48
2016
( - يونيو
373
العدد )
الجمعية الكويتيه لحماية البيئة
البيئة
أخبار الجمعية
Awareness
make sure of access to the right
data. When disasters occur,
many streams of information
can quickly overwhelm a
recipient. Think of lots of
musical notes played in no
particular order: banging
fingers on the keyboard of a
piano is using notes, but not
playing them in an orderly
sequence is just noise that
provides no pleasure and has
no purpose. Playing notes in a
particular order using certain
notes at certain times creates
a meaning and provides the
pleasure that we call music.
The process of establishing
order and pleasure and value
in data acquisition is called
developing essential elements
of information. This orderly
process of seeking specific data
for analysis is the process of
turning noise into music. We
can tell from our collective
experience that certain pieces
of information are more
important and helpful than
others. Our task is to define
what those important pieces
of information are and then
develop a process to ensure
we collect them—that is,
developing essential elements
of information.
On October 22, 2012, the New
Jersey Office of Emergency
Management began full-
time staffing operations in
preparation for the potential
strike of Hurricane Sandy. The
immediate process initiated
was to conduct analysis to
determine the what, the so
what, and the what’s next of
the situation. This process of
analysis involved examining a
variety of information sources
to assess the potential impact
of the hurricane on New Jersey.
Understand the Threat
Understanding the threat is
important when conducting
analysis. Cyclones are among
the deadliest and costliest
natural disasters. In a list of
the top 10 deadliest natural
disasters in the world, cyclones
tally two incidents with nearly
800,00 total deaths. In the
United States, 6 of the 10 most
costly natural disasters were
cyclone incidents totaling
US$326 billion
Due to the severity of
a cyclone, emergency
management and civil defense
agencies confront myriad
challenges when preparing for
and responding to a cyclonic
strike. Cyclonic incidents
present three primary methods
for death and destruction:
• Storm surge is an abnormal
rise of water above historic and
predicted astronomical tides.
During Hurricane Ike (2008),
the surge moved inland nearly
30 miles in some locations
in southeastern Texas and
southwestern Louisiana.
Hurricane Katrina Storm
Surge
Before Hurricane Katrina (l.);
after Hurricane Katrina (r.)
• Change in air pressure
between intense low-pressure
systems associated with
cyclonic activity creates
dangerous high winds. The
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane
Wind Scale rates hurricanes
from 1 (less intense sustained
wind speed) to 5 (more intense
sustained wind speed) and
is one means of estimating
potential property damage.
Hurricanes reaching Category
3 and higher are considered
major hurricanes because of
their potential for significant
loss of life and damage.
Category 1 and 2 storms are
still dangerous, however, and
require preventative measures.
• Flooding is caused by heavy
rains associated with cyclonic
systems. Rainfall is typically
heaviest in proximity to the
cyclone center and in advance
of the eyewall rather than
after its passage. Usually,
the heaviest rainfall and the
strongest winds are associated
in the right front quadrant of a
Jim Weldin
