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The California Tech Volume CXiX number 6 Pasadena, California [email protected] noVember 2, 2015 Hurricane Patricia worse than Katrina in numbers but not damage HANNALORE GERLING- a decade earlier. Hurricane Katrina any major damage. In comparison, meteorologists use to define one Hurricane Patricia. For such a large DUNSMORE caused massive damage along the Hurricane Katrina smashed hurricane as larger than another is and powerful storm, relatively little Contributing Writer Gulf of Mexico, but the starkest through many small cities and the diameter of the storm’s eye, as damage was done. However, we can memories of the storm come from resort towns, in addition to New the eye’s wall has the strongest and expect more of these ultrapowerful, On Oct. 22, 2015, Hurricane New Orleans, Louisiana. The city’s Orleans. Additionally, Hurricane most destructive winds. Hurricane massive storms. As climate change Patricia became the strongest levees failed, causing massive Patricia came ashore onto the Sierra Katrina’s eye was four times larger heats the oceans, the storms hurricane ever formed in the flooding that led to the majority Madre Occidental, a mountain than that of Hurricane Patricia, that form will be more intense. Western Hemisphere, with of the causalities. The devastation range in western Mexico. Living making the former a bigger storm In particular, during El Niño sustained winds of 200 mph. The was estimated to result in between in Pasadena, Techers are probably where it really matters. years, the wind shear decreases, storm formed with nearly record- 1,200 and 1,800 deaths, and familiar with how mountains The Mexican government seems which further primes conditions breaking speed, going from a caused $108 billion in damage. stifle storms. While it only serves to have learned its lesson from for powerful hurricanes. With tropical storm to a Category 5 Over a million people were to worsen the draught in the Los previous disasters. Warnings were climate change now considered hurricane in about 24 hours. Late displaced from the Gulf region. Angeles area, the Sierra Madre sent out over television, radio and unavoidable, all we can do is try to the next day, the storm moved from However, Hurricane Katrina was Occidental downgraded Hurricane social media. Evacuations started mitigate how severe the change is, the Pacific Ocean and made landfall vastly smaller than Hurricane Patricia to a tropical depression. before Hurricane Patricia rapidly while preparing for more of these near Jalisco, Mexico, significantly Patricia in size, only had top winds This effect was compounded by became a Category 5, giving people superstorms. If Hurricane Patricia weakened with winds down to 165 of 175 mph and had 140 mph winds the fact Hurricane Patricia grew enough time to leave. Some of the hit an area without mountains and mph but still a Category 5. The when it made landfall. For much so quickly ― the storm didn’t have people who remained were taken with a high population density, storm dumped over 20 inches of of its duration, Hurricane Katrina much time at sea, and the time to shelters, while others were we would probably be looking at a rain, directly causing eight deaths was only a Category 3. This has it did have was spent mostly as a told to stay in their homes, based much different result. Next time, and indirectly causing five more. left many people wondering: how minor storm. on what was considered best. In the area the storm hits might not The damages are estimated to be did Hurricane Patricia cause so This gave the storm less time general, the people responded, and be so lucky. More than ever, it is approximately $280 million, with much less damage, by any possible to build a storm surge ― rising of that is credited with improving crucial that effective precautionary most of the damages coming from metric? water levels due to the storm ― the outcome of the storm. This measures are developed and put agriculture losses, as the storm For one thing, Mexico had a good which often does a large portion stands in stark comparison to into place so that when another primarily affected rural areas. share of luck. Hurricane Patricia of the damage. Finally, while the Hurricane Katrina, during which Hurricane Patricia comes knocking Naturally, the sheer size and passed near two major population satellite images of Hurricane the evacuations largely failed. at a major city’s door, we are ready. strength of Hurricane Patricia centers (Puerto Vallarta and Patricia spanning an immense What is abundantly clear is that brought to mind Hurricane Katrina Manzanillo), but spared them from area are impressive to look at, what Mexico got extremely lucky with News briefs from around the globe Caltech elects two A brief list of events from the past week, compiled by the editors new members to the Samuel D. Burris, black abolitionist, to receive pardon Board of Trustees 168 years to the day after Delaware hero’s conviction for aiding and abbeting slaves, gov- KIMM FESENMAIER States at the age of 12. He began ernor’s office to issue pardon [CNN] Caltech Media Relations his undergraduate studies at MIT in 1970 but transferred to Two leaders from the world and graduated from Caltech, Semi accident creates enormous tragedy for Arizona pizza lovers of medicine and biotechnology, where he first became interested 44.5k pounds of dough spilled in accident, no injuries reported [TIME] David D. Ho (B.S. ’74) and in medicine. He went on to William H. Rastetter, have been earn his medical degree from elected to the Caltech Board of Harvard Medical School in Trustees. 1978 and complete his clinical U.S. to begin releasing inmates convicted of drug crimes Ho, a recognized 6k will be part of first wave of mass incarceration policy changes [BBC] leader at the forefront of research on HIV and AIDS, is the California doctor convicted of murder over poor prescribing habits founding scientific director and chief 3 patient overdoses considered murders among list of charges against Dr. Hsiu-Ying executive officer of “Lisa” Tseng, verdict could “resonate throughout the country” [LA Times] the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in New York and the Irene Oregon teen diagnosed with bubonic plague Diamond Professor 16th reported case in U.S. this year was caused by flea bite, according to Oregon Health at The Rockefeller University. He Authority; 8th case in Oregon in 20 years [CNN] previously served on the Caltech Board of Trustees from U.S. to send ground troops to Syria, but not for combat 1996 until 2006. Earlier this year, he 50 troops to be sent on a “mission to build the capacity of local forces” [TIME] received Caltech’s Distinguished Dr. David Ho is one of the newly elected trustees. Alumni Award, Photo Courtesy of David Ho Nightclub explosion hospitalizes 145 in Bucharest, Romania the highest honor 26 confirmed dead so far after spark on stage ignited polystyrene decor [CNN] the Institute bestows upon a training in internal medicine graduate. and infectious diseases at Born in Taiwan, Ho moved Cedars Sinai Medical Center/ with his family to the United Continued on page 2 opInIon | pAge 3 FeAtuRe | pAge 4 spoRts | pAge 5 FeAtuRe | pAge 7 In thIs boehneR sAcRIFIces humAns oF jAmshIdI bReAks cA- nImA tAlks About speAkeRshIp FoR cAltech FeAtuRes ReeR kIlls RecoRd plAns FoR bechtel Issue budget deAl cReAtIve wRIteR ResIdence news 2 noVember 2, 2015 the cAlIFoRnIA tech Caltech Y Column Ho, Rastetter welcomed to CALTECH Y exciting trip to the Nation’s capital. The four day trip includes flights, lodgings, and Caltech Board of Trustees The Caltech Y Column serves to inform most meals; discussions with those who have Continued from page 1 Rastetter completed his students of upcoming events and volunteer played a role in setting and implementing undergraduate work at MIT, earning an opportunities. The list is compiled by Neera science policy for the United States UCLA School of Medicine and SB in chemistry in 1971. He went on to earn Shah from information given by the Caltech including: Academics, Lobbyists, Scientists, Massachusetts General Hospital/ his master’s and doctoral degrees from Y and its student leaders. Politicians, and Caltech Alumni and of Harvard Medical School, respectively. Harvard University in 1972 and 1975, Founded by students in 1916, the Y was course the opportunity to see Washington, Beginning in 1994, Ho conducted a respectively. After that, he was a member organized to provide extracurricular activities DC landmarks like the White House, the series of studies using treatment data of the faculty at MIT until 1982, when he planned and implemented by students as an Memorials; Smithsonian Museums; the from actual patients and mathematical began working in the biotechnology field opportunity to learn leadership skills and National Archives; and the Capitol. Don t models and computer simulations to at Genentech. In 1986, he joined Idec discover themselves. The mission of today’s Y miss this opportunity! show how HIV operates. In contrast to Pharmaceuticals and eventually grew it remains the same—to provide opportunities The Washington, DC Science Policy Trip what was previously thought, Ho proved to a multibillion-dollar company while that will prepare students to become is coordinated by the Caltech Y with generous that the virus continuously attacks and serving as chairman and CEO. While support from the weakens the immune system so that there, he helped invent Rituxan—the George Housner other illnesses can eventually overtake first monoclonal antibody approved by Fund. Questions and the body easily. He also showed that the U.S. FDA for the treatment of cancer. applications may be HIV replicates and mutates incredibly In 2003, Rastetter led Idec through the directed to caltechy@ quickly, allowing it to evolve its way merger that formed Biogen Idec.