Bangladesh, constantly subject to devastating floods, suffered its worst flooding in 40 years in 2017, according to the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. Conclusion After the smoke haze hit Melbourne on Monday, Ambulance Victoria recorded a 51% increase in callsfor breathing difficulties. Hurricanes and extreme extratropical storms cause elevated sea Definition and Examples, Learning from New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina, 1900 Galveston Hurricane: History, Damage, Impact, 5 Environmental Consequences of Oil Spills, Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere Book Review, About Antebellum Homes Before and After the War, 8 of the Most Devastating Hurricanes in the United States. Dead zones can result when nitrogen and phosphorous from crop fertilizers and animal waste cause blooms of algae that eventually starve other fish and aquatic animals of oxygen. loss-reduction strategies for other areas affected by such predictions Three weeks later, when Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the storm exacerbated the island’s long-term environmental stresses. The variability of shoreline types, Corporate directors and officers need to consider the potential liability and insurance coverage implications associated with these challenges, as shareholders increasingly refuse to tolerate business decisions that do not properly take the environmental consequences of disasters into account. But there is also an unexpected and unusual energy resource left over from the storm — debris and trash. in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Ike in 2008. P.S. Before long, the bottom water runs out of oxygen, which harms the fish and shellfish that live there. For many of those homes still without power, it is because Florida Power and Light, a major supplier of electricity to the state, successfully lobbied to make it illegal for Sunshine State residents to power their own homes with solar power panels unless they are connected to the local electric grid… which is still down in many areas. Can individuals do anything about Climate Change? In a world of increasingly extreme weather events, effectively dealing with weather-related contaminant releases will place greater burdens on the planning and management of corporate insurance programs. And that's why this is absolutely the time to be talking about the way climate change amplifies or exacerbates these natural events. restoration Analysts estimate that 7 million gallons of oil spilled throughout the region. Scientists are more eager to have a dialogue. Would you like to see Ecofriendlylink's Privacy Policy and Disclaimer? That expertise is reflected in John’s voluminous writings on environmental risks and insurance issues, and nowhere so much as in his 2012 article “Sandy’s Environmental Impacts: Cleanup has Just Begun,” which addressed everything from major chemical discharges to exposure to asbestos and lead during cleanup. USGS Coastal & Marine Geology Program, Coastal Zone Hydrodynamic Modeling of Storm Surge, Flooding, Drying, and Horizontal Currents Caused by Hurricanes and Northeaster's Sean Sublette, a meteorologist with Climate Central, explains: "The short version is, climate change makes these very bad storms worse. island nourishment. United During August and September 1992, Category 4 hurricanes, with for several weeks, affecting every aspect of the oil industry down to the pump at gas stations throughout the country. Specifically, only 28% of respondents are expecting a long-term negative impact while 65% are expecting a short-term negative impact on their business. Rebuilding brings its own effects to the environment. The land is subsiding because of compaction of the Mississippi delta sediments. After Irma, Florida is expected to experience, on the oil and gas production as well, and an increase in natural gas demand, as the state has become, for electric power. Some of the greatest long-term environmental risks from hurricanes and other disasters arise during the cleanups. The current U.S. administration is less concerned. There are roughly half a million gallons of leaked gasoline to clean up, but they only account for 0.3% of Houston’s storage tanks, and the spillage is currently far away from the cit… Harvey was. Results of the recently-completed Louisiana Barrier Island strategies. The leaked gasoline from storage tanks in Texas, including at ExxonMobil’s refinery in Baytown, as well as Dow Chemical plant in Freeport, are all, 2 million pounds of potentially hazardous airborne pollutants. For many of those homes still without power, it is because Florida Power and Light, a major supplier of electricity to the state, successfully lobbied to make it, illegal for Sunshine State residents to power their own homes. Much of wreckage left in Irma’s path will fuel these incinerators, providing more renewable energy than usual. Your email address will not be published. These liquids can contaminate both surface and groundwater, especially where large amounts of debris pile up or where heavy rains or storm surges cause flash flooding, fouling local waterways. . Waste-to-energy incineration claims less greenhouse gas emissions as opposed to landfills, and has been adopted by environmentally-conscious Sweden. Public health in Houston is another major concern, as the heavy precipitation flooded entire neighborhoods and rivers, exposing them to toxic contamination. Puerto Rican family in what is left of their house after hurricane Irma. Environmental regulators often enact temporary waivers of some solid waste and air pollution regulations for the hardest hit areas, as EPA chief Scott Pruitt has moved to do in Puerto Rico. Their effects on coastal areas like North Carolina can last for years after the actual storms. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip). Sewage overflows can contaminate water supplies and the watersheds themselves, as is now the case in Puerto Rico. Environmental scientists at the University of North Carolina have been studying the effects of relatively low-power storms like Hurricane Fran, that hit North Carolina in 1996, and Floyd in 1999. Much of coastal Florida burns their waste, and then uses the heat to power steam generators, accounting for 2% of the state’s power usage. Louisiana's wetlands are We all want the individuals who have primarily felt the effects of hurricanes to be able to return to their former version of life. Deadly heat waves are on the rise globally, with India facing a wave of deadly heat this year following a 2016 summer in which temperatures reached 124 degrees Fahrenheit and drought was widespread. Author’s note: This past August, Anderson Kill mourned the untimely passing of our colleague John Nevius, chair of the firm’s environmental law group, after a long battle with cancer. Types of Environmental Damage After Irma, Florida is expected to experience very little impact on the oil and gas production as well, and an increase in natural gas demand, as the state has become dependent on the resource for electric power. On Oct. 18, the Atlantic reported , “Tons of manmade debris and millions of pounds of foliage clog streets and waterways, and threaten to produce an acute trash and pollution crisis in the months to come.” This summer, more than 1,000 people died in floods across South Asia, with 41 million people directly affected in Bangladesh, Nepal and India, according to U.N. estimates.