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Hurricanes
Terms modified by Hurricanes Selected AbstractsVenezuela in the Eye of the Hurricane: Landing an Analysis of the Bolivarian RevolutionJOURNAL OF LATIN AMERICAN & CARIBBEAN ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Cristóbal Valencia RamírezArticle first published online: 28 JUN 200 Lower-class politics is rudimentary and dense; it takes place in the neighborhood, in the community, in places of production. Rarely is it granted the "honor" of being called "politics" by the canonic texts; instead, it is referred to as daily life, conversation, gossip, rumor or local conflict. [Gilly 2005:39] [source] Zonation Patterns of Belizean Offshore Mangrove Forests 41 Years After a Catastrophic Hurricane,BIOTROPICA, Issue 3 2006Cyril Piou ABSTRACT Mangroves are prone to bearing frequently the full brunt of hurricanes and tropical storms. The extent of destruction and early regeneration are widely studied. The purpose of this study was to add a long-term view of mangrove regeneration and assess the potential effects on mangrove horizontal zonation patterns of catastrophic destruction. Hattie, a category five hurricane, hit the Belizean coast in 1961. It passed directly over the Turneffe Atoll where our study area, Calabash Cay, is located. At four sites on this island, we analyzed mangrove forest structure along transects parallel to the shoreline within zones delineated by species dominance and tree height. We propose an index based on the Simpson index of diversity to express changes in the heterogeneity of the species dominance. Physical,chemical parameters and nutrient availability were also measured. The destruction levels were estimated by analysis of the distribution of diameter at breast heights of the bigger trees in the inland zones. Variations in species dominance among sites and zones could be explained by interactions of various factors. Further, different levels of destruction between the two sides of the island had a significant effect on current patterns of species and structural zonation at Calabash. We conclude that disturbance regime in general should be considered as a factor potentially influencing mangrove horizontal zonation patterns. [source] Hurricanes Create a Crossroads for Hydrological Management of the Mississippi River DeltaGROUND WATER, Issue 2 2006Richard F. Keim No abstract is available for this article. [source] Structural response of Caribbean dry forests to hurricane winds: a case study from Guánica Forest, Puerto RicoJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2006Skip J. Van Bloem Abstract Aim, Tropical dry forests in the Caribbean have an uniquely short, shrubby structure with a high proportion of multiple-stemmed trees compared to dry forests elsewhere in the Neotropics. Previous studies have shown that this structure can arise without the loss of main stems from cutting, grazing, or other human intervention. The Caribbean has a high frequency of hurricanes, so wind may also influence forest stature. Furthermore, these forests also tend to grow on soils with low amounts of available phosphorus, which may also influence structure. The objective of this study was to assess the role of high winds in structuring dry forest, and to determine whether soil nutrient pools influence forest response following hurricane disturbance. Location, Guánica Forest, Puerto Rico. Methods, Over 2000 stems in five plots were sampled for hurricane effects within 1 week after Hurricane Georges impacted field sites in 1998. Sprout initiation, growth, and mortality were analysed for 1407 stems for 2 years after the hurricane. Soil nutrient pools were measured at the base of 456 stems to assess association between nutrients and sprout dynamics. Results, Direct effects of the hurricane were minimal, with stem mortality at < 2% and structural damage to stems at 13%, although damage was biased toward stems of larger diameter. Sprouting response was high , over 10 times as many trees had sprouts after the hurricane as before. The number of sprouts on a stem also increased significantly. Sprouting was common on stems that only suffered defoliation or had no visible effects from the hurricane. Sprout survival after 2 years was also high (> 86%). Soil nutrient pools had little effect on forest response as a whole, but phosphorus supply did influence sprout dynamics on four of the more common tree species. Main conclusions, Hurricanes are able to influence Caribbean tropical dry forest structure by reducing average stem diameter and basal area and generating significant sprouting responses. New sprouts, with ongoing survival, will maintain the high frequency of multi-stemmed trees found in this region. Sprouting is not limited to damaged stems, indicating that trees are responding to other aspects of high winds, such as short-term gravitational displacement or sway. Soil nutrients play a secondary role in sprouting dynamics of a subset of species. The short, shrubby forest structure common to the Caribbean can arise naturally as a response to hurricane winds. [source] Hurricanes and Society in the British Greater Caribbean, 1624,1783 , By Matthew MulcahyTHE HISTORIAN, Issue 3 2007James Robertson No abstract is available for this article. [source] Hurricanes and socio-economic development on Niue IslandASIA PACIFIC VIEWPOINT, Issue 2 2000Judith C. Barker This case study investigates the complex ways that recurrent ecological damage affected the course of socio-economic development on Niue Island, a Pacific micro-state. In tracing the historical record of droughts and hurricanes from 1900 to 1990, it is clear that severely inclement weather repeatedly destroyed agricultural development endeavours on the island leading to stagnation in this economic sector. In the aftermath of such disasters there were additional widespread social, political, and economic responses resulting in insidious but inexorable change. These responses , metaphoric ,winds of change', constituted, bolstered and sustained the transition to a MIRAB economy. [source] Radiative cooling effect of Hurricane Florence in 2006 and precipitation of Typhoon Matsa in 2005ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE LETTERS, Issue 2 2009Quanhua Liu Abstract The increasing strength of tropical cyclones may be a response of the Earth's interaction between natural variability and human activities. Negative effects of the severe storms, such as flooding, landslides, damage to properties, and even a number of human casualties, have been reported many times. This study reported other aspects on Hurricanes and Typhoons, which may be beneficial to the world. We found that Hurricane Florence in 2006 decreased radiation energy by , 0.5 × 1020 J to the Earth-atmospheric system, about 10% of the annual global energy consumption. If the amount of energy uniformly distributes over the whole Earth surface and over 1-year time, it corresponds to a power of , 0.003 W m,2 The total forcing power on climate change is 0.24 W m,2, if we only take account for the stored fluxes in water, atmosphere, continents, and heat required to melt glaciers and sea ice. Thus, the shielding effect of solar radiation by tropical storms could contribute to ease global warming. In addition, hurricane and typhoon can ease drought sometimes. This study found that the total rainwater carried by Typhoon Matsa in August 2005 into China's inland amounts to about 135 billion tons. The rainfall over the northern China eased severe drought in summer 2005. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Visible and invisible effects of hurricanes on forest ecosystems: an international reviewAUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2008A. E. LUGO Abstract Hurricanes have visible and invisible effects on forests. The visible effects are dramatic, noticeable over the short-term and relatively well documented in the literature. Invisible effects are less understood as they require well-focused research both in the short- and long-term time scales. This review of the literature on hurricane effects focuses on the Neotropics and the temperate zone of North America. The material is organized according to a heuristic model that distinguishes between immediate effects (0 to 3 years), immediate responses (0 to 20 years), trajectories of responses (0 to 100 years) and long-term legacies (>100 years). It is suggested that the ecological role of hurricanes involves six principal effects: 1. they change the ecological space available to organisms; 2. they set organisms in motion; 3. they increase the heterogeneity of the landscape and the variability in ecosystem processes; 4. they rejuvenate the landscape and its ecosystems and redirect succession; 5. they shape forest structure, influence their species composition and diversity and regulate their function; and 6. they induce evolutionary change through natural selection and ecological creativity through self-organization. A new approach to hurricane research will study hurricanes at the same scale at which they operate (i.e., across latitudes and longitudes and over disturbed and undisturbed landscapes). This research will require networks of observation platforms located along expected hurricane paths to facilitate forest structure and functioning observations across gradients of hurricane frequency and intensity. This research will also require use of remote sensing and automated wireless technology, hardened to survive hurricane-strength winds and floods to assure real time measurements of the characteristics of hurricanes and ecosystem responses. No progress will be forthcoming in the understanding of hurricane effects if we do not learn to quantify objectively the energy dissipation of hurricanes on the full grid of affected forests as the hurricane passes over a landscape. [source] Woody Debris in the Mangrove Forests of South Florida1BIOTROPICA, Issue 1 2005Ken W. Krauss ABSTRACT Woody debris is abundant in hurricane-impacted forests. With a major hurricane affecting South Florida mangroves approximately every 20 yr, carbon storage and nutrient retention may be influenced greatly by woody debris dynamics. In addition, woody debris can influence seedling regeneration in mangrove swamps by trapping propagules and enhancing seedling growth potential. Here, we report on line-intercept woody debris surveys conducted in mangrove wetlands of South Florida 9,10 yr after the passage of Hurricane Andrew. The total volume of woody debris for all sites combined was estimated at 67 m3/ha and varied from 13 to 181 m3/ha depending upon differences in forest height, proximity to the storm, and maximum estimated wind velocities. Large volumes of woody debris were found in the eyewall region of the hurricane, with a volume of 132 m3/ha and a projected woody debris biomass of approximately 36 t/ha. Approximately half of the woody debris biomass averaged across all sites was associated as small twigs and branches (fine woody debris), since coarse woody debris >7.5 cm felled during Hurricane Andrew was fairly well decomposed. Much of the small debris is likely to be associated with post-hurricane forest dynamics. Hurricanes are responsible for large amounts of damage to mangrove ecosystems, and components of associated downed wood may provide a relative index of disturbance for mangrove forests. Here, we suggest that a fine:coarse woody debris ratio ,0.5 is suggestive of a recent disturbance in mangrove wetlands, although additional research is needed to corroborate such findings. [source] The Effect of Hurricane Iris on the Food Supply of Black Howlers (Alouatta pigra) in Southern Belize1BIOTROPICA, Issue 1 2005Mary S. M. Pavelka ABSTRACT Hurricanes frequently affect the forests of South and Central America; however, few studies have quantified their effects to forest structure, especially when concentrating on the food supply of an animal population. Hurricane Iris made landfall in Southern Belize on 8 October 2001, severely damaging a 52 hectare site where the behavioral ecology of a population of Central American Black Howlers (Alouatta pigra) had been under study for 2.5 yr. The hurricane resulted in a mortality rate of 35 percent for major food trees, which was primarily attributed to uprooting, snapping, and major delimbing. This damage accounted for 97 percent of the food tree loss between the two sample periods. Tree species differences were found in both the percentage loss and category of damage to food trees. Trees of different heights also experienced different percentage loss and levels of damage; subcanopy and emergent trees experienced higher loss than canopy trees, and subcanopy trees were frequently uprooted. This was partially attributed to a lack of buttressing on these subcanopy trees. Buttressing was found to decrease the frequency of uprooting. Tree size was the only factor that did not influence either damage or death. Trees from which fruit were eaten by black howlers died more than twice as often as did trees eaten for leaves. [source] Crisis Discourses and Technology Regulation in a Weak State: Responses to a Pesticide Disaster in HondurasDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 1 2003Kees Jansen Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras in October 1998, leaving a trail of death, injury and devastating damage. As it tore through the country, the hurricane damaged a number of warehouses which contained pesticides, resulting in the discharge of more than 70 tonnes of pesticides into the environment. This article explores the responses of the Honduran state and international relief agencies to this event. It analyses the use of crisis discourses and their role in the reconstruction process, arguing that crisis discourses may legitimize political rule in the context of a weak state. It goes on to make the point that the shaping of crisis discourses is not the exclusive terrain of politicians but necessarily involves technical experts. [source] Forest blowdown impacts of Hurricane Rita on fluvial systemsEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 8 2009Jonathan D. Phillips Abstract Hurricane Rita, a category three hurricane which struck the US Gulf Coast near the Louisiana/Texas border in 2005, did not cause extensive river flooding. However, the storm did result in extensive forest damage and tree blowdown. High-resolution post-storm aerial photography allowed an inventory of river bank trees blown into the channel along the lower Neches and Sabine Rivers of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. Blowdowns directly into the channel averaged 9·3 per kilometer in the lower Neches and 13·4 in the lower Sabine River, but individual reaches 10 to 20 km in length had rates of 20 to 44 blowdowns per kilometer. Though large woody debris (LWD) from Hurricane Rita was widely perceived to reduce the capacity of channels to convey flow, no strong evidence exists of increased flooding or significant reductions in channel conveyance capacity due to LWD from the storm. The Rita blowdown inventory also allowed an assessment of whether similar blowdown events could account for major logjams and rafts on Red, Atchafalaya, and Colorado Rivers on the Gulf Coast, which blocked navigation from tens to hundreds of kilometers in the 1800s. Results from Hurricane Rita suggest that blowdown into channels alone , not withstanding blowdown elsewhere in the river valleys or along tributaries which could deliver LWD to the river , is sufficient to completely block channels, thus providing a plausible mechanism for initiating such (pre)historic log rafts. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Disturbance and recovery of microbial community structure and function following Hurricane FrancesENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2007Anthony C. Yannarell Summary Disturbance and recovery influence microbial community structure and ecosystem functions in most natural environments. This study from a hypersaline Bahamian lagoon details the response of a benthic cyanobacterial mat to disturbance by Hurricane Frances, a category-4 storm. Clone libraries of cyanobacterial small subunit r-RNA genes and nitrogenase genes revealed significant shifts in cyanobacterial and diazotroph community composition following the hurricane. Post-hurricane clone libraries were dominated by sequences that had been rare in pre-hurricane communities. In spite of this dominance shift, re-colonizing mat communities performed nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis at rates within the normal range of variation measured in the mat at similar salinities. There was a tendency for nitrogen fixation rates from mats re-colonizing sites with hurricane-related sand deposition to be higher than those from mats re-colonizing sites without significant sand deposition. This suggests that the altered communities responded to a carbon : nitrogen imbalance that was particularly pronounced in areas subjected to disturbance by sand burial. The post-hurricane dominance of organisms that had been previously rare suggests that pre-hurricane diversity and functional redundancy contributed to the rapid recovery of ecosystem function in the post-disturbance environment. [source] Sediment quality in near coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico: Influence of Hurricane Katrina,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 7 2010John M. Macauley Abstract The results of the present study represent a synoptic analysis of sediment quality in coastal waters of Lake Pontchartrain and Mississippi Sound two months after the landfall of Hurricane Katrina. Posthurricane conditions were compared to prehurricane (2000,2004) conditions, for sediment quality data. There were no exceedances of effects range median (ERM) sediment quality guideline values for chemical contaminants in any of the sediment samples collected from the Lake Pontchartrain or the Mississippi Sound study areas following the hurricane. Lower threshold effects range low (ERL) values were exceeded for As, Cd, and Ni at several stations in both survey areas, similar to levels of contamination observed prior to the hurricane. The comparison of sediment quality indicators before and after the hurricane suggests considerable stability of these systems with respect to short-term ecological impacts. Although other studies have shown storm-related changes could be detected (e.g., effects on benthic communities associated with shifts in salinity), there were no indications of widespread sediment contamination. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:1403,1408. © 2010 SETAC [source] Avifauna response to hurricanes: regional changes in community similarityGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010CHADWICK D. RITTENHOUSE Abstract Global climate models predict increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events such as hurricanes, which may abruptly alter ecological processes in forests and thus affect avian diversity. Developing appropriate conservation measures necessitates identifying patterns of avifauna response to hurricanes. We sought to answer two questions: (1) does avian diversity, measured as community similarity, abundance, and species richness, change in areas affected by hurricane compared with unaffected areas, and (2) what factors are associated with the change(s) in avian diversity? We used North American Breeding Bird Survey data, hurricane track information, and a time series of Landsat images in a repeated measures framework to answer these questions. Our results show a decrease in community similarity in the first posthurricane breeding season for all species as a group, and for species that nest in the midstory and canopy. We also found significant effects of hurricanes on abundance for species that breed in urban and woodland habitats, but not on the richness of any guild. In total, hurricanes produced regional changes in community similarity largely without significant loss of richness or overall avian abundance. We identified several potential mechanisms for these changes in avian diversity, including hurricane-induced changes in forest habitat and the use of refugia by birds displaced from hurricane-damaged forests. The prospect of increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes is not likely to invoke a conservation crisis for birds provided we maintain sufficient forest habitat so that avifauna can respond to hurricanes by shifting to areas of suitable habitat. [source] The interaction of disturbances and small mammal community dynamics in a lowland forest in BelizeJOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2006R. KLINGER Summary 1Three floods (July 2000, August 2002, September 2003) and a hurricane (October 2001) that occurred in a lowland forest in the southern Maya Mountains of Belize presented an opportunity to evaluate the influence of these disturbances on the structure of a small mammal assemblage. 2Four terrestrial and four primarily scansorial/arboreal species were trapped July 2000,March 2005 in six grids over 14 irregularly spaced trapping periods. 3Community dynamics were characterized more by changes in species composition than changes in diversity. The dynamics were driven by species-specific variation in abundance, with changes in composition generally, but not exclusively, due to the occurrence or disappearance of species at low abundance. Despite the disturbances, species richness remained relatively constant. Evenness within the assemblage was consistently low, primarily as a result of dominance by one species, Heteromys desmarestianus. 4Effects of flooding on community structure were direct but relatively brief (< 1 year), and varied with the duration and intensity of flooding. Effects from the hurricane were indirect but long-lasting and strongly related to severely reduced food resources. 5This study suggests that long-term dynamics in the structure of many animal communities in the tropics often results from interactions between direct and indirect effects of disturbance. It also suggests that community resistance will depend on variation in disturbance type and regime, but resilience will be determined by the life-history characteristics of each species. [source] Structural response of Caribbean dry forests to hurricane winds: a case study from Guánica Forest, Puerto RicoJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2006Skip J. Van Bloem Abstract Aim, Tropical dry forests in the Caribbean have an uniquely short, shrubby structure with a high proportion of multiple-stemmed trees compared to dry forests elsewhere in the Neotropics. Previous studies have shown that this structure can arise without the loss of main stems from cutting, grazing, or other human intervention. The Caribbean has a high frequency of hurricanes, so wind may also influence forest stature. Furthermore, these forests also tend to grow on soils with low amounts of available phosphorus, which may also influence structure. The objective of this study was to assess the role of high winds in structuring dry forest, and to determine whether soil nutrient pools influence forest response following hurricane disturbance. Location, Guánica Forest, Puerto Rico. Methods, Over 2000 stems in five plots were sampled for hurricane effects within 1 week after Hurricane Georges impacted field sites in 1998. Sprout initiation, growth, and mortality were analysed for 1407 stems for 2 years after the hurricane. Soil nutrient pools were measured at the base of 456 stems to assess association between nutrients and sprout dynamics. Results, Direct effects of the hurricane were minimal, with stem mortality at < 2% and structural damage to stems at 13%, although damage was biased toward stems of larger diameter. Sprouting response was high , over 10 times as many trees had sprouts after the hurricane as before. The number of sprouts on a stem also increased significantly. Sprouting was common on stems that only suffered defoliation or had no visible effects from the hurricane. Sprout survival after 2 years was also high (> 86%). Soil nutrient pools had little effect on forest response as a whole, but phosphorus supply did influence sprout dynamics on four of the more common tree species. Main conclusions, Hurricanes are able to influence Caribbean tropical dry forest structure by reducing average stem diameter and basal area and generating significant sprouting responses. New sprouts, with ongoing survival, will maintain the high frequency of multi-stemmed trees found in this region. Sprouting is not limited to damaged stems, indicating that trees are responding to other aspects of high winds, such as short-term gravitational displacement or sway. Soil nutrients play a secondary role in sprouting dynamics of a subset of species. The short, shrubby forest structure common to the Caribbean can arise naturally as a response to hurricane winds. [source] News Images, Race, and Attribution in the Wake of Hurricane KatrinaJOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, Issue 3 2010Eran N. Ben-Porath This study looks at the effect of news images and race on the attribution of responsibility for the consequences of Hurricane Katrina. Participants, Black and White, read the same news story about the hurricane and its aftermath, manipulated to include images of White victims, Black victims, or no images at all. Participants were then asked who they felt was responsible for the humanitarian disaster after the storm. White respondents expressed less sense of government responsibility when the story included victims' images. For Black respondents this effect did not occur. Images did not affect attribution of responsibility to New Orleans' residents themselves. These findings are interpreted to support the expectations of framing theory with the images serving as episodic framing mechanisms. Les images médiatiques, la race et l'attribution à la suite de l'ouragan Katrina Eran N. Ben-Porath & Lee K. Shaker Cette étude explore l'effet des images médiatiques et de la race sur l'attribution d'une responsabilité quant aux conséquences de l'ouragan Katrina. Les participants, Noirs et Blancs, ont lu la même nouvelle concernant l'ouragan et ses suites, l'histoire ayant été manipulée pour inclure des images de victimes blanches, des images de victimes noires ou aucune image du tout. On a ensuite demandé aux participants de dire qui était selon eux responsable du désastre humanitaire ayant suivi la tempête. Les répondants blancs ont exprimé moins d'impressions de responsabilité gouvernementale lorsque l'histoire incluait des photos de victimes. Cet effet n'est pas apparu chez les participants noirs. Les images n'ont pas eu d'effets sur l'attribution de responsabilité aux résidents de la Nouvelle-Orléans. Ces résultats sont interprétés de manière à appuyer les attentes de la théorie du cadrage, les images servant de mécanismes de cadrage épisodique. Mots clés : attribution, race, cadrage de responsabilité, ouragan Katrina Nachrichtenbilder, Rasse und Zuschreibung im Fall Hurrikan Katrina Eran N. Ben-Porath & Lee K. Shaker Diese Studie betrachtet die Wirkung von Nachrichtenbildern und Rasse auf die Zuschreibung von Verantwortlichkeit für die Konsequenzen von Hurrikan Katrina. Die Teilnehmer schwarzer und weißer Hautfarbe lasen die gleichen Nachrichten über den Hurrikan und dessen Folgen. Die Bilder zeigten entweder weiße Opfer, schwarze Opfer oder es wurde auf eine Bebilderung verzichtet. Die Teilnehmer wurden dann gefragt, wen sie für die humanitäre Katastrophe nach dem Sturm verantwortlich machten. Weiße Teilnehmer zogen die Regierung weniger in die Verantwortung, wenn Bilder von Opfern gezeigt wurden. Für schwarze Teilnehmer zeigte sich dieser Effekt nicht. Die Bilder beeinflussten nicht die Zuschreibung von Verantwortlichkeit auf die Einwohner von New Orleans selbst. Diese Ergebnisse werden im Sinne der Annahmen der Framing-Theorie interpretiert, bei denen Bilder als episodische Framing-Mechanismen dienen. [source] Disaster and Preparedness: Lessons from Hurricane RitaJOURNAL OF CONTINGENCIES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2008Bradley W. Mayer This paper investigates the lessons learned and preparedness behaviours of businesses in the southeast Texas region affected by Hurricane Rita. The data were collected through an e-mail survey sent to businesses in the southeast Texas region affected by Hurricane Rita. Findings from the study indicate that the majority of businesses took only ,few' or ,some' preparedness measures before the hurricane. However, those businesses that experienced impacts and losses due to Hurricane Rita report that they are now taking greater preparedness measures. This study identifies specific areas that should be addressed in a disaster preparedness plan based on information gathered from organizations that went through a major disaster first-hand. [source] Potential effects of a major hurricane on Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) reproduction in the Mississippi SoundMARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2010Lance J. Miller First page of article [source] Queering the Disaster: A Presidential SessionNORTH AMERICAN DIALOGUE (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2007William L. Leap The 2007 SANA meetings on "Unnatural Disasters" used Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath as the focus of its scheduled sessions, and for scholarly and activist reflection on this theme. As the planning for the conference unfolded, we recognized that a very important component of the Katrina experience, related to our own work in North American anthropology, needed to be part of the conference program. New Orleans is a city with a long-standing queer counter-culture, many of whose participants are black and many of whom were hardest hit by the hurricane and flooding. We organized a session "Queering the Disaster," designed to document the queer presence in the Katrina experience, and, thereby draw attention to the need to include attention to marginal sexualities in anthropological studies of unnatural disasters [source] Race, Gender, and Communications in Natural DisastersPOLICY STUDIES JOURNAL, Issue 4 2007Darrell M. West We examine public attitudes toward vulnerability and evacuation in hurricane natural disasters. Using the results of an opinion survey in a coastal, New England state, we find important differences in how men and women, and Whites and minorities perceive natural disasters. Race, gender, and geographic proximity to the coast affect how vulnerable people believe their residence is to a major hurricane, while government officials and media reporting telling people to evacuate influence evacuation decisions. In order to avoid future breakdowns, governments need to understand the different information processing approaches of various groups of people. [source] "Chocolate City" Politics: Race and Empowerment in the First Post-Katrina New Orleans Mayoral ElectionPOLITICS & POLICY, Issue 3 2008Allan McBride The first New Orleans mayor's election after Hurricane Katrina took place in May of 2006. The setting for the election is perhaps unique in American history: the total evacuation of the city after the hurricane with less than half of its citizens returning by the time of the election, possibly as much as 60-80 percent of the city destroyed, and the African-American community in danger of losing its hold on the city's formal power structure. As a black empowerment zone, the city has had a series of black mayors since the 1970s. In early 2006 the demographics of the city remained uncertain. Although the hurricane loomed as the single largest issue in the election, race was the subtext. Analysis of precinct voting data points to the significance of race and empowerment in the final results. [source] Changes in children's peer interactions following a natural disaster: How predisaster bullying and victimization rates changed following Hurricane KatrinaPSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 4 2009Andrew M. Terranova Youth exposed to disasters experience stress and adjustment difficulties, which likely influence their interactions with peers. In this study, we examined changes in bullying and peer victimization in two cohorts of children. Youth from an area affected by Hurricane Katrina were assessed pre- and postdisaster (n = 96, mean [M] = 10.9 years old, 53% female), and a comparison group from a nearby area was assessed over the same time interval 1 year prior (n = 120, M = 10.2 years old, 52% female). Within the hurricane group, relations between symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with bullying and victimization also were examined. Following the hurricane, the hurricane group reported increased relational and overt bullying relative to the nonhurricane group, and PTSD symptoms predicted increased victimization. Thus, school personnel should be vigilant and prepared to respond to increased bullying following disasters and for increased victimization in youth experiencing PTSD symptoms. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Hurricane formation in diabatic Ekman turbulenceTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 641 2009David A. Schecter Abstract This article investigates the emergence of hurricanes from chaotic swirling motions in a three-layer model of the tropical troposphere that includes basic parametrizations of cumulus convection and air--sea interaction. The chaotic flow is referred to as diabatic Ekman turbulence (DET), in order to emphasize that cumulus convection and Ekman pumping are critical to its behaviour. The time required for hurricane formation in DET is examined over a broad range of sea-surface temperatures, tropical latitudes and surface exchange coefficients for moist entropy and momentum. The mean trends are sensible, but for a given set of parameters, the genesis time can vary significantly with subtle changes to the initial turbulence. Moreover, hurricanes do not always form. In the event that a tropical depression develops into a hurricane, the process is highly asymmetric. Intensification involves a shear-flow instability, the production of mesovortices and contraction of the basic circulation. Despite the complex evolution, the intensification rate is largely consistent with the expectations of a quasi-linear stability analysis. Properties of mature hurricanes and the nature of their fluctuations are discussed in the context of the model. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society [source] A critique of Emanuel's hurricane model and potential intensity theoryTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 632 2008Roger K. Smith Abstract We present a critique of Emanuel's steady-state hurricane model, which is a precursor to his theory for hurricane potential intensity (PI). We show that a major deficiency of the theory is the tacit assumption of gradient wind balance in the boundary layer, a layer that owes its existence to gradient wind imbalance in the radial momentum equation. If a more complete boundary-layer formulation is included using the gradient wind profiles obtained from Emanuel's theory, the tangential wind speed in the boundary layer becomes supergradient, invalidating the assumption of gradient wind balance. We show that the degree to which the tangential wind is supergradient depends on the assumed boundary-layer depth. The full boundary-layer solutions require a knowledge of the tangential wind profile above the boundary layer in the outer region where there is subsidence into the layer and they depend on the breadth of this profile. This effect is not considered in Emanuel's theory. We argue that a more complete theory for the steady-state hurricane would require the radial pressure gradient above the boundary layer to be prescribed or determined independently of the boundary layer. The issues raised herein highlight a fundamental problem with Emanuel's theory for PI, since that theory makes the same assumptions as in the steady-state hurricane model. Our current findings together with recent studies examining intense hurricanes suggest a way forward towards a more consistent theory for hurricane PI. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society [source] A simple prediction model of hurricane intensityTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 611 2005Weixing Shen Abstract A simple model to predict hurricane intensity based on energetics is described and tested. It is assumed that future hurricane intensity is solely determined by the large-scale environmental conditions and the present state of the hurricane, implying that subscale processes, if important, are strongly conditioned by the environment. It is also assumed that the hurricane track and the large-scale environmental conditions that are used as inputs to the intensity model can be reasonably predicted by comprehensive numerical models. A series of runs starting from different times are performed. The results by the model are fairly consistent with observations. The intensity sensitivity to various factors and parameters used in the model is also discussed. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Hurricane potential intensity from an energetics point of viewTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 602 2004Weixing Shen Abstract This article describes an approach to hurricane potential intensity with a model that considers total kinetic energy balance within a hurricane. The major kinetic energy source and sink are the kinetic energy converted from sea surface entropy flux and the surface dissipation, respectively, but the conversion efficiency is radius-dependent in this model. Also, the internal conversion due to convectively available potential energy (CAPE) as a source is considered. In contrast to previous potential intensity models, energy balance in the entire hurricane is used to get its steady state. With this model, the roles of environmental sea surface temperature (SST), CAPE and some features of the hurricane itself in determining hurricane potential intensity are investigated. The results indicate that existence of CAPE may lead to the steady state (or potential intensity) appreciably different from the otherwise surface entropy flux conversion and surface dissipation balanced state, although CAPE contribution to kinetic energy generation is usually much smaller than that of the surface flux. It is interesting that hurricane potential intensity seems less dependent on the underlying SST than was shown with previous theoretical models. The results also suggest that hurricane size may affect its potential intensity in that larger-sized hurricanes tend to have higher potential intensities. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society [source] The extratropical transition of hurricane Irene (1999): A potential-vorticity perspectiveTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 598 2004A. Agusti-panareda Abstract Extratropical transition (ET) of tropical cyclones is common in all ocean basins where tropical cyclones recurve polewards. After the tropical cyclone experiences ET, a rapid deepening can take place resulting in the development of a very large and deep extratropical cyclone. The ET of hurricane Irene (1999) was an example of such an ,explosive' ET. Irene formed in the Caribbean and experienced ET as it moved poleward, resulting in a low-pressure system which deepened 39 hPa in 24 hours (according to the Met Office analyses). The extent to which the hurricane was responsible for the explosive extratropical development has been determined by performing Met Office Unified Model forecasts from initial states with and without the hurricane. The circulation and temperature anomalies associated with the hurricane were removed from the initial state using potential-vorticity inversion. The moisture anomaly co-located with the hurricane core was also removed. The results show that an extratropical cyclogenesis event takes place regardless of the presence of the hurricane in the initial conditions. However, the hurricane makes a significant difference to the track and central mean-sea-level pressure evolution of the resulting extratropical cyclone. When Irene was present the track of the extratropical cyclone was more zonal and the cyclone deepening rate was twice as fast as when Irene was not present. These effects appear to be particularly associated with a negative potential-vorticity anomaly and enhanced divergent flow in the region of the upper-level outflow of the transforming hurricane rather than with the hurricane vortex. Results also show that the presence of the hurricane resulted in a significant downstream surface-low development in the eastern Atlantic. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] MOSAICS OF MAYA LIVELIHOODS: READJUSTING TO GLOBAL AND LOCAL FOOD CRISESANNALS OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL PRACTICE, Issue 1 2009Rebecca K. Zarger The particularities of how residents in Southern Belize encounter the vagaries of what is commonly referred to as a "global food crisis" (between 2006 and 2008) are explored in this paper. Belize, like many other nation states around the globe, has been structurally (and sequentially) "readjusted" by transnational lending institutions over the last several decades. Cyclical shifts in agricultural practices have taken place in many Maya communities in Southern Belize in the last decade, partly in response to migration, a severe hurricane, land tenure conflicts, and within the last year, skyrocketing staple prices and food scarcity. The costs of basic staples such as corn, wheat, and rice have nearly doubled, in parallel with much of the rest of the globe during the same time frame. Shifts in subsistence strategies have significant implications for the power and politics of land use, access, and mobility. Furthermore, they reflect centuries-old ways of adjusting to changing circumstances in global markets and colonial and postcolonial realities. I conclude by emphasizing the importance of incorporating political and historical ecologies of land use and food production when considering the local impacts of global food crises. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||