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piqer for: Climate and Environment Global finds
Andrea is a writer and researcher based out of Chicago. Andrea has a Bachelor's degree in environmental science from The Ohio State University and a Master's in Environmental Planning and Management at National Taiwan University, where she specialized in climate adaptation and urbanization. She writes for TaiwaneseAmerican.org, and sends out a biweekly newsletter which includes articles on politics, environment, identity, and intersections of race, class, and gender (http://eepurl.com/bPv-F5).
Megadisasters Devastated The US This Year: This Is The New Normal
"2017 is about to become the most expensive disaster year in US history, costing nearly $400 billion in damages." It's no surprise, considering the volume and variety of disasters that have roughed up the country this year. From hurricanes to wildfires, this year has been nothing if not historic. No less than 15 disasters cost over a billion dollars in 2017. But this is no outlier, it's about to be the new normal, and Americans are woefully unprepared.
It was the wettest winter in a century in California, following several years of drought. There was also severe flooding in Missouri and Arkansas, killing 20. Average rainfall in the US has increased by 5%, and the volumes released during rainstorms are increasing with time. "Extreme rainfall events are trending upward, and nine of the top 10 years for extreme one-day precipitation events have happened since 1990." The warming atmosphere has also added power to hurricanes that have hit, like Harvey, Maria, and Irma.
The western US experienced early and intense heatwaves this year, and wildfires have been record-breaking. "The Thomas Fire in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, at more than 280,000 acres, is the largest fire in California history. Across the United States, more than 9.5 million acres have burned to date, making 2017 the second-worst year for fires in terms of area."
The costs caused by these disasters have been enormous. "Part of it is that the hurricanes this year really were immense, but they have a bigger impact when they collide with growing cities. As more people compete for real estate, property values have skyrocketed in Florida and California. That means any time a disaster strikes, it becomes horrendously expensive to repair all the infrastructure and personal property."
This pieces gives a wide overview, and many helpful figures, showing the massive impact of floods, storms, and fires on the economy and people's health. People and the government have much to prepare for in 2018 and beyond.
