West Virginia Floods 2016 & Hurricane Maria 2017: Disaster Analysis & Mitigation - Essay Sample

Introduction

Disasters are frequent in every part of the world. They occur repeatedly and with no warning, thereby calling for the local, state and international bodies to be prepared disaster mitigation efforts to reduce catastrophic events. Disaster analysis is critically essential as it enables the study and examination of previous devastating events to prevent the devastating impact of the loss of properties and life. Therefore, the paper analysis the West Virginia Floods 2016, the Hurricane Maria 2017, and the California Wildfires 2018 and comparing and contrasting these three events in light of their impact, participating organizations and the role played by the local, state or national organization in response to the disaster.

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The West Virginia floods that occurred on the 23rd of June 2016 had the tremendous effect of destroying homes, public utilities and killing over 23 people. The destruction of properties such as roads, houses and communication lines as a result of the flooding ensured that several thousand people were stranded. Additionally, Kanawha River suppressed its channel breaking and spilling over leading to the destruction and closure of the bridges connecting the western regions of Charleston. As a mitigation effort, the law enforcement units, the National Guards, as well as the firefighters, put a joint rescue mission in a place where they were saving people stranded on roofs of buildings and vehicles using boats and helicopters.

Hurricane Maria is another catastrophic disaster that hit the Puerto Rico area between 16th of September and the 2nd of October of 2017. According to an article by Meyer (2017), in The Atlantic, the disaster which ranks at category 5 of the hurricane resulted in approximately 3060 fatalities. The devastating effects of Hurricane Maria resulted from the Irma-level winds which, together with the Harvey-level floods destroyed communication lines, buildings and other utilities. It also damaged dams leading to catastrophic results to the communities residing on the downside of the dams. The communities affected by the events of Hurricane Maria termed the events of the hurricane as “apocalyptic” with little significant help from the government (Narayan, 2017). The humanitarian crisis caused by the effects of the hurricane called for the joint efforts of the state and federal government resources to enable the search and rescue missions. The Department of Defense, the National and Global Charities and the law enforcement were some of the groups that worked together to help individuals affected by the hurricane.

The California Wildfires of November 2018 is another significantly catastrophic severe event. It is the most historical wildfire in the history of the State of California. According to Irfan (2018), the California fires led to massive destruction of properties. Over 11,000 residents were complete mess following this wildfires. Additionally, more than 77 people lost their lives. Those who died as a result of the fire were both the civilians and the firefighters battling the disaster. Irfan (2018), states that about six firefighters from California died as a result of this fire. There have been numerous myths and speculations as to what caused the California wildfires. Global warming, increased accumulation of the natural gases and a series of atmospheric conditions are the primary cause and contributing factors to the California fires (Romero, 2019).

Several elements are available for comparing and contrasting the three disastrous and catastrophic events. First, all the three disasters are severe catastrophes that led to the destruction of lots of properties as well as the loss of life. The floods caused at least 23 deaths, the hurricane over 3060 and the wildfire claimed approximately 80 lives (Pérez-Peña, 2016; Narayan, 2017; Irfan, 2018). Additionally, all three led to the destruction of public infrastructure and residential areas. The destruction of homes and communication lines including roads and bridges meant that people would spend nights in either shopping malls as in the case of the floods or out in the cold as in the case of the hurricane and the wildfires.

The emergency response teams and organizations responded differently in the three situations. In the case of the floods in West Virginia, the response was fast with firefighters, National Guides and the law enforcement providing rescue and search services. Most of the people remained on the tops of buildings and vehicles, making it easier for the rescue missions. Additionally, the floods lasted for a short period in comparison to the hurricane, making the rescue mission fast and less involving. Hurricane Maria involved massive destruction of properties and displacement of several people. It also covered a broader region of Puerto Rico, making it tedious and involving. The fact that the hurricane lasted for an extensive period increased the level of destructions and casualties (Meyer, 2017). It thus required a considerable resource to provide the much-needed help to the affected people. As a result, both the state, national and international organization joined hand in the provision of assistance. In the case of California’s wildfires, both the locals, state and federal disaster response organizations participated in the provision of help (Irfan, 2018). However, the local’s participation in combating the fires was cited as a contributing factor to the spread of the fire worsening the situation. The public had access to vital information regarding the destruction of properties and loss of life in all three scenarios. The financial implications of West Virginia floods had an estimated value of $1.6 billion, that of Hurricane Maria was roughly $45-95 billion, and the California wildfires valued at approximately $ 80 billion (Pérez-Peña, 2016; BBC, 2017; Romero, 2019).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the three disasters are a representation of the many catastrophic events that governments both at the local, state and national level need to prepare in anticipation. There are numerous similarities and differences in the three cases. The three disasters are similar in terms of their severe effects on the destruction of properties, loss of lives and the financial implications for the mitigation measures. However, they differ in terms of the magnitude of the catastrophes and their effects. Nonetheless, immediate response in mitigation for the disasters is critically essential as it helps in cutting down the level and extent of the losses of both life and properties.

References

BBC. (2017). Hurricane Maria: Puerto Rico Facing Crisis. Retrieved on June 12, 2020, from, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41377185

Irfan, U. (2018). California’s wildfires are hardly “natural” — humans made them worse at every step. We fuel them. We build next to them. We ignite them. Retrieved on June 12, 2020, from, https://www.vox.com/2018/8/7/17661096/california-wildfires-2018-camp-woolsey-climate-change

Meyer, R. (2017).What's Happening with the Relief Effort in Puerto Rico? A timeline of the unprecedented catastrophe of Hurricane Maria. The Atlantic. Retrieved on June 12, 2020, from, https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/10/what-happened-in-puerto-rico-a-timeline-of-hurricane-maria/541956/

Narayan, C. (2017). 'Apocalyptic' devastation in Puerto Rico, and little help in sight. CNN. Retrieved on June 12, 2020, from, https://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/25/us/hurricane-maria-puerto-rico/index.html

Pérez-Peña, R. (2016). West Virginia Floods Cause 23 Deaths and Vast Wreckage. The New York Times. Retrieved on June 12, 2020, from, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/us/west-virginia-floods.html

Romero, D. (2019). California had Nation’s Wildfire Season in 2018. Retrieved on June 12, 2020, from, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-had-nation-s-worst-fire-season-2018-n981431