Hurricane Ike and Its Consequences - Research Paper Example

 Hurricane Ike Introduction Hurricane Ike proved to be the second pricey hurricane in history to create landfall in the United States (Hyndman, 2010). In addition, it implicated high costs to Cuba and still it was the second vigorous hurricane to arrive at the Canadian mainland. It commenced as a tropical commotion near Africa towards the end of August. It was to blame for over two hundred deaths. Out of these, seventy-four deaths occurred in Haiti, a country that was trying to recuperate from the impact of three storms that had happened during the year namely Fay, Gustav, and Hanna (Hyndman, 2010). In America, 112 people died, and twenty-three people are still missing. Since this hurricane had an immense size, it caused wreckage all way from the coastline of Louisiana up to the Texas region. Moreover, it caused a lot of floods and substantial damage along the Mississippi coastline. In America, the damages in the coastal areas that resulted from the hurricane estimated to thirty billion dollars (Hyndman, 2010). Moreover, the damages in Cuba were worth eight dollars. It is imperative to state that Ike was the second expensive hurricane ever, surpassed by the Katrina hurricane that emerged in 2005, though there were no adjustments of inflation. If there were inflation adjustments, Ike could be the third pricey storm. It is worth denoting that this hurricane resulted to the prevalent evacuation of the residents of Texas in history. Therefore, it was the hugest rescue operation carried out in America’s history. The intensity of this storm forced Texas to close the majority of the chemical plants and refineries (Hyndman, 2010). Since Texas holds the majority of oil refining, this closure resulted to a momentary escalation of gasoline prices and natural gas. The prices were sixty cents higher compared to the average prices. The closure of the refineries unexpectedly further led to shortage of gasoline in other places such as Carolinas (Hyndman, 2010). It is imperative to state that hurricanes pose a substantial threat to cities all along the Gulf of America (Kern, 2010). The tremendous damage that followed the Hurricane Ike served to remind of the vulnerability of the coastal areas. The basis on disaster control supports the concept that a triggering event tends to affect the disaster management policy implying that disaster policy is event driven (Kern, 2010). This implies that disaster management comprises of four aspects namely preparedness, response, and recovery. Since disaster management is primarily event driven, this policy has focused on response and recovery in the past. Presently, this policy has shifted towards mitigation, a theme factor in disaster discussions. However, it takes into account the preventative steps communities can take in order to curtail the damage cased by natural disasters. The risk for the damage caused by the hurricane on the Texas coast remains significant. There is a possibility of minimizing the latent risk for cataclysmic damage if only the communities take the preferred action to mitigate their susceptibility (Kern, 2010). It is imperative to state that mitigation efforts have the capacity of addressing a series of events since their designation seeks to address the emerging and future disasters. Therefore, mitigation policies are not seemingly reactions to a recent disaster, but long-term measures of minimizing future losses (Kern, 2010). Building Codes It is reasonable that building structures in order to withstand the most intense forces of nature has the capacity of adding resiliency to the built surrounding (Kern, 2010). Advances in structure can assist in building structures that are less susceptible to high winds and water. Moreover, the majority of experts recommend sturdy building codes in order to promote the development with adequate resilience. It is imperative to state that building codes play a crucial role in lessening storm damage, when they necessitate new building to meet higher standards for wind confrontation, and upper base elevations in order to minimize flood damage (Kern, 2010). Moreover, when structures have the capability of withstanding these forces, there is complete reduction of casualties and recuperation costs often linked to hurricanes. It is worth denoting that insufficient building codes were among the prime contributors to property loss during Hurricane Ike. The damage appraisal teams discovered that the majority of the structures could not cope with the strong winds (Kunreuther & Michel, 2009). They also found out that many buildings constructed in mid 1990s comprised of both considerable wind and structural susceptibility. After assessment of the damage, it followed that insufficient building code were a prime factor in the intensity of the damage. However, there was the adoption of suitable building codes. There was substantial augmentation of building code measures by licensing regulations (Kunreuther & Michel, 2009). In addition, there was increased alertness of wind resistant design and construction by contractors. Though intensification of the code to minimize vulnerability to wind is crucial, there is considerable importance in uplifting structures in order to protect against flooding. A prime role in mitigating damage caused by floods is requiring minimal elevations in areas prone to floods (Kunreuther & Michel, 2009). It is thus imperative to state that adopting a sturdy building code serves to reduce the susceptibility of structures to wind and even flooding. Therefore, enacting a building code that mandates structures sustain standard hurricane forces is a policy action, which communities can take into account in order to mitigate the menace of hurricane damage. Retrofit existing structures Intensifying building codes for fresh construction is seemingly the first step in intensifying the built surrounding. Even if the present building codes are sturdy, these codes will not offer protection to already built structures. This concept forced the experts to articulate the significance of retrofitting the current structures in order to enhance their buoyancy (Kunreuther & Michel, 2009). Since there are several steps that serve to retrofit an existing building, a less complex measure that a property owner can take into account is adding storm blinds. They serve to protect the structure areas including windows and doors since they are more vulnerable to wind. They are advantageous as they serve to shield the structure from high winds and flying debris. This practice seeks to diminish latent damage from hurricanes, and it increases the value of the property (Kunreuther & Michel, 2009). It is thus imperative to state that retrofit of present structures is crucial, since a small portion of structures in coastal areas is subject to new-fangled building codes and storm blinds. Communities that largely emphasize on retrofitting of existing structures in order to escalate the resiliency of the built surroundings to hurricane forces are taking the necessary action, in order to mitigate the peril of hurricane smash up (Phillips & Neal, 2011). Improve code enforcement Evidence shows that sturdy building codes serve to improve a community’s pliability to hurricanes (Phillips & Neal, 2011). However, building codes are seemingly not effective unless there is appropriate enforcement. This enforcement requires a continued inspection program, but the majority of the communities’ lack a substantial quantity of inspectors. After the damage caused by hurricane Ike, recommendations were that there should be performance of routine assessment by competent professionals in order to shun future peril to buildings with susceptible structural systems (Phillips & Neal, 2011). The coastal-based communities with sturdy building codes for fresh construction and that emphasize on retrofitting of existing structures should also deem the importance of stringently enforcing the code in order to ensure compliance to contractors (Phillips & Neal, 2011). The communities that fittingly enforce codes are taking deed to mitigate the jeopardy of hurricane harm. Mitigation through zoning It is imperative to state that another action to mitigate that menace for hurricane dent comprises of zoning and land use codes. Experts strongly emphasize that incorporating efficient zoning can help in mitigating damage from natural perils (Phillips & Neal, 2011). Even though a sturdy building code enhances the pliability of structures, certain areas deem to be more vulnerable such that strong structures cannot endure the impact forces. Moreover, experts recommend the use of computer modeling in order to quantify the overall vulnerability. This program has the capacity of estimating and analyzing the potential losses from floods and hurricane winds before or after the emergence of a disaster (Phillips & Neal, 2011). It is worth denoting that this computer software has the capacity of predicting storm surge alongside the areas with the greatest risk of flooding during the occurrence of a hurricane. This enables the coastal city to comprehend a range of hurricane aftermath scenarios before a storm strikes. The communities that incorporate this mechanism are thereby taking action to lessen the risk of hurricane hazard (Phillips & Neal, 2011). Total Cost Accounting Another popular compute used to determine susceptibility and resilience is the cost of recovery (Trent & Roberts, 2009). It is extremely critical to recognize the vulnerability in the context of costs connected with response and recovery. The process of estimating costs commences with calculating vulnerability values by approximating the total population and structures in every hazard zone and forecasting latent losses (Trent & Roberts, 2009). Some experts imply that the total cost accounting is a prerequisite for measuring vulnerability. The local officials can use this mechanism to comprehend the exact direct and indirect recovery costs, resulting from a prime hurricane in conjunction to the long-term economic impact commonly linked with these costs. It is thus imperative to state that the estimates derived from this mechanism not only considers costs linked with rebuilding and repairing structures, but also measures the costs associated with the environment and local industry (Trent & Roberts, 2009). Communities that emphasize on this mechanism to determine vulnerability and resilience are thereby taking action to lessen the menace of hurricane dent. Assess Vulnerability and Resilience This is another vital strategy of hurricane mitigation. The communities, which are well conversant with the most vulnerable areas to hurricane damage, are in a good position to establish a favorable mitigation plan. The commencing point in establishing a mitigation plan is assessing susceptibility and resilience (Trent & Roberts, 2009). It commences with evaluating structural exposure, which entails estimating the extent of damage that a hurricane can cause to telecommunications, roads, bridges and buildings (Trent & Roberts, 2009). The best solution to alleviate structural exposure is implementing redundancy for crucial infrastructure such as electricity and telecommunications. It is worth denoting that all citizens rely on these infrastructures to conduct their daily activities. Preserving these services intact during an occurrence of a hurricane immensely expedites the response and recovery phases of disaster management (Trent & Roberts, 2009). Conclusion It is worth concluding that assessing susceptibility and resilience is the primary step that the administration should embrace to develop a mitigation plan. Once there is the identification of the vulnerable areas, planners can now focus on precise mitigation efforts in areas that are in absolute need. However, this practice also aid in establishing a plan for the response and recovery phases of disaster control. Assessing susceptibility and resilience is a policy act that communities can take in order to alleviate the risk for hurricane damage. References Hyndman, D. (2010). Natural Hazards and Disasters. New York, NY: Cengage learning. Kern, W. (2010). The economics of natural and unnatural disasters. New York, NY: W.E. Upjohn Institute. Kunreuther, H., & Michel, E.(2009). At war with the weather: managing large-scale risks in a new era of catastrophes. New York, NY: MIT Press. Phillips, B., & Neal, D. (2011). Introduction to Emergency Management. New York, NY: CRC Press. Trent, R., & Roberts, L. (2009). Managing global supply and risk: best practices, concepts, and strategies. New York, NY: J. Ross Publishing. Read More