysis of Hurricane Andrew's Intensity. Bulletin of The American Meteorological Society 85.11 2004: 1699-1712. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. Elner, James, B. & Jagger, Thomas, H. Hurricanes and climate change. New York: Springer. 2009. Print. Harper, Kristine.

Hurricane Andrew. New York: InfoBase Publishing. 2005. Print. Reilly, Benjamin. Disaster of human history: Cases of Studies in Nature, Society and Catastrophe. North Carolina: McFarland& company, Inc publishers. 2009. Print. Zhang, Yang, & Walter, Gillis, Peacock. Planning For Housing Recovery? Lessons Learned From Hurricane Andrew. Journal of The American Planning Association 76.1 2010: 5- 24. Web. 1 Feb. 2012.