Natural Disasters Continue to Strike Over and Over
Certain areas across the United States are more susceptible to damages from natural disasters. For example, parts of Louisiana have been struck by 6 hurricanes in the past 16 years and a town in eastern Kentucky has been pummeled by 9 storms severe enough to warrant federal assistance. According to the Small Business Administration, 90 percent of the total losses across the country occurred in zip codes that contain less than 20 percent of the population. The map below shows how a pattern of destruction has concentrated in certain areas of the United States.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that 2017 was the costliest year for natural disasters on record, with 16 different billion-dollar disasters totaling more than $300 billion. Annual losses for billion-dollar disasters, adjusted for inflation, have increased over the last 40 years. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's records dating back to 1980, in the first 3 months of an average year, one disaster totaling more than a billion dollars in damages occurs. Just in the first 3 months of this year, we've experienced billion-dollar disasters 3 times! Studies show that large wildfires have become more common in the western part of the country because global warming has made the forests drier. While the effects of global warming on individual storms has been difficult to determine, scientists contend that climate change is expected to lead to stronger, wetter hurricanes overall. Due to the fact that global sea levels have risen, hurricanes create storm surges that go further inland, causing more destruction.
While climate change is a factor in the increased destruction, it's not the only thing to blame. The rise in population and wealth near the coasts contributes to a lot of the increase in damages done by hurricanes. In the last century, there has been no clear trend in the frequency of hurricanes that made landfall in the continental United States. However, the number of buildings susceptible to tropical storms has increased. According to the Census Bureau, there were more than 3.6 times as many homes in states that border the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean in 2016 as there were in 1940. Only about 4 percent of all hurricanes that make landfall globally hit the United States, yet 60 percent of worldwide damage from hurricanes happens here. Only in the United States do disaster relief programs and flood insurance make it attractive for people to move toward disaster-prone areas. It's time our government stops just being responsive and starts emphasizing the importance of adapting to the risks of natural disasters. Building for resilience against disasters needs to be a new focus.
For more information and illustrations, view the entire NY Times article here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/24/us/disasters-hurricanes-wildfires-storms.html?mtrref=.
While infrastructure change is needed, Big Bags USA® is here to help in the interim. Our flood barrier systems are these communities' best defense against flooding during natural disasters, from tropical storms that bring heavy rains to full on hurricanes that bring massive destruction. As hurricane season quickly approaches, now is the time to start preparing! Every flood mitigation plan needs to have a rapid deployed barrier system such as Big Bags USA®. Our flood control systems can handle the highest demands at a fraction of the costs normally associated with rapid deployed systems. They can be stored in strategic areas to greatly reduce response time in your community. The best part is that one system can be deployed by just two men in under 10 minutes! There's no other sandbag barrier deployment method that equals the speed in which a Big Bags USA® barrier system can be placed! Our mission is to meet flood mitigation needs across the United States. We are committed to your preparedness goals!
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| Photo Source: NYTimes.com |
Climate Change Increases Disaster
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that 2017 was the costliest year for natural disasters on record, with 16 different billion-dollar disasters totaling more than $300 billion. Annual losses for billion-dollar disasters, adjusted for inflation, have increased over the last 40 years. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's records dating back to 1980, in the first 3 months of an average year, one disaster totaling more than a billion dollars in damages occurs. Just in the first 3 months of this year, we've experienced billion-dollar disasters 3 times! Studies show that large wildfires have become more common in the western part of the country because global warming has made the forests drier. While the effects of global warming on individual storms has been difficult to determine, scientists contend that climate change is expected to lead to stronger, wetter hurricanes overall. Due to the fact that global sea levels have risen, hurricanes create storm surges that go further inland, causing more destruction.
Coastal Development Increases Risk
While climate change is a factor in the increased destruction, it's not the only thing to blame. The rise in population and wealth near the coasts contributes to a lot of the increase in damages done by hurricanes. In the last century, there has been no clear trend in the frequency of hurricanes that made landfall in the continental United States. However, the number of buildings susceptible to tropical storms has increased. According to the Census Bureau, there were more than 3.6 times as many homes in states that border the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean in 2016 as there were in 1940. Only about 4 percent of all hurricanes that make landfall globally hit the United States, yet 60 percent of worldwide damage from hurricanes happens here. Only in the United States do disaster relief programs and flood insurance make it attractive for people to move toward disaster-prone areas. It's time our government stops just being responsive and starts emphasizing the importance of adapting to the risks of natural disasters. Building for resilience against disasters needs to be a new focus.
For more information and illustrations, view the entire NY Times article here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/24/us/disasters-hurricanes-wildfires-storms.html?mtrref=.
Disaster Mitigation with Big Bags USA®
While infrastructure change is needed, Big Bags USA® is here to help in the interim. Our flood barrier systems are these communities' best defense against flooding during natural disasters, from tropical storms that bring heavy rains to full on hurricanes that bring massive destruction. As hurricane season quickly approaches, now is the time to start preparing! Every flood mitigation plan needs to have a rapid deployed barrier system such as Big Bags USA®. Our flood control systems can handle the highest demands at a fraction of the costs normally associated with rapid deployed systems. They can be stored in strategic areas to greatly reduce response time in your community. The best part is that one system can be deployed by just two men in under 10 minutes! There's no other sandbag barrier deployment method that equals the speed in which a Big Bags USA® barrier system can be placed! Our mission is to meet flood mitigation needs across the United States. We are committed to your preparedness goals!
MADE IN THE USA ~ 100% Manufactured in Missouri ~ BUY AMERICAN
MADE IN THE USA ~ 100% Manufactured in Missouri ~ BUY AMERICAN
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