The scale of the Nathan World Map of Natural Disasters is not very useful to analyze specific differences based off region. Due to the scale being so large, it is difficult to tell the difference between areas that are close together, like New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The color gradients on the keys are also very close together, making identification difficult. My town, Westfield, New Jersey, faces a low account of wildfires, a medium risk of hail storms and tornadoes, a medium-low risk of winter storms based on the small, individual maps. When looking at the larger map, my area faced an increase in heavy rain fall. Also, my area is in a medium risk zone for tropical cyclones.
Currently, there is a disaster in Angola, Africa, in which case a Yellow Fever outbreak has occurred. My hometown of Westfield, New Jersey can experience the same outbreak, but most likely not on the same level. Given the density of hospitals in my area and the wealth of my town, I would like to believe that less than 1132 people would be effected before help was given, as that is the number of people affected in Angola. The town that is currently dealing with this disaster, Luanda, 53% live in poverty, which advances the spread of disease. In my hometown, the poverty rate is very low and most people would be able to receive the health care if they needed. Different people are more vulnerable based off the conditions that they live in and larger due to wealth. In Luanda right now, many are infected because a large amount of those live in poor areas where they cannot receive health care. The Yellow Fever spread rampantly and now there are over 1000 sick. In my town, the disease would not be able to spread as quickly, as people do not live as closely together, and instead, those who were infected would seek the medical attention that they needed. Those in Angola most likely are having trouble in this area. To reduce vulnerability, it would be beneficial to spread awareness of the symptoms of Yellow Fever as well as other diseases, another area that I believe Luanda is suffering from; pure knowledge over the risks of their conditions.
Westfield, New Jersey faces several issues with power outages during the year. Living in a heavy rain area that carries strong winds and large hanging trees, several times do trees fall on power lines. This would be described as a meteorological hazard, as wind and rain are playing a role in taking out trees. After Hurricane Sandy, we were without power for 10 days because trees were not able to stand up to the intense winds, and as a result, fall on almost every street, taking the power lines with them. Even now, trees continue to fall on power lines, or the lines themselves give out due to winds. Many of the trees that carry out these “take downs” are not cared for, as they commonly stretch into the streets, and are very rarely taken down. In addition, we have been receiving much heavier rains over the past few years.
To fix the issue, I believe that my town must go through a major electrical overhaul. Above-ground power lines are easy to put up and maintain, but they are available to the elements. As a result, I would like to see PSE&G, the electrical provider of my town, to place the electrical lines underground. This would limit the power outages that we encounter by having the lines out of the trees way if they are to fall. In addition, while we cannot change the weather, it would be beneficial to maintain the trees or enforce the trimming of trees in my town. This would reduce the amount that fall, saving people from injury as well as power issues. I personally can trim and maintain the trees in my home’s property to make sure that they are healthy enough to stand up to our strong winds and rain.
2 thoughts on “Module 8- Westfield Vs. Disaster”
Hi Dhruv,
I’m Eunice Lee majoring in Early Childhood Education. I agree with you that the Nathan World map of Natural Disasters is not very useful to analyze the differences. I also thought you blog entry was interesting because your city’s natural hazards were completely different from my city’s. I had the risk of sea level rise and tropical cyclones. Moreover, I thought it was very interesting to hear about the major electrical overhaul. I agree with you that your city may need these changes as it would limit the poser outages but also, you could have used the faster communication system which reduces the vulnerability as well!
Overall I really enjoyed reading your entry and thought it was very organized!
Thank you for sharing and this is my blog entry :http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/03/29/natural-hazard/
I, too, am a big fan of the implementation of underground power lines in State College. The biggest threat to the infrastructure of almost any town is the loss of power. Much like SC, Westfield is at a risk for winds and heavy rain, both of which can cause extensive power outages. I like the approach you took when looking for solutions, as I did not consider the power lines when reviewing my hometown despite mentioning them.
Hi Dhruv,
I’m Eunice Lee majoring in Early Childhood Education. I agree with you that the Nathan World map of Natural Disasters is not very useful to analyze the differences. I also thought you blog entry was interesting because your city’s natural hazards were completely different from my city’s. I had the risk of sea level rise and tropical cyclones. Moreover, I thought it was very interesting to hear about the major electrical overhaul. I agree with you that your city may need these changes as it would limit the poser outages but also, you could have used the faster communication system which reduces the vulnerability as well!
Overall I really enjoyed reading your entry and thought it was very organized!
Thank you for sharing and this is my blog entry :http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/03/29/natural-hazard/
Hello Dhruv Tikku, my name is Jake Segall. Here is a link to my post!
http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/03/29/module-8-jake-segall/
I, too, am a big fan of the implementation of underground power lines in State College. The biggest threat to the infrastructure of almost any town is the loss of power. Much like SC, Westfield is at a risk for winds and heavy rain, both of which can cause extensive power outages. I like the approach you took when looking for solutions, as I did not consider the power lines when reviewing my hometown despite mentioning them.