In a year where there have been so many storms that researchers are running out of names for them, hurricane research is top of mind for many. Despite fifteen additional years of research since Hurricane Katrina, however, the US has failed to learn many lessons, as coastal areas continue to be overbuilt, and response times for aid after major storms often lags far behind local needs, according to an article in The New York Times. In an effort to help address this deficit, and provide key information to decision makers, governments at various levels have funded teams of scientists to develop their expertise, but the results of that expertise have often not flown back up to legislators or other decision makers. Instead, the results of these years of research has been ignored, with policies for responses to hurricanes lagging far behind.
The letter was written by Jill C. Trepanier, an associate professor of geography at Louisiana State University with a specialty in extreme tropical cyclone climatology, who sees a shift to local expertise as a crucial element. “One way to change that would be to develop specific, localized storm response teams of scientists and local emergency management officials,” writes Trepanier. “These teams would be overseen by a central manager who has a direct line to elected officials. They would advise on how to prepare for hurricanes, how to limit damage and how to keep people safe if one of the region’s many petrochemical facilities is hit, for instance, or if electricity is knocked out for days or weeks.”
As evidence continues to grow that hurricanes are becoming more common, more severe, and developing more quickly, it is critical that lawmakers turn to the expertise of the same scientists and researchers they are funding to help guide the best possible responses, concludes Trepanier.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/opinion/hurricanes-scientists-damage.html
