...Larson’s theory that the Gilded Age was actually a very dark time for the United States. Isaac’s Storm describes the historical aspects of the national weather service, weather forecasting, and hurricane predictions. Larson gives insight into the personal tragedy of a destructive storm in September of 1900 and how it affected Galveston, Texas and its position as a major city in the United States. Teemed with devastation and arrogance, the book follows Isaac Cline who was one of the first meteorologists at a time when there really was not a true science connected to weather predictions. He showed a real aptitude in this new field and eventually found himself assigned to the weather bureau in Galveston, Texas [Larson]. At the beginning of the 20th Century, a great confidence pervaded the United States. Isaac Cline was one of the era’s new men, a scientist who believed he knew all there was to know about the motion of clouds and the behavior of storms. This type of confidence was matched with the wealth and power of industry leaders acting as robber barons and not captains of industry [Foner]. According to Larson and essayists Lloyd and Goldman, there was an imbalance between the rich and the poor and the United States felt bigger and stronger than ever before. The Galveston Hurricane of September 1900 will...
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...Disaster in Galveston: The Hurricane of 1900 At the turn of the 20th Century Galveston, Texas was a prospering city that many considered to be ahead in the race for economic dominance in the state. It had a population of 37,000, a thriving business district, and an extremely active port which made it the center of trade in Texas. However on September 8, 1900 a hurricane swept the island, devastating its population, destroying many homes and businesses, and cutting it off from the rest of the world. Galveston is an island 30 miles long and at many points no more than one mile from north to south. Located off the south-eastern coast of Texas, it lies in between the Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Its location, while making it conducive to the sort of economic and social growth that came at the end of the 19th Century, also makes it dangerously prone to hurricanes. Warm waters, like those in the Gulf of Mexico, are a source of energy for storm systems. On top of sitting in warm ocean water, Galveston has a max elevation of only 8.7 feet (and an average much lower than that), making it susceptible to the dangers of storm surges and flooding. Since most of Galveston is at or only slightly above sea level, high waters pushed ashore by heavy winds were able to flood over the entire island, washing people and property away with it. Galveston’s societal conditions further exacerbated the destruction. In the late 19th and early 20th Century, the island was a thriving port and...
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...The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 Case Studies John Williams Columbia Southern University May 18, 2013 The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 Case Studies This case study converses about one of the most historically known natural disasters that has ever occurred within the 50 United States in the 1900. The hurricane that started out as a tropical storm was one of the most deadly events that have ever taken place during that time. As everyone prepared for the common tropical storm they did not realize it was becoming stronger and stronger during September 3rd and 4th. The hurricane increased and made its way through different parts of Florida, and landed on the coast of Texas. It was predicted by a local weatherman that the island of Galveston would suffer a great loss to the large city. This prediction was on the way he observed the rough seas and high waves that became more active by the hour. This weatherman who was known as Dr. Isaac M. Cline took it upon himself, rode out in the danger of the weather to worn people to seek high ground. When the hurricane touched down on the island of Galveston the wind matured to 120 miles per hour, and the sea rose more than 15 feet. The Category 4 hurricane of the Saffir-Simpson scale took many lives by drowning. It was estimated that more than 9,000 residents lost their lives. After leaving the island the hurricane maintained a strong tropical storm passing through many of the central states and weakened once it made it through the Great...
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...Leroy Davis In 1755, Lisbon was one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The Lisbon, Portugal earth quake occurred along the Azores-Gilbratar fracture zone. This is an active seismic region where large earthquakes occur with frequency. At the time of the earthquake, Lisbon was preparing for one of the biggest celebrations in the religious calendar and the city was alive with activity in preparation for the forthcoming commemoration. A strange frightful noise underground was first heard, it sounded like distant rumbling of thunder. The first three shocks were over a ten minute period followed by an even more powerful second shock which sent buildings toppling down. There were two major aftershocks that caused added agony and despair to survivors. The Lisbon earthquakes caused considerable damage not only in Portugal but in Spain, Madrid and Seville. The shock waves were felt throughout Europe and North Africa, over an area of about 1,300,000 square miles. Moe than 18,000 buildings representing about 85% of the total were completely demolished. Over 30,000 people lost their lives in the first two minutes. The total death toll in Lisbon, a city of 230,000, was estimated to be about 90,000. Another 10, 000 people were killed in Morocco. The earthquake had wide-ranging effects on the lives of the populace and intelligentsia. The earthquake had struck on an important church holiday and had destroyed almost every important church in the city, causing anxiety and confusion amongst...
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...The Storm On September 8, 1900, the greatest natural disaster to ever strike the United States occurred at Galveston, Texas. In the early evening hours of September 8, a hurricane came ashore at Galveston bringing with it a great storm surge that destroyed most of Galveston Island and the city of Galveston. As a result, much of the city was destroyed and at least 6,000 people were killed in a few hours’ time. The wind during the forenoon of the 8th was generally north, but oscillated, at intervals of from five to ten minutes, between northwest and northeast, and continued so up to 1 p.m. After 1 p.m. the wind was mostly northeast, although as late as 6:30 p.m. it would occasionally back to the northwest for one or two minutes at a time. The prevailing wind was from the northeast...
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...Shoreline depletion by erosion is a natural process that occurs due to a variety of reasons. Shores can be devastated due to short-term events such as storms, wave action, or tides and winds. Shorelines can also be affected by large scale events such as glacier or orogeny cycles that alter sea levels. Tectonic movements also cause coastal land to be depleted or increased. These processes are natural, and the rise and fall of coastlines is just another part of nature, but human activity has drastically depleted shorelines worldwide. Beaches are becoming smaller and smaller, and cities are spending millions of dollars a year on replacing the sand alone (Prasetya). There are many things that humans are doing to devastate the coastlines. Along the coast, activities such as land reclamation, port development, shrimp farming, and construction are leading causes in coastal depletion. Within river catchments and watersheds, activities such as river damming and diversion affect the coast. Offshore events affect beaches as well. Dredging and sand mining are just a few examples of harmful offshore processes. Each of these things, combined with natural forces, put the coasts in dire need(Coastal Managment). It jeopardizes coastal cities and environments’ health. People normally flock to coastal areas to inhabit, and developers now have to deal with the problems of erosion. A strong push has been made by the administration in the areas affected to manage the coastal problems and restore...
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...Progressive Era through the Great Depression Joana Lewis Joel Goldstein, PhD. Contemporary U.S. History August 2, 2012 Although women spear headed many significant Progressive era reforms, they were still denied the right to vote. This became increasingly problematic once more and more women understood that individuals in the Industrial Age were buffeted by social and economic forces that were beyond their control and that required the involvement of the federal government. The denial of suffrage changed during the Progressive era, beginning in the western states. To main groups furthered the cause of women’s suffrage: the National American Women Suffrage Association, founded in 1890, and the National Women’s Party, founded in 1913 and led by Alice Paul. The NAWSA worked state to state to convince opponents that were valuable assets to society and deserved to vote. Paul and the NWP, on the other hand, pursued a more aggressive national strategy. On the eve of President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration in 1913, Alice Paul organized a rally of 5,000 women to demand a federal constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. She also held a six-month vigil outside the White House to protest restrictions of women suffrage. The combined efforts of these two groups ultimately led to victory. In 1920 just after the end of World War 1, the Nineteenth amendment was passed, and women won the right to vote. Woodrow Wilson became president in...
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...Hurricane Wilma November 24, 2015 Geology 1401 Introducion: Cyclones, Hurricanes, and Typhoons, these cyclonic storms are known by many names but are all born from the same mechanism: low pressure systems. Also known as depressions. Thankfully, most hurricanes form only during hurricane season, which is from June 1st to November 30th. Within this season about 85 percent of the most intense hurricanes and 60 percent of minor Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes originate from African easterly waves (NOAA Cyclone Report). These waves, which have a wavelength of 2000 to 2500 kilo-meters, originate close to or from the highlands of Ethiopia, Africa. Not all easterly waves become hurricanes, but the ones that do travel through Africa thousands of miles in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean. On the way to the Atlantic Ocean these waves transform into a cluster of thunder storms. Once these clusters reach the Atlantic Ocean, the warm humid air from the sea allows them to expand while also escalating their intensity. Due to wind direction and the Coriolis Effect the thunder storm begins to rotate along its centre, forming a tropical depression. As the circular rotations of a tropical depression become progressively more organized, they form a tropical storm. By this point, the heat of the ocean only serves to intensify the power of a tropical storm. The moment winds within reach 119 kilo-meters per hour or more, is the storm then defined as a hurricane....
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...After the recent disaster of Hurricane Katrina, there have been many opportunities to examine the multiple sides of the story. Many of these sides have been released to the public, but told with conflicting viewpoints. The most common conflict brought up again and again is between FEMA and the relief victims. Relief victims and FEMA argue over humanitarian aid issues such as evacuation, supplies, and housing. Evacuation was the most important humanitarian effort that FEMA could provide. Getting residents out of the disaster area was the primary goal of FEMA. Evacuation by bus was the initial form of evacuation. The bus evacuation plan that FEMA provided allowed the whole city to evacuate in a reasonable amount of time. Then evacuation by plane was added as another way for FEMA to get relief victims out of the city in large numbers. The plane evacuation was very efficient once it got under way. The conditions at the airport allowed only outbound aircraft. The last form of humanitarian aid shown through evacuation was the creation of emergency shelters. FEMA, in conjunction with surrounding states, had set up shelters where the evacuees could go. Then states further away volunteered to house evacuees. The shelters provided a place for evacuees to stay after the hurricane and provided time for them to look for more permanent housing. FEMA provided basic humanitarian aid by evacuating Katrina survivors. Supplies were a form of humanitarian aid that FEMA provided. The most basic...
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...COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY NATURAL CALAMITIES Natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods can often come at the least expected time. Others, such as hurricanes and cyclones are increasing in severity and destruction. Typically, the poor are the worst hit for they have the least resources to cope and rebuild. As the 2011 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake has made all too clear, natural disasters can be very difficult to predict and fully prepare against, and have incredibly far-reaching consequences for the safety and wellbeing of individuals and communities. As in previous natural disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Australian bushfires in 2009, the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2010 Pakistan floods, the impacts on people and society in affected areas are immediate and overwhelming. Such catastrophes tend to worsen pre-existing problems and inequalities, with vulnerable parts of the population often disproportionately impacted. For instance, initial estimates suggest that 65% of the deaths from the recent disaster in Japan were of people aged 60 or over. The consequences can be felt for many years, with people suffering as refugees or being displaced within their own country, their livelihoods destroyed, and facing long-term health issues. Over the past two years, 700 natural disasters were registered worldwide affecting more than 450 million people, according to a new IMF study. Damages have risen from an estimated...
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...Mesozoic = Very Cold * End of Ceonzoic = climate oscillations from very cold to very ward Importance of Studying Climate Change A.) Effect on sea level- * If current glaciers were to melt, that water would drain into oceans and cause sea levels to rise (result in flooding) Alternatively if glaciers were to become much larger, water from oceans gets transferred to ice on leand and reduces sea level B.) Large Change in Climate- * If significant global warming occurs, some areas will become much drier (others wetter) causing deserts and also possibly worse severe weather and greater disease. If glaciers advance over large areas, it will force some people to migrate C.) Glaciers’ effect on landscapes/floods- * formed great lakes, flattens landscapes in other areas, rich soil of Midwest due to deposition of glacial debris. Can cause catastrophic floods. D.) Predict Future Climate- * Understand geologic past to help predict future (Inverse uniformitarianism) * Gas by abundance * Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Others * All objects emit e-m radiation, nature of which depends on their temperature. With > temperature, object emits > amount of radiation (> intensity) with shorter wavelength. Sun (surface temperature = 6,000°C) emits much of its energy as visible light. Earth is much cooler and emits much less radiation (lower intensity), ~ entirely as longer wavelength infrared radiation *...
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...GPT Task 1 Western Governors University GPT Task 1 In January 1822, a group of settlers on board the ship “The Lively” landed at the mouth of the Brazos River. These settlers, joined by a few others, then traveled inland and settled along the Brazos River in what would become Fort Bend County. William Little built on the west bank of the river a one room log cabin called a “fort” by the settlers. The cabin eventually became known as Fort Bend. Many of these early settlers and others who joined them made up the ‘Old 300’, the first families brought to Texas by Stephen F. Austin, one of the first empresarios to receive land grants from the Mexican government to start a colony in Texas. This paper will provide an appropriate description with substantial detail of community of Fort Bend County, Texas. Data will be gathered and interpreted using concepts of epidemiology that include population/economic status; cultural; neighborhood/community safety and disaster assessment and planning. An appropriate community genogram to present the data collected in the assessment will be created. Provide a short interpretation of the genogram, including the health indicators for Fort Bend County. In addition, this paper will formulate a community diagnosis based on the data collected. A1. Community Description Fort Bend County is located in the Houston metropolitan area of southeast Texas. Harris County is direct border of Fort Bend County and is located on the southwest...
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...Carnival Cruise Lines: Exploiting a Sea of Global Opportunity I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied –– John Masefield, The Seekers I n recent years, the call of the sea has spurred the cruise business. Sea voyage, of course, have had an aura of mystique for centuries, but only in recent decades has the experience of the open sea and exotic ports of call been available to mass market. Historically, the recreational sea voyage has been an essentially elitist endeavor. Certainly, members of the lower classes occasionally found themselves on the open sea, but usually as displaced job seekers or crew members aboard ships. In recent years, however, the cruise industry has undergone a sea of change of sorts, and demographic groups it now targets include the working middle class as well as the idle rich. What’s a Cruise, and What Happened to the Cruise Industry? A “ cruise” is a sea voyage taken for pleasure ( as opposed to, say, passage on a whaling ship, an assignment in the navy, or a ferry to get you from point A to point B). Typically, passengers enjoy cabin accommodations for the duration of a fixed itinerary that brings them back to their original point of embarkation. There was a time when ships (called passenger liners) transported a certain class of people across oceans and seas for business or pleasure, but the advent of transoceanic air service after World War II offered a speedier...
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...HAZARD, VULNERABILITY, AND RISK ANALYSIS This paper describes how preimpact conditions act together with event-specific conditions to produce a disaster’s physical and social impacts. These disaster impacts can be reduced by emergency management interventions. In addition, this chapter discusses how emergency managers can assess the preimpact conditions that produce disaster vulnerability within their communities. The chapter concludes with a discussion of vulnerability dynamics and methods for disseminating hazard/vulnerability data. Introduction A disaster occurs when an extreme event exceeds a community’s ability to cope with that event. Understanding the process by which natural disasters produce community impacts is important for four reasons. First, information from this process is needed to identify the preimpact conditions that make communities vulnerable to disaster impacts. Second, information about the disaster impact process can be used to identify specific segments of each community that will be affected disproportionately (e.g., low income households, ethnic minorities, or specific types of businesses). Third, information about the disaster impact process can be used to identify the event-specific conditions that determine the level of disaster impact. Fourth, an understanding of disaster impact process allows planners to identify suitable emergency management interventions. The process by which disasters produce community impacts can be explained in terms of...
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...Chapter 7: Statutory Authority Chapter Outline 1. Introduction of topics and concepts to be discussed in the chapter. a. Legal basis of modern emergency management in the United States. b. Budget authority. c. Program eligibility. d. Roles and responsibilities. 2. Case Studies a. The National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP): Legislation to Address a Particular Hazard b. The Homeland Security Act of 2002: A New Emergency Management c. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000: A Shift to Pre-Disaster Mitigation 3. Additional Sources of Information 4. Glossary of Terms 5. Acronyms 6. Discussion Questions a. General b. NEHRP c. Homeland Security Act of 2002 d. DMA 2000 7. Suggested Out of Class Exercises Introduction No emergency management system anywhere in the world can properly function without statutory authority and consistent budget appropriations. Statutory authority defines disasters programs, determines who is eligible for these programs, provides the legal support needed to implement disaster programs and establishes the legal foundation for funding the programs and activities of the disaster agency. Without such authority, a government agency is powerless. Legal Basis of Modern Emergency Management in the United States The first recorded emergency management legislation in the United States occurred in 1803 when a Congressional Act was passed to provide financial...
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