Environmental Studies
PHS 100A
Judy Kiepke
Professor David Terrell Ph. D.
Warner Pacific College
June 22, 2011
There are natural hazards in life we have no control over. What control we do have is how we react to them. Being prepared is a good part of survival but ultimately survival may come as a gift from a power stronger than any natural hazards. As a family we love to go camping up in the wilderness. Every Fourth of July we travel to East Lake and set up camp trying to prepare for any extreme types of weather. Not surprising we have encountered everything from sunshine and 90 degrees to rain, hail, wind, and the most frightening of all thunderstorms.
As a family group we prepare for the hazards of being in the wilderness, closer to the sun we bring our sun screens. The ones that don’t like sun screen wear long sleeves and hats. In this day and age we need to guard our skin from the UV rays and cumulative damage done by the sun. We never know if we are the one that will get skin cancer. As a parent we apply sunscreen to our children and hope that the ones that escaped don’t get burned to bad. As parents we worry even about the chemicals within the sunscreen. My husband and teenage grandsons challenge me when it comes to applying this form or sun protection.
Another thing we do when setting up camp is check out the conditions of the trees around our camp. You never know when a tree may fall on someone in the camp. I know this is not a common problem but we have seen storms that build up over the horizon that drop right down over us. The large white and dark clouds that role over the hills can surprise us with most any type of weather. It is both awesome and scary at the same time. You know you have no power when it comes to a spring time storm. The wind runs through the trees, the rain pours down as we quickly cover all the things we have out. Preparing ourselves for this gives us a satisfying feeling. We look for the dead limbs and the trees that are sick so if the wind blows they will not harm anyone. Some things you have no control over!
We have enjoyed snow and hail storms also. Standing under the tarps we have watched the ground be covered with snowball hail. Some were as large as a pea causing excitement that runs through the camp. So refreshing to see and hear. So clean and peaceful compared to a downfall of rain. It comes as quickly as it goes, and pictures are taken to remind us of the power of the weather. It goes from warm to cold quickly. We add wood to our fire and Thank God for the variety of weather that this day brings. We have no control over the weather patterns. Being caught out on the river in a boat may bring a little concern as you hear the booms and see the flashes of a fast approaching thunderstorm.
Springtime thunderstorms are one of the most frightening hazards here in Oregon. Those dark clouds, the cold winds, over a warm afternoon, the flashes of lightning followed by very loud thunder claps. We count the seconds between the boom and the flash. I will tell you I have a great respect for the power of a thunderstorm. I know the probability of being hit by lightning is small but being in the wrong place brings those odds to 100 percent. I do not want to temp the lighting Gods! Being educated about lightning and being prepared for the possibility is the least we can do.
Thunderstorms bring wind and preparing the area beforehand is a good start. Removing dead limbs and branches can help prevent that accident from happening when the wind blows. I was reading the 30/30 lightning rule. It says go indoors if you see lightning and cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors thirty minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder (FEMA, 2011). This is not possible when camping outdoors. There are things you can do to make yourself less of a lightning rod. You can get inside of your car. The rubber-soled shoes and tires do not provide protection. However, the steel frame of a hard topped vehicle provides protection as long as you don’t touch metal (FEMA, 2011).
Avoid standing under the tallest tree, or hilltops, open fields or a boat in the water. Do not stand on or hold anything metal. Like a bicycle or on top of a car. Anything that conducts electricity should be avoided. Being prepared will help us to identify where and what we do in case of a thunderstorm that blows in. In a forest seek shelter in a low area under a thick growth of small trees. As I read information one thing that sticks out is if you feel your hair stand on end that means lightning is about to strike. Make yourself low to the ground on the balls of your feet minimizing the contact to the ground. Place your hands over your ears with your head between your knees. Make yourself the smallest target possible. Never lie flat on the ground.
So does anyone ever get hit by lightning and are my fears real? On the average, 60 people die after being struck by lightning. That is 10 percent of the nearly 600 hit each year in the U.S. alone. As explained in the article from the KATU news that 3,600 lightning strikes hit Oregon on one storm system alone moving across the Cascades (Stuart Tomlinson, 2009). Lighting up the sky for all to see and contrary to popular belief central and eastern Oregon see its fair share of thunderstorms.
In fact we had a 14 year old boy hit by lightning in La Pine, Oregon in June of 2009 which is a not far from where we camp. He was extremely lucky to survive the 50,000-degree bolt of lightning. He was warned by a friend not to go outside to watch the thunderstorm rumbling overhead. About 1 in 7000,000, according to the National Weather Service is your chances of being hit by lightning (Stuart Tomlinson, 2009). Odds were not in his favor. He made the odds 100 percent by being outside in its path.
Being out in the wilderness around a campfire adds to the awesome experience of seeing the power of a thunderstorm. Knowledge helps to keep us safe, but ultimately safety comes from doing what we know to do and being protected by the one that has the power to protect! The things we learn while camping and being in the outdoors brings about some hazards that we can avoid and in a small form some that we cannot avoid. Nature has power and hazards but by knowing what the hazards are we can enjoy and avoid them most of the time. The benefits of camping outdoors with our families outweigh the hazards that we have no control over. The control we do have is being prepared.
References
FEMA. (2011, June 22). Thunderstorms and Lightning. Retrieved June 22, 2011, from Natural Hazards:http://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/natural_hazards_1.pdf
Stuart Tomlinson, T. O. (2009, June 04). Oregon teen expected to recover from lightgning strike. Retrieved June 22, 2011, from Orgin Live.com: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index..ssf/2009 la pine teen hospitalized afte.html
Friday, June 24, 2011
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS by Lisa Griggs
Environmental Studies
PHS/100A
Lisa L. Griggs
David Terrell Ph.D.
Warner Pacific College
June 23, 2011
Everyone faces the risk of natural disaster and no plan can increase society vulnerability to natural disasters. The most recent and numbing to watch was Hurricane Katrina. As I watch on television it seemed as everyone from the citizen’s to the state partners to federal government were not prepared for what was coming and what happen in the weeks that followed. I am sure there is no real way to execute a plan on that size to minimize the economically structural damage that was done. Once all is said and done after a natural disaster strikes there are lessons to be learned, learned in every disaster.
Like many American’s I have live through and watched many natural disasters. Two experiences of where I might have experienced a natural disaster both on a removed level. The first was when I was nine I lived in Spokane, Washington which sits east of Mount St. Helen’s when it exploded back in 1980. The second major event happen when I lived outside the Bay Area of California and the earthquake of 1989 known now as the Loma Prieta earthquake.
When Mount St. Helen’s erupted I only remember certain things about that day and the days that followed. I remember it was a sunny day and I was at my soccer game and the grown up were mumbling about something, and in a hurry to get home before…. Unaware on not caring because of my age I really did not understand the effect of a mountain’s eruption and its plume of ash would have on us. The next day, both my parents were still at home and remember them saying they had no work today and them telling school was canceled and the city was closed because of the “ash.” When I looked outside I saw gray dust cloud I reminded me of a cold winter day with heavy fog. The heavy fog of ash lasted what seemed like days and when we were finally able to go about our daily lives, we all had to wear those white surgical masks when we when outside because the air quality and its unknown effect of breathing in ash could have on people. I remember people shoveling ash like snow from sidewalks, driveways, spraying the ash with water which only left the ash a big pasty mess.
With the quake of 1989, I remember the way the ground below me move and watching the inside of our house sway and creek as the floor rolled beneath us. At the time we lived in Fairfield California about 100 miles away from the epi-center. It was a totally amazing and scary event to experience, but knowing that if we felt it we were close to the center or it was considered to be the “big” one. After, the novelty wearing off we all were glued to the television watching the reports of chaos to the disruption to the World Series happening at Candlestick stadium outside of San Francisco, hearing the Bay Bridge had expansion collapse, the footage of the Cypress structure outside of Oakland a two deck bridge, now pancaked and crumpling. I remember see all the devastation on television at the local level and people where trying to figure out the best method to get emergency service to the people closes to the mountain to how and where to start the clean up.
Both of these events at their times respectively were economically destructive as well as massed structural damage, “the May 18, 1980, event was the most deadly and economically destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the United States.” (Tilling, R., Topinka, L., Swanson, D.) While “the quake caused an estimated $6 billion ($11 billion in current value) in property damage, becoming one of the most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history at the time.” (U.S. Geological Survey)
People who live in “tornado alley” or long the Gulf Coast and have tornado season after each season most people chose to rebuild they are learning to make those structural improvements to better withstand the damage after a windstorm. Those living along rivers are regulating new structures and home from being built located on flood plains and if they have been flooded, engineers are rebuilding structures located outside the flood plains. But the best way to minimize the effect is emergency preparedness working well with the city, county and state partners with the federal government.
One way for citizens to become more prepared to respond to potential emergencies including natural disaster is become educated on emergency preparedness Larry Collins a member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Urban search-and-rescue (US&R) says “to the contrary, decision makers in any region prone to earthquakes or other hazards will find important parallels in terms of the need for public awareness of local hazards; improved public education to help improve personal readiness of the affected population; well-oiled and robust, multi-tiered emergency response systems; the use of well-considered construction codes and ordinances to improve the performance of structures and lifelines; and the ability of all levels of government and the military to respond quickly, effectively and in unison during disasters.” (Collins, L.)
Where ever you live across American you cannot avoid natural disaster. On a whole from government to every day citizens we all have to take measures to prevent and minimize our vulnerability to endure those disasters. Be prepared, get educated.
References
Collins, Larry, “Lessons Learned from California Earthquake Exercise” my Firefighter Nation.com, retrieved on June 20, 2011 from http://my.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/lessons-learned- from?q=profiles/blogs/lessons-learned-from
Tilling, Robert I., Topinka, Lyn and Swanson, Donald A. (1990). "Eruptions of Mount St. Helens: Past, Present, and Future". The Climactic Eruption of May 18, 1980. U.S. Geological Survey (Special Interest Publication). http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/Publications/MSHPPF/MSH_past_present_fut ure.html. Retrieved June 20, 2011
Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, http://www.fema.gov/plan/index.shtm
U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Retrieved June 20, 2011 http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9C P0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6IeDdGCqCPOBqwDLG- AAjgb6fh75uan6BdnZaY6OiooA1tkqlQ!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjA wMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjJNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJE CT&cid=stelprdb5199437&navid=091000000000000&pnavid=null&ss=110623&positio n=Not%20Yet%20Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Mt%20St.%20Helens%20Na tional%20Volcanic%20Monument%20-%20Home
U.S. Geological Survey. San Andreas Fault, chapter 1, p. 5. "Comparison of the Bay Area Earthquakes: 1906 and 1989." Retrieved August 31, 2009 and June 21, 2011
PHS/100A
Lisa L. Griggs
David Terrell Ph.D.
Warner Pacific College
June 23, 2011
Everyone faces the risk of natural disaster and no plan can increase society vulnerability to natural disasters. The most recent and numbing to watch was Hurricane Katrina. As I watch on television it seemed as everyone from the citizen’s to the state partners to federal government were not prepared for what was coming and what happen in the weeks that followed. I am sure there is no real way to execute a plan on that size to minimize the economically structural damage that was done. Once all is said and done after a natural disaster strikes there are lessons to be learned, learned in every disaster.
Like many American’s I have live through and watched many natural disasters. Two experiences of where I might have experienced a natural disaster both on a removed level. The first was when I was nine I lived in Spokane, Washington which sits east of Mount St. Helen’s when it exploded back in 1980. The second major event happen when I lived outside the Bay Area of California and the earthquake of 1989 known now as the Loma Prieta earthquake.
When Mount St. Helen’s erupted I only remember certain things about that day and the days that followed. I remember it was a sunny day and I was at my soccer game and the grown up were mumbling about something, and in a hurry to get home before…. Unaware on not caring because of my age I really did not understand the effect of a mountain’s eruption and its plume of ash would have on us. The next day, both my parents were still at home and remember them saying they had no work today and them telling school was canceled and the city was closed because of the “ash.” When I looked outside I saw gray dust cloud I reminded me of a cold winter day with heavy fog. The heavy fog of ash lasted what seemed like days and when we were finally able to go about our daily lives, we all had to wear those white surgical masks when we when outside because the air quality and its unknown effect of breathing in ash could have on people. I remember people shoveling ash like snow from sidewalks, driveways, spraying the ash with water which only left the ash a big pasty mess.
With the quake of 1989, I remember the way the ground below me move and watching the inside of our house sway and creek as the floor rolled beneath us. At the time we lived in Fairfield California about 100 miles away from the epi-center. It was a totally amazing and scary event to experience, but knowing that if we felt it we were close to the center or it was considered to be the “big” one. After, the novelty wearing off we all were glued to the television watching the reports of chaos to the disruption to the World Series happening at Candlestick stadium outside of San Francisco, hearing the Bay Bridge had expansion collapse, the footage of the Cypress structure outside of Oakland a two deck bridge, now pancaked and crumpling. I remember see all the devastation on television at the local level and people where trying to figure out the best method to get emergency service to the people closes to the mountain to how and where to start the clean up.
Both of these events at their times respectively were economically destructive as well as massed structural damage, “the May 18, 1980, event was the most deadly and economically destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the United States.” (Tilling, R., Topinka, L., Swanson, D.) While “the quake caused an estimated $6 billion ($11 billion in current value) in property damage, becoming one of the most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history at the time.” (U.S. Geological Survey)
People who live in “tornado alley” or long the Gulf Coast and have tornado season after each season most people chose to rebuild they are learning to make those structural improvements to better withstand the damage after a windstorm. Those living along rivers are regulating new structures and home from being built located on flood plains and if they have been flooded, engineers are rebuilding structures located outside the flood plains. But the best way to minimize the effect is emergency preparedness working well with the city, county and state partners with the federal government.
One way for citizens to become more prepared to respond to potential emergencies including natural disaster is become educated on emergency preparedness Larry Collins a member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Urban search-and-rescue (US&R) says “to the contrary, decision makers in any region prone to earthquakes or other hazards will find important parallels in terms of the need for public awareness of local hazards; improved public education to help improve personal readiness of the affected population; well-oiled and robust, multi-tiered emergency response systems; the use of well-considered construction codes and ordinances to improve the performance of structures and lifelines; and the ability of all levels of government and the military to respond quickly, effectively and in unison during disasters.” (Collins, L.)
Where ever you live across American you cannot avoid natural disaster. On a whole from government to every day citizens we all have to take measures to prevent and minimize our vulnerability to endure those disasters. Be prepared, get educated.
References
Collins, Larry, “Lessons Learned from California Earthquake Exercise” my Firefighter Nation.com, retrieved on June 20, 2011 from http://my.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/lessons-learned- from?q=profiles/blogs/lessons-learned-from
Tilling, Robert I., Topinka, Lyn and Swanson, Donald A. (1990). "Eruptions of Mount St. Helens: Past, Present, and Future". The Climactic Eruption of May 18, 1980. U.S. Geological Survey (Special Interest Publication). http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/Publications/MSHPPF/MSH_past_present_fut ure.html. Retrieved June 20, 2011
Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, http://www.fema.gov/plan/index.shtm
U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Retrieved June 20, 2011 http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9C P0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6IeDdGCqCPOBqwDLG- AAjgb6fh75uan6BdnZaY6OiooA1tkqlQ!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjA wMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjJNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJE CT&cid=stelprdb5199437&navid=091000000000000&pnavid=null&ss=110623&positio n=Not%20Yet%20Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Mt%20St.%20Helens%20Na tional%20Volcanic%20Monument%20-%20Home
U.S. Geological Survey. San Andreas Fault, chapter 1, p. 5. "Comparison of the Bay Area Earthquakes: 1906 and 1989." Retrieved August 31, 2009 and June 21, 2011
Natural Disasters Who Should Pay by Colleen DeShazer
Colleen DeShazer
PHS 100 A
Instructor Dr. T.
Warner Pacific College
June 23, 2011
Natural disasters happen every where every day. Some are relatively small in comparison to others. Some of us never hear or read about small local disasters and our attention is generally only drawn to those disasters that make the national or world news. Big or small, national or worldwide natural disasters that gain the most focus are always those in which there is a human element, loss of life and or loss of property. Who pays for these losses? Big or small, natural disasters or disasters created by man, what is the bottom line?
Often coupled with acts of God, we as human beings make decisions about where we live and in the wake of those decisions we often put ourselves in a position that poses a risk to life and property. Should our government pay for these choices? Should we as taxpayers pay to rebuild communities that are hit time and time again with the same type of disaster? Vernonia, Oregon is one such example. Located in Columbia County approximately 40 miles north or Portland, Vernonia, Oregon has faced this dilemma several times in the last decade. In 1996 and again in 2007 the small sleepy town of 2,500 has been devastated by flooding. The two incidents have cost the city of Vernonia over a million dollars in infrastructure losses and loss of property values of over 30 million dollars. FEMA has spent over 10 million dollars in the two flooding incidents combined spending has been focused on housing repairs, rental costs and mitigation money to assist homeowners in elevating their homes. Additionally in the 2007 flood the school system suffered as well. Estimates to replace the Vernonia K-12 school are approximately 50 million dollars. Businesses and residents generally have suffered millions of dollars in losses as well. So how much is too much? The combined total loss for the two flooding incidents in Vernonia are well over $150 million dollars, that is just in losses that have been tabulated through insurance proceeds and government expenditures.
Since flooding is likely to happen again, do we have a responsibility to stop the hemorrhaging of public money to continually rebuild a community? Do we have a responsibility to close the town? Do we as a society have a responsibility to bandage up the emotional ties the residents have to this small town and simply ask the last one out to turn off the lights? Will it take loss of life to force the debate? The residents of Vernonia love their beautiful little town and with its beautiful country setting and location near the Nehalem River it is quite breathtaking. However, the decision to live in Vernonia with the impending possibility that catastrophic flooding will again occur should not be the financial burden of taxpayers of this state or federally. Local legislation as well as congressional action needs to be implemented to force change. Change is never easy but if it saves lives and puts tax dollars to work to build not continually rebuild I believe we have an obligation to society to implement such changes.
References
Foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/story
Katu.com/news/local/78840437
Oregonlive.com/special/indes.ssf/2008/02/floodraveged_vernonia_faces
Oregon.gov/osp/sfm/docs/comm_ed/Annual_report
Withgott, J., & Bennan, S. (2010) Environment: The Science Behind the Stories (4th ed.) New
York. Pearson Benjamin Cummings. ISBN: 13: 978-0-321-71534--0
PHS 100 A
Instructor Dr. T.
Warner Pacific College
June 23, 2011
Natural disasters happen every where every day. Some are relatively small in comparison to others. Some of us never hear or read about small local disasters and our attention is generally only drawn to those disasters that make the national or world news. Big or small, national or worldwide natural disasters that gain the most focus are always those in which there is a human element, loss of life and or loss of property. Who pays for these losses? Big or small, natural disasters or disasters created by man, what is the bottom line?
Often coupled with acts of God, we as human beings make decisions about where we live and in the wake of those decisions we often put ourselves in a position that poses a risk to life and property. Should our government pay for these choices? Should we as taxpayers pay to rebuild communities that are hit time and time again with the same type of disaster? Vernonia, Oregon is one such example. Located in Columbia County approximately 40 miles north or Portland, Vernonia, Oregon has faced this dilemma several times in the last decade. In 1996 and again in 2007 the small sleepy town of 2,500 has been devastated by flooding. The two incidents have cost the city of Vernonia over a million dollars in infrastructure losses and loss of property values of over 30 million dollars. FEMA has spent over 10 million dollars in the two flooding incidents combined spending has been focused on housing repairs, rental costs and mitigation money to assist homeowners in elevating their homes. Additionally in the 2007 flood the school system suffered as well. Estimates to replace the Vernonia K-12 school are approximately 50 million dollars. Businesses and residents generally have suffered millions of dollars in losses as well. So how much is too much? The combined total loss for the two flooding incidents in Vernonia are well over $150 million dollars, that is just in losses that have been tabulated through insurance proceeds and government expenditures.
Since flooding is likely to happen again, do we have a responsibility to stop the hemorrhaging of public money to continually rebuild a community? Do we have a responsibility to close the town? Do we as a society have a responsibility to bandage up the emotional ties the residents have to this small town and simply ask the last one out to turn off the lights? Will it take loss of life to force the debate? The residents of Vernonia love their beautiful little town and with its beautiful country setting and location near the Nehalem River it is quite breathtaking. However, the decision to live in Vernonia with the impending possibility that catastrophic flooding will again occur should not be the financial burden of taxpayers of this state or federally. Local legislation as well as congressional action needs to be implemented to force change. Change is never easy but if it saves lives and puts tax dollars to work to build not continually rebuild I believe we have an obligation to society to implement such changes.
References
Foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/story
Katu.com/news/local/78840437
Oregonlive.com/special/indes.ssf/2008/02/floodraveged_vernonia_faces
Oregon.gov/osp/sfm/docs/comm_ed/Annual_report
Withgott, J., & Bennan, S. (2010) Environment: The Science Behind the Stories (4th ed.) New
York. Pearson Benjamin Cummings. ISBN: 13: 978-0-321-71534--0
Natural Hazards by Melissa Conlon
Environmental Science
Dr. T
Warner Pacific College
June 23, 2011
In today’s society we have taken over much of what used to be unused land, and natural resources, with sky rises, houses, businesses, farms, schools, and roads, much of which can be wiped out in an instance, leaving people dead, maimed or suffering without shelter, food or clean water. Our scientists and government in recent incidences have become aware creating policies, and organizations to help in lieu of such disasters.
The geoscience and natural hazards policy reads: “The Geological Society of America (GSA) urges scientists, policy makers, and the public to work together to reduce our vulnerability to natural hazards. GSA strongly supports government investment in research, monitoring, and outreach programs to better characterize the nature and distribution of natural hazards and their impacts on modern society, to increase hazards awareness, and to enlist the resources of the private sector. Geoscientists must effectively communicate and integrate their research and monitoring results into functional public policy, reach out to the private sector to find mutually beneficial common ground, and work to integrate geoscience into scientifically sound educational programs at all levels.
(1) Encourages increased public and private investments to reduce natural hazards vulnerability through better understanding of geologic processes.
(2) Emphasizes the crucial role of geoscience education and outreach in broadening the public’s understanding of their risk from natural hazards and the available options to reduce risk.
(3) Promotes active participation of geoscientists in implementing public policy that will improve society’s resilience to natural hazards.” (2005, October)
Because natural hazards are a very large part of our everyday lives as we continue to build bigger cities and have more children putting more stress on earth’s boundaries, we as a society should be very aware that one earth quake, tornado, tsunami, volcano or any other sort of hazard may only be hours or days away.
Our homes, businesses, and lives are made of things that can be destroyed in an instant. Yet, we live day to day thinking the things we see in Japan for instance, yet tragic will never happen to us. Yet, the possibility of it happening to us is greater than we think. Look at Portland Oregon for instance or the west coast in general. We are surrounded by water, tree’s and mountains, which at anytime could be disastrous. We live here because we love it, love the scenery, love the ocean and the mountains, but those things could also kill us and take everything we have built for ourselves.
Everyone from the government agencies such as FEMA and NOAA’s National Tsunami Hazards Mitigation Program to you and I need to become more away of what we can do if and when a natural disaster hits our area. Being prepared saves lives. Along with land use programs that maintain the proper use of the right levies, land use and volcano boundaries. We may not be able to predict or prevent a natural disaster from happening but we sure can lighten the effects it has on our lives and society but taking the steps now that our scientist and agencies are suggesting.
Reference Page:
Geoscience and Natural Hazards Policy . (2005, October). Retrieved June 21, 2011, from The Geological Society of America website: http://www.geosociety.org/positions/position6.htm
Dr. T
Warner Pacific College
June 23, 2011
In today’s society we have taken over much of what used to be unused land, and natural resources, with sky rises, houses, businesses, farms, schools, and roads, much of which can be wiped out in an instance, leaving people dead, maimed or suffering without shelter, food or clean water. Our scientists and government in recent incidences have become aware creating policies, and organizations to help in lieu of such disasters.
The geoscience and natural hazards policy reads: “The Geological Society of America (GSA) urges scientists, policy makers, and the public to work together to reduce our vulnerability to natural hazards. GSA strongly supports government investment in research, monitoring, and outreach programs to better characterize the nature and distribution of natural hazards and their impacts on modern society, to increase hazards awareness, and to enlist the resources of the private sector. Geoscientists must effectively communicate and integrate their research and monitoring results into functional public policy, reach out to the private sector to find mutually beneficial common ground, and work to integrate geoscience into scientifically sound educational programs at all levels.
(1) Encourages increased public and private investments to reduce natural hazards vulnerability through better understanding of geologic processes.
(2) Emphasizes the crucial role of geoscience education and outreach in broadening the public’s understanding of their risk from natural hazards and the available options to reduce risk.
(3) Promotes active participation of geoscientists in implementing public policy that will improve society’s resilience to natural hazards.” (2005, October)
Because natural hazards are a very large part of our everyday lives as we continue to build bigger cities and have more children putting more stress on earth’s boundaries, we as a society should be very aware that one earth quake, tornado, tsunami, volcano or any other sort of hazard may only be hours or days away.
Our homes, businesses, and lives are made of things that can be destroyed in an instant. Yet, we live day to day thinking the things we see in Japan for instance, yet tragic will never happen to us. Yet, the possibility of it happening to us is greater than we think. Look at Portland Oregon for instance or the west coast in general. We are surrounded by water, tree’s and mountains, which at anytime could be disastrous. We live here because we love it, love the scenery, love the ocean and the mountains, but those things could also kill us and take everything we have built for ourselves.
Everyone from the government agencies such as FEMA and NOAA’s National Tsunami Hazards Mitigation Program to you and I need to become more away of what we can do if and when a natural disaster hits our area. Being prepared saves lives. Along with land use programs that maintain the proper use of the right levies, land use and volcano boundaries. We may not be able to predict or prevent a natural disaster from happening but we sure can lighten the effects it has on our lives and society but taking the steps now that our scientist and agencies are suggesting.
Reference Page:
Geoscience and Natural Hazards Policy . (2005, October). Retrieved June 21, 2011, from The Geological Society of America website: http://www.geosociety.org/positions/position6.htm
Natural Disasters by Leanne Clark
Warner Pacific College
June 23, 2011
Throughout the ages, man has attempted to prepare for the wrath of Mother Nature. However, our best preparation as humans can scarcely match the great force of the element with God’s hand behind them.
In the United States our governmental agency in charge of spearheading disaster relief efforts is FEMA or Federal Emergency Management Agency. This agency is in charge of many things. At the forefront of the FEMA mission is to minimize the loss of life and economic damages incurred from a natural disaster. Beyond this creed, development of safety codes, response to need and training of local authorities in how to respond to the needs of civilians are some others.
While FEMA and local agencies can plan and train infinitum, nothing can protect us from our own under estimation of nature, and the scope of a projected disaster. Additionally, planning, codes and training do not necessarily ensure a smooth implementation in the face of chaos and panic.
An example of this statement can be found in the black eye received by FEMA from it’s response to the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. Over the course of the weeks following the hurricane landing of the coast of Louisiana, FEMA director and chiefs failed to communicate with the scores of private and local governmental agencies who stood idly by waiting for permission to bring in needed supplies and evacuate the mounting number of desperate, homeless refugees. Regardless of the plans in place, and the epic disaster at hand, our government failed to execute relief on even the most basic levels. (Homeland Security, 2006)
In the face of natural and man made disaster, perhaps our greatest strength lies in our resiliency as a nation and the kindness of strangers. Time and time again, stories of recovery efforts are threaded with the efforts of grass roots relief.
Churches, humanitarian groups and individuals come. Like the stream of doctors and nurses seen walking to the World Trade Centers on September 11, 2001, these men and women rebuild cities and lives. Many times the smaller groups meet needs and aid in survival where larger governmental agencies fail to even see the outstretched hand.
On a personal basis, I have a business client whose entire business portfolio lies in the tornado stricken city of Tuscaloosa, AL. Suffering a complete loss to one of his business locations, the loss of 8 rental homes and the death of tenants, I listened intently to his recount of that terrible week. As I listened, I thanked God to live in a place such as Oregon, mild in weather and climate.
While I have not taken part in weather related natural disasters, I do actively participate in what I consider to be one our greatest man made disasters, that being the epic proportion of substance addicted people, young and old. While this topic may not seem on the surface to rival such things as fishing boats left in the middle of the highway, or a town flattened, it certainly does leave wreckage and havoc at every turn in its path.
Again, where the federal and local governments have failed, small numbers of groups and individuals intervene in the face of need.
Clearly, disaster comes in all forms and there are no race or age lines drawn in those affected. We cannot stop all of the pain and suffering that has, or ever will happen from these problems. But, one individual at a time, we can make a difference.
References
CNN (2006). Katrina response “A failure of leadership”. Retrieved on June 20, 2011 from
http://articles.cnn.com/2006-02-13/politics/katrina.congress_1_katrina-response-national-emergency-management-association-homeland-security?_s=PM:POLITICS
June 23, 2011
Throughout the ages, man has attempted to prepare for the wrath of Mother Nature. However, our best preparation as humans can scarcely match the great force of the element with God’s hand behind them.
In the United States our governmental agency in charge of spearheading disaster relief efforts is FEMA or Federal Emergency Management Agency. This agency is in charge of many things. At the forefront of the FEMA mission is to minimize the loss of life and economic damages incurred from a natural disaster. Beyond this creed, development of safety codes, response to need and training of local authorities in how to respond to the needs of civilians are some others.
While FEMA and local agencies can plan and train infinitum, nothing can protect us from our own under estimation of nature, and the scope of a projected disaster. Additionally, planning, codes and training do not necessarily ensure a smooth implementation in the face of chaos and panic.
An example of this statement can be found in the black eye received by FEMA from it’s response to the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. Over the course of the weeks following the hurricane landing of the coast of Louisiana, FEMA director and chiefs failed to communicate with the scores of private and local governmental agencies who stood idly by waiting for permission to bring in needed supplies and evacuate the mounting number of desperate, homeless refugees. Regardless of the plans in place, and the epic disaster at hand, our government failed to execute relief on even the most basic levels. (Homeland Security, 2006)
In the face of natural and man made disaster, perhaps our greatest strength lies in our resiliency as a nation and the kindness of strangers. Time and time again, stories of recovery efforts are threaded with the efforts of grass roots relief.
Churches, humanitarian groups and individuals come. Like the stream of doctors and nurses seen walking to the World Trade Centers on September 11, 2001, these men and women rebuild cities and lives. Many times the smaller groups meet needs and aid in survival where larger governmental agencies fail to even see the outstretched hand.
On a personal basis, I have a business client whose entire business portfolio lies in the tornado stricken city of Tuscaloosa, AL. Suffering a complete loss to one of his business locations, the loss of 8 rental homes and the death of tenants, I listened intently to his recount of that terrible week. As I listened, I thanked God to live in a place such as Oregon, mild in weather and climate.
While I have not taken part in weather related natural disasters, I do actively participate in what I consider to be one our greatest man made disasters, that being the epic proportion of substance addicted people, young and old. While this topic may not seem on the surface to rival such things as fishing boats left in the middle of the highway, or a town flattened, it certainly does leave wreckage and havoc at every turn in its path.
Again, where the federal and local governments have failed, small numbers of groups and individuals intervene in the face of need.
Clearly, disaster comes in all forms and there are no race or age lines drawn in those affected. We cannot stop all of the pain and suffering that has, or ever will happen from these problems. But, one individual at a time, we can make a difference.
References
CNN (2006). Katrina response “A failure of leadership”. Retrieved on June 20, 2011 from
http://articles.cnn.com/2006-02-13/politics/katrina.congress_1_katrina-response-national-emergency-management-association-homeland-security?_s=PM:POLITICS
The Joplin MO tornado by Angie Avey
The Joplin, MO tornado’s effect on the environment & its inhabitants
Angela Avey
PHS 100A
Dr. David Terrell
Warner Pacific College
June 23, 2011
The Joplin, MO tornado’s effect on the environment & its inhabitants
Exactly one month ago tonight, a simultaneously miraculous and devastatingly horrific tornado touched down in the city of Joplin, Missouri. Described as an EF-5 (enhanced Fujita scale) tornado, it is the most feared and respected atmospheric storm result possible. Although the city of Joplin had been issued a tornado warning 20 plus minutes before it struck, the tornado’s swift power and unwavering journey through the city proves just how vulnerable society is when it comes to natural hazards.
The Midwestern states in North America are not strangers to dangerous storms. The infamous “Tornado Alley” is situated not far from Joplin, (although interestingly, Missouri is not systematically listed in Tornado Alley) spanning parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, eastern Colorado and western Iowa. It is named Tornado Alley for its consistent seasonal activity which includes frequently strong and violent tornados. Before May 22, 2011, Joplin had experienced mild funnels during heavy thunderstorms and hail but this was like nothing anyone there had every witnessed before.
I first heard about this disaster on that Sunday evening as I was studying. I received a breaking news email alert from CNN.com that a large twister had damaged some of the city of Joplin. I was concerned as I have a very dear friend living in Missouri and I was not sure how close she was to the city. I sent a text to check on her & her family and while waiting for a reply, turned on the television and saw the news flash “One-third of the city is GONE”… I could not believe it. I was able to reach my friend and she was okay, having been about one hundred miles away when the tornado touched down. She was still under a tornado watch though, so we reassured each other that she’d be alright. Her thoughts then turned to family and friends in the Joplin area, who I am very glad to say, were found alive and well with very minor injuries but some loss of property.
In the weeks that have passed since that night, people continue to pass away from their storm-related injuries. The death toll currently stands at 156 people, most of who were trying to find shelter in their homes as the storm approached. Many others were caught as they drove home from graduation celebrations and evening church gatherings. By many estimates, several hundred family pets were also killed or simply blown away by the twister. The fact that anything or anyone was able to survive a tornado of that magnitude is a miracle. An Enhanced Fujita scale 5 storm is estimated to have wind speeds upwards of 261 to 318 miles per hour! At this level of great force and energy release, trees are uprooted, debarked and splintered, creating deadly debris when unleashed by the swirling funnel. In Joplin, trees that once lined beautiful neighborhood streets are now strewn about in all areas of the city. Countless debris now litters the streets and empty lots which once held apartment buildings and family homes. Over 8,000 buildings were destroyed during the tornado, accounting for almost one-third of the buildings which serve the community of 51,500 citizens. One of the symbols of the tornado has been the St. John’s Regional Medical Center, which was directly hit by the tornado resulting in several deaths as well as the complete loss of the top two floors of the hospital. X-ray slides were found the next morning in streets and driveways nearly 70 miles from Joplin. The sheer force of the storm is almost inconceivable.
While it has been hard for me to understand & accept the full scale of the disaster and the loss of life, I am also encouraged and heartened by the resilience and hope that the survivors of this storm possess. If anything is to be learned and appreciated, it is that even when we are dealt unimaginable difficulties in our environment, the human spirit’s determination to push on can help us all pull together in time of crisis.
References
Hart, J. (2011, June 22). Joplin death toll climbs to 156. Kansas City Star. Retrieved from http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/22/2968281/joplin-death-toll-climbs-to-156.html
Judy, C. (2011, May 27). An inability to tell too much: Joplin tornado timeline. Cliff’s Notes. Retrieved from http://cliffjudy.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/an-inability-to-tell-too-much-joplin-tornado-timeline/
Stelter, B. & Sulzberger, A.G. (2011, May 23). A rush to protect patients, then bloody chaos. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/us/24tornado.html
Tarp, K. (2001, October 8). Clues from climatology: When and where do tornadoes occur? NOAA Research. Retrieved from http://www.oar.noaa.gov/spotlite/archive/spot_climatology.html
Angela Avey
PHS 100A
Dr. David Terrell
Warner Pacific College
June 23, 2011
The Joplin, MO tornado’s effect on the environment & its inhabitants
Exactly one month ago tonight, a simultaneously miraculous and devastatingly horrific tornado touched down in the city of Joplin, Missouri. Described as an EF-5 (enhanced Fujita scale) tornado, it is the most feared and respected atmospheric storm result possible. Although the city of Joplin had been issued a tornado warning 20 plus minutes before it struck, the tornado’s swift power and unwavering journey through the city proves just how vulnerable society is when it comes to natural hazards.
The Midwestern states in North America are not strangers to dangerous storms. The infamous “Tornado Alley” is situated not far from Joplin, (although interestingly, Missouri is not systematically listed in Tornado Alley) spanning parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, eastern Colorado and western Iowa. It is named Tornado Alley for its consistent seasonal activity which includes frequently strong and violent tornados. Before May 22, 2011, Joplin had experienced mild funnels during heavy thunderstorms and hail but this was like nothing anyone there had every witnessed before.
I first heard about this disaster on that Sunday evening as I was studying. I received a breaking news email alert from CNN.com that a large twister had damaged some of the city of Joplin. I was concerned as I have a very dear friend living in Missouri and I was not sure how close she was to the city. I sent a text to check on her & her family and while waiting for a reply, turned on the television and saw the news flash “One-third of the city is GONE”… I could not believe it. I was able to reach my friend and she was okay, having been about one hundred miles away when the tornado touched down. She was still under a tornado watch though, so we reassured each other that she’d be alright. Her thoughts then turned to family and friends in the Joplin area, who I am very glad to say, were found alive and well with very minor injuries but some loss of property.
In the weeks that have passed since that night, people continue to pass away from their storm-related injuries. The death toll currently stands at 156 people, most of who were trying to find shelter in their homes as the storm approached. Many others were caught as they drove home from graduation celebrations and evening church gatherings. By many estimates, several hundred family pets were also killed or simply blown away by the twister. The fact that anything or anyone was able to survive a tornado of that magnitude is a miracle. An Enhanced Fujita scale 5 storm is estimated to have wind speeds upwards of 261 to 318 miles per hour! At this level of great force and energy release, trees are uprooted, debarked and splintered, creating deadly debris when unleashed by the swirling funnel. In Joplin, trees that once lined beautiful neighborhood streets are now strewn about in all areas of the city. Countless debris now litters the streets and empty lots which once held apartment buildings and family homes. Over 8,000 buildings were destroyed during the tornado, accounting for almost one-third of the buildings which serve the community of 51,500 citizens. One of the symbols of the tornado has been the St. John’s Regional Medical Center, which was directly hit by the tornado resulting in several deaths as well as the complete loss of the top two floors of the hospital. X-ray slides were found the next morning in streets and driveways nearly 70 miles from Joplin. The sheer force of the storm is almost inconceivable.
While it has been hard for me to understand & accept the full scale of the disaster and the loss of life, I am also encouraged and heartened by the resilience and hope that the survivors of this storm possess. If anything is to be learned and appreciated, it is that even when we are dealt unimaginable difficulties in our environment, the human spirit’s determination to push on can help us all pull together in time of crisis.
References
Hart, J. (2011, June 22). Joplin death toll climbs to 156. Kansas City Star. Retrieved from http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/22/2968281/joplin-death-toll-climbs-to-156.html
Judy, C. (2011, May 27). An inability to tell too much: Joplin tornado timeline. Cliff’s Notes. Retrieved from http://cliffjudy.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/an-inability-to-tell-too-much-joplin-tornado-timeline/
Stelter, B. & Sulzberger, A.G. (2011, May 23). A rush to protect patients, then bloody chaos. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/us/24tornado.html
Tarp, K. (2001, October 8). Clues from climatology: When and where do tornadoes occur? NOAA Research. Retrieved from http://www.oar.noaa.gov/spotlite/archive/spot_climatology.html
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
FEMA by Grayce Reed
Grayce Reed
FEMA
Environmental Science 100
Warner Pacific College
June 21, 2011
When I think about FEMA, I think about what happened on August 5, 2005. When hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and the levee in New Orleans went tumbling down, it reminds me of how much we are at the mercy of the Lord and then our federal government agency to protect when a natural disaster occurs. People waited on relief efforts to aid them in their hours of need. As we, all seen on that devastating morning there was no relief efforts on the part of FEMA until it became a national media circus.
Nearly six years have passed since Hurricane Katrina drowned New Orleans in misery, but many residents have not forgiven the Federal Emergency Management Agency for its sluggish response to the storm. Now another delayed reaction by FEMA – a stop-and-start push to recoup millions of dollars in disaster aid – is reminding storm victims why they often cursed the agencies name (internet citing 1). As a new hurricane season begins Wednesday, FEMA is working to determine how much money it overpaid or mistakenly awarded to victims of the destructive 2005 hurricane season.
The agency is reviewing more than $600 million given to roughly 154,000 victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma and is poised to demand that some return money (internet citing 1). FEMA's attempts to collect Katrina and Rita overpayments already have sputtered once. Residents who lost homes filed a class-action lawsuit in 2007 challenging the denial of their housing aid and the recoupment process. The lawsuit argued that FEMA's debt collection efforts were full of errors, based on vague standards and without hearings that would ensure fair treatment.
“Under our current leadership, strong protections have been put in place to greatly reduce the error rate of improper disaster payments," Racusen said in a statement. The agency said it has slashed its error rate involving disaster payments from 14.5 percent after Katrina to about 3 percent in 2009 (Internet citing 1). FEMA says it is bound by law to try to collect improper payments, but lawmakers have sponsored legislation that would authorize the agency to waive debts if they resulted from an error by FEMA. A Senate committee approved the bill Thursday. No vote by the full Senate has been scheduled. Diane Ridgley, 56, a plaintiff in the 2007 lawsuit, recalled getting a letter from FEMA demanding repayment of nearly $17,000, money she used to replace personal belongings and pay for rent after Katrina destroyed her New Orleans duplex. FEMA told her she should have been ineligible because she listed a family friend with whom she evacuated – but did not live – as a member of her household on her application (Internet citing 1).
Since FEMA has become part of the Department of Homeland Security, it has been a struggle. Funds have been raided, staff has been transferred into other DHS functions without being replaced, slowdowns because of added layers of bureaucracy for nearly all functions have dramatically increased, and there is the constant threat of reprogramming appropriated funds (Internet citing 2).
When it is all said and done, we will look back on this unjust and inhumane treatment of people and think as a nation what would God say and do. We will then begin to change and see that all of us are equal because we never know when such a terrible disaster could happen to us
References:
Kunzel, M. & Foley, R. (2011). FEMA TO DEMAND THAT HURRICANE VICTIMS RETURN
AID MONEY.
http://www.huffingonpost.com/2011/06/01/fema-to-demand-that-hurri_n_869584html
Hurricane-Katrina: FEMA
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Hurricane_Katrina:_FEMA
FEMA
Environmental Science 100
Warner Pacific College
June 21, 2011
When I think about FEMA, I think about what happened on August 5, 2005. When hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and the levee in New Orleans went tumbling down, it reminds me of how much we are at the mercy of the Lord and then our federal government agency to protect when a natural disaster occurs. People waited on relief efforts to aid them in their hours of need. As we, all seen on that devastating morning there was no relief efforts on the part of FEMA until it became a national media circus.
Nearly six years have passed since Hurricane Katrina drowned New Orleans in misery, but many residents have not forgiven the Federal Emergency Management Agency for its sluggish response to the storm. Now another delayed reaction by FEMA – a stop-and-start push to recoup millions of dollars in disaster aid – is reminding storm victims why they often cursed the agencies name (internet citing 1). As a new hurricane season begins Wednesday, FEMA is working to determine how much money it overpaid or mistakenly awarded to victims of the destructive 2005 hurricane season.
The agency is reviewing more than $600 million given to roughly 154,000 victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma and is poised to demand that some return money (internet citing 1). FEMA's attempts to collect Katrina and Rita overpayments already have sputtered once. Residents who lost homes filed a class-action lawsuit in 2007 challenging the denial of their housing aid and the recoupment process. The lawsuit argued that FEMA's debt collection efforts were full of errors, based on vague standards and without hearings that would ensure fair treatment.
“Under our current leadership, strong protections have been put in place to greatly reduce the error rate of improper disaster payments," Racusen said in a statement. The agency said it has slashed its error rate involving disaster payments from 14.5 percent after Katrina to about 3 percent in 2009 (Internet citing 1). FEMA says it is bound by law to try to collect improper payments, but lawmakers have sponsored legislation that would authorize the agency to waive debts if they resulted from an error by FEMA. A Senate committee approved the bill Thursday. No vote by the full Senate has been scheduled. Diane Ridgley, 56, a plaintiff in the 2007 lawsuit, recalled getting a letter from FEMA demanding repayment of nearly $17,000, money she used to replace personal belongings and pay for rent after Katrina destroyed her New Orleans duplex. FEMA told her she should have been ineligible because she listed a family friend with whom she evacuated – but did not live – as a member of her household on her application (Internet citing 1).
Since FEMA has become part of the Department of Homeland Security, it has been a struggle. Funds have been raided, staff has been transferred into other DHS functions without being replaced, slowdowns because of added layers of bureaucracy for nearly all functions have dramatically increased, and there is the constant threat of reprogramming appropriated funds (Internet citing 2).
When it is all said and done, we will look back on this unjust and inhumane treatment of people and think as a nation what would God say and do. We will then begin to change and see that all of us are equal because we never know when such a terrible disaster could happen to us
References:
Kunzel, M. & Foley, R. (2011). FEMA TO DEMAND THAT HURRICANE VICTIMS RETURN
AID MONEY.
http://www.huffingonpost.com/2011/06/01/fema-to-demand-that-hurri_n_869584html
Hurricane-Katrina: FEMA
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Hurricane_Katrina:_FEMA
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