3 ms·

Here is a political scientist with a strong climate science background discussing how Sandy is at this moment, is #17 in terms of all time damage, but could mov

by jerrya 14y ago

Here is a political scientist with a strong climate science background discussing how Sandy is at this moment, is #17 in terms of all time damage, but could move into the top 10. http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/2012/10/sandy-and-top-20-normalized-us.html http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/2012/10/sandy-and-top-20-n... For me the question is what kept damages from Sandy down, is it because a) it really wasn't that bad, or b) it really was that bad but East Coast resources, modern construction, and recent experiences with Katrina, etc., minimized damages? Regardless, I find articles written a day or two after an event, by a layman, attributing causality to that event fairly vacuous.

bradleyland 14y ago
What do you mean by "what kept damages from Sandy down"? The damages for Sandy huge for a weak category 1 hurricane. By contrast, study the infographic linked below. Florida was hit by Charley, Frances, Jeane, Rita, and Wilma in the span of two years (2004-2005). These were all category 1 or 2 storms at landfall. They weren't nearly as large as Sandy, but we're talking five separate storms of greater intensity. Some of them made landfall or passed over densely populated South Florida regions. In total, these storms added up to around $75b in damages; a mark I wouldn't be surprised if Sandy passes. Individually, none of them passed the $20b mark. Sandy did tremendous damage in the northeast for a weak category 1 hurricane. No single factor is to blame. There are many: * Sandy was large... LARGE * Sandy hit an extremely densely populated area * Coastal topology in the region made it susceptible to storm surge That last point can't be made strongly enough. Once again, we see that it is the water (ocean) that poses the greatest threat. The wind and rain are bad, but even a small amount of water can pass wind and rain damage by a long shot. It also takes far more lives. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-01/rising-tide#r=lr-fst http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-01/rising-tide#...

by jerrya 14y ago

bradleyland 14y ago

What do you mean by "what kept damages from Sandy down"? The damages for Sandy huge for a weak category 1 hurricane. By contrast, study the infographic linked below. Florida was hit by Charley, Frances, Jeane, Rita, and Wilma in the span of two years (2004-2005). These were all category 1 or 2 storms at landfall. They weren't nearly as large as Sandy, but we're talking five separate storms of greater intensity. Some of them made landfall or passed over densely populated South Florida regions. In total, these storms added up to around $75b in damages; a mark I wouldn't be surprised if Sandy passes. Individually, none of them passed the $20b mark. Sandy did tremendous damage in the northeast for a weak category 1 hurricane. No single factor is to blame. There are many: * Sandy was large... LARGE * Sandy hit an extremely densely populated area * Coastal topology in the region made it susceptible to storm surge That last point can't be made strongly enough. Once again, we see that it is the water (ocean) that poses the greatest threat. The wind and rain are bad, but even a small amount of water can pass wind and rain damage by a long shot. It also takes far more lives. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-01/rising-tide#r=lr-fst http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-01/rising-tide#...