Its 2009 and New Orleans is still cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina. All it takes is one strong hurricane hitting a populated area to cause serious damage. People are still living with friends or relatives, a few have returned to rebuild, but many have not returned at all. Though we cannot go back and undo what happened there, we can, however, prepare for the inevitable next storm.
Looking at the East coast of the United States you see some main places of interest for potential hurricane landfall, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Occasionally storms reach upwards into the northeastern states, but because of the cooler water there and the prevailing winds storms are less likely to be as violent as they are along the southern coastal portion of the United States. As far as costal states are concerned, Florida seems to be the most likely candidate for a serious hurricane strike. The last hurricane that caused serious damage was Wilma, and although it was only a category 2 hurricane it caused a great deal wind damage across Broward County creating widespread power outages that lasted for almost 3 weeks. The National Guard was brought in to provide aid to the communities through out Broward and even into portions of Miami- Dade County.
Seeing first hand the devastation a small storm can cause in such a hurricane prone area is enough for me to want to act. It’s a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The preparedness of the government to act quickly is imperative to the recovery of any costal community.
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