Storms Surging: Building Resilience in Extreme Weather
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Genesis of Twin Tropical Cyclones As Revealed by a Global Mesoscale
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 117, D13114, doi:10.1029/2012JD017450, 2012 Genesis of twin tropical cyclones as revealed by a global mesoscale model: The role of mixed Rossby gravity waves Bo-Wen Shen,1,2 Wei-Kuo Tao,2 Yuh-Lang Lin,3 and Arlene Laing4 Received 12 January 2012; revised 26 April 2012; accepted 29 May 2012; published 12 July 2012. [1] In this study, it is proposed that twin tropical cyclones (TCs), Kesiny and 01A, in May 2002 formed in association with the scale interactions of three gyres that appeared as a convectively coupled mixed Rossby gravity (ccMRG) wave during an active phase of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). This is shown by analyzing observational data, including NCEP reanalysis data and METEOSAT 7 IR satellite imagery, and performing numerical simulations using a global mesoscale model. A 10-day control run is initialized at 0000 UTC 1 May 2002 with grid-scale condensation but no sub-grid cumulus parameterizations. The ccMRG wave was identified as encompassing two developing and one non-developing gyres, the first two of which intensified and evolved into the twin TCs. The control run is able to reproduce the evolution of the ccMRG wave and thus the formation of the twin TCs about two and five days in advance as well as their subsequent intensity evolution and movement within an 8–10 day period. Five additional 10-day sensitivity experiments with different model configurations are conducted to help understand the interaction of the three gyres, leading to the formation of the TCs. These experiments -
February 2020 Ajet
AJET News & Events, Arts & Culture, Lifestyle, Community FEBRUARY 2020 Riding the Jiu-Jitsu Wave Working for the Kyoryokutai The Changing Colors of the Red and White Singing Battle Journey Through Magic Embarrassing Adventures of an Expat in Tokyo The Japanese Lifestyle & Culture Magazine Written by the International Community in Japan1 In response to ongoing global news, the team at Connect Magazine would like to acknowledge the devastating impact of the 2019-2020 bushfires in Australia. Our thoughts and support are with those suffering. 2 Since September 2019, the raging fires across the eastern and southeastern Australian coastal regions have burned over 17.9 million acres, destroyed over 2000 homes, and killed least 27 people. A billion animals have been caught in the fires, with some species now pushed to the brink of extinction. Skies are reddened from air heavy with smoke— smoke which can be seen 2,000km away in New Zealand and even from Chile, South America, which is more than 11,000km away. Currently, massive efforts are being taken to tackle the bushfires and protect people, animals, and homes in the vicinity. If you would like to be a part of this effort, here are some resources you can use to help: Country Fire Authority Country Fire Service Foundation In Victoria In South Australia New South Wales Rural The Australian Red Cross Fire Service Fire recovery and relief fund World Wildlife Fund GIVIT Caring for injured wildlife and Donating items requested by habitat restoration those affected The Animal Rescue Collective Craft Guild Making bedding and bandaging for injured animals. -
Hurricane Andrew and Insurance: the Enduring Impact of An
HURRICANE ANDREW AND INSURANCE: THE ENDURING IMPACT OF AN HISTORIC STORM AUGUST 2012 Lynne McChristian Florida Representative, Insurance Information Institute (813) 480-6446 [email protected] Florida Office: Insurance Information Institute, 4775 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33617 INTRODUCTION Hurricane Andrew hit Florida on August 24, 1992, and the tumult for the property insurance market there has not ceased in the 20 years since. Andrew was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history in terms of insurance payouts to people whose homes, vehicles and businesses were damaged by the storm when it struck Florida and Louisiana in 1992. The insurance claims payout totaled $15.5 billion at the time ($25 billion in 2011 dollars). Even today, the storm is the second costliest natural disaster; Hurricane Katrina, which hit in 2005, is the most costly natural disaster. But the cost is only part of Andrew’s legacy. It also revealed that Florida’s vulnerability to hurricanes had been seriously underestimated. That reality was not lost on other coastal states nor on the insurance industry, which reassessed their exposure to catastrophic storm damage in the aftermath of Andrew. The event brought a harsh awakening and forced individuals, insurers, legislators, insurance regulators and state governments to come to grips with the necessity of preparing both financially and physically for unprecedented natural disasters. Many of the insurance market changes that have occurred nationally over the last two decades can be traced to the wakeup call delivered by Hurricane Andrew. These include: . More carefully managed coastal exposure. Larger role of government in insuring coastal risks. -
A Rapid Forecasting and Mapping System of Storm Surge and Coastal Flooding
AUGUST 2020 Y A N G E T A L . 1663 A Rapid Forecasting and Mapping System of Storm Surge and Coastal Flooding KUN YANG,VLADIMIR A. PARAMYGIN, AND Y. PETER SHENG Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (Manuscript received 16 July 2019, in final form 2 March 2020) ABSTRACT A prototype of an efficient and accurate rapid forecasting and mapping system (RFMS) of storm surge is presented. Given a storm advisory from the National Hurricane Center, the RFMS can generate a coastal inundation map on a high-resolution grid in 1 min (reference system Intel Core i7–3770K). The foundation of the RFMS is a storm surge database consisting of high-resolution simulations of 490 optimal storms generated by a robust storm surge modeling system, Curvilinear-Grid Hydrodynamics in 3D (CH3D-SSMS). The RFMS uses an efficient quick kriging interpolation scheme to interpolate the surge response from the storm surge database, which considers tens of thousands of combinations of five landfall parameters of storms: central pressure deficit, radius to maximum wind, forward speed, heading direction, and landfall location. The RFMS is applied to southwest Florida using data from Hurricane Charley in 2004 and Hurricane Irma in 2017, and to the Florida Panhandle using data from Hurricane Michael in 2018 and validated with observed high water mark data. The RFMS results agree well with observation and direct simulation of the high-resolution CH3D- SSMS. The RFMS can be used for real-time forecasting during a hurricane or ‘‘what-if’’ scenarios for miti- gation planning and preparedness training, or to produce a probabilistic flood map. -
Investigation and Prediction of Hurricane Eyewall
INVESTIGATION AND PREDICTION OF HURRICANE EYEWALL REPLACEMENT CYCLES By Matthew Sitkowski A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences) at the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON 2012 Date of final oral examination: 4/9/12 The dissertation is approved by the following members of the Final Oral Committee: James P. Kossin, Affiliate Professor, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Daniel J. Vimont, Professor, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Steven A. Ackerman, Professor, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Jonathan E. Martin, Professor, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Gregory J. Tripoli, Professor, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences i Abstract Flight-level aircraft data and microwave imagery are analyzed to investigate hurricane secondary eyewall formation and eyewall replacement cycles (ERCs). This work is motivated to provide forecasters with new guidance for predicting and better understanding the impacts of ERCs. A Bayesian probabilistic model that determines the likelihood of secondary eyewall formation and a subsequent ERC is developed. The model is based on environmental and geostationary satellite features. A climatology of secondary eyewall formation is developed; a 13% chance of secondary eyewall formation exists when a hurricane is located over water, and is also utilized by the model. The model has been installed at the National Hurricane Center and has skill in forecasting secondary eyewall formation out to 48 h. Aircraft reconnaissance data from 24 ERCs are examined to develop a climatology of flight-level structure and intensity changes associated with ERCs. Three phases are identified based on the behavior of the maximum intensity of the hurricane: intensification, weakening and reintensification. -
Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike Updated February 26, 2019 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R43139 Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike Summary This report provides information on federal financial assistance provided to the Gulf States after major disasters were declared in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in response to the widespread destruction that resulted from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005 and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008. Though the storms happened over a decade ago, Congress has remained interested in the types and amounts of federal assistance that were provided to the Gulf Coast for several reasons. This includes how the money has been spent, what resources have been provided to the region, and whether the money has reached the intended people and entities. The financial information is also useful for congressional oversight of the federal programs provided in response to the storms. It gives Congress a general idea of the federal assets that are needed and can be brought to bear when catastrophic disasters take place in the United States. Finally, the financial information from the storms can help frame the congressional debate concerning federal assistance for current and future disasters. The financial information for the 2005 and 2008 Gulf Coast storms is provided in two sections of this report: 1. Table 1 of Section I summarizes disaster assistance supplemental appropriations enacted into public law primarily for the needs associated with the five hurricanes, with the information categorized by federal department and agency; and 2. -
Japan's Insurance Market 2020
Japan’s Insurance Market 2020 Japan’s Insurance Market 2020 Contents Page To Our Clients Masaaki Matsunaga President and Chief Executive The Toa Reinsurance Company, Limited 1 1. The Risks of Increasingly Severe Typhoons How Can We Effectively Handle Typhoons? Hironori Fudeyasu, Ph.D. Professor Faculty of Education, Yokohama National University 2 2. Modeling the Insights from the 2018 and 2019 Climatological Perils in Japan Margaret Joseph Model Product Manager, RMS 14 3. Life Insurance Underwriting Trends in Japan Naoyuki Tsukada, FALU, FUWJ Chief Underwriter, Manager, Underwriting Team, Life Underwriting & Planning Department The Toa Reinsurance Company, Limited 20 4. Trends in Japan’s Non-Life Insurance Industry Underwriting & Planning Department The Toa Reinsurance Company, Limited 25 5. Trends in Japan's Life Insurance Industry Life Underwriting & Planning Department The Toa Reinsurance Company, Limited 32 Company Overview 37 Supplemental Data: Results of Japanese Major Non-Life Insurance Companies for Fiscal 2019, Ended March 31, 2020 (Non-Consolidated Basis) 40 ©2020 The Toa Reinsurance Company, Limited. All rights reserved. The contents may be reproduced only with the written permission of The Toa Reinsurance Company, Limited. To Our Clients It gives me great pleasure to have the opportunity to welcome you to our brochure, ‘Japan’s Insurance Market 2020.’ It is encouraging to know that over the years our brochures have been well received even beyond our own industry’s boundaries as a source of useful, up-to-date information about Japan’s insurance market, as well as contributing to a wider interest in and understanding of our domestic market. During fiscal 2019, the year ended March 31, 2020, despite a moderate recovery trend in the first half, uncertainties concerning the world economy surged toward the end of the fiscal year, affected by the spread of COVID-19. -
An Introduction to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Search and Rescue (SAR) Organizations in Taiwan
CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT & HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE An Introduction to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Search and Rescue (SAR) Organizations in Taiwan WWW.CFE-DMHA.ORG Contents Introduction ...........................................................................................................................2 Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Organizations ..................................3 Search and Rescue (SAR) Organizations ..........................................................................18 Appendix A: Taiwan Foreign Disaster Relief Assistance ....................................................29 Appendix B: DOD/USINDOPACOM Disaster Relief in Taiwan ...........................................31 Appendix C: Taiwan Central Government Disaster Management Structure .......................34 An Introduction to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Search and Rescue (SAR) Organizations in Taiwan 1 Introduction This information paper serves as an introduction to the major Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Search and Rescue (SAR) organizations in Taiwan and international organizations working with Taiwanese government organizations or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in HADR. The paper is divided into two parts: The first section focuses on major International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs), and local NGO partners, as well as international Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in HADR in Taiwan or having provided -
ANNUAL SUMMARY Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2005
MARCH 2008 ANNUAL SUMMARY 1109 ANNUAL SUMMARY Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2005 JOHN L. BEVEN II, LIXION A. AVILA,ERIC S. BLAKE,DANIEL P. BROWN,JAMES L. FRANKLIN, RICHARD D. KNABB,RICHARD J. PASCH,JAMIE R. RHOME, AND STACY R. STEWART Tropical Prediction Center, NOAA/NWS/National Hurricane Center, Miami, Florida (Manuscript received 2 November 2006, in final form 30 April 2007) ABSTRACT The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active of record. Twenty-eight storms occurred, includ- ing 27 tropical storms and one subtropical storm. Fifteen of the storms became hurricanes, and seven of these became major hurricanes. Additionally, there were two tropical depressions and one subtropical depression. Numerous records for single-season activity were set, including most storms, most hurricanes, and highest accumulated cyclone energy index. Five hurricanes and two tropical storms made landfall in the United States, including four major hurricanes. Eight other cyclones made landfall elsewhere in the basin, and five systems that did not make landfall nonetheless impacted land areas. The 2005 storms directly caused nearly 1700 deaths. This includes approximately 1500 in the United States from Hurricane Katrina— the deadliest U.S. hurricane since 1928. The storms also caused well over $100 billion in damages in the United States alone, making 2005 the costliest hurricane season of record. 1. Introduction intervals for all tropical and subtropical cyclones with intensities of 34 kt or greater; Bell et al. 2000), the 2005 By almost all standards of measure, the 2005 Atlantic season had a record value of about 256% of the long- hurricane season was the most active of record. -
Special Report Our Way Special Feature Our Platform Appendix Data Section
CEO Message Who We Are Special Report Our Way Special Feature Our Platform Appendix Data Section For a resilient and sustainable society Special Report Toward a Resilient and Sustainable Society Climate-Related Disclosure Strategy Strategy: Climate-Related Risks and Opportunities Climate change poses risks in such areas as rapid social and economic changes resulting from the increasing scale of natural disasters and the transition to a carbon-free society. While ensuring financial soundness and stable profits, the Group undertakes duties of insurance claims for damage caused Because climate change has a significant by natural disasters such as typhoons and floods in the form of insurance payments. At the same time, we are pursuing impact on society and industry, we recognize initiatives for disaster prevention and mitigation both in Japan and overseas. that disclosing the impact of climate change In addition, we are contributing to the realization of a resilient and sustainable society by promoting efforts to support the on business activities is essential for the development of new technologies to reduce the risk of climate change and efforts to reduce the environmental impact of our stability of society and the financial system. business activities. The MS&AD Insurance Group endorses Climate-Related Risks the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and promotes the Sometimes damage from natural disasters such as typhoons becomes huge and increases the amount of insurance payouts. If the impact disclosure of financial information. of climate change worsens major natural disasters, there is a risk that insurance payments will be large. The Group prepares for such payments through reinsurance, catastrophe bond arrangements and maintaining appropriate catastrophe reserves. -
Geomorphologic Recovery of North Captiva Island from the Landfall of Hurricane Charley in 2004
geosciences Article Geomorphologic Recovery of North Captiva Island from the Landfall of Hurricane Charley in 2004 Emma Wilson Kelly and Felix Jose * Department of Marine & Earth Sciences, The Water School, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL 33965, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Hurricane Charley made landfall on the Gulf Coast of Florida on 13 August 2004 as a category 4 hurricane, devastating North Captiva Island. The hurricane caused a breach to occur to the southern end of the island, which naturally healed itself over the course of three years. By 2008, the cut was completely repaired geomorphologically. LiDAR data analysis shows the northern half of the island has been subjected to persistent erosion from 1998–2018, while the southern half experienced accretion since 2004, including the complete closure of the “Charley cut”. The maxi- mum volume of sediment erosion in the northern sector of the island (R71–R73) from 2004–2018 was −85,710.1 m3, which was the source of southern accretion. The breached area of the island (R78b–R79a) obtained 500,163.9 m3 of sediments from 2004–2018 to heal the cut made by Hurricane Charley. Along with LiDAR data analysis, Google Earth Pro historical imageries and SANDS volu- metric analysis confirmed the longshore transport of sediments from the northern to the southern end of the island. Winter storms are mainly responsible for this southerly longshore transport and are hypothesized to be the main factor driving the coastal dynamics that restored the breach and Citation: Kelly, E.W.; Jose, F. helps in widening the southern end of North Captiva Island. -
Reimbursement to American Red Cross for Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne
United States Government Accountability Office GAO Report to Congressional Committees May 2006 DISASTER RELIEF Reimbursement to American Red Cross for Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne a GAO-06-518 May 2006 DISASTER RELIEF Accountability Integrity Reliability Highlights Reimbursement to American Red Cross Highlights of GAO-06-518, a report to for Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, congressional committees and Jeanne Why GAO Did This Study What GAO Found In accordance with Public Law 108- The signed agreement between FEMA and the Red Cross properly 324, GAO is required to audit the established criteria for the Red Cross to be reimbursed for allowable reimbursement of up to $70 million expenses for disaster relief, recovery, and emergency services related to of appropriated funds to the hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. The Red Cross incurred American Red Cross (Red Cross) $88.6 million of allowable expenses. for disaster relief associated with 2004 hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. The audit was Consistent with the law, the agreement explicitly provided that the Red performed to determine if (1) the Cross would not seek reimbursement for any expenses reimbursed by other Federal Emergency Management federal funding sources. GAO identified $0.3 million of FEMA paid costs that Agency (FEMA) established the Red Cross properly deducted from its reimbursement requests, so as not criteria and defined allowable to duplicate funding by other federal sources. The Red Cross also reduced its expenditures to ensure that requested reimbursements by $60.2 million to reflect private donations for reimbursement claims paid to the disaster relief for the four hurricanes, for a net reimbursement of Red Cross met the purposes of the 28.1 million.