Case Study - Hurricane Michael

Question 1

Facts

When was it?

What Category?

How fast were the winds?

How big was the storm surge

How many Died?

Economic damage?

Answer 1

Facts

Florida, 2018 - Caused by unusually warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico turbo-charged the storm from a tropical depression (low pressure)

Originally Category 4, then upgraded to 5 once hit land - third most intense hurricane in the US

Winds up to 250km/hr

Storm surge up to 3m

45 people died; 1500 missing

US$25bn = economic damage

Question 2

What were the Primary Impacts

Answer 2

45 dead/1500 missing

Massive crop destruction

More than 1.5mn people without power.

Access roads blocked due to debris

Damaged buildings (45,000)

Homes were submerged in water

Question 3

What were the Secondary impacts

Answer 3

Sewerage all across Florida due to burst pipes

Looting in areas with no electricity

Question 4

How did Florida prepare for the hurricane?

Were the poor communities as prepared as everyone else?

Answer 4

• Previous education
• Accurate prediction 2 days prior of storm’s path
• Storm surge warnings in place
• Residents filled sandbags, boarded-up homes and secured boats.
• Medical packs handed out before storm hit
• More than 370,000 people in Florida were ordered to evacuate and move to higher ground, especially residents of mobile homes and low-lying coastal areas
• Air ambulance emergency services were ready to be deployed from Miami to help those in need
• BUT Poor areas were less well prepared, no extra food, no flashlights, no batteries, no working vehicles or places to evacuate to before the storm worsened.

Question 5

Short-term response

Answer 5

• > 370,000 people ordered to evacuate but many ignored - some refused to go; others had nowhere else to go
• > 1500 rescue workers deployed
• Distribution sites set up for food, water and other items

BUT Response in poor areas was worse due to limited access. Lower quality housing (e.g. trailers) more easily destroyed and created more rubble (harder to reach)

Question 6

Longer-term response

Answer 6

• Residents could get grants for housing repairs, temporary shelter, loans for uninsured property losses and business loans
• 5000 still homeless
• Local government raised property tax to pay for high recovery costs which has forced people away from their communities.

Question 7

Why was Hurricane Michael disproportionately impactful for poor people?

Answer 7

• Less well prepared - no extra food, flashlights, vehicles
• Lived in low-lying areas. More vulnerable.
• Worse quality housing; broke easier and made it more difficult to be found and rescued.
• Nowhere to go when evacuation order came through
• Can’t accord higher property taxes that were raised after the hurricane.