I came across this video posted last Wednesday on Yahoo News. I had heard about the storm plaguing Alaska, but this was my first time seeing its monstrous effects.
The video: Alaska Storm: Why the Extreme Weather?
I also read two articles about the storm. One came from The Wall Street Jounrnal: 'Epic' Alaska Storm Batters Region. This article reported the intense flooding along the state's western coast. Strong winds ripped roofs off and sea levels 3 to 5 feet above normal level. The storm produced 85mph wind gusts, as well as heavy snow and rain. Residents of the effected towns hadn't seen anything like this since 1974. The best quote taken from the article states, "'This is a storm of epic proportions,' said meteorologist Jeff Osiensky with the National Weather Service. 'We're not out of the woods with this.'"
Watching news videos and reading articles about this detrimental storm had me reflecting on the intense weather the East Coast experienced not so long again. It even had me thinking of Hurricane Katrina. The increase of global warming is not only effecting climate change, but seems to be increasing the number of natural disasters the United States and other countries have experienced. While I am far from an expert on this global change, it made me think back to the article posted on Moodle "Disaster at the Top of the World": At the same time, warm Pacific Ocean water is pulsing through the Bering Strait into the Arctic basin, helping melt a large area of sea ice between Alaska and eastern Siberia." This change is happening, with no way to reverse it. So, my question is what precautions will the United States take to prevent huge mistakes like the ones during Hurricane Katrina? What steps will be made to prevent future damage to the planet?
By: Jaclyn Bednar
While I agree that these enormous weather events are alarming, I have a hard time connecting extreme weather events to climate change. I took Sever and Hazardous Weather with Professor Snodgrass (as many of us probably have) and we discussed at length how weather events are not likely to be linked to global climate change. If you think about it, these disasters have happened all through history. Also, the world naturally warms and cools throughout long periods of time. On the other hand, I do agree that humans are propelling the speed of climate change.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I think it's very hard to say what the U.S. can do to prevent natural disasters. The weather is unpredictable. However, I think the government and communities need to have better plans of action to react to these disasters. The devastating events that happened during Hurricane Katrina could have been alleviated if New Orleans had a better infrastructure. The walls previously built simply could not withstand a hurricane.
Whoa, this is crazy that this could actually happen. I wonder what the initial costs and sustainability would be using something like this long term. Overall, I guess I am skeptical that this could be a viable supplement to help meet our overall long-term energy needs.
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