Vocal Voices

As the hurricane blasts through the Caribbean and causes devastation to so many, I am reminded that Trumps team did their very best to shut down the climate science which predicts exactly this kind of consequence.

As the climate warms the atmosphere can hold more moisture. As the climate warms the seas become much hotter but the temperature differences between the sea and the upper atmosphere also become greater.

It is the difference in temperature and pressure that drives the intensity of the storm. It is the water content of the atmosphere that drives the amount of water the hurricane drops.

Harvey caused havoc by dropping more water. Irma is causing havoc with intensity which delivers a powerful storm surge as well as very high winds.

Irma and Harvey are just a preview of what is to come in the following decades. Sadly these storms only come around every decade or so. Therefore people believe it's just chance.

I feel so sorry for those caught out in Irma Today. However I feel sorry, in anticipation, for those who will have to suffer much worse in the decades to come.

I think the majority view is certainly saying that climate change, specifically the rise in oceanic water temperature, is increasing the ferocity of the seasonal hurricanes. The Caribbean islands will have to look at how they rebuild their infrastructure to cope with these storms.

OK. I'll bite.

The other day I mentioned Harvey with regards to petrol, flooding etc. Nobody seemed bothered.

Well, why should they be? Harvey was described by Texan politicians as a "once in 500 year event". The fact that it came just 13 years after the previous "once in 500 year event" gives them a nice breathing space of about 487 years. Get the flags out.

What's that? Irma is following a similar pattern! That can't be right, it's been less than a month!

Then there's Jose, and nobody knows what gifts he will bring.

I have advised my two children on how to prepare for the long periods of self-sufficiency they are likely live with. M(B)illions of others will suffer badly.

I do wonder why so many houses in Florida seem to be built of wood when they get such violent storms. In poorer countries you can understand it, but there? The storms are getting worse and more frequent, for sure.

cromwell wrote:I do wonder why so many houses in Florida seem to be built of wood when they get such violent storms.

Does it go back to Pioneer days? Storm comes in, blows the town down, fell a few trees, build it again.

Step outside of Downtown or the Inner City in of a lot of places in the States and homes still tend to be built of wood or wood framed clad in brick/stone.

It could be that wood v brick/stone is quicker and cheaper.

We saw huge housing developments last year on the outskirts of Las Vegas and all were wood built.

One lot of our family in Niagara Fall NY have a of brick built house, one of the few on their very long avenue. The others all live in wooden ones.

I'm pretty sure I read once that they use wood because it's cheaper and more readily available due to the vast timber forests in North America.

My niece and her family live on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, and they have already had to
vacate their home and move to a another part of the USA, as the hurricane is expected to come
their way again, as one did last year, when their brick-built house was seriously damaged, and
they have only recently had it repaired. They used to live in South Dakota, but wanted to relocate
somewhere warmer.

I hope they stay safe Aggers.

Yes, it makes sense about the cheaper wood and the faster builds. But if we really are going to get these mega storms every other year then some thought surely has to go into building more resilient houses?

I know someone in Palatka, Florida. They lost power 7 hours sine. Still getting high winds.