1. The town that I am focusing on for this assignment is Irwin, which is in Western Pennsylvania. The natural hazards most associated with this area would be meteorological and hydrological. In terms of meteorological hazards, the area is prone to cold waves and freezing rain at times. In terms of hydrological hazards, the most relevant threat would be flash flooding.  While the world map does detail the chances for increased rain, it does not convey the hazards listed above in a clear manner. I think this is because the world map if focused on conveying natural hazards on a global scale while our assignment focused on detecting these hazards on the scale of a city.

2. The hazard focused on for this assignment was biological. Specifically, it was a case of Yellow Fever in Nairobi, Kenya that happened on March 16th of 2016.   While I do believe my hometown could experience this disaster under the right circumstances, it seems very unlikely. The vulnerability to Yellow Fever in Irwin  is not great by any means. This is because of the human factors that help to lessen this vulnerability. Each of the six human factors detailed in the readings explain why Irwin is much less vulnerable than Nairobi in terms of a Yellow Fever outbreak. Wealth and governance seem to be at the top of the list though. This is due to health standards associated with wealthier areas and the government’s ability to respond. The scale of this event differs from if it were to happen in Irwin. While only one person was infected, Nairobi is at high risk of such a disease spreading due to the aforementioned human factors coupled with a lesser level of preparation. One area of improvement, in terms of reducing the vulnerability to Yellow Fever in Irwin, would be education. Specifically, education on the symptoms of Yellow Fever and how it can spread would aid in reducing the vulnerability

3. I used the U.S. Geological Survey website to perform an assessment of the natural hazards in my hometown. I focused on using this source of information to better understand the risk of flooding. In researching a map that details areas at risk for flood due to high flow in rivers, I was able to find out that the risk of flooding was very low in Irwin. There are no major water sources near the town that have been susceptible to high flow in the past. The second source I used for my assessment was The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). I focused on risks associated with sinkholes. This is a hazard that I did not realize at first, but is prevalent in Pennsylvania. However, after researching a map from the DCRN I realized that this hazard in primarily active in Southern Pennsylvania. There seems to be little to no risk of sinkholes in my hometown.

Resources

PA DCNR – Geology – Sinkholes. (n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/hazards/sinkholes/index.htm

USGS WaterWatch — Streamflow conditions. (n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/?m=flood

4. I aim to describe actions and methods to reduce vulnerability to the meteorological hazards of cold waves and freezing rain in my hometown. The risks of each of these hazards are most readily associated with death or sickness as a result of the weather. Loss of power or underestimating the effect of harsh conditions could make these risks a reality. In order to mitigate the risk of a loss of power during  cold waves, governance plays a key role. Emergency response personal could be needed to respond to areas with no power. In addition, an individual could purchase a generator or keep supplies that would help them get through the event. Education also plays a key role in mitigating both risks. Specifically, public service announcements should be made when conditions warrant.