Hazard Risk and Mitigation

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Palo Verde College *

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105

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Geography

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Feb 20, 2024

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NATURAL HAZARDS 1 Ariana Coleman GEL 105-02 Natural Disasters Rosa Martin 05/23/23

NATURAL HAZARDS 2 Wildfires, Earthquakes, and Flooding. Wildfires Wildfires are large fires that spread rapidly over wooded areas. Often, wildfires arise from natural occurrences like lightning or human-made causes (Igini, 2023). However, the weather conditions determine how a wildfire develops. Aspects like the wind, high temperatures, and little amount of rainfall can easily spark dry vegetation and spread wildfires (Igini, 2023). Also, fallen trees, dry leaves, and shrubs are prime fuels for a wildfire. Occurrence of Wildfires and how scientists study Statistics indicate that lightning causes 60% of wildfires while human activity contributes to 40% of the hazard (Igini, 2023). Specifically, hot lightning generates hot currents that have less voltage but happen for prolonged periods. The intense heat generated causes wildfires as they spark dry vegetation. Although this natural phenomenon cannot be predicted, adequate land management techniques reduce the risk of an occurrence. Scientists deploy various strategies to study wildfires (Igini, 2023). For instance, while a fire burns, scientists can simply use aerial observation to determine its intensity. They also observe the amount of smoke generated from the fire and predict the amount of pollution it will cause to a certain ecosystem (Howard, 2022). In some cases, smoke meters are used to determine the amount of smoke emitted by wildfires. Similarly, scientists examine important chemical reactions and examine how they ignite and cause a fire. Fire scientists study various materials including wood, leaves, and shrub to determine how they burn. Here, they measure the ignition and burn duration (Howard, 2022). This helps them determine the severity

NATURAL HAZARDS 3 of certain elements that fuel wildfires and advise authorities on the best strategies they can use to tackle them. Regions susceptible to wildfires in the US Figure 1: Map of burned acreage from 1984-2020 An increasing threat of wildfire is concentrated in the four states of California, Texas, Nevada, and Arizona. These areas have a combined population of more than 35 million people living in the high-threat zones called the wildland-urban interface (WUI) where wild areas and cities converge (Howard, 2022). Texas has the highest number of people at risk a figure of 18 million, California at 11 million, Florida at 5 million while Georgia and North Carolina stands at 5 million each (Howard, 2022). Presently, wildfire preparedness in such states is high but readiness for future wildfire threats caused by climate change remains low. Statistics show that

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NATURAL HAZARDS 4 15 of the 24 states examined do not have climate change preparedness plans to address wildfires when they arise (Howard, 2022). This presents a risk to those states. Mitigating wildfires One of the strategies to mitigate wildfires is fire prevention which entails investing in enough resources such as personnel and equipment to fight wildfires when they arise. Another prevention strategy entails reducing vegetation cover near residential areas. This entails ensuring that people avoid living too close to wooded areas to avoid being accessories to fire outbreaks. In most cases, farm machinery, vehicles, or even normal daily activities like lighting a cigarette could cause a wildfire (US Department of Interior, 2020). Hence, avoiding living close to wooded areas helps address the phenomenon. Lastly, sensitizing the population about the importance of being mindful of vegetation helps reduce man-made causes of wildfires. When people appreciate nature and do not interfere with it, disasters like wildfires will not occur. Climate change has led to an increase in global temperatures. Because of this, it has made vegetation more susceptible to burning. Increasing temperature and drought fuels wildfires as witnessed recently in California where wildfires burn a large chunk of the state (US Department of Interior, 2020). The same case was also witnessed in Australia where prolonged droughts cause wildfires that destroyed houses and animals. Hotter temperatures suck moisture from the soil and this dries vegetation causing wildfires. Earthquakes Earthquakes is the shaking of the Earth’s surface that comes from a release of energy that creates seismic waves. With a mind of its own Earthquakes will happen when they want to happen, people always wonder when could the next be and how bad will it be. Earthquakes are

NATURAL HAZARDS 5 caused when the giant pieces of the Earth’s crust & upper most mantle know as tectonic plates collide into each other. When the pressure on the plates over come the friction, an Earthquake is born. This Earth quake these releases energy in waves that ravel through the Earth’s crust and causes the ground to shake. (Nasa space place, 2021) Occurrence of Earthquakes and how scientists study Seismologist study Earthquakes by observing the damage and using seismometer. Seismometers are tools that record the shaking of Earth from seismic waves and converts them to electrical signals. Seismologist also use The Richter Scale that measures the amplitude of the quake. A couple of other tools used to study and measure Earthquakes are the Moment Magnifier Scale that measures the magnitude, as well as the Modified Mercalli Scale which measure the intensity of the Earthquake. (GEL 105 Module 4 -4.5) Regions susceptible to Earthquakes Figure 2: (Tectonic plate map) Regions susceptible to most Earthquakes

NATURAL HAZARDS 6 Earthquakes occur where tectonic plates boundaries meet each other. Most Earthquakes occur in the US in the Pacific Ocean near the Ring Of Fire, which is a area that is a string of volcanoes and places with seismic activity. California and Japan are two know seismic zones. California sits on top of two plates that are heading in different directions, and Japan sits on top of 4 making Japan the most seismically active zone. (National Geographic Society2023) Mitigating Earthquakes When going through an experience where an Earthquake causes severe damage it is always good to stay together if possible and make sure everyone is accounted for. Earthquakes can cause structures to crash to the ground people can possibly get trapped under debris. Theres nothing we can do to stop an Earthquake from happening, but we can mitigate the outcomes. So, preparing for them is the best action to take. For example, in Los Angeles, CA new building codes have been put in place to keep structures up and able to withstand the shaking caused from and Earthquake (Netflix Earthstorms – EP.4 Earthquakes 2022) Floods and hurricanes Floods are water overflows exceeding normal limits, especially on what is considered dry land. Floods cause devastating consequences when they happen. They are often caused by heavy rainfall arising from tropical weather disturbances, deforestation, poor agricultural use, and poor drainage designs (NEMO, 2021). Hurricanes are tropical storms that can reach speeds of more than 74 miles per hour. Storms can be detected some 20 or 30 miles away and often cause floods by causing torrential rain, high winds, and storm surges. Inadequate drainage system maintenance causes flooding from stormwater. These systems could be blocked by debris or

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NATURAL HAZARDS 7 because of construction activities. Hence, whenever there are rains blocked drainage systems cause water logging and subsequent flooding. Occurrence of floods and hurricanes and how scientists study Scientists examine the occurrences of floods by studying a river's drainage basin. They examine aspects like soil moisture conditions, ground temperature, snowpack, vegetation cover, and topography (NEMO, 2021). They also examine impermeable land areas which helps them understand the severity of a flood when it arises. There are various ways hurricanes can be detected. The commonly-used ones are satellites, reconnaissance aircraft, radars, and ships (NEMO, 2021). Other land-based tools are used to detect approaching storms. A hurricane's intensity and direction can be predicted before making landfall. This allows people to prepare well by moving out of dangerous zones. Regions susceptible to floods and hurricanes in the US Figure 3: Regions susceptible to most flooding in the US

NATURAL HAZARDS 8 Figure 4: Region susceptible to most hurricanes The regions susceptible to floods are the eastern, mid-western, and southeastern states. Also, those located directly on the west coast often experience floods that are damaging to the environment and livelihoods (Gilligan, 2022). Estimates suggest that annually, between 30 and 180 people die in floods across the US. It also results in billions of dollars in damages and lost revenue (Gilligan, 2022). The US Atlantic Coast and the Mexican Gulf are areas susceptible to hurricanes. Wind speeds in these areas are higher than 115 mph and this means that they can be hit by hurricanes a few times a year. Mitigating floods and hurricanes Floods can be mitigated by reviewing and updating building codes and zones. Mitigation projects such as those aimed at enhancing storm-water management and reducing flood risk help address flooding (Woznak, 2019). Similarly, providing public outreach and education to the public helps them deploy various strategies to stop flooding. On a state level, most states have deployed various strategies aimed at addressing flooding. There are easy-to-use tools aimed at

NATURAL HAZARDS 9 estimating and understanding the severity of flooding (Woznak, 2019). This informs engineers and city planners on the kinds of materials to use and build to help drain excess stormwater. Mitigating hurricanes entails building structures like homes far from floodplains. Also, bridges and other social amenities and infrastructure can be structured to withstand earthquakes. This entails creating and enforcing effective building codes to safeguard property from hurricanes and other natural disasters (Woznak, 2019). These strategies help ensure that damage from hurricanes is not extremely severe thanks to the fact that it can be predicted. Lastly, climate change has numerous adverse impacts on virtually all natural hazards including flooding. For instance, as global temperatures warm up, more water evaporates from large water bodies like oceans and lakes and fills up the atmosphere (Woznak, 2019). This changes the density of precipitation and may increase the frequency of occurrence of rainfall. Heavy precipitation means excessive flooding especially in areas that used to receive moderate rainfall amounts (Woznak, 2019).

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NATURAL HAZARDS 10 References Gilligan, C. (2022). States That See the Most Flooding Damage. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2022-10-13/states-with-the-most- flood-damage-in-the-u-s Howard, P. (2022). Wildfire statistics by state (Updated for 2022) - Policygenius. (2020, October 14). Policygenius: Compare and Buy Insurance Online. https://www.policygenius.com/homeowners-insurance/wildfires-by-state/ Igini, M. (2022, June 16). What causes wildfires? Earth.Org. https://earth.org/what-causes- wildfires/

NATURAL HAZARDS 11 National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO). (2021). What causes floods? http://nemo.gov.vc/nemo/index.php/hazards/flooding/265-what-causes-flood US Department of Interior, (2020). 10 Tips to Prevent Wildfires. https://www.doi.gov/blog/10- tips-prevent-wildfires Woznak, B. (2019). 4 steps to an effective flood management plan. (2023, March 27). Welcome. https://www.sehinc.com/news/4-steps-effective-flood-management-plan

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