hurricane maria in puerto rico Flashcards
date and storm details:
-20th september 2017
-category 4
-windspeed: 155 mph
-storm surge: 1.8m-2.7m along eastern coast, 0.6m-1.3m along northern coast
-rainfall: 96.3cm
factors making puerto rico vunerable?
-almost half of the residents lived below poverty line
-facing a recession over a decade before maria hit
-unemployment rate was more than double national level
key social impacts:
-65 deaths- direct and 2975 indirect deaths
-children and young children are particularly prone to psychological impacts of the disaster
-6 months after the storm many were still without power
key economic impacts:
-caused 73.4 billion in damages
-£607 million loss in agricultiural yeilds
-$90 billions to puerto rico
-local economy devestated as people lost their livley hoods
key environmental impacts:
-30% of the trees in puerto rico are estimated to be destroyed
- a significant carbon sink has been destroyed
-increase nitrate in water: could cause nausea, blue baby syndrome
preperations:
-NHC minitored the storm as it developed and moved westwards across the atlantic
-info from hurricane hunters and the dropsonde data was shared with all agencies
-FEMA were totally unprepared for a disaster of this magnitude- not enough food etc
-FEMA emergency workers were empitied by the response to the virgin islands 2 weeks before
-prior to maria landfall, hundreds of shelters were set up and evacuation orders were given
rehabilitation:
-FEMA worked to provide victims with housing assistance to help repair homes - could provide up to 33,000
-on average, FEMA has provided around $2,974 in individual housing assistance on the island
-mercy corps distributed 5000 solar lanterns and 2500 water filters to thousands of families
reconstruction:
-puerto ricans worked hard to restore their shops as quickly as possible, and today the island is open for business.
-training and supplies from mercy corps
-residents of the US territory were able to apply for aid through FEMA
-2 months after strom, 60% were without power
-although repairs were completed most houses only had temporary fixes and blue tarps for roofs