Hurricane Ida Hammers Eastern U.S
On Aug. 29, Hurricane Ida, identified as a Category 4 with 150 mph wind speeds, made landfall in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, causing flooding and power outages in that area. It then moved northeast, just missing New Orleans and hitting Grand Isle and Leeville, covering roads in water and sand. Though the hurricane missed New Orleans, it still caused the grid to go down, and over one million Louisiana were left without power (Consumer News and Business Channel). After passing through Louisiana, Hurricane Ida continued on its path, reaching states including New York and New Jersey on Sept. 1. On that day, Newark, New Jersey received 8.14 inches of rainfall, surpassing the previous record for most rainfall accumulated in one day that was previously set on Nov. 8, 1977 (New York Times). Junior Ema Kimoto, whose cousin in Manhattan, New York witnessed the destruction, found the footage eye-opening.
“[When] I saw videos of [Hurricane Ida’s] damage, like trees falling onto houses, I was shocked and glad [that] I do not live in a hurricane area,” Kimoto said. “[However,] I was worried about my cousins who live in New York City.”
As the hurricane moved further inland, it slowed enough to be demoted to a Category 3. Over the course of several days, the hurricane further weakened, then eventually dissipated on Sept 7. In total, the hurricane hit 22 states and Washington D.C., and traveled 1,500 miles across the east coast. This is considered an unusually long path of destruction; unlike most hurricanes, which rapidly slow and deteriorate after reaching land, Hurricane Ida maintained Category 4 wind speeds six hours after its initial landfall (Royal Meteorological Society). The damage caused by Hurricane Ida is currently estimated at around $95 billion. In addition to the material destruction, junior Meghan Ke was unsettled by the hurricane’s effect on people’s safety, as 82 lives were lost due to the hurricane (Consumer News and Business Channel).
“It felt surreal to see [footage like] New York’s subways flooding with water,” Ke said. “I think people often forget there were people dying of the flooding at the same time that those subways were flooding. It affected not only the infrastructure, but also peoples’ lives.”
Before moving to Palos Verdes, Paula Borstel, who teaches Chemistry 1 and Physiology and Anatomy, lived in Florida for 20 years, and has experienced many hurricanes as a result. Borstel illustrates how climate change is a contributor to the heightened severity of recent hurricanes, and that Hurricane Ida is a warning sign that society needs to be more environmentally aware.
“We are burning fossil fuels at a rate that is not conducive to [the world] having a safer future,” Borstel said. “We really need to move to renewable resources. The more fossil fuels we burn, the more carbon dioxide and methane we put into the air, the more we are going to see these major events [like Hurricane Ida].”
While Californians do not face hurricanes as often as people on the East Coast, wildfires are a problem that are exacerbated by climate change; high heat from global warming, dry soil and an unnatural buildup of flammable material increase the destructive power of wildfires (New York Times). The number of days with an optimal environment for wildfires, with dry, warm and windy weather, has doubled in California since the 1980s. Another cause of climate change for Californians, especially those who live near the coast, is rising sea levels. As a result of greenhouse gases melting arctic ice and warmer water, sea levels are currently rising at a rate of 0.12-0.14 inches per year (United States Environmental Protection Agency). At this rate, as a result of rising sea levels, an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion of property could be flooded in California (Legislative Analyst’s Office).
“Using electricity produces greenhouse gasses [and contributes to global warming, so] we need to move to renewable resources,” Borstel said. “[We should] put solar panels on houses and on businesses, think about how much sun our roofs get and use that energy to create our own electricity instead of having to rely on [non-renewable sources of energy].”
