Examining the Impacts of Hurricane Dorian

Examining the Impacts of Hurricane Dorian

Over the years, natural disasters, such as hurricanes, have become rampant in the world. Hurricanes are the most violent storms on the earth. These rainstorms are becoming stronger due to increased global warming. Fundamentally, climate change worsens the impact of hurricanes as it leads to increased rainfall, storm surges, and storm intensity. These dramatic changes affect communities. They cause disruption, damage, and casualties. Hurricane Dorian adverse impacts on U.S.A and the Bahamas populations are realized to date despite the interventions to mitigate the disaster.

Hurricane Dorian

Hurricane Dorian is considered to be the most powerful storm to strike the Bahamas. Additionally, it is the second-strongest hurricane on the Atlantic on record. In the last four years, the storm is the fifth Atlantic hurricane to reach the highest category. The hurricane, a category five storm, hit Northern Bahamas, particularly Grand Bahama and Abaco Island, on 1^st September 2019 with strong winds of up to 298 km/h (“The Bahamas: Hurricane”). The storm caused devastating effects, including the deaths of forty-three people. Furthermore, many people went missing for days after the disaster. The storm caused heavy rains and powerful winds. Additionally, seawater surges pummeled the Bahamas for three days. The storm slowly moved northwards of the United States of America, instigating signs of storm surges and high winds in North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia. Storm surges occur when hurricane winds push huge water volumes (“Hurricane Dorian: Path “). When the water reaches the land, it leads to abnormal normal tides. Fortunately, the storm hit only the coast of North Carolina instead of pummeling to other states. Because of the strong winds and heavy rains, it is evident that the hurricane will remain on record as one of the strongest storms to hit the Bahamas as well as the coastal U.S region.

Emergency Preparedness of Hurricane Dorian

The United States had preparations to tackle the Dorian hurricane. President Donald Trump had declared a statewide emergency and commanded federal assistance to all the counties that would be potentially affected by the storm. Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina declared a state of emergency before the storm for the sake of preparations, response, and recovery. These states issued mandatory evacuation since hurricane Dorian was expected to hit densely residential areas. St. Johns County in Florida was one of the counties that issued a compulsory evacuation order. The Naval aircraft in Florida also had to relocate to Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base near Ohio. The Sheriff’s Office at Brevard County also issued a mandatory evacuation for individuals living in areas prone to floodings, such as barrier islands, or mobile homes. Furthermore, those with disabilities were asked to evacuate for safety purposes. Thus, the declaration of a state of emergency and evacuation procedures reduce the severity of the storm to property and residents.

Notably, different departments were involved in containing the disaster. The National Hurricane Center disseminated a warning to Northwestern Bahamas and eastern Florida. Florida Highway Patrol was tasked with escorting gasoline tankers to crucial locations.  Since many people attempting to flee Hurricane Irma were left stranded due to shortages in fuel, the government ensured enough supply to the residents of the affected areas. Furthermore, the affect locals sought the services of Tree companies to clean the areas around their homes to inhibit damage from debris. The cooperation among the stakeholders was crucial, considering their roles in mitigating adverse of the storm.

The concerned parties provided necessary support to support life to the general population. Families with members with special needs or pets had access to shelters. Furthermore, WIFI hotspots were installed to enhance communication. Moreover, Florida provided adequate water and food for distribution. The institutions deployed guardsmen, as well as urban search and rescue task forces. Consequently, some inmates in Florida were relocated or evacuated to facilities that were better equipped. In relation to the disaster, the governor of Florida suspended regulations that restricted operational hours for commercial vehicles. This measure ensured uninterrupted emergency supplies for petrol and food. Georgia state parks also accommodated evacuees and their pets. Evacuees were not mandated to pay for pet fees. The collaboration among the government and the other organization, therefore, critically assisted the affected persons.

Evacuation procedures and emergency preparedness were prioritized in the Bahamas recovery. The officials ordered the evacuation in some areas in Grand Bahama and Abacos. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a list of required relief items, such as cots, tents, purified/portable water, hygiene kits, chain saws, first aid items, blankets, water containers and bladders, and tools for removing debris. Besides, the Ministry of Finance issued a declaration of exigency (“The Bahamas: Hurricane”). This order granted tax exemptions on disaster relief items, including medicine, beddings, building materials, household furniture, and bottled water, electrical materials and fixtures, electrical generators, appliances, personal hygiene products, and food, importation for 30 to 90 days. Therefore, the declaration of exigency, evacuation orders, and relief provision were all aligned to meeting the needs of the victims.

Based on these measures, Bahamas prepared to address the implications of the storm, but it failed to address some critical concerns. One of the essential measures was securing relief products. This control was, however, flawed, especially in transportation and distribution of the relief items. In addition, despite being warned, many Bahamians did not evacuate. They ignored the caution, assuming that they would withstand the storm. As a result, a significant number lost their lives. Thus, despite the commitment of various bodies to contain the disaster, the ineffective security measures and lack of awareness among the residents resulted in avoidable deaths.

The Outcome of Hurricane Dorian

Hurricane Dorian caused disastrous effects. The aftermath of the storm left many Bahamians devastated. It will take many years for the affected regions to recover from the loss of infrastructure and property, especially the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahamas. Many industries, including brewing, manufacturing, and tourism in the Grand Bahamas, were destroyed, hence job loss for some individuals. Additionally, the loss of lives affected families as well as generations, considering the deaths of aunts, grandparents, children, and uncles (Fitzpatrick).  Moreover, some bodies might have been left under debris. The hurricane adversely affected the residents socially and economically.

The displacement of people as well as evacuation to Nassau to escape the rising floodwaters destabilize the natives. These measures led to a housing shortage in the city. Temporary solutions, such as hotels, provided housing for the displaced persons. However, many are still homeless despite the Bahamian government providing shelters for the locals (Fitzpatrick). Nonetheless, the conditions at some of these shelters are deteriorating. There are increased concerns for violence and unsanitary conditions. Violence is substantially attributed to emotional and mental instability due to loss of both property and loved ones, intolerance due to desperation to meet basic needs, and the crowded living places. Hence, these impacts, hurricanes impacted the residents significantly, leading to poor living standards

The most severely affected areas by the storm were the Abaco Islands. In this city, there was widespread physical destruction. Many houses were leveled, and telecommunications towers destroyed. Moreover, roads and water wells were damaged. Consequently, sanitation and electricity supply were greatly affected. Similarly, Grand Bahama also witnessed severe physical destruction. Many buildings and homes were destroyed. Thus, physical damage in these areas is an indicator of storm severity.

During the hurricanes, people attempt to safeguard resources such as objects, energy, social roles, and personal characteristics. Natural disasters such as hurricanes threaten the loss of these resources, which, in turn, results in psychological distress (Petrucci 114). Survivors of hurricane Dorian narrate horrific events that have negatively impacted their mental health. Many people witnessed their loved ones being carried by wind gusts while others drowned (Fitzpatrick). Such experiences left many suffering from anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, substance abuse, and appetite and sleep conditions. Adversely, some now experience severe anxiety attacks when it rains. Most of these problems affect the victims as well as their families, and they need proper interventions.

Another outcome is limited access to clean water. The hurricane destroyed hardware stores causing susceptibility to contamination of groundwater from the leakage of chemicals of unsold inventory. There has been the documentation of one oil spill, which is likely to result in the contamination of water. Hence the residents are subject to unhygienic livelihood.

Social disparities, particularly near Abaco, disproportionately affected vulnerable communities in the region. There were challenges with the deployment, availability, and allocation of resources for the hungry, displaced, and those who required medical attention. Therefore, social disparity is a significant catastrophic effect of the storm.

In contrast, the damage caused by Hurricane Dorian on the coastal U.S is less devastating than what occurred in the Bahamas. However, the country still experienced coastal flooding because of storm surges. People were also forced to evacuate their homes to flee the floodwaters. Additionally, some coastal regions experienced tornadoes. At the same time, there was an increase in power outage cases, especially in North Carolina, with intensifying winds. Therefore, no matter how small the impacts were on the coastal regions as compared to the Bahamas, adversities are realized in all the affected areas.

How Victims are Recovering

The victims of hurricane Dorian are still recovering, especially those in the Bahamas. Aid is being sent to the country from organizations such as the United Nations and Red Cross. The distribution of household items to the displaced families and the process of debris removal is ongoing. Families returning to their homes are being provided with small-scale rehabilitation toolkits for support (Schlein). The American Red Cross is still supporting people impacted by the storm. Notably, most people returned to their homes when power was restored, and floodwaters reduced. Support continues for people from the United States and the Bahamas.

Conclusion

Hurricane Dorian, the most powerful storm to strike the Bahamas, caused devastating impacts. The experiences of the victims include pain, loss, and mental and physical distress, which might take substantial time to heal. Dorian proves that climate change can lead to calamities. The aftermath of the disaster provides adequate evidence to persuade people about the need to address climate change. Overall, sustained and continuous support and attention are required to rebuild the communities, improve lives, and boost the health and resilient spirit of the victims.