We’ve discussed earthquakes and Hurricane Irene bearing down on the East Coast, but it doesn’t stop there. One disaster that frequently accompanies the storm surge created by hurricanes and the accompanying heavy rains is floods. A flood occurs when water inundates or overflows land that is normally dry. This definition does not include tsunamis and storm surges. Floods can result from many causes, including torrential rains and dam and levee breaks. They can occur suddenly or due to conditions built up over days, meaning advance warning is sometimes possible. Floods …
Forget the economic news, the fighting in Libya, and the American Idol summer tour and pay attention to the weather report. Hurricane Irene is wending its way across the Caribbean and heading for the East Coast of the United States, where it may make landfall along the Carolinas. When the storm reaches the U.S., it may reach Category 4—that’s a serious storm. The definition of Category 4 is: “Catastrophic damage will occur.” Before the storm hits, it is worth revisiting the danger Americans may face. A hurricane is a particularly …
The 2010 hurricane season ended yesterday, utterly failing to measure up to the Category 5 predictions made in the spring. The failure of a single hurricane to strike the United States makes it five years since a hurricane of Category 3 strength or higher has struck the United States. You remember 2005, right? The year Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma pummeled the Gulf Coast, FEMA Director Mike Brown, and President George W. Bush. Those were the busy days of FEMA. Despite no hurricanes striking the U.S. and only one minor …
Despite one of the quietest hurricane seasons in years, the number of FEMA declarations this year is on pace to hit 139 declarations, which would be the fifth highest since 1953 and 9 declarations higher than the 8-year average of George W. Bush’s FEMA. The problem is that we have created a system that promotes the nationalization of natural disasters. His system stretches FEMA thin as it has to deal with a new declaration every 2.4 days and encourages states and localities to divert resources away from emergency management to …
#2: The Over-Federalization of Disasters Makes Everyone Worse Off Whenever hurricane season begins, there are often multiple calls for Congress to adopt a catastrophic hurricane fund (CAT fund). This fund is the ultimate in public options—and would provide government insurance to homeowners and businesses in the most disaster prone regions. But placing more federal dollars or resources in this manner will make everyone worse off. Not only does it force taxpayers from around the country to subsidize those who choose to live in these regions, it also provides a disincentive …
Global warming alarmists link every natural disaster to global warming. Most recently, they blamed the Australian wildfires on global warming and, of course, one cannot forget their efforts to connect global warming with Hurricane Katrina. But is this really the case. The short answer is no. In fact, new findings from Florida State University that global and northern hemisphere tropical cyclone activity is still the lowest in thirty years and will likely continue down that path: Tropical cyclone (TC) activity worldwide has completely and utterly collapsed during the past 2 …
Global warming activists blame just about everything you can imagine on global warming. Increased and more violent hurricanes? Blame Global Warming. Early bird migration? Blame Global Warming. Polar bear extinction? Blame Global Warming. The Chicago Cubs losing in the first round of the divisional playoffs? Blame Global Warming! Well, not yet but I wouldn’t be surprised. (At least it would get Steve Bartman off the hook.) Glacial melting is the bread and butter for environmental activists. It was one of the many scare tactics used by Al Gore in his …
Twenty-five percent of America’s oil production and a significant amount of onshore refining capacity and pipeline infrastructure is located in the hurricane-prone central and western Gulf of Mexico — and much of it was in the path of Hurricane Gustav. Fortunately, unlike Katrina and Rita in 2005 and other past hurricanes, Gustav has not done significant damage to the energy infrastructure there. Prices and markets will be relatively unaffected. Nonetheless, the hurricane does underscore the benefits of geographic diversification in domestic oil production. The Atlantic, Pacific, and eastern Gulf of …
In what can only be described as a rare occurrence, two events occurred that show there is still hope when it comes to disaster management in the United States. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed placing an insurance surcharge on every California home and business that would raise roughly $130 million each year to pay for wildland firefighting. Due to the number of wildland fires that have occurred in California over the last year and the ever-increasing number of Californians who build homes …
When it comes to environmental policy, we’ve documented the Center for American Progress’ penchant for distorting reality before. Now they are at it again, this time trying to prove that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is “unaware” that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused “major” offshore oil spills. Debating offshore oil drilling on Fox News, Jindal accurately said, “You know, that’s one of the great unwritten success stories, after Katrina and Rita, these awful storms, no major spills.” To rebut Jindal’s claims CAP links to a Minerals Management Service study that they …
