Lourdes Beltran,
Heather Luna,
Georgina Salas,
Maria Martinez,
& Crystal Martinez
EDCI 6341.62
Dr. Juan Chavez
April 22, 2012
.
ESSEA Cycle A (Module 2)
Team Assignment
Generate a list of questions related to the scenario. (Each member will contribute 2 questions,
then respond to each others question.)
1. L. Beltran: In case of a hurricane, how long do people have to
evacuate?
G. Salas: In case of a hurricane evacuation the residents of the area should leave immediately.
The longer residents wait the more traffic there will be especially if the only way out is through a
highway or bridge.
http://www.hurricaneu.com/hurricane-preparedness-checklist-family-planning-for-hurricanesafety/hurricane-preparedness-hurricane-evacuation-plan
H. Luna: Hurricane evacuations are issued based on the Decision Arc Method, which can be
quite complex. Once an evacuation is issued, it is imperative that all evacuations occur before
the storm crosses the “crossing point”. Once the storm crosses the “crossing point”, it is too late
to evacuate anyone else. http://www.essortment.com/weather-safety-expect-hurricaneevacuation-61062.html
M. Martinez: In case of a hurricane, people have an exact time to evacuate. If an evacuation is
issued, residents should leave at that exact time. Meaning, residents have to be prepared
ahead of time. Once an evacuation is issued, it means to leave, not to begin to pack and and
think of what will be taken, fill up the car tank, sit down and make a plan, etc.
C. Martinez: Most people are given a short amount of time to evacuate and it is
imperative that people listen to these warnings. It is only for their best interest of
surviving such catastrophic events. With new updating technology coming out, it is a
great relief to know the path of such storms.
2. L Beltran: Is it possible to prevent hurricanes?
G. Salas: There really is no way to prevent hurricanes because they are a natural phenomenon
of nature. People just have to monitor and prepare when they know that a hurricane is coming
their way.
http://www.grandunifiedtheory.org.il/Third%20Book/Hurricane.htm
H. Luna: According to Dr. Tejman, hurricanes are a natural process that are unable to be
prevented. However, we can foresee, monitor, and utilize this natural process to our advantage.
http://www.grandunifiedtheory.org.il/Third%20Book/Hurricane.htm
M. Martinez: No, it is not possible to prevent hurricanes. Hurricanes are natural events caused
by nature. All that can be done is to monitor and be prepared.
C. Martinez: There is no way to prevent a hurricane but there is a way to help yourself and
family from being caught in the path of the hurricane. Emergency warnings are given when an
imminent storm is approaching. Better preparation is given when there is an advance notice
given.
3. M. Martinez: Just like the residents in Galveston, we have
encountered severe weather in which our city has been fortunate to
survive through its threats of destruction. Just like the residents in
Galveston, we have remained put with no full fear of an event of
such to target our area. What separates us from experiencing a
natural disaster just like the Galveston residents experienced
during the 1900 hurricane?
G. Salas: South Texas has been very lucky not to experience a major natural disaster like the
one Galveston experienced in 1900. It seems that when the hurricanes get close to South
Texas it tends to slow down or change a different direction. If a hurricane by-passes South
Texas we tend to get lots of rain and lots of strong winds with tornado warnings.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bro/?n=hurrprep
H. Luna: Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island, whereas, Brownsville is a city
located in the southernmost tip of Texas (approx. 40 miles from the coast). Based on the
proximity of Galveston to the coast, storm surge are more likely. In addition, hurricane winds will
be stronger, since hurricanes lose strength once they begin moving over land. However, both
Galveston and Brownsville have the potential to incur flooding and tornadoes. So, although we
may not experience a natural disaster exactly like the residents of Galveston, we could still
potentially suffer a traumatic natural disaster.
http://www.gema.ga.gov/gemaohsv10.nsf/f5f7c40f402ce35f852577270052218d/1e49e61e
4cd730a3852577350071bcea?OpenDocument
C. Martinez: A major factor that distinguishes us separate from Galveston, Texas is that we are
not right on the coast but are several miles inland and we have been very fortunate not to have
a direct impact from a hurricane. I can not say the same about a nearby city, Harlingen, that has
been impacted directed.
L. Beltran: One of the major factors that separates us from experiencing a natural disaster is
that today we have better technology that helps alert people on evacuating before an actual
hurricane hits land. People also have a better understanding of engineering by raising the level
of the ground, building levee systems and building seawalls.
4. M. Martinez: Seawalls are known to be costly and require
maintenance. If a seawall would have been approved to be built
during the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, would it have made a
difference on the number of death and repair cost?
G. Salas: The seawall would have made a difference in the number of deaths and destruction.
Once the seawall in Galveston was built, the city went through numerous other hurricanes and
the seawall help protect the city from major damage and deaths.
http://www.therealgalveston.com/Seawall.html
H. Luna: Following the hurricane on September 8, 1900, Galveston spent 8 years and more
than $14,000,000 building a 7 mile, 17 feet high seawall. Although this was a daunting project
that took lots of time and money, it proved to be successful when the hurricane of 1915 hit
Galveston, leaving a city safe and only eight people dead.
http://www.galveston.com/seawallphotos/
C. Martinez: Yes it did make a significant difference when another hurricane hit the region in
1915. Only a few people died and the city remained intact. Although it may have cost the city
$14 million dollars, the seawall did do its job by protecting the city and it nearby towns from total
destruction.
L. Beltran: A seawall is a structure that was intended to protect the shoreline from flooding and
erosions. I believe that a seawall would have helped with the destruction of the hurricane.
Although if the hurricane has high waves, it could still breach most seawalls. During a
hurricane, there’s powerful wave actions beating on the seawalls and overtime it will be required
for repair or replacement. The total cost for building the Galveston seawall was $1.6 million.
5. G. Salas: Did the residents of Galveston have advance warning
about the hurricane that was coming their way?
H. Luna: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Weather Bureau, Daily Journal for
September 1900, Isaac Cline received the order to hoist the storm warning flag at 11:30 a.m. on
Friday, September 7th; however, many people did not expect the storm to be as severe as it
was. Many residents who had survived the storm in 1886, which was only a mild tropical storm,
believed that it would not be worse than before.
http://www.gthcenter.org/exhibits/storms/1900/victims/stormfaq.htm
M. Martinez: Galveston did have advance warning about the hurricane for some did
evacuate. It was more of a series of unfortunate events. From the residents believing it
would not land with such force as it did, to those requesting a sea wall to be built being
declined, to not being fully equipped for such event.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1900_Galveston_hurricane
C. Martinez: With little knowledge of how strong the storm was going to be and the naive minds
of the local residents, they chose to stay and then later dealt with the life longing effects of the
storm.
L. Beltran: There was little warning and no defense about the hurricane. They didn’t have the
technology to assess hurricanes on a scale of 1-5, or predict when and where they’d make
landfall. Texans had no advance warning of the catastrophe.
6. G. Salas: Did the residents of Galveston, or for that matter any
city in the path of a hurricane, take any hurricane warnings, if any,
seriously?
H. Luna: As mentioned above, the hurricane was thought to be a mild tropical disturbance,
residence did not think it would be a severe as it was.
http://www.gthcenter.org/exhibits/storms/1900/victims/stormfaq.htm
M. Martinez: It was more of what was known and believed by everyone. At that time, it was
believed that the hurricane would continue traveling northeast and affect the mid-Atlantic coast.
Although others warned them of the path it would take which was down west into Central Texas,
forecasters disagreed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1900_Galveston_hurricane
C. Martinez: With the naive minds of the local residents, they assumed that the storm was not
going to be as strong as it was and many did not worry.
L. Beltran: For the residents of Galveston they had no previous advanced notice of the
hurricane, but there has been instances where people refuse to evacuate. One example is
Hurricane Alicia. People were warned about the hurricane, but the majority of the residents who
had received these warnings did not take them seriously. Even today, you still have people that
will refuse to evacuate during a hurricane.
7. H. Luna: Why did it take another serious natural disaster, Katrina,
for Galveston to reconsider their readiness during a natural
disaster?
G. Salas: Galveston did not want another major disaster like they had back in 1900.
Galveston has survived many hurricanes since the tragic one in 1900. In 2008 when Hurricane
Ike hit land it caused major flooding and damage. It caused damage to the seawall that was
built back in 1902. The city decided to make repairs to the seawall so it would hold up with the
next hurricane.
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2009-01-19-galveston-seawall-repairs_N.htm
M. Martinez: It was mostly due to the aftermath. Not only was it a news report for an
unfortunate number of death, but it was an open door for other subsequent actions such as
carjacking, murders, theft and rape. It was the way things were handled such as the delayed
response to the flooding in some areas. Not only does the natural phenomenon need to be
taken into consideration as far as readiness during a natural disaster, but the aftermath as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina
C. Martinez: Since there were little hurricane impacts that directly affect Galveston since the
early 1900s, they thought little of it but after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana they saw that they
could not just rely on the same emergency plan. The aftermath after the storm was horrendous
such as the hurricane itself and so this city had to be better prepared for such an event again.
Modifications were made and a new plan was set in place.
L. Beltran: They took it seriously because they are aware of the amount of destruction and
fatality it can cause. We know that we expect more catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina in the
future or possibly even worse. Today there is a national consensus that we must be better
prepared to respond to events like Hurricane Katrina.
8. H. Luna: Could the method of raising land by pumping sand from
the ocean floor be beneficial to other land areas around the
country/world?
G. Salas: Raising land by pumping sand from the ocean floor would be beneficial to other land
areas around the world because it would help lessen damage to the cities and buildings that are
in the path of hurricanes or other natural disasters.
M. Martinez: Yes, raising land by pumping sand from the ocean floor could be beneficial to
other areas around the world. It all depends though. The level of the oceans have always
changed according to the changes in global temperature. Although some areas are in full
benefit with this process, others might not be. It is a matter of keeping track of these changes
such as ice glaciers melting; the higher the sea level, the higher the attraction for a natural
phenomenon to develop.
http://papers.risingsea.net/Holding/NRJ.html
C. Martinez: Raising land can be very beneficial to surrounding lands and help maintain the
land from eroding back into the ocean. Global warming has caused the ice caps to start to melt
and causing rising sea levels all around the world. So getting more land or sand from the ocean
floor can help maintain the land that is already there.
L. Beltran: Most beaches along the Atlantic are eroding a few feet per year. In Florida, beach
erosion has been attributed partially to the construction and maintenance of inlets, but rising sea
level is the primary reason that most shores erode. Rising global temperatures and gradually
sinking land contribute to the higher water levels.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechane/effects/coastal/saving_FL.pdf
9. C. Martinez: Do the levees that were constructed at Galveston
really work?
G. Salas: The levees did work in Galveston. They help keep damage low from flooding in the
cities that are in the hurricane's path. The levees still need to have periodic checks to make
sure there is no major damage done to it.
http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/baytown-news/article/Deficiencies-found-in-Texas-City-
s-levees-1570534.php
H. Luna: Galveston was recently awarded $1.7 million for periodic levee safety inspections.
Levees are man-made embankments that prevent rivers from overflowing and oceans from
flowing onto undesirable areas. Levees, such as the one in Texas City, have proved to be
effective in minimizing damages from hurricanes.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=04b68095d6f870c1
M. Martinez: The levees that were constructed at Galveston were constructed to protect the
coastal areas from experiencing inundation. However, these are built according to its current
sea level. Higher water levels would question its purpose because higher flood levels might
overtop them. This is the reason why levees need to be maintained and sea level monitored.
L. Beltran: During one storm the levee actually helped with flooding, destruction, and reduced
in repairing damages.
10. C. Martinez: If Houston is only about a thirty minute drive from
Galveston why did the shipping companies move to Houston
instead of rebuilding in Galveston?
G. Salas: The shipping companies were afraid that if another hurricane struck Galveston they
would lose lots of business because of the damage a hurricane can cause. The companies did
not want to go through another hurricane like they did in 1900.
http://www.hurricaneconsulting.net/surprise.htm
H. Luna: Investors were afraid of returning to Galveston, fearing a repeat of the devastation
experienced during the Galveston Hurricane of 1900.
http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/USA_TX_Port_of_Houston_60.php
M. Martinez: It was a simple math addition that totaled to great loss. Although Houston is close
by, the fact is that Galveston was the one crippled and not Houston.
L. Beltran: Galveston lost its’ appeal due to the 1900’s hurricane. Many companies were
negatively impacted by their loss in investments.
Develop a team problem statement exploring the possibility of another devastating hurricane.
The purpose of this ESS analysis is to determine if hurricanes have grown in frequency and
intensity since the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and establish possible solutions for decreasing
damages and deaths as a result of such hurricanes. Our team will research the events of the
Galveston Hurricane and establish, based on today’s knowledge and technological resources,
what could have been done differently in order to preserve both life and property.
Develop key questions to investigate problem statement. (Each team member will develop one
questions.)
G. Salas: How big will the next hurricane be and how much devastation will it cause and will
the residents of that city or town be able to protect themselves and their property? How will the
hurricane affect the businesses in that city or town and what will they do to protect their
business from the destruction?
H. Luna: Following the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, many businesses choose to relocate,
whereas, many residents decided to return home and rebuild. Even today, following a natural
disaster such as this, we know that it is not uncommon for residence of an “ravaged” area to
return. Why are people compelled to return to an area where they have lost so much,
particularly the lives of loved one, not to mention everything they have materially?
M. Martinez: It is known that levees and seawalls help in the protection of land. It is also
known the cost for this is high as well as maintaining such. On the other hand, it is
known that these systems may be overwritten when it comes to nature taking its course
on the changes of sea level. If it is decided to build and maintain such, how much are
people prepared to understand if it does not give full effect? What will their decisions be
afterwards? Will they continue with strong beliefs in rebuilding and maintaining these
structures? Will there be a “rage” of disappointment and all be thrown away? What if
nothing ever comes to happen and money is being used whereas in other areas there is a
need of it? Will it then be seen as a true investment? Or will it be stopped and in turn be
the wrong decision?
C. Martinez: Life goes on after a tragic event and most people just pick themselves up and
move forward. Why do people who have experienced such horrible weather be compelled to restart after the storm has passed? Why not move to another part of the world where this is not
likely?
L. Beltran: Can the power of a Hurricane be harnessed to create environmentally friendly
electricity?