Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy, or Frankenstorm as it is being called in the media, has passed Cuba and Haiti and is making its way up the east coast of the United States. According to researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, hurricane Sandy is on route to have wind speeds rivaling a category 4 hurricane. Predictions of the danger that Sandy may bring include: up to 12 inches of rain affecting the coast and a chance of heavy (up to two feet) snowfall inland (like Virginia). Tropical storm-force winds that extend 650 miles and possibly 4-8 feet of storm surges in Delaware Bay and Long Island, New York are more worries associated with this storm. This sounds like more than your average storm, that's because it is. Most hurricanes bring only a few of these elements like strong winds and heavy rains. But this storm is unique because of the many different variables affecting it. One of those variables is that of the current full moon. This full moon raises sea levels and added with heavy rainfall makes for a large increase in the risk of flooding. This is a growing concern in New York because of their extensive subway system. Another factor is the high-pressure system currently around Greenland. This high-pressure system prevents Sandy from moving north and west away from the coast, and instead is being forced inward. Yet another problem associated with Sandy, is the cold front moving in from the northwest. If the precipitation from hurricane Sandy reaches far enough inland and mixes with this cold front the result would be extremely heavy snowfall. Large amounts of snowfall have left people without power for weeks, and trapped others inside their homes. The dangers from snow are seemingly endless and are a big concern for states like Virginia and North Carolina.

This storm is a good example of the Swiss Cheese model of environmental hazards. This model demonstrates the way in which a natural storm can become unnaturally dangerous. This model in effect means that once something goes wrong, more things will continue to go wrong. In this case, a hurricane is heading for the eastern coast. This by itself is normally not a dangerous situation. Add in a cold front bringing a chance of snow, and the problem gets worse. Again we can add in more trouble, such as a high-pressure system that will keep the hurricane over the coast longer and that gives us yet another problem. 

This storm had passed over Cuba and Haiti before it had reached the United States. In Cuba only 11 people died which was the result of collapsing buildings. Haiti on the other hand lost 44 lives due to flooding. There seems to be a correlation to the number of deaths of these two countries and their development as a nation. Cuba, which had the advantage of forecasting and early warning systems, was able to deliver the message to the people. Haiti, with less developed systems for communicating warnings, lost people to flooding, which is a rapid onset hazard. Had they had warning in advance, those deaths might have been avoided. 

The states that are expecting Sandy to reach them have already taken mitigating efforts. Parts of New York and New Jersey have order evacuations due to flooding, as well as many other evacuations being ordered for various other concerns. New York City has been trying to better seal the subway systems to keep out the flooding waters. There are meteorologists and many other people constant tracking this storm, making sure that no surprises occur over night. 

Source Articles: 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/27/us-storm-sandy-hurricane-idUSBRE89N16J20121027

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/27/hurricane-sandy-frankenstorm-threatens-east-coast_n_2031403.html#slide=1693357