My hometown is Wilkes-Barre, PA which is located in northeast Pennsylvania. The Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards showed Wilkes-Barre was in the moderate range of tornadoes, hailstorms, and winter storms. Wilkes-Barre appears to be in the zone 4 for hailstorms, 3 for tornadoes, and 1 for winter storms. I would have to disagree with the tornado rankings and say that Wilkes-Barre experiences more winter storms than tornadoes. The Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards is a nice generalization for seeing where things are likely to occur, but as far as in depth detail, I think it could be a little more specific than the broad generalization it gives to a region.

The disaster which I chose to monitor is in the states of Wisconsin / Michigan. There is a biological hazard which is infecting people across both states. It is a level 2/4 (medium) biohazard level and has been in effect since March 5, 2016. Forty-four people were confirmed to be infected with 17 already dead. The description of the hazard is bacteria and viruses that cause mild disease to humans or are difficult to contract. It is very possible for an outbreak of disease to hit a town like mine with the risk being mass amounts of infections or deaths. The difference which my town would experience would be the magnitude of infection compared to a large city. Wilkes-Barre, while it is a city, has more suburbs with houses not right on top of one another. Larger cities like Detroit, Michigan would have a tougher time battling an infection with a greater population. The benefit of Wilkes-Barre being a less populated city is there is less people to infect, and you’re not as close to people as you are in a major city. Wilkes-Barre also has a larger population of elderly people. Most who grow up in Wilkes-Barre still live there when they grow old, so a large population of elderly people would be more vulnerable to an outbreak of disease. The only way to prevent a major outbreak would be to caution people  to seek medical treatment instead of being out in public and infecting more people.

The biggest concern which Wilkes-Barre faces would have to be flooding. Located on the Susquehanna River, Wilkes-Barre is very susceptible to flooding. After hurricane Sandy, there was major flooding which demolished entire neighborhoods all along the river for miles. Schools and businesses were closed for weeks, many went without power, and many never returned to their business or homes almost 5 years later now. I can only imagine what it would be like to leave your house and start over somewhere new. The national weather service has a website which records river levels and warns about the dangers of flooding in our area.

Resource: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=bgm&gage=wbrp1

The best way to prevent either major flooding or widespread disease is caution and awareness. For flooding, major levees have already been built to keep a majority of the flooding down. As for the disease, the only prevention would be to tell people to seek help instead of unknowingly infecting others. The best people to perform these actions would be trained professionals such as doctors, or in the case of flooding, city officials, firemen, police, and anyone else trained for disasters. As for what I can do, I can gather resources my family might need in case of one of these disasters occurring so we are prepared and ready.

On the world map, my town is located at the right middle edge of North America. On the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards the region where I live is shaded yellow, zone 1, meaning that earthquakes are not that common, which I agree with. New York is considered zone 2 for hailstorms, which surprised me because I have experienced multiple hailstorms before. For winter storms this region is considered zone 3, which is appropriate, based on the amount of severe winter storms I have been in. I am surprised that my town is considered zone 3 for tornadoes because I have never experienced being in a tornado nor have any of my older family members that have been in Oyster Bay, NY longer than me. It is predictable that New York is categorized in zone 1 for wildfires because there is not much unused, dry land that would cause these fires. This map overall was accurate based on the history of natural hazards.

I was interested in a biological hazard in Angola, Africa on February 16^th, 2016 that was last updated March 23th 2016, meaning the disaster is still occurring. This biological hazard is from bacteria and viruses causing fatal disease to humans, known as the yellow fever. This viral disease is caused from mosquitos. Symptoms that occur are fever, chills, nausea, achiness, and loss of appetite. If these symptoms do not go away, liver damage will occur and cause the skin to turn yellow. Whether or not my hometown can experience yellow fever is slim to none. Africa is prone to this biological hazard due to their tropical location and hot weather. When its warm out the misquotes are hunting for humans, whereas New York weather is quite different. Yes, in the summer it gets hot and there are misquotes looking to bite but there are not TOO MANY of them to cause this disease. Also people in Africa are exposed to misquotes all year long whereas the people in New York are only exposed for a few months. Angola Africa has about 21.27 million people and having 1132 people infected is not that many compared to how many people are living In the region, however if this disease infected 1132 people in New York, having a population of 8.4 million, it would cause more damage.   However, knowing that New York has much more advanced prevention techniques, this disease is bound to harm more people in Africa then new york, causing it to affect them more. The vulnerability towards this disease in my hometown varies due to their living situations and money. The people who live in more lavish parts of town would be less likely to be infected because they have the proper protection and resources to prevent and cure the disease. On the other hand, those who are less wealthy are exposed easier maybe due to not getting the right medical attention or not having a secure home to protect them from misquotes. An important factor to avoiding this disease is to be educated about it. My town could improve its vulnerability if they were aware of the danger of mosquitoes and if they were aware of the severity of this disease.

New York experiences a series of natural hazards, some being hurricanes, winter storms, flooding, and earthquakes. It is proven that one natural hazard leads to another. Whenever I experienced a hurricane or even a simple rainstorm, my basement would always flood. This would force us to rip apart the floor and insert a new one. Also during tornadoes, trees would be knocked down and grass would be destroyed. This takes months and sometimes years of recovery and cleaning up.

http://emergencypreparedness.cce.cornell.edu/disasters/Pages/default.aspx

There are a few solutions to avoid natural hazards in my town. For rainstorms and flooding an idea is that people can start raising their houses like people do in more tropical areas such as Florida. This can prevent the need to spend money on redoing whatever part of the house that got destroyed. Another way to reduce natural hazards is beforehand preparation. If the town is warned that a tornado or hurricane or any natural disaster is coming they can prepare for it. This includes activities such as getting gas, getting food, getting water, getting generators, getting flashlights or getting anything necessary for their daily life.

Having lived in Philadelphia for the greater portion of my life, I think I’ve experienced the natural hazards at all levels in this region. I’ve witnessed storms with high winds, blizzards, and tropical storms classified as hurricanes. I say “classified” because although we were hit by hurricane sandy, our neighboring states along the shoreline took in most of the damage. Some areas did lose power, and experienced heavy flooding, but Philadelphia, for the most part did not suffer anywhere near as much as people in New Jersey and New York. I don’t think Nathan’s map document is the best to symbolize the natural hazards in my city because it shows an entire region. Even though all of the northeastern states are fairly close together and experience similar weather conditions, when it comes to natural hazards, it can vary dramatically.

Volcanoes have always been something that fascinated me. So while looking through Emergency Disaster Information Service, I saw a volcano eruption in Peubla, Mexico. Fortunately enough, it shows that no one was harmed during this eruption. The site states that the level of damage is unknown, so I think it’s fair to assume that this area may not be heavily populated, or else it might actually be something that we would have heard already. This sort of disaster I don’t think is possible in my hometown. All my years of living, here I don’t think a volcano eruption has ever been a concern for anyone. There are no known active volcanos in this region, therefore being exposed to a volcanic eruption is very minimal. Considering that there been no reported injuries or harm done to anyone, it must be in a remote location. Had it been in a more populous area of Mexico, the results could very well have been fatal. Thinking of if the eruption had been here, in my hometown, it’s hard to imagine something with zero damage regardless of the size of the eruption. I’d assume there are several parts in Mexico that are very remote, but here in the northeast section of the States, it is very crowded. Even if people would have been evacuated, I can imagine a considerable monetary amount of damage done just based on the facts of how crowded it is here. The suburbs in this region are even busier than most other parts of the country. It is known that volcanic eruptions can cause earthquakes, which can ultimately cause cyclones. This region is surrounded by bodies of water, such as rivers, streams, creeks and only one state separates us from the Atlantic Ocean. Had this volcano been anywhere near our downtown center city, the damages could’ve been very extreme. Being right beside the Delaware River, and housing many tall sky scrapers, a disaster which includes a volcanic eruption, earthquake, and cyclone would be catastrophic. There’s been plenty of instances where buildings collapse randomly in Philly, and cause severe damages. I can only imagine what would happen if we were hit by a volcanic eruption or earthquake. This would be a clear result of higher damages from natural causes due to how we humans changed our environment.

There are numerous hazards that the state of Pennsylvania faces as a whole. The most costly for the past twenty years have been the result of transportation accidents resulting in over eighteen thousand deaths. I personally know that my local city and town have been working hard at preventing this by installing cameras at dangerous intersections and having more cops on the road. Speaking for just natural disasters alone, flooding seems to be the most problematic in this area. Whenever we have big rain storms and thunderstorms, I get an alert on my phone for a flash flood warning. Annoying, yes, but very helpful at the end. My parent’s house has been flooded couple of times already due to the way it was built. According to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, floods are second in the list right behind transportation accidents in hazards in all of PA.

Having discussed some of the ongoing hazards in this region, I do believe the department of transportation is doing a great job in attempting to reduce fatal accidents. There’s always constant construction going on our roads and highways. As far as the flooding issues, there can be more work done. One way of preventing this I believe is the all of the local water departments need to work on better drainage systems. I think we have a great one in place already, but there’s always room for improvement. On a personal level I think we all should promote recycling and properly disposing your trash. Walking down city streets, I can’t remember how many times I see trash forced into drain systems. I’m no expert but I’m sure this doesn’t help our flood issue.

1. By looking at the Nathan World map of natural disasters, I was bale to tell that my hometown of Wyckoff NJ has a medium-low risk of winter storms, which makes sense because there are some winters where my hometown gets a great amount of snow. The map also says that my town has a low risk of wildfires and a medium risk of tornadoes. I think the map is better suited to tell what areas of the world face which natural disasters rather then seeing individual towns. The map was to large scale and the colors were to close together to be able to see the different natural disasters that are specific to each small town or area.

2. The hazard that I decided to find out more about was the biological hazard that is taking place in Nigeria. In the state of Lagos, there is an unknown disease that has started killing children very fast. Some children are only sick for two days before they die. My hometown could experience this kind of disaster, but we are not very vulnerable to this happening. My area is a pretty wealthy area, and if someone got sock from an unknown disease they would be able to get the proper medical care. The scale of the disaster in Nigeria is much bigger because it is affecting a whole state of about 25 million people, whereas my town has around 17,000 people. Also, some people believe that the disease is caused by the number of fisherman that live in the area, so my town would not have that problem. If this disaster happened on a scale of my hometown it would be disastrous because many children in a small area would be killed and it would cripple the community. The number of deaths would lower the population of my hometown, but the disease would not spread as quickly. Perhaps the people who live closer to the nearest hospital would be less vulnerable then people who live farther away. However everyone in my town has access to a hospital, so this disaster would not be as large as it is right now in Nigeria where they don’t have access to a hospital. To reduce the risk of a disaster in my town I would make sure that everyone knows as soon as a child or anyone gets sick they should receive medical help so the disease does not have time to spread.

3. Since I have lived in Wyckoff my whole life I know a lot about the common disasters that could occur such as flooding and blizzards. Because of this I decided to do some research on less common disasters like earthquakes and tornadoes. I would’ve thought that Wyckoff New Jersey has a zero chance of having an earthquake but that is not the case. The earthquake index average for the US is 1.81, and for Wyckoff it is 1.02 (usa.com). So the chance of an earthquake is less then average, but I was surprised that the number is that high. I have first hand experienced a few small tornadoes in Wyckoff. When these happen we are usually well prepared and stay inside to remain safe. By doing these things we limit the damage caused by the tornado.

Resources

http://www.usa.com/wyckoff-nj-natural-disasters-extremes.htm

4. Natural disasters will always be around and we will most likely never find a way to stop them, so the only thing we can do is better prepare ourselves for when they happen. Wyckoff can have severe snow and rainstorms, which at times can cripple the town. To reduce the effects of these disasters we can make sure that all of the trees are not hanging over power lines and that if a tree is dead or weakened it is removed. The department of public works would be the best people for this as they are in charge of these issues and keeping the streets clean and safe. As for me I can listen to local authorities and watch the news to be well prepared for natural disasters. Also, I can inform all of my friends and neighbors to do the same, so they will be less vulnerable as well.

From the Nathan World Map, I found out that Philadelphia is around zone 3 for tornados, which is very high. Philadelphia is also in zone 4 for hailstorms and zone 2 for winter storms. I was surprised to see that Philadelphia was so low on the winter storm map considering the harsh winters over the past few years. I was not that surprised about our tornado rating being so high because during storms, Philadelphia and surrounding counties are usually put in tornado warnings and lose power. The map was a little hard to read considering I was looking for one city on a whole world map. But, I think the map was pretty accurate in averaging the natural hazards over history.

I chose a biological hazard occurring in February in Luanda (the capital city), Angola in Africa. They have an outbreak of yellow fever, which is still going on and spreading to this date. This disease is viral and transmitted by mosquitos. It is unlikely for this outbreak to occur in Philadelphia. This is because we are not in a tropical or subtropical area. We also have ways of preventing viruses like this such as vaccines, insect repellents, protective clothing and housing. We also have better healthcare than towns like these in Africa. We are able to provide medical help and contain this virus if it were to be in our area. In Luanda, there are around 1200 infected. With a population of around 2.7 million people, that is 1 in every 2,250 people. Considering Philadelphia has only 1.5 million people, this would have a larger effect on my city compared to Luanda. This disease would be affecting 1 in every 1,250 people. It still wouldn’t be too widespread, but it would be more people than in Luanda if we didn’t have more ways of prevention than we do. There are many different social classes in Northeast Philadelphia where I live, which means there is a lot of vulnerability to disease. If yellow fever were to spread in my city, people in more urban settings would be affected. They have less money to afford proper protective housing and health benefits. Like a place in north Philly, the houses are packed with large families that do not have the economic status to afford proper housing. Yellow fever would spread in this area because of the close proximity of the houses and the people inside them. A lot of people also use public transit like trains, buses, and subways so it would spread more quickly. It would also affect them because it would be harder for them to afford the proper hospitalization and medicine to prevent the spread of this disease. Because of financial reasons, there are also a lot of uneducated people in this area. This means this specific population would have trouble with educating themselves and others on the disease. To reduce vulnerability, I think the city would have to work together to provide free or low cost care at clinics to the infected people. We would also have to implement educational programs to make the locals aware of the risks of disease. They could also just place flyers or posters in public places like bus stops, subway systems and popular places in town. This way, the infected would be able to get proper health care while the uninfected are becoming more aware of the risks and preventions of diseases.

According to Pennsylvania’s natural hazard readiness awareness website, one of the state’s main issues is thunderstorms and floods. In my area of Philly, we have a lot of flash flood warnings that come along with thunderstorms. Every time it would thunderstorm, my house’s basement would flood. Not only this, but the streets would have debris on it and puddles would make it dangerous to drive. Wind would take down trees and then the trees would take down powerlines. This would cause a lot of trouble considering it was not only dangerous but Philly’s response teams are not that fast to clean up the messes. Our power companies could take up to a week to come out and fix the power. Severe thunderstorms provide serious issues for the city and the environment.

Resource: https://www.ready.gov/pennsylvania

The biggest issue from this besides accidents would be the damages left behind. (ex. Fallen trees, car crashes, etc.) Our response teams could be a lot faster than they are. Our power companies and also the city should make it their priority to get out quick and help restore the city. Our city could be more prepared before the storm. Before it starts, people should run their errands so when the storm hits, they could stay at a safe place like their home. I think it is up to the city to send workers out to fix the damage done by storms. But in order to make the clean-up process more efficient, each individual resident could clean up their own property and maybe their own street. We need to work as a community in order to restore our community after a disaster.

When I lived in Amman, Jordan, there wasn’t much concern over natural disasters impacting the area. As shown in the Nathan World Map, Jordan is in a Zone 2 for earthquakes. The earthquakes normally range from 4.0 to 5.0 and usually occur away from cities but can still be felt from within, yet never pose too serious of a threat. Just as the map displays, Jordan does face the risk of serious heatwaves, and droughts. Just last August, a strong heatwave accompanied by a sandstorm put the nation in serious conditions and temperatures peaked at 110+ degrees Fahrenheit. I feel like the map could be better broken down to a smaller scale of threats each area has potential to face.

The disaster I found was a Chlorine gas attack by ISIS in the Kirkuk Governorate of Iraq on March 12th 2016, that injured over 1500 people and killed more than 10, the damage was classified as “medium” on the website’s damage scale. In my opinion, ISIS poses a serious threat to Jordan considering its proximity to Syria and Iraq. However, Jordan’s military security is rather high and it has a more stable political system to counterbalance the vulnerability mentioned earlier. Amman has faced terror attacks on its soil before, but nothing on a serious scale for over 10 years. Amman houses over a million residents, however poorer areas are more vulnerable to hazards posed by ISIS due to low security.

As far as natural hazards go, I believe Jordan needs to better prepare for heatwave conditions, and even more for drought conditions. From living there, I can personally say that Jordan faces serious water shortage vulnerability, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it faced critical conditions within the next few years. The Jordanian government needs to better prepare to deal with a situation where water scarcity could be a long-term disaster. Water shortage threats in Jordan are obvious due to the serious lack of rain, inland water bodies, and even shores.

As mentioned above, the Jordanian government needs to better prepare for the hazards it is very likely to face. Engineers and officials are who I see best fit to tackle the task, however the government needs to push for this in order for it to be a possibility. As a Water Resources focus in Civil Engineering student, I believe I can use my education to design better water distribution among the city and its outskirts, as well as provide for villages that sometimes lack access to water. This is something I’d like to do with my degree in my life.

In my hometown of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, there are natural hazards that pose a threat to the town. One threat is a tropical storm or hurricane. According to the map, southwestern Pennsylvania is susceptible to tropical storms and it has happened in the past. It is also in a high zone of hailstorms. In my memory, hailstorms do happen quite often in my hometown. Tornados are also another threat to my hometown as they are a frequent occurrence according to the map. Temperature has also been on the rise lately in my hometown as well as illustrated by the map. The Nathan map is well suited for this kind of assignment as it is descriptive and easy to follow. An improvement though could be to make it more in depth.

I chose a biological disaster in the city of Edmonton, Canada. Last updated on March 31, a family is being quarantined after exposure to measles at their local hospital. This could happen in my hometown because it is a biological disaster and can happen just about anywhere if the correct precautions and procedures are not performed correctly. My hometown is vulnerable because of the hospitals and close proximity to Pittsburgh. The scale of the outbreak is similar to the scale if it would happen in my hometown because of the population numbers. The different people in my town have different levels of vulnerability because it depends on who has and who has not been vaccinated before an outbreak of a known disease occurs. You could reduce my town’s vulnerability by having everyone vaccinated.

In the hometown of Pittsburgh, there were on a few natural hazards to be considered.  First off, there is indication that tropical cyclones are a prevalent natural hazard in the region in which Pittsburgh is located in.  Moreover, on a different map, precipitation trends through the decades have shown to be increasing through the past 3 decades.  In fact, there was an approximate increase of 15 percent in precipitation in the Pittsburgh area.  After further inspection, the maps give a general sense of the natural hazards in regions.  To scrutinize, the maps could have had more detail in the rankings; a better numerical data legend.

In my search, I chose Tuscany, Italy, a place that I just returned from.  Last updated on March 5, a biological hazard occurred just outside the city of Florence.  A small outbreak of meningococcal meningitis C, which is considered to be a level 3 of 4 on the biohazard scale.  This kind of biohazard is quite possible here in my area.  Being a biohazard of the virus type, geographic local doesn’t play such a large role.  Another point to consider, is recently improperly and uninformed people have been anti vaccines.  As a result there has been spikes in outbreaks of some disease like measles.  The scale of the outbreak is close to something that would happen to the population of Pittsburgh.  The human factor of the population’s education plays a decent role in the frequency and severity of the outbreak.

After looking in to the different natural hazards that affect my local region, and found it to be quite moderate.  Pittsburgh has virtual no geological hazards.  Given that according to wiki answers the closest volcano is in the Caribbean, along with nearly no earthquake activity making the region safe of geological hazards.  Also, there is no Tornado index is below both the state and national average.  The only prevalent metrological hazards are flood and hail. With this being said, the numbers correlate with trend in the NATHAN maps.  The flood forming storms are explained by the dark green area over the region depicted on the map.

Mod8Flooding

It would seem that according to the map Asheville is in zone 1 for earthquakes and not at a high probability risk. When it comes to hailstorms though it is in the highest category; category 6. Zone 2 for tornadoes and zone 1 for extra-tropical storms activity. A zone 1 for wildfire activity risk followed by fewer storms with el nino and more storm activity with el nina. There has been little or no reported change in long temperature change in the area according to the chart map postings of NATHAN. The map I would say fairly well summarizes the natural hazards for the Asheville regional area.

A snowstorm can be a fun and enjoyable event. But not always. Currently there is a snowstorm being reported in the state of Wyoming. Snowstorms can be disastrous and resulting in loss of life. They are a fairly frequent visitor the WNC region around Asheville’s mountainous region. There is nothing we can do to prevent them. However we can prepare for them. Slippery roads causing motor vehicle accidents are problematic during such events. Even with very little or no precipitation there may be what is called “black ice”. Additionally heavy snow that can pile up can break things including rooftops. Ice on power lines can cause heavy weight to accumulate on them and under the stress, break and cause power outages creating heat to fail leading to all kinds of other problematic issues. Animals are also at risk during severe winter weather and are subject to wind chill factors, hypothermia and frostbite. Deaths can also occur due to dehydration, when water sources freeze and become unavailable. Winter conditions may make getting food and water to animals more difficult. Unprotected livestock may also be lost.

Here are a few local resources that help combat the effects of snowstorms in and around Asheville. The Asheville public works snow plowing division services of snow emergency removal include: “snow removal where service is prioritized by major arterioles (first priority),and minor through streets and residential streets (second priority). All city bus routes are first priority streets” http://www.ashevillenc.gov/Departments/StreetServices/StreetMaintenance.aspx. Additionally a map is provided for citizens to view that prioritizes the plowing routes; http://avl.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=2d5766235b1c4311801ebde1afd50cd6 . The NC State Disaster Recovery Website provides support to both internal and external forces in responding to and recovering from federally declared and non-declared state disasters. When activated, it conducts the operations out of the State Emergency Operations Center. It is the liaison between NCDOT and other members of the State Emergency Response Team; https://connect.ncdot.gov/resources/Asset-Management/Pages/Disaster.aspx .

No matter the type of natural hazard type of event, there always can be some type of preparedness to deal with the event and or the aftermath of such events. having a wood stove and plenty of available dry wood to burn is a good thing. Having a good pantry supply of food and drinking water is something everyone should have on hand to deal with such occasions. Have a radio and batteries and a flashlight with batteries. Lots of heavy wool blankets if in the wintertime. Shelters are available also for stranded and the homeless and those who have lost there homes. Preparedness is a key factor in dealing with any natural hazard event.

Where I currently live in Bellefonte PA, there is a Zone 2 Hailstorm, which is toward the lower end, meaning it isn’t frequent or intense. It is also in a Zone 2 of the frequency and intensity of tornadoes. It is a Zone 1 with wildfires, which is also very low. I think the Nathan map document is well-suited for this task because it shows all the naturally occurring weather patterns and just how severely they can be, depending on where you live. Clearly Central Pennsylvania isn’t going to have the same weather pattern as a town in the southwest United States.

On March 29, 2016 there was volcanic activity in the Philippines. Luckily no one was hurt or killed. My hometown can’t experience this type of disaster because there isn’t a volcano anywhere near here, and the volcanos in the United States are pretty dormant for the most part. Since this was just volcanic activity and nothing too major, I’m not quite sure how to compare it to the size of my hometown. I’m sure though it would be really crazy if there was a volcano around here and actually started doing stuff. If there was a hypothetically volcano in Bellefonte or somewhere closeby, I don’t think the people that live in the higher elevations would be affected as badly because they would be away from the molten lava, if anything, buildings and trees would catch on fire and that would spread. To hypothetically reduce Bellefonte’s vulnerability to a volcano wouldn’t really be possible unless we were surrounded by a large body of water that would put the fire and lava out. The best thing to do would be to evacuate everyone. That would ensure people get out safely

The only natural hazards Bellefonte faces are severe lightning storms, I’ve seen my fair share here, and the occasional blizzard in the winter. I read an article from the New York Times and it did indeed show that my area has a very low natural disaster risk. It then had three smaller maps below the large map which displayed the tornado, hurricane, and earthquake risk and Central Pennsylvania is at the very low risk end.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/05/01/weekinreview/01safe.html?_r=0
I think better preparing for natural hazards would be the best option. For instance, with large snowstorms, urging people to get stocked up on supplies just in case the power goes out or the snowplows can’t make it out onto the roads. Public authorities would be the best people to tell people to go out and prepare. The people I know don’t really trust the weatherman and what he predicts, but I’m sure they would listen to an authoritative figure. I can’t really do anything.

I am from New York City and according to the Nathan World Map of Natural Disasters, my area is more susceptible to tropical cyclones, hailstorms, extra tropical (snowstorms) and based on some of the natural disasters (whether small or disastrous) that I have witnessed, like Hurricane Sandy in 2012, I can say that this map is accurate and well suited for this task. It also shows that my area belongs in zone 3 when it comes to the frequency and intensity of tornadoes but I have personally never experienced this in the city, but I know certain natural disasters are much more severe in other parts of New York State.

From the Hungarian National Association of RSOE and EDIS map, I chose to focus on the earthquake of magnitude 5.4 that occurred in Amahai, Indonesian Archipelago, Indonesia that occurred earlier today. It was classed as a moderately severe earthquake as there were some impacts and effects. The Indonesian population actually felt the ground shaking, some had trouble walking, objects fell and there were slight damages to walls. Based on some research that I did, I found that New York City is not completely immune to the threat of earthquakes, as they have occurred in this region in the past. Earthquakes with a 5.0 magnitude could potentially take place in New York City, they are extremely uncommon though. If a moderately severe earthquake were to occur in the city, it would have some pretty intense consequences considering the population density and the infrastructure, so if this same earthquake in Indonesia had taken place in New York, it could have been fairly disastrous, some lives could have been lost.

One of the biggest natural hazards that New York City faces are severe winter storms, with heavy snow, hail and extremely, below degree weathers. Since moving to New York in 2008, I can not remember recall of a year when there was not at least one day off for the entire city, schools, work places because of the severity of a snowstorm or the weather being way too cold. Hurricane Sandy, one of the biggest and most historical hurricanes of New York caused some pretty great damage to certain areas of the city and New York in general, people’s electricity was cut off, windows were shattered, there were floods, my own high school even got flooded, resulting in 2 weeks of no school.’

I believe one of the best ways of dealing with potential natural hazards in my area or any area for that matter is through education and awareness. A lot of people are not aware of some of the dangerous natural disasters that could one day occur in New York and because of that, we are not prepared for such weathers. People should pay much closer attention to the weather reports and predictions. There should be effective rescue back up plans put in place in case natural hazards occur. Different areas in New York City are affected and respond differently to natural hazards, in some areas, the outcomes are much more severe and dangerous than others. I believe being aware of one’s environment and how vulnerable it is to natural disasters and then planning accordingly would definitely be beneficial. There should also be more homes and buildings with basements that could be used for shelter. One thing I know for sure that I could do is inform the people around me about the weather, the risks through different platforms (social media, telephone etc).

Personally I do not find this map particularly helpful. The instruction is to identify what hazards affect our home city or towns. Going by what I can see in these maps, I would have to say that you cannot really pin point your city or town, rather you are able to see what region of the continent you are on. As far as I can tell my region is in zone 1, possibly 2, for hailstorms; zone 0, possibly zone 1, for extratropical storms; zone 2 for tornadoes; zone 1 for wildfires; and generally not effected by other events listed on the following page. I am not sure if I have used this map correctly due to fact that the instructions seem specific and the maps are very general in nature.

For the second task I chose a Biological Hazard occurring in Wisconsin. At the time of this report 44 elderly persons had contracted this bacterium and had killed 18. This subject is very relatable to our course material as we directly discussed how age plays a key role in the vulnerability to natural hazards. In this instance only elderly people are affected at this time. In my hometown this very event could take place. In my opinion my hometown, as are most everyone’s hometown, very vulnerable to this because there are elderly people everywhere. Their immune systems are weaker than younger people’s and, in general, are more unable to care for themselves in the same capacity as younger people.                               As this event is taking place in Wisconsin, just across the lake from my hometown, the relative location is generally similar. Same weather patterns, temperatures and the like. If this hazard were to happen in my hometown I would imagine the reactions and fatalities would be similar as would be the manner in which it is currently being handled.                                                                                                                               Due to the nature of this event I cannot imagine anything really making a difference. The elderly are unavoidable, wherever you go you will have them. The severity of this event is, in CDC terms, low. There are a low amount of people affected and it is remaining strictly with the elderly. While they do not have a source at this time they are, in my limited opinion, doing what people in any other city would be doing.

My hometown is Grand Rapids, Mi. While in the past we have experienced severe weather during the winter months and occasionally a tornado and severe thunderstorm during the summer months, over the last few decades it has been generally mundane in the weather department. According to usa.com my hometown is in a higher than national average for tornadoes, however the last recorded tornado was in 2009. The area is subject to moderate flooding due to the Grand River however the banks are deep and the area is generally well prepared for this and the risk is mitigated by extensive planning and precautions.

As mentioned above, we are in a relatively low likelihood area for natural hazards. Grand Rapids has state of the art weather monitoring and early warning systems they utilize to warn residents of possible or imminent tornadoes and the path of possible destruction. The Red Cross and National Guard, in my opinion, along with the police, fire and emergency medical response departments would be the best suited to deal with possible hazards. As a resident I can pay attention to early warnings, remain vigilant to the weather and news sources for possible occurrences and abide by the suggestions and recommendations provided by the local government.

Reference: http://www.usa.com/grand-rapids-mi-natural-disasters-extremes.htm

1. Being from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and looking at the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards, I can identify some of the hazards around the Northeast region. One of the hazards is there is an increase in heavy rain. Having lived in this region my whole life, I can say from personal experience that there is an increase in heavy rain just in the last five years. Another hazard that has increased a little over the last five years and you can see it on the Nathan World Map would be the frequency and intensity of hailstorms. From personal experience, I can say that there always seems to be a couple more hailstorms every year. Overall, the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards is good for getting a sense throughout the world where natural disasters normally happen.
2. On March 29, 2016 at 3:30 AM, there was a forest/wild fire Ruidoso, New Mexico in the United States. The damage level of the wildfire was small and burned about 175 acres. My hometown could experience a wildfire disaster like this one but it is very unlikely that there are forest fires in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania because it’s not normal very dry like it is in New Mexico. Therefore, it would be harder for a forest fire to natural start and continue to burn 175 acres. The scale of the disaster was described as small, but 175 acres is still a good chuck of land to get burned down. 175 acres would be about the size of our mall and the surrounding area and would worry the people in the area about another one happening again. So if the wildfire burned up our mall and the surrounded area, the people that would be most vulnerable would be the people that worked at the mall and lost their jobs and the people that owned the building and the surrounding buildings. To reduce vulnerability, there would need to be pre-wildfire preparedness and emergency relief to protect people in Lancaster.
3. One resource I can use to assess the natural hazards my town faces is my own experience for living there for 20 years. I can say that there seems to be more heavy rain and also more hailstorms every year. Another resource I can use is USA.com. According to USA.com, the Lancaster, PA area has an index where it compares natural disasters to the state of Pennsylvania and to the USA. Lancaster has an earthquake index of .55 which is higher than the state average of .17 but lower than the nation average of 1.81. Lancaster also has a tornado index of 168.67 which is higher than both the state average of 109.77 and a national average of 136.45 (USA.com). Lancaster faces more tornado hazards than the national average and more earthquakes than the state average.  http://www.usa.com/lancaster-pa-natural-disasters-extremes.htm#EarthquakeIndex
4. To reduce vulnerability to natural hazards in Lancaster, there needs to be pre-preparedness and emergency relief. People will be less vulnerable if they know what to do when and natural hazard is coming and what steps need to be taken to keep them safe. If something does happen and they don’t have time to react, it would be a good security knowing that there is emergency relief and you are not alone. The best people to perform these actions so people feel safe would be the mayor and board of directors  to help us out with emergency relief. It is also our job to take the steps to prepare ourselves for natural hazards and to also help people if they feel vulnerable to natural hazards because we would want someone to do the same for us.

1. My hometown (East Stroudsburg, PA) doesn’t really have a risk of earthquakes or tropical cyclones. It has a risk of hailstorms, extratropical storms, and tornadoes. This seemed to be an okay summary of natural hazards in my area. There might be local considerations that are important. For example, as noted in the document, fire-prevention measures were not considered in estimating the wildfire risk. The risks were shown on a very large spatial scale but as these hazards are climate-related, they vary slowly in space compared to a single town. Still, I think the maps were too coarse. No state borders were drawn and the low resolution made it difficult to read.
2. I chose a wildfire burning near Ruidoso in southeastern New Mexico, USA. It has burned ~ 175 acres. It is possible that my hometown could suffer a wildfire. Natural causes include lightning while human causes (intentional or accidental burning) are also possible. One factor influencing the risk of such a disaster is landscape, including climate. Another possible factor is intentional burning practices. As both places are in a developed country, I don’t expect major contributions from ability to mobilize resources or competency in intentional burning. The area of East Stroudsburg is 2.5 square miles, or 1600 acres. That is only about 10 times 175 acres. The financial impact would depend on the density of development. As East Stroudsburg is far more densely populated that Ruidoso, I would guess that the financial impact would be much greater in East Stroudsburg. A fire might disproportionately impact carless people, as they might not be able to evacuate as quickly. Our city could make itself less vulnerable to such a disaster by cars stopping for ambulances.

1. I live in Little Silver, NJ, which is about west of the central New Jersey coast. As seen in the first map, my area is very susceptible to flooding. The combination of low-level wetlands and a close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean  contributes to the frequent flooding in the area. Moving on, my area also appears to be in the higher frequency for hailstorms, although I personally do not recall experiencing many growing up. Further, Little Silver appears to be in “Zone 0” regarding extratropical storms. My area does appear to be in the zone 2 or 3  for tornados, and finally in zone 1 regarding wildfires.
2. The disaster I choose is a power outage in Loudoun County, Virginia. This is an event that does in fact happen in my home town every now and then. My whole town would be vulnerable, save for those with backup generators. Most importantly, emergency establishments would need to be prepared for a power outage such as this one. The report says that 15000 people were affected by the outage. This is a much larger scale compared to my town, which features a population around 2,000. While I am not familiar with this part of Virginia, I do know that an outage on this scale would impact multiple schools, hospitals, and other public institutions.If it occurred at the same scale of my home town the results probably would have been less severe, as the population is lower.
3. One of the major environmental issues that faces my town is local flooding, which is something I have noticed first hand. Because my town is at sea level and contains multiple rivers and estuaries that lead directly to the Atlantic Ocean, coastal flooding is common when there are torrential rains or nor’easter’s. Other than the occasional flooding, there is little environmental concern in my hometown. According to www.tornadohistoryproject.com, there have been 146 tornadoes in New Jersey since the 1951. However, they were all low category tornadoes and have resulted in only one fatality total. Further, by using earchquaketrack.com as a source, almost every single recorded quake feel under 2.0 magnitude.
4. Considering the major vulnerability in my area is flooding, residents should take steps to avoid damage caused by such hazards. Many residents have made great strides to avoid flood damage post hurricane Sandy, which occurred in 2012. Residents and buildings within a certain distance to the ocean were required to be raised a number of feet, at a great cost to local insurance companies. In the case of severe flooding, preventative effectors should be taken all the way from the choice of construction material and building design to taking geographic limitations into consideration. Policy makers and public leaders should work towards making the Monmouth County less prone to flooding, as there is only so much individual citizens can contribute. The public can, however, raise awareness to public officials about these issues.

1. I live in Schuylkill Haven, PA which is the southern part of Pennsylvania. According to the first map, my area looks like it is very susceptible to flooding. I only reminder one time in which our area really flooded it was around 2010. The area got flooded about 7 blocks from where I lived. The second map shows that my area is either zone 2 or zone 3, which is in the low side of hailstorms. The third map shows that my area can get winter storms with wind peaks less than 80km/h. The fourth map shows that my area is in the zone 2 of the tornadoes frequency. The map was hard to read since you could not zoom in to the area in which you want to look at very well.
2. The area in which I choose to look at was the Pavlof Volcano in the state of Alaska. This eruption happened on March 28, 2016. There is not enough information on the eruption there. I know that my area will never have a volcano eruption like they had in Alaska due to the fact that there are no volcanoes in my area. If this would happen in my town I feel the whole town would be destroyed due to the eruption. Everyone in the town would be dead or moved away from the area to a safe zone. The houses and schools in the area would be burned or covered in lava.
3. Schuylkill Haven, PA is a very small town. There was only 2 recorded earthquakes with a magnitude of 3.5 or above in my area. Both of these happened before I was born. The first was in 1964 and the last one was in 1984. When I looked at the tornado index, it said we had 51 historical tornado in my area. I looked at the affected county and found 2 that affect my area. The first happen in 1981 and the second in 1992 which was before I was born. I looked at the other weather extremes and found out that we had 606 floods in the area, 664 hail and 2,203 thunderstorms winds. I feel we are very susceptible to thunderstorms winds because that was the highest weather extreme. The link I used for this information is http://www.usa.com/schuylkill-haven-pa-natural-disasters-extremes.htm.
4. The only action that I could see that we could prevent is the flooding of my area. The way they could prevent this is by building a floodwall around the dam and by the river that runs through Schuylkill Haven. The best people to perform these action are the town council and the mayor. The only thing I can do is make sure I listen to the news when there is an extreme thunderstorm and be prepare to leave the house with some of my belongings and cat. I will have to find a place that would accept pet in shelter. If they give us enough warning about the disaster I could try to help my parents move everything to the higher levels of our house.

Waterford, Pennsylvania is located in the northwest corner of the state. Because of its geographical location, it is not very susceptible to natural hazards compared to other locations in the country. Using the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards, it showed that the region which my hometown is located is likely to experience hailstorms with increased intensity. Also, it has a relatively low susceptibility of experiencing tornados. The Nathan World Map does a good job of showing how different regions have different frequencies of the various natural hazards that can occur. My hometown just happens to be located in a region with very low susceptibility to these events.

From the Hungarian National Association of RSOE and EDIS map, I chose a biological natural hazard that is currently taking place in the State of Bauchi, Nigeria. Right now, a biohazard level 4 outbreak is occurring, already having infected 10 people. The disease that is spreading is Lassa Hemorrhagic Fever (LHF). My hometown would not be able to handle such a hazard without outside assistance. There is just not the resources to deal with any sort of outbreak in our small, country town. Even though the scale of the disaster is small right now, I feel it would affect my hometown in the same way. My hometown is so small, it probably has a similar population size to the area where this is occurring. The severity of the disaster would most likely depend on wealth in my hometown. If you are poorer, you’re more likely to live on a farm or in the country away from town, making you less likely to get sick. On the other hand, the more wealthy live in town and would be more likely to get sick. The best way to reduce the severity in my town would be through education and quarantining. If you limit the interaction of people and educate them on how to stay healthy, then the spread of the infection can be limited.

My hometown mostly deals with natural hazards such as severe winter storms or blizzards. Because of how the town in situated, relative to Lake Erie, the town falls in what is known as the Snow Belt around the lake. This causes the surrounding areas south of the lake to be blanketed with many feet of snow every consecutive winter. (1) To live in these annual conditions, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) allocated around 4.6 million dollars to my county every year for snow removal. This includes anti-icing trucks, plow trucks, and blowers. (2)

1. personal experience- Joshua Wilkins (me)
2. “Winter Services Guide.” (n.d.): n. pag. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Web. 30 Mar. 2016. <http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Penndot/Districts/district11.nsf/0/16b8cf1035f1b13a8525798b0057ddc9/$FILE/PUB%20628%20(9-10)%20Final%20.pdf>.

The best way to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards in my hometown would be to equip more people with ways to remove snow, provide PennDOT with more employees or trucks to remove snow more quickly, or educate citizens on safer driving practices to reduce vehicular accidents during snow storms. Everyone needs to put forth helping hand in these situations. The storm will affect everyone, so everyone needs to do their part to keep themselves and each other safe. The best thing I can do is make sure the people around me are acting accordingly so that they, and everyone around them, are safe during a natural hazard.

1. When looking at the NATHAN world map of Natural Hazards I noticed that Pennsylvania doesn’t experience many situations of Natural Hazards. We can get an increase in heavy rains associated with a hurricane that follows the Atlantic Coast.

When looking more closely at the NATHAN map it is very hard to increase the image.  It does a great job at showing the global perspective, but if you want to zoom in closer there is no action that allows for that.  Which makes it hard to get a closer look at specific locations.

2. When I was looking at the RSOE and EDIS I noticed that New Zealand has three events happening simultaneously today. Upon further inspection I found that there are three earthquakes that have taken place today all under 3.3 magnitude, with the highest magnitude being 3.2, which is taking place 27.34 miles from Kaikoura.  The positive coming from this is the fact that it’s shallow depth and the people won’t even feel any ground movement.  Now I couldn’t find the “Description” tab located at the top of the page.  I don’t know if there has ever been an earthquake near Wellsboro, PA but there have been 4 earthquakes in the past year with one being a 2.7 magnitude in Downingtown.  So it is possible for an earthquake to happen in Wellsboro.  If such an event were to happen I don’t think the people would be well prepared for it, but with the National Guard base outside town we would have help quickly from them.

If there were an earthquake like the one happening in New Zealand of a 3.3, and the description page on RSOE says the people cannot feel any ground movement, then I am not worried about the impact it will have on our small town of Wellsboro.  I’m guessing the people won’t feel any ground movement in Wellsboro if the same earthquake were to happen there.   However the earthquake in New Zealand is happening far from any town or city, so worst case scenario in Wellsboro would be power outage that could last several days with downed trees on powerlines.

If this event were to happen in or near a trailer park, where all the houses are closely aligned together and are built with less than ideal materials, the damage would be more severe.  That whole neighborhood could be wiped out, all the houses could be split in half or sunk into the loose dirt or gravel.  Several lives could be lost during the earthquake.  However if this were to happen downtown Wellsboro where the houses are very sturdy and very large, the damage would be significantly less.  I would guess that some driveways would be cracked, and some houses might have broken windows or shifted foundations.

3. Wellsboro is a very mountainous area, with rolling hills and deep valleys. The chance for Wellsboro to have an earthquake over 3.5 magnitude is 0.01, and there are no volcanoes anywhere near Wellsboro.  However Wellsboro does have a rather high chance of getting tornadoes, with an index of 52.21, but it’s still well below the state index of 109.77.   Since 1950 to 2010 there have been 1,131 extreme thunderstorm wind events, 266 flood events, and 376 hail events.  Wellsboro is most exposed to any severe winter weather events, and flooding.  Flooding I would say would be the most extreme because we all live in valleys and all towns are on flood plains.  The last major Tornado was in 1983 with a magnitude of 2 which lasted for 9.8 miles and was 30 yards wide.  This event didn’t have any fatalities or injuries, however there was 2.5 million in property damage.

Wellsboro, PA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://www.usa.com/wellsboro-pa-natural-disasters-extremes.htm

4. To reduce the vulnerability of these said natural disasters I think having town meetings where they inform the public about the potential flooding and tornado events, and precautions they can take to better themselves should the need arise. This will increase the awareness of the community and keep them on guard against these disasters.  The groups that could perform the cleanup after said natural disasters would be the DCNR and the National Guard both of which have a strong hold on the community.  The best thing I can do is to be prepared with water and other nonperishables during a flood or tornado event.  Then after the event I could try my best to clear the roads of downed trees in my small community.

1. My hometown, Greencastle, is located in the south-central area of Pennsylvania. According to the map that indicates hailstorms, my area has a low frequency and intensity of hailstorms. I do not remember getting many hailstorms, but one in a while we get hit with a hail storm. The next map is extratropical storms which are winter storms. My hometown is in zone 1 which indicates that we get peak wind speeds of 81-120 kilometers. The next map is tornados. In my area, we are in zone 2. Within the past couple of years, my area hasn’t had any tornados but tend to get the storms and high winds that come with the tornados that are in neighboring states. In most of the maps, my hometown is on the low hazardous category. You don’t need to worry about hailstorm, wildfires, or tornados; which seems like a good area to live.
2. The event that I choose is a volcano eruption in Alaska. My hometown can no experience this disaster because my area does not have a volcano in the area. In my area, the environment is not suitable for a volcano either. The volcano is called Pavlof Volcano. The environment that the volcano is located is much different than my hometowns. The environment includes snow and glaciers. The elevations of my town and Pavlof are also different. The elevation of Pavlof is 8,251 feet and my hometown is 587 feet. This is a difference of 7,664 feet. If my hometown did have a volcano near it, the town could be affected very much. There isn’t much you can do to reduce a disaster like an erupting volcano, except for evacuating the area. However, to make sure people are evacuated in time, scientist need to evaluate the volcano at all times.
3. From my experience of living in south-central Pennsylvania, and the information in parts one and two, the only natural hazard that I experienced was tornado threats in my area. The tornados never were close enough to damage a building. There were high winds that broke branches off of trees and a large amount of rain that flooded streams that expanded over roads. Because of drainage in the streets in Greencastle, our town in recent years hasn’t flooded a great deal. This past winter my area had been hit with a category 4 blizzard. In my hometown, we had about three feet of snow. The blizzard effected about 102.8 million people. From my own experience, I was stuck at home all weekend, not able to go anywhere. The snow was up to my hips and could barely walk through the snow. Although I couldn’t go anywhere for a couple of days, it was a fun experience. I know can say that I survived the 2016 category 4 blizzard.

NOAA Ranks January 2016 Blizzard Category 4 on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 28 Jan. 2016. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.

4. For Greencastle to be less vulnerable to natural hazards, the town and towns around could keep documents of vibrations (earthquake), sand bags (flooding), improve water drainage (flooding), and cut back on water usage to prevent a drought. The best people to perform these actions are firemen, police officers, scientist, the National Guard, and even the whole community. What I can do for my community in case of a natural hazard is make sure families have emergency kits and a communication plan, so that each family member knows what to do during a natural disaster. I could also help with a community shelter if there is a hurricane or a tornado. I love the community that I live and I hope that other people would get involved to help everyone be safe during a national disaster.

I grew up in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, a small town in Central PA. Here we have four seasons which as I learned in the lesson is not a hazardous thing. However we are susceptible to many different hazards, but more so on the middle part of the severity scale. Due to having a cold winter Huntingdon is at risk for winter storms just this past winter there was a snow storm and Huntingdon got 24 inches of snow. There are also hail storms that occur here. Although we do have hot summers, Huntingdon has a low risk of wildfires. Huntingdon also has a low risk of tornadoes. This map is somewhat useful for this assignment but due to it being a global map it is hard to be accurate while trying to read it. (133)

I read about an earthquake that happened March 30, 2016 at 9:57 in the morning in Hunter, Oklahoma. The earthquake had a magnitude of 3.8 and a depth of five kilometers. Huntingdon is not as likely to experience an earthquake as Oklahoma. However, when I was in high school there was a day during soccer preseason that Huntingdon felt the aftershock of an earthquake that happened somewhere else. It was not by any means a serious or hazardous event and in fact many people did not even notice it. Huntingdon is probably highly vulnerable to an earthquake though, because of the fact that they do not really happen here. If  a serious one were to happen it would probably do some major damage due to the lack of preparedness we are for one. This event was only “micro” therefore there was very little or no damage done which was the outcome of Huntingdon’s shock waves. If there ever was an extreme event to happen in Huntingdon there could be serious damage and it could affect many people. Huntingdon as a whole is part of the lower middle class, with many people in poverty. If an extreme event were to hit Huntingdon it could potentially have long term effects on some families. (213)

In my life there have been only a few natural hazards that Huntingdon has faced. I do remember Hurricane Sandy, some major floods, the earthquake, and this year’s snow storm. Floods occur fairly often here considering Huntingdon has several small creeks and streams. Due to this Hurricane Sandy did some damage although nothing to major. I remember in my yard there being a couple trees down and a bunch of branches and debris throughout it. The earthquake was in a way a fluke thing and not really an actual earth quake but more of shock waves. I honestly do not think there will ever be another quake in Huntingdon.

Resources: My experience and my mom’s memories (113)

Huntingdon could be better prepared for these types of natural disasters. I first think there could be a better emergency response system than the one that is currently used. Although our fire fighters and EMTs are amazing at what they do, due to the size of our county the rural areas do not have an efficient emergency response team. When the ambulance had to be called to my house in the past it took 20 to 30 minutes for it to arrive. I do not know how this could be changed other than having more response teams. Personally I could help by making sure I am always fully prepared for these natural disasters and to take the warnings on the weather channel seriously.

1) As mentioned before, my hometown is Shepherdstown, WV. This is located in the Eastern part of the U.S. According to the Nathan World Map, Shepherdstown seems to remain in the middle for the intensity of many natural hazards. We are only at zone two for hailstorms and tornados. For other natural hazards we are at zone zero or one, making Shepherdstown seem like a very safe place to live in. Shepherdstown isn’t right on the east coast, but being fairly close to it I became worried after seeing that the east coast is at zone four for tropical cyclones. The map is very informational; however, it was hard to 100% accurately see what natural hazards will affect my area without being able to zoom in on my location. I also didn’t understand what the anomalies during el nino and la nina maps meant without an explanation.

2) Earlier today in Nevada City, California, there was a biological hazard where a school had to close because a child was diagnosed with measles while at school. My hometown could easily experience the same kind of disaster if a child from my hometown also had the measles and went to school. The risk for this is low, as many schools and probably the schools in my hometown have a rule where you can’t go to the school unless you have the measles vaccination. If a child were to come in to a school with the measles the whole school would be very vulnerable, as measles is very easily spread through the air or direct contact. Not only the school, but my whole hometown would be very vulnerable as well. My hometown would be vulnerable because if the child traveled through my town and ended up getting someone else in the town sick, many more people throughout the town would also catch it. The scale of the disaster has so far been pretty small as only one person was found infected. This is also a small scale compared to my hometown because my hometown contains thousands of people. Most kids in my hometown all go to the same school, but the Nevada City report did not say how many students could become infected to compare the two. The impact would remain the same if it were to happen at my hometown, as the school would immediately close until they could ensure that the school was clean and no other kids would be infected. One of the biggest reasons why people in my town have different vulnerability levels is because of wealth. Some people in my town are very wealthy and can afford healthcare to get their children vaccinated. There are also “hippies” in my town that live in small apartments above some of the bars. I don’t want to judge them, but I’m sure some of them can’t afford healthcare. Due to their low income if they have children, they will not get them vaccinated for the measles or other diseases. These unvaccinated people would lead to the disproportionate impact of the disaster causing more harm than there would’ve been. With pre-event preparedness my town could make a law stating that everyone must be vaccinated at a young age for the measles, and the government will pay for it if you can’t afford it/ don’t have healthcare. We could also reduce the vulnerability by schools only allowing kids to come each year that have went to the doctor and were tested negative for measles and all other contagious diseases.

3) West Virginia is a very mountainous state. Our houses are located in narrow valleys, which leave us very vulnerable to flooding. We also live right next to the Potomac River, which usually doesn’t flood, but has been known to have flooded in the past. Another natural hazard that I have experienced is winter storms. This winter a huge snowstorm, Winter Storm Jonas, rolled through states along the east coast and Appalachian Mountains. Somehow out of every state and town, my town accumulated the most snowfall. Shepherdstown got over forty inches of snow. Although there were no casualties in my town from this storm, it made every day life very difficult for the people there.

Resources

Ready WV. “Natural Disasters.” Before A Disaster. 2016. http://www.ready.wv.gov/before/Pages/NaturalDisasters.aspx

Johnson, Shauna. “In the Storm’s Aftermath, Snow Removal Continues across West Virginia.” WV MetroNews. January 25, 2016. http://wvmetronews.com/2016/01/25/in-the-storms-aftermath-snow-removal-continues-across-west-virginia/

Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works. “The Flood of March 1936.” http://pubs.usgs.gov/wsp/0800/report.pdf

4) Many actions have been taken to reduce vulnerability in my town already, but I think it is up to the people living in the town themselves to execute the steps. News reporters always warn the people in my town about snowstorms that come, so the people need to take measures themselves such as buying food ahead of time so they won’t have to try and drive in the snow. We can strengthen our emergency response to have more snow plows and salt out on the roads. I also think there should be people designated to drive around, if it’s safe, and look at everyone’s houses to make sure a roof didn’t collapse from the snow (etc.) and that no one was hurt. I myself can talk to the lawmakers of my town and see what plans they have in place already and how we can improve them.

1.I live in Northern Pennsylvania in a small town called Athens. After looking over the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards I have come to find out my town does not get affected by many natural hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, or natural cyclones. Northern Pennsylvania is between zone 1 and 2 in terms of winter storms, tornados, hailstorms, and wildfires. Flooding on the other hand is more of a threat in my area. I am located right by the Susquehanna River and the heavy rain fall in my town leads to a drastic rise in sea level. We experience a lot of flooding in our area which leads to soil erosion, flooded fields, contamination, and other issues. In 2011 we experienced one of the worst floods in Pennsylvania since 1972. It destroyed businesses and roads and houses were lifted off the ground. It took some families months to repair the damages. Overall, my town and Pennsylvania in general is a pretty safe place to live with minimal natural hazards. These maps contain a lot of helpful information, but I feel that it was hard to pinpoint my exact location. The maps would be helpful looking at a global scale, but not determining exactly where an individual’s hometown falls on the map.

2. Referring to the RSOE EDIS, Guinea in Africa has been affected by a biological hazard known as Ebola virus disease on March 18, 2016. This disease has affected four people so far. Ebola is viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and there are no vaccines or other treatments available at this time. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a safety gear and equipment such as a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. All air and water service going to and coming from a biosafety lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release. My hometown could most definitely experience the same biological hazard. The U.S has already had six people affected by Ebola and one has died. The hospitals in the U.S. also use very protective gear and strict procedure in order to protect themselves and others from the virus. This bacteria and virus can be attained by many outside factors in the U.S. or brought over from people in other countries. I’m not exactly sure what the scale of the disaster would be relative to my hometown, but since my town is very small, I could see the virus spreading very fast. I don’t see there being a way to reduce my town’s vulnerability besides being very cautious and educated on the disease. It’s not something that one can look out for, but being aware is key.

3. As mentioned before, my hometown of Athens, Pennsylvania has been affected by flooding, tornadoes, winter, and hail storms mostly. Flooding is the main natural hazard that comes to mind when I think of Northern Pennsylvania being located right next to numerous rivers and creeks. Experiencing my first big flood in 2011 was definitely an eye-opener for not just me, but my whole town. I never expected so much damage to be done to a town due to the rise in sea level. The roads, houses, businesses, and schools were destroyed. It took months with hard work from the whole town in order to repair the damages. When it comes to tornados we have had about sixteen hit our town in the last fifty years according to tornadoproject.com. It may not seem like a lot, but for a small town the tornadoes have caused a lot of damage in the past with many repairs to be done. Another common natural hazard in my town is winter and hail storms. We always get at least one or two that hit us pretty hard during the winter. These winter storms don’t cause as much damage as tornados and floods, but we have encountered quite a bit of damage to cars from the hail storms. Overall, my town is becoming more prepared for these natural hazards and more aware of when they may come for the future.

Pennsylvania Tornadoes. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/patorn.htm#Bradford

4. The first step in reducing vulnerability to natural hazards in my hometown is to organize an emergency management effort in order to be ready for any disaster to occur with detailed plans and procedures. I also believe that being educated on specific natural hazards, especially those that commonly occur in my town such as floods, fires, and winter storms is very important. With education, we can learn how to avoid or reduce many impacts. Another thing that should be set up in my hometown is social networks which would empower individuals and my community as a whole to help each other prepare for and respond to hazards. Building more stable and hazard protective buildings can be very useful for future storms. Young and stronger men and women should be on hand to help those who are elderly or sickly to prepare their homes for future disasters. Personally, my hometown has encountered a lot of hazards dealing with water such as flooding and winter storms because of its location along multiple waterways. To reduce vulnerability of these hydrological hazards, it would be helpful to expand floodplains in order to diminish risks of homes flooding. I myself could make more people aware of the importance of preparation through past experiences and educate them on how it can affect our well-being.

My hometown is Jaipur, located in the western state of Rajasthan, India. According to the Nathan Map, this town has a low frequency and intensity for Hail Storms, Wildfire hazard and Extratropical/ Winter storms. Although, it has a frequency zone of 2 for Earthquakes and Tornadoes. It lies in the no anomalies region during the El Nino and La Nina. Living there for about 18 years, I have never experienced a tornado. However, I have experienced two earthquakes which were low on the Richter scale. Firstly, I feel the Nathan Map should not put Jaipur or nearby areas in the Zone 2 for Tornadoes. Secondly, I feel it is good for a broad overview for natural hazards in areas but not good for looking up specific cities or regions. It should have a zoom in feature as it is hard to determine in which category certain areas fall in.

I choose the region of Bandar-e Lengeh, Iran, Middle East that recently faced an Earthquake of 3.8 magnitude and Nathan’s maps made it clear that Jaipur can experience the same disaster as well. Earthquakes cause ground shaking which can risk ground displacement, flooding, fire, buildings breaking etc. As Rajasthan has two major rivers out of which one is perennial, Jaipur isn’t near any of those therefore there is almost no chance of flooding. Jaipur also doesn’t have very high buildings, hence both these factors make it less vulnerable. The most recent earthquake in Jaipur was also of a 3.8 which did not cause any damage. As both of the earthquakes were of same and not very high intensity, both did not cause any damage in the areas, however I’d say the situation in the Bandar-E-Lengeh region and in Jaipur are quite the same, as both are not very highly vulnerable to damage caused by earthquakes as the earthquake magnitudes are not very large. However, looking into Jaipur city, people in different areas do face different vulnerabilities, for example : there is a old city area where the houses are not built properly and the area has highly congested buildings. As it is a historical part of the city, the people refuse to move out or renovate the buildings, making their lives more vulnerable and exposing themselves to huge dangers when earthquakes hit as the buildings are not very strong and can fall, causing a lot of damage to the area and killing a lot of people. However other areas in the city do have relatively new, strong structures, planned out properly therefore making people living in those areas less vulnerable when compared to people living in the old part of the city. Therefore, I’d suggest people should not ignore the warnings and guidelines when constructing buildings as it is necessary to make quake-resistant buildings so that the city is less vulnerable.

According to the Disaster Management and Relief Department of Rajasthan, a part of Jaipur lies in the moderate damage zone from earthquakes ( Siesmic Zone – 3) while most of the city area lies in low damage zone from earthquakes ( Siesmic Zone – 2). As this department states Jaipur does not face risks from any other natural hazards and my own experience as well tells me the same, this makes me question again why Nathan’s Map puts Jaipur under Zone 2 for tornadoes. From my personal experience, Jaipur has faced about 5-6 earthquakes with the highest of 4.5 in magnitude, making me realize that with low magnitude earthquakes, the damage can be handled. Hence, I would suggest the government to make stricter rules and guidelines for people constructing new buildings that they are made quake-resistant to an extent. Also, I would suggest the old city area should be evaluated again, so that the old buildings can be renovated and be less vulnerable to damage. This would make the city less vulnerable and can help people prevent damage from earthquakes in the city. [1]

In order to make Jaipur even less vulnerable to natural hazards, apart from the improving building guidelines and renovating old city area strategy,  town needs to increase its sustainable development. So far, the emergency services concentrate on human accidents, as the town does not face other disasters much often. But it should be prepared before any disaster hits. To reduce harm, emergency response should increase which leads to increasing emergency resources like police stations, firefighter stations, hospitals etc. These resources should be available in each neighborhood in a town, instead of each town and specially in the old city area. Once if large magnitude earthquake hits, only one source in the town would be the reason for people to lose lives. Personally speaking, I can only email the Jaipur governance manager and suggest my idea to them, as well as tell my friends and relatives to do the same. Once they get a notification from more than one person, they might put these ideas into consideration and perform an action towards it.

[1] Disaster Management and Relief Department, Government of Rajasthan. (2016) Retrieved from http://www.dmrelief.rajasthan.gov.in/index.php/citizen-charter/maps-of-rajasthan/earthquake-zones

1.After analyzing the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards, I found my hometown in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China is at a high risk of suffering both hailstorms and tornados. Nathan’s World Map of Natural Hazards demonstrates this accurately. It was not a surprise to learn of these risks: Due to my city’s coordinates, the climate is humid subtropical. In addition, my city contains two of China’s most important rivers and several big lakes, so typhoons and rainstorms hit regularly, especially during summer. Because the weather is moist and temperatures are dramatic, we also experience hailstorms. Typhoons cause million-dollar city losses every year. However, the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards is difficult to read because the scale is small, making it challenging to determine whether my city is subject to wildfire risks.

2. I am interested in an earthquake that struck Laochenglu, China on 29th March 2016, according to RSOE EDIS. My hometown is at a low risk of experiencing the same type of disaster because it is not located at the hypocenter of an earthquake zone. While the scale of the event in my hometown was small, it did cause damage. My city has higher population density, and compared to Laochenglu, it is tiny. People in my town have different levels of vulnerability because they have different wealth and education levels. Those with a higher education level are more likely to know the correct method of taking shelter during an earthquakes. Those with more wealth can buy higher quality houses so that can better withstand damage. Strengthening the buildings of my city would help reduce its vulnerability.

3. Typhoons are one of the most common hazards my city faces. If typhoons rise in severity level, they can become tornados. The website allowed me to track typhoons of past years. In 2014, my city experienced 12 typhoons. Structures collapsed and people died during each disaster. Typhoons have caused so much damage in my city that it is difficult to estimate. I experience typhoons every summer, and I believe most people in my city are used to them. Sometimes the water and electricity go out, but they are usually brought back within a day. The weather in my city is usually hot, but after a typhoon passes, it becomes cooler for a few days.

4.To reduce my town’s vulnerability to natural hazards, the most important step is prevention preparedness. Meteorologists and other scientists should forecast potential hazards to allow people to be prepared. Before an event occurs, governors should create a plan so that after an extreme event, they can quickly respond to and reduce damage. They should then apply recovery and reconstruction strategies to get conditions back to normal as soon as possible. On the other hand, it is important to develop an efficiency system in my city. For example, civil planners should develop a well-arranged drainage system. High-risk zones should be a significant focus of stabilization to protect against natural hazards such as earthquakes and floods. While I can do little for my city as a whole, I can take more precaution and learn self-preservation methods.

1.By analyzing the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards, I found my hometown in Northeastern PA is vulnerable to increased heavy rain, a moderate risk of hail storms, and winter storms. We are also at a low risk of wildfires, tropical cyclones and tornadoes. The map does not show we are at risk for earthquakes, however, my hometown has experienced mild earthquakes in the past. One of the natural hazards that surprised me was the possibility of experiencing tropical cyclones. Pennsylvania is not surrounded by oceans, and it’s geography primary consists of diverse, mountainous regions. I did not believe we were able to experience hurricanes. A river borders my hometown, as well as a few creeks and lakes. We have had trouble with flooding before and have experienced some heavy winds and rain. I believe it is rare for our area to experience a tropical cyclone.  Nathan’s World Map of Natural hazards is not a good reference to compare individual towns because the scale is so broad. It was also hard to make out the colors of each individual region and I do not believe it is a well suited document for the task given.

2.Referring to the RSOE EDIS, Nigeria is facing an ongoing, statewide biological hazard that’s been occurring since February 20, 2016. A documented 25 people have died because of an unidentified virus. Vaccines and/or other treatments are not available in this region. Since wealth is one of the most important factors to vulnerability, Nigeria is more vulnerable to this natural hazard than my hometown. Although my hometown is able to experience this same type of disaster,  I believe we would have more effective means of resilience if a biological hazard was to occur. The United States is a wealthier society with more advanced science and technology. Nigeria is more than twice the size of Pennsylvania, so if a biological hazard were to occur in my hometown the impacts would be immediate and local. It would not impact other portions of the world, if properly forecasted, and contained.

3.Different people in my hometown have different levels of vulnerability because people with less physical strength are more vulnerable to a biological hazard. Severity depends on physical and social nature of human populations affected by the event. A person with a weaker immune system would be much more vulnerable to a disease than one with a strong immune system. Children and the elderly are more vulnerable to hazards, and men tend to be less vulnerable than women. In order to reduce my town’s vulnerability to a disaster, pre-event preparedness is key. Since bacteria can reproduce and spread rapidly, it would be ideal to keep the elderly and children out of socially concentrated areas. Whether it be the shopping mall, community events and/or school, reducing the risk of transmission is extremely important. Increased sanitation, treatment, and immediately isolating the infected would help prevent the hazard from spreading

4.The first step in reducing vulnerability to natural hazards in my hometown is to develop a common understanding of all hazards and our vulnerabilities to each. Coordinating an emergency management effort is also very important (PEMA 1). The natural hazards posing the greatest threat in the commonwealth are floods, fires, winter storms and dam failures. Personally, my hometown has encountered a lot of hydrological hazards because of its location along multiple waterways. To reduce vulnerability of hydrological hazards, it would be beneficial to expand floodplains to diminish risks of homes flooding. It is important to map out safe zones and build a stable building or structure that can withstand extreme events. Encouraging plans and actions for preventative measures and developing an effective response would prevent more lives from being lost. The best people to perform these actions would be middle aged, healthy individuals that are physically fit. Personally, I could make more people aware of the importance of pre-emergency preparedness and how it can ultimately effect our well being. Informing others about the development of effective plans and procedures would also reduce a natural hazard’s severity.

http://www.pema.pa.gov/planningandpreparedness/communityandstateplanning/Pages/Hazard-Vulnerability.aspx#.VvsbjOaPN8E

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My hometown is Pittsburgh, Pa. On the Nathan map document Pittsburgh is in zone 0: MM V or below for earthquakes. Also, Pittsburgh is not in the typical cyclone affected area on the map. Pittsburgh is in the low range for Hail storms, wildfires and Extratropical storms (winter storms).  The climate impact marker indicating increased heavy rains is near Pittsburgh location. Furthermore, Pittsburgh is in Zone 2 for Tornados, according to the map. El Nino patterns give Pittsburgh warmer weather and less storms. It was mentioned in the module, that PA has one of the lowest vulnerabilities in the United States.  The Nathan maps would be more suited for this task if you could zoom in on select cities or parts of the map and keep the resolution. For many of the different categories Pittsburgh seem near two different zones, zooming would help clarify which zone the city was in.

Using the RSOE EDIS, I choose the Biological Hazard in Wisconsin and Michigan. It was reported on March 5, 2016. The biological hazard is level 2 out of 4 levels. The biological hazard is Elizabethkingia meningoseptica (outbreak), a total of 44 people have been infected, and 17 are dead. Elizabethkingia meningoseptica is a bacterium which is normal found in hospitals. Pittsburgh could experience the same type of disaster. I feel that Pittsburgh is very vulnerable to this type of disaster because it home to UMPC hospital network, and many other hospitals in and around the city. The description of the hazard states it is happening in Wisconsin and Michigan, after more research I found that the cases are from many different counties. I believe the Pittsburgh and the surround areas would be a larger scale than the affected area. I believe the impact of the hazard would be worse if it happened in Pittsburgh. There are more people and hospitals in Pittsburgh.  The infection would be able to be transferred more rapidly. According to the module, there are many different levels of vulnerability. For a biological hazard, I believe the human factors would have the most impact on vulnerability, mainly education, age, and governance. In my opinion education and governance would be the best ways to reduce the vulnerability to Pittsburgh. Everyone could educated about Elizabethkingia meningoseptica and the symptoms. This would reduce the transfer rate. Furthermore, policies about hygiene in the hospitals would further reduce the transfer rate.

According to the Nathan’s maps from the first paragraph, Pittsburgh faces heavy rains and possible tornados.  In my 23 years of living in Pittsburgh I have heard about 1 possible tornado actually touching down, which was on top of Mt. Washington. I don’t think there is a high probability of tornados in Pittsburgh, like the Nathan Maps suggest.  On the other hand, heavy rains are normal for Pittsburgh. For those of you who don’t know, Pittsburgh is surrounded by rivers. Flooding is a normal occurrence in some neighborhoods.  After some research into other natural disasters that Pittsburgh could face, I would the website for the Pittsburgh Regional Business Coalition for Homeland Security, which is filled with information and plans for many different disasters.  According to recent history and weather, Pittsburgh has a threat of floods, fires, blizzards, and droughts. (Natural Events 2016)  The article also states Pittsburgh could face cyber-attacks, biological and chemical threats. (Natural Events 2016)

I believe the first act to reduce vulnerability is to raise awareness and educate on the threats Pittsburgh faces. For example, if a flood watch is issued, the public needs to avoid road ways that are susceptible to flooding.  I believe the nightly new or the new papers would be the best people to perform the act of spreading awareness and educating the public on natural hazards in Pittsburgh. I could make sure that my family and I are prepared for any natural hazard Pittsburgh may face. For an example, my family and I have a meeting place in the event of a fire near or in our house. My family’s house is surrounded by woods and brush, which are susceptible to wild fires. The meeting spot is on higher ground away from the woods, and away from my house.

Resources

“Natural Events.” Pittsburgh Regional Business Coalition for Homeland Security. Last Modified 2016.   http://www.pittsburghcoalitionforsecurity.org/disaster-preparedness/natural-events/.

Rochester, Pennsylvania is located in Western Pennsylvania. Based on the Nathan Map, the natural disasters most likely to have an impact on Rochester are zone 3 hailstorms, zone 1 extratropical storms (winter storms), and zone 2 tornadoes. Due to the geographical location in Western Pennsylvania, each of the hazards is low risk. I feel the map is well suited for this task based on the representation of Pennsylvania. Living there my whole life I have never encountered more than one hailstorm per year. Winter is normal and only once every so many years will Rochester gets nailed with a bad winter storm. Northwestern Pennsylvania tends to get a generous amount of snowfall due to the lake effect. But generally winters are manageable. Tornadoes in Western Pennsylvania have happened, but they are very rare, I believe a zone 1 rating would have been more realistic.

I selected a forest/wildfire that occurred in New Mexico. Rochester can experience a wildfire, but the vulnerability is extremely low due to generally wetter conditions than those that fuel wildfires. The scale of this wildfire was small; about 125 acres[1] of trees and tall dry grass were damaged. Rochester is 445 acres[2], so the fire would have consumed 28% of the town. The location where the fire took place was about a mile and a half south of a town named Ruidoso, NM. The location of the fire would impact Rochester much more negatively because there is very little wooded area. Homes would be destroyed and lives potentially lost. The fire affected nobody in Ruidoso and no buildings were either. The severity would ultimately depend on the location in which you lived in Rochester, in the borough, houses are extremely close to one another so there is a greater chance of more homes and families being affected by the fire. If you are in the township however there is more land between houses so the number of people that would be affected is much less.

To prevent or decrease the vulnerability of Rochester to natural disasters, proper preparation should be taken by the community. Residents should stay informed by watching the local news stations or going online to check the weather forecast. Preparation must be taken more than just a few days in advanced, bottled water and canned goods should be stocked up. The town officials can be contacted and plan town information sessions on what people can do to prepare for a natural disaster. Overall, the vulnerability of Rochester to natural disasters is about as low as it possibly can be.

[1] https://nmfireinfo.com/2016/03/29/moon-mountain-fire-fire-update-2-32816-828-pm/

[2] https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Rochester%2C+Pa

1. By observing and analyzing the Nathan World Map of Hazards, I was able to locate some natural hazards that may affect the area around Philadelphia. One icon shows that an increase in heavy rain is one climate impact, though it is difficult to tell whether it will affect my town or right above it. The map shows that earthquakes are not a hazard to my area, however since it is relatively close to a coast in which peak wind speeds may reach high numbers, tropical cyclones may be a threat, though it is likely that a cyclone would die by the time it reaches Philadelphia. While this information does make sense pertaining to the knowledge I have of the history of weather in my town, the map is not quite effective in determining the hazards of a specific town. On the other hand, it is very helpful in seeing the hazards that a particular country or continent may face. 

2. The disaster I have chosen is a preliminary earthquake report submitted on March 29, 2016 at 7:06 PM, located in Caruthersville, North America, USA. It had a magnitude of 2.1 and ranked a 1 on the Mercalli scale. The report stated that the impact did not have enough potential to cause people to feel any Earth movement. Although this is not extremely close to my hometown of Philadelphia, a small-scale earthquake like this is possible in my hometown. While very unlikely, it can happen, as it did a couple of years ago. Because this disaster was so small and harmless, it did not affect many people, or cause negative effects on their health or well-being.

3. From personal experience, I believe that one of the natural hazards that my town faces is hurricanes. Over the years, there have been several destructive hurricanes that have affected my town. The biggest ones that I can recall from memory are Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Sandy, being the most recent one, caused a lot of environmental destruction in my town, as it knocked down many trees and power lines. Our town had power outages that lasted from a week to 10 days at most.

4. A very important way to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards is pre-event preparedness, which is described in Module 8. This action, and the Post-event Recovery and Reconstruction technique also mentioned, both pertain to the particular event I described before: Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Sandy hit the Jersey shores very hard, causing a lot of flooding and destruction. My family owns a house in Long Beach Island, NJ, which was hit heavily by the storm. Luckily, because our house was raised coincidentally a year before the storm, it survived the storm without substantial flooding. However, many houses on my block and throughout the island were destroyed by the flooding from Hurricane Sandy. Both an post-event recovery response and pre-event preparedness response due to this event is that many people are now getting their houses raised. This is a response to what happened during Sandy, and also a preparation in case another storm hits.

1. Looking at the Nathan World Map of Natural Disasters, my hometown, Syracuse or more specifically, the upstate of New York, seems to be in Zone 1 for hailstorms, zone 2 for winter storms, zone 1 for tornados, zone 0 for wildfires. Evidently, my hometown is at a low risk for all potential natural hazards with exception to winter storms. These findings are not surprising, seeing as how Syracuse is the number 1 snowiest city in New York State.  Syracuse is is not located near any tectonic plate boundaries, therefore its potential risk for earthquakes is little to none, as we can see because on the map, Syracuse lie’s in zone 0 under the potential earthquakes category. Although I felt that this map was somewhat difficult to read, I believe its sufficient for discovering natural hazards in different parts of the world.

2. On March 28th 2016, Buffalo Recycling Enterprises located in Buffalo, New York, experienced a massive fire. There’s no damage estimate for the original property, but crews say there was some $15,000 in damage to a neighboring property. One firefighter was hurt but other than that there were no casualties. This specific disaster caught my interest because Buffalo New York is about an hour and half from my hometown, Syracuse. Therefore, yes with out a doubt this kind of disaster could happen at home. Syracuse has a huge landfill where you are able to bring old junk and dump it into a landfill and then later on it’s burned. We also have a number of recycling centers. Recycle metals, recyclables and rubbish are the materials that caught fire at the recycling enterprise in Buffalo, therefore, Syracuse having these centers, containing these same type of materials, makes it so that Syracuse is susceptible to the same disaster Buffalo under went. As far as vulnerability, the city of Syracuse would be on the same scale as the city of Buffalo. Firefighters said the property was a quarter-mile long, therefore, residents who live relatively closer to the recycling enterprise would be slightly more vulnerable to the fire disaster in both cities. In order to decrease vulnerability in Syracuse, I think houses and buildings shouldn’t be built within a certain radius of such enterprises, just incase a fire did happen to break out, there wouldn’t be any near by neighboring property.

3. Living in Syracuse, undergoing server snow storms every winter is a norm. The most recent gigantic snow storm was that in December of 2010. As the fourth-highest total record for a four-day period, the National Weather Service reported that 43.2 in of snow had fallen. An astonishing finding, was that Buffalo, the city referenced in number 2 above, was number 1 on TheRichest list for ‘The Top 10 Biggest Snowstorms Ever Recorded”, with the snowfall averaging out at 199.4 inches that storm. So as assumed above, natural disasters that happen in Buffalo, most certainly occur in my hometown as well.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/12/syracuse-area_snowstorm_total.html

http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/the-biggest/the-top-10-biggest-snowstorms-ever-recorded/?view=all

4. The number one action to be taken to reduce vulnerability could be pre-event preparedness. Being pre-event prepared means paying attention to the upcoming weather and if a potential snow storm is in the forecast, make sure you take the necessary steps in order to make the disaster the least harmful. The best thing to do no matter what the hazard is, is to be aware and knowledgable of any potential events. The best people to inform others of weather hazards, is meteorologists, and if it’s a biological hazard, such as an illness or disease, then the best people to get information from would be healthcare officials. Personally, in order for me to reduce vulnerability in my area, I can make sure I’m paying attention to ongoing events and if I become aware of any potential hazards, to make sure I spread the word.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

• 1). After looking at the Nathan World Map is very easy to see that this map is not a good a choice to analyze differences in individual towns since the scale is very large. The color code is also very hard to identify the different zones. It’s hard to even make out the state of New Jersey on these maps let alone the 6 square mile town of Ramsey. I was roughly able to make out that New Jersey on the storm specific maps and they showed that my home state has a low risk of encountering wildfires, a medium risk of encountering tornado’s and hail storms, and medium/low risk of encountering winter storms. On the large map New Jersey seems to be in a zone 3 for tropical cyclones.
• 2). The disaster I looked into was a nuclear event in Washington. The nuclear power plant near Richland had a scram. This means the plant was quickly shutdown due to a cooling issue. Ramsey can experience a similar hazard since the first nuclear power plant constructed in the USA is located in the southern region of N.J. Any large meltdown of this plant would put Ramsey at risk of encountering radioactive material. The scale of this event is on the county level. This means several towns are directly affected by the event. If this event occurred in the New Jersey plant the scale would have to span most of the state since Ramsey is located in north jersey. If this current event was on a state scale the entire state of Washington could be subjected to radioactive material if the plant melted down. People from Ramsey that are closer to the power plant are more vulnerable since radioactive material wouldn’t have to travel as far. The urban density of a town could alter the vulnerability since more people can be effected by the same amount of radioactive material. The only way to reduce Ramsey’s vulnerability is to install a good warning system that will give citizens enough time to evacuate.
• 3). Ramsey is at a risk of flooding especially after heavy rain storms. Flooding is easily the most common hazard Ramsey faces throughout the year. The Nathan World Map did show that New Jersey had a significant risk of cyclones and rainstorms, which helps explain the source of Ramsey’s hydro-logical hazard. According to a map posted by FEMA on Ramsey’s flood risks there are several large areas throughout town that have a high risk of flooding due to numerous nearby rivers and lakes. I have experienced first hand, entire parks and roads become submerged from Super Storm Sandy and other substantial rain storms. The most common damage from this hazard is water damage in houses, which can be very costly to repair.

Work Cited: FEMA Flood Zones, Borough of Ramsey: http://www.ramseynj.com/filestorage/363/397/Figure14_FEMA.pdf

• 4). If Ramsey bolstered the banks of all major rivers and lakes, these bodies of water could take on more water without flooding nearby roads or homes. In addition if people that lived near these bodies of water took precautionary action by installing sub-pumps in their basements and drainage trenches along the perimeter of their homes it would drastically decrease Ramsey’s vulnerability to flooding damage. The best people to carry out these precautionary measures would be Ramsey’s Department of Public Works (DPW). The DPW has the machinery needed to build up banks and dig trenches for surrounding homes. DPW workers are very knowledge about Ramsey and will be able to see what parts of the town are at the highest risk. Individually, I can monitor weather reports to give myself as much time to prepare. I can also help crate makeshift sandbag dams to help defend against flood waters.

1. My hometown of Harrisburg, PA was difficult to locate on the maps. What I did find was that because of climate change, we get an increase in heavy rainfall. We don’t experience many hailstorms or extratropical storms. We do, however, experience a low-moderate intensity of tornados. If there is a tornado near Harrisburg, we usually experience high wind speeds and rain. My house specifically doesn’t experience a lot of intense weather during tornados because I live at the foot of a mountain, which breaks up the wind. Lastly, we are in a low zone for wildfires. In terms of El Nino and La Nina effects, we don’t seem to have any major changes to our normal weather patterns. The Nathan map was difficult to read because I couldn’t locate the exact location of Harrisburg, PA. Therefore, what I observed with the naked eye may not be entirely accurate.

2. On March 28^th, at 4:18 pm, an earthquake hit Pakistan. Most people indoors could feel movement. Objects that were hanging may have swung and windows and doors rattled. A few people outside may have felt it also. My hometown typically does not experience earthquakes of large intensity. However, in 2011, we felt a 5.8 earthquake. Some risks of this type of disaster can be property damage and even death. This may happen because of the earth’s tectonic plates moving underground. When this happens, we feel a shake and movement. This may cause buildings to fall and other damages. These risks are not likely in Harrisburg though because we do not experience many earthquakes. We have felt 19 total since 1931. When we do get hit with an earthquake, they typically are not large enough to cause much damage.The earthquake that took place in Pakistan was a magnitude 4.7. This is lower than the one felt in my hometown. Therefore, I expect that there were very minimal effects of this earthquake. If this were to take place in Harrisburg, we would likely not experience anything other than rattling doors and windows. In PA, specifically Huntingdon, state departments are monitoring how our drilling is affecting the earth. So far, there is not evidence of human-caused earthquakes in the area, but officials continue to observe and record how we are affecting the ground. In order to reduce my towns vulnerability to this disaster, we would have to spot drilling completely. This would then decrease any possible risk there once was that we could create an earthquake.

3. Other natural hazards my town experiences are tornados. These tornados do not have significant effects but they do have the potential to cause some damage. For example, in the summer of 2014, my town was hit with some effects of a tornado nearby. We had to go down into our basement because of high wind speeds. We remained there for a few hours until the storm died down. When we came back upstairs, some trees were knocked over and our outside furniture had blown around. This tornado caused minimal damage to our property. I believe its effects were not that bad because of the location of my house. We are seated at the foot of a mountain, which means the winds cannot reach dangerous speeds before being broken up. Therefore, I live in a very low risk area for natural hazards other than the ones previously discussed.
4. In order to reduce vulnerability in my hometown, meteorologists can work on predicting storms days before they occur, using new technology. Then, the people who live in Harrisburg can stockpile any food and water they may need in preparation. This will also help people who need to retreat to basements or other shelters if necessary. To reduce vulnerability, I can become more educated and informed of natural hazards so that I am properly prepared when they occur. Lastly, we can work on our emergency response, in the event a disaster hits and causes more damage than usual. We can do this by volunteering for Red Cross Associations and other relief organizations. In doing this, people will become educated in how to properly respond, attend to injuries, and distribute food and water.

Many of the natural disasters that are on the maps can occur in my hometown (Northeast Pennsylvania).  They include tropical cyclones, hailstorms, winter storms, tornados, and wildfires.  One of the metrics that I was surprised about was the tornado zone that my area is in.  I would have to disagree with the zone that my hometown is in (it’s hard to tell, but it looks like zone 2 or 3).  Although tornados have happened in Pennsylvania, they are extremely rare due to the climate conditions and the type of terrain that most of Pennsylvania consists of, which is hilly and mountainous.  For the tornados that have occurred in Pennsylvania, they are typically very weak and do not last long.  The rest of the metrics on the maps I feel are pretty accurate.

The natural disaster I selected from the RSOE and EDIS was a wildfire that was ignited around Ruidoso in New Mexico early this morning.  My hometown could experience a wildfire.  Fires have actually broken out in a nearby town on top of a mountain in the past.  The risk of this disaster is somewhat high, since much of the population lives in the forest where plenty of fuel for a fire is available.  Although the vulnerability isn’t quite as high as somewhere like New Mexico, where the climate is very dry, and any vegetation is likely to be very dry either naturally or due to the climate.  That being said, in the summer, we have had times where droughts have been declared, and fire watches were put in place.  The scale of the event in New Mexico as determined by the RSOE EDIS is small.  If this were to occur in my hometown, I would probably classify it as a medium scale.  The reason for this is the amount of vegetation that is available for a fire to consume.  The area in New Mexico has some vegetation to consume, but not nearly as much as what my area has.  As for the severity of the disaster if it occurred in my hometown, I would say the people that actually live in the town and not around it are less vulnerable to a wildfire.  Inside the town is all developed, and little vegetation is present due to the fact that buildings are in place.  In order to lower the vulnerability of a wildfire occurring, there is not much you can do.  You can raise awareness of the situation, which may help prevent a fire from occurring from say someone throwing a cigarette butt out of their car, but other than that, there isn’t much one can do from a practical standpoint to prevent such a disaster.  You can add to the fire department, but that doesn’t prevent a fire, it would only help combat one that has already broken out.

Using the internet, I was able to find some information about natural disasters for Scranton Pennsylvania (a larger city near my hometown).  The chances of an earthquake occurring in Scranton is very low.  The tornado level is higher than I would have expected again, but is still about half the national average.  Some other natural disasters which are notably high are hail storms, and flooding.  There have been few times where I can recall a significant hail storm coming through the area, but flooding is certainly one of the most common natural disasters we face in northeast Pennsylvania.  The last major flood occurred in 2011.  Many areas near Scranton and including Scranton were impacted severely by this flooding.

Source: “Scranton, PA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes.” USA.com. World Media Group, LLC. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. <http://www.usa.com/scranton-pa-natural-disasters-extremes.htm>.

I think the best way to reduce the vulnerability of a natural disaster in any location is to be prepared before it occurs.  As a former Boy Scout, and Eagle Scout, one of the required merit badges is Emergency Preparedness.  While working towards this badge, you learn that the best way to deal with a disaster is to be prepared.  Being prepared for a disaster can include having adequate supplies stocked and having a plan in place.  I feel that there is no single person that is best suited for being prepared, as it is a group effort.  The next best way to reduce the vulnerability is to build up the resilience of the community.  Depending on the disaster, many things can be done to prevent a disaster, such as establishing levees to prevent flooding.  At a smaller level, I mentioned in previous module about culverts in my community that help drain water away.  Maintaining these culverts is up to the house owners, and without proper upkeep, they can eventually lead to water overflowing out of them.

Using the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards it is somewhat difficult to effectively read the maps and identify the natural hazards that affect my hometown on Long Island. But from what I can determine, my hometown is in Zone 4 in regards to peak wind speeds for tropical cyclones and it is also near one of the typical track directions of a tropical cyclone. My hometown is also in Zone 3 in terms hailstorms and in terms of anomalies during La Niña, my hometown is in an area where there tends to be more storm activity. It is clear to see that my hometown is more affected by tropical cyclone activity than other natural hazards.

A current disaster happening somewhere else in the world is a volcano eruption that occurred in Alaska. The Pavlof Volcano began erupting on Sunday afternoon and sent an ash cloud up to 20,000 feet in the air. My hometown could not experience this same type of disaster. As I live on the east coast of the US, there aren’t any volcanoes in my area so this disaster could not happen in my hometown. Considering the amount of ash that this volcano can send into the air, this disaster could do some damage if it occurred in my hometown. My hometown is somewhat densely populated so many people would be affected, in addition to the ocean nearby and the wildlife in the area. Although this disaster actually occurs in an area with a very low population and doesn’t have a large impact in that area, it would have a large affect in my hometown. In my town, different people have different levels of vulnerability because of their wealth. Some people in my hometown have significantly more money and although they would have more property damages, they would be able to afford to fix these damages.

A natural disaster that can occur in my town is a hurricane or super storm and the storm surges and flooding that can follow. In the past few years, Hurricane Sandy was the most damaging natural disaster that has occurred in awhile. Included in these hurricanes or super storms are storm surges. With these, the water levels rise significantly and can cause damage to property and can harm people as well. Since Long Island can receive the repercussions of a hurricane, depending on the hurricane’s track, storm surges are a major problem that can cause lots of damage to property and coasts along the island. Depending on how severe these hurricanes can be, large areas of Long Island can be flooded to the point where people are not able to travel or even to the point where a strong enough hurricane can completely submerge towns. In addition, the north and south forks of Long Island could be entirely under water, if the hurricane reaches to be a category 3 hurricane.

Source:

Mandia, Scott A. “Long Island Storm Surge Maps.” Long Island Storm Surge Maps. Accessed March 28, 2016. http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/38hurricane/storm_surge_maps.html.

Drawing on concepts from this module, there are some actions that can be done to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards in my town. The citizens of my town can learn about the natural disasters that can occur and how to prepare for them. I think that one reason that some natural hazards are so disastrous is that people are not somewhat prepared for the natural disasters that can happen in the area that they live. I think the best people to perform these actions are the citizens of my town so that they can learn the procedures on what to do when an emergency is announced. In addition, I think that there should be experts in the field of natural disasters to educate people on how to prepare themselves. For myself, I can also learn more about how to prepare myself and learn what to do in the case that another hurricane occurs close to my hometown.

1. My town, Souderton Pa, is situated in zone zero for earthquakes. If and earthquake occurs it will be MM  V or below. It does not appear to be in a region that’s green, so little to no fear of hurricanes. Pa is close to the increases in heavy rain icon on the map (pg 3) but it’s hard to tell exactly where the borders of Pa, and for that matter Souderton. No fear of volcanic eruptions either. Looking at pg 4, Souderton appears to be in zone 3 for hailstorms, zone 1 for extratropical storms (81-120 km/hr peak wind speeds), zone 2-3 for tornados, so that’s a bit high and something to be prepared for, and zone 1 for wild fires. Page 5 of the Nathan World Map indicates that Souderton is between fewer storms and warmer weather area for el nino, it’s in more storms for la nina, about 0.1-0.3 mean temperature, and 0-15 for precipitation. The Nathan Map was not well suited for determining natural hazards. It was good for a quick overview but hard to distinguish where my area of focus was, especially on page 5, under the mess of colors and drawings on top of the world map. It was not very specific.
2. I clicked on an extreme weather alert in Gatwick, England. My hometown can experience extreme weather, with high winds, rainfall, thunderstorms, tornados, and hail. Extreme weather does not hit too often but it can. I think that the event is relatively similar to an event that could occur in my hometown. It’s in relatively the same area horizontally on the map. Hasn’t caused in injures, deaths, or serious problems. Gatwick appears to be a small town in England like Souderton is a small town in Pa. Some of the poorer people in my town may have more weather damage than others, there house may have more leaks. If winds are bad their siding my come off if their house is in good shape. Siding could come off from families with more money depending on how the wind hits their house and how protected it is. If trees fall, due to wind and rain that could be an issue. My towns vulernability could be reduced by having a weather alerts sent out and put on the local new channels preparing people. A system in place to help repair leaks in ceiling for those who may not have the money to afford to due so otherwise. An emergency line to call if a tree looks like it’s shaking/close to falling so possibly team could go out and secure the tree to avoid it from crashing into someone’s house or car.
3. I googled natural hazard risks for Souderton Pa and found a sight that give more specific information that the Nathan Map did for my hometown. Souderton has the same average risk for experiencing an earthquake as any other point in Pa. Souderton’s earthquake index is 0.26 while Pa is 0.17 and the US as a whole is 1.81. Souderton has a higher risk of tornado (148.81) than the Pa average (109.77) and US as a whole at (136.45). The risk of volcanic eruption is 0.0 for Souderton and Pa and 0.0023 for the US. The site was very helpful with giving numerical data about the risks for my hometown. It also had tables for recorded data on earthquakes, tornados, thunderstorms, floods, droughts, etc. in and near a couple miles of Souderton. (USA.com)

   Reference:
   “Souderton, PA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes.” – USA.com™. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2016. <http://www.usa.com/souderton-pa-natural-disasters-extremes.htm>.

4. Contacting the local city counsel and government to discuss natural hazard and education along with programs and aid services to help the area would reduce the vulnerability of souderton. I can contact my old journalism teacher who has contact information and would be able to help me organize a platform and who to talk to in order to get programs and information out to the town. She would also have one of there current journalism students write and article on what I was trying to do which would also help get information out about natural hazards that affect our area. The best people to perform these actions would be city/town officials, parents, kids, and anyone willing to lend a hand and help out because they care. Volunteers are always a welcome and much needed resource in getting things achieved.

1. It’s hard to reduce vulnerability to the natural hazards without identifying them. I spent several years living in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, before college. In personal opinion, Ankara is located in a fairly mild climate zone. However, according to Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards, Ankara is Zone 3: MM VII of earthquakes, and the Anatolia Plateau it sits on falls into Zone 3 or 4 of earthquakes. This could probably be explained that Turkey sits at the boundary of Eurasia, Arabian and African plate¹. According to the data, Ankara is in Hailstorms zone3, extratropical storms zone 1, tornados zone 2, and wildfires zone 2. These graphs are super useful depicting the general natural hazards level around the world. What’s more, I see the trends of more precipitation and snowfall in subpolar area and more drought and less agricultural yield in subtropical area.
2. The hazard I picked is an earthquake with 3.6 magnitude level that is happening at the moment of writing this in Iran. Ankara is like my second home so I would like to use Ankara for this discussion. As mentioned above, Ankara lies in a relatively ‘earthquake zone.’ During my years staying in Ankara, I didn’t experience any earthquakes but there were several major earthquakes happened elsewhere in Turkey like the one in Van with magnitude of 7.2 in 2011² and another one in Izmir with a minor magnitude. So Ankara has a very high risk of earthquakes and it is very vulnerable to it. Most of the year Ankara regulates its water supply and the density is fairly high. If the earthquake strikes, people would have a hard time with water supply and having enough shelter places. What’s more, the roads are mainly single or two lane roads which are really narrow, after the earthquake the rescue and disaster relief forces will have a hard time getting round when roads might be blocked by fallen buildings and trees. The earthquake I chose which is happening in Iran is M3.6, which is not as severe as major earthquakes. As for the potential impact the site says: “A few people might notice movement if they are at rest and/or on the upper floors of tall buildings.” The later part interests me that the people who live in upper part of building may feel the movement rather the one live in the lower floor. Anyway, if a M3.6 earthquake hits Ankara might have really minor impacts. However, if the pipes are being damaged, residents will have a serious water shortage as water have to be accessed from some place far away as there isn’t much water reservoir around Ankara. One thing I am worried about is the density of residential buildings in Ankara. They are mostly built one next to each other with very little distance between each building as the photo shows, one falling building during the earthquake might create domino effect³.
   
   There is a large population of children and elders in the city, they will be very vulnerable to earthquake impacts as their mobility, physical and mental conditions are much less prepared than adults. They also have less accessibility to the news and related hazard forecast. In my opinion, the city of Ankara could set up lots of community offices to function as an assembly place for emergency, spread out hazard forecast information to elders and kids in the community and storage of food and water. This way Ankara could be more prepared for earthquakes.
3. Other main natural hazard Ankara is facing is drought. Turkey is mountainous in its area around the boarders, but the Anatolia plateau makes up its center territory. For cities like Ankara, Eskisehir, Kayseri, Konya, and Nevsehir, the water supply mainly comes during winter season with precipitation and snowfall. In 2007, Ankara experienced a major severe drought result from lower than normal precipitation during winter seasons. During the summer when the drought took place, the water level drops to less than 5% of the reservoir capacity⁴. The city has to limit the water supply by two days on and two days off pattern with a limited amount. The press is also making efforts by urging the public to cut the water use.
4. I wasn’t in Ankara in 2007, but during my yeas in Ankara I never felt there is a risk of water shortage thanks to sufficient snowfall in winters. Both the public and the government should be blamed for the 2007 drought. Turkey doesn’t have an emergency plan for a drought besides cutting water supply, nor does the public lack the awareness of the risk of drought. Ankara, from its history setting, isn’t the best location to have the capital with such a large population. Government should put a cap on the population of Ankara and encourage people to move to coastal cities as there are less risk of drought or other natural hazards. If drought happens, I would do my best on water saving as I practice it during daily life.

Sources:

1. “Map of Tectonic Plates.”Tectonic Plates Map and Information Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2016. http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/tectonic.gif
2. Mackenzie, Craig. “Frantic Search for Survivors Continues as 272 Killed and More than 1,300 Injured after Buildings Collapse in Turkish Earthquake.”Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2052493/Turkey-earthquake-2011-death-toll-rises-270-killed-1-300-injured.html
3. “Geschiedenis: Arabieren | Presentation View | FlipQuiz.”Geschiedenis: Arabieren | Presentation View | FlipQuiz. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.http://looklex.com/e.o/slides/ankara01.jpg
4. “BBC NEWS | Europe | Water Cut in Drought-hit Ankara.”BBC News. BBC, 03 Aug. 2007. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6929186.stm

1. After looking at the map I could see that the Dallas Fort Worth area that I currently live in suffers from droughts, tornados and wildfires. I thought the map was useful on a larger scale if you’re just looking in a certain region. I was curious to see what natural hazards occurred more closely to where I currently live but that was not offered on these maps. For this task it allowed you to gather a general idea of what the area you live in usually expects to get hit by. I know that we have flooding that occurs when we do get hit with a lot of rain and many lives have been lost because of it.
2. The hazard I picked was a biological hazard in Guinea in the region of Nzerekore in a village called Korokpara. The biological hazard that they are facing is the Ebola virus. Yes the town I live in can experience the same type of disaster. We are not as vulnerable as the region of Nzerekore because we have better medical facilities that have the vaccine on standby just in case we have more people that carry the Ebola virus into our country. Since the previous scare with the Ebola virus in Dallas there is more effort to keep people safe. When we go to the doctor now we have to fill out a questionnaire of our most recent travels overseas. The scale of the Ebola virus has a total of 4 infected people that they are aware of in their region. If we too had 4 people that were infected with the Ebola virus the scale would be the same but the response time to try and stop the virus would be quicker. The people in my city have different levels of vulnerability because there are some communities that are more poverty stricken than others which also could alter their awareness of such diseases or the means to get the news. One way to reduce the vulnerability in such a disaster it to make the information readily available, in newspapers, news, and where everyone can read it. It would also help if the doctors could keep the patients informed at clinics and other medical facilities. People that have no means to a tv or to a local clinic would hopefully have a way to be informed but I fear that that is not the case and they would be the first ones to suffer in such a disaster.
3. In the Dallas Fort Worth area we suffer from severe weather and tornados. Within the past couple months I have experienced more severe weather with hail and tornados than I have since I moved here 10 years ago. We also have massive winds that have torn off my sheds roof and ripped down fences. We have had a hail storm once a week in the past two weeks that have left a path of destruction and millions of dollars in damages to cars (Osborne 2016). I personally did not experience any damage to my vehicle but I have supervisors that ended up with severe damages to their trucks and windows.

References

Osborne, Ryan. 2016. “The cost of hail: Car damage hits $300 million in Tarrant County.” Star-Telegram. March 18. Accessed March 28, 2016. http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article66940187.html.

4. The actions that could be done to reduce the vulnerability to natural disasters in my city would be getting the knowledge of what to do in certain situations to those that live in more poverty stricken areas or people that live further out from the city and suburbs that may not hear the sirens or warnings as quickly. I think the best people to inform others is the local weather, if it’s a meteorological hazard. If it’s a biological hazard then the best people would be healthcare officials. The one thing I can do is to be prepared for anything and always be aware of what is going on wherever I am. People need to be more aware of their surroundings and understand what is currently going on.

1. Looking at the Nathan World Map of Natural Disasters, there are a few things that this map says about my state/town in particular. The map claims that NJ has faced an increase in heavy rain, or that we will face this problem in the near future.  The map also says that this state is in Zone 1 for hailstorms, zone 0 for winter storms, zone 1 for tornados, zone 1 for wildfires, and that there are more storms during La Nina, and less storms during El Nino.  The map also notes that we have usually normal amounts of precipitation, and our weather stays mostly the same.  This map indicates that there are very few natural disasters that occur in my area.  This holds true, which leads me to think that the Nathan map is well suited for this task.  It seems that this is a reliable source to use.
2. On March 28, 2016 there was a chemical spill in Chicago’s Far South Side.  500 gallons of sulfuric acid were spilled at a building, but the firefighters that arrived at the scene were able to clean it up before anyone was harmed.  This resembles a hazard that could definitely occur in my town, or near my town.  The large city of Philadelphia is located very close to me, so there are highly traveled highways within minutes of my house.  There is a large risk of something like this occurring due to either a tractor trailer transporting these chemicals could turnover, or there could be a factory spill.  Due to our location, and the heavily traveled and populated area there is a high vulnerability for this occurrence.  This disaster that occurred in Chicago was not on a large scale, and mainly just affected the people near the building.  This is relevant to my hometown because there are many places where something like this could occur.  Since the scale would be similar in my hometown, I do not believe the impact would change, and firefighters would be able to tend to this issue.  This disaster could be severe if it involved other people that would be harmed by the chemical spill.  It could also be severe if it leaked into a major source we use such as our water system.  Due to the possible severity of the issue, there are many different vulnerable people in my town.  Some are not economically stable, so if there was a chemical spill that contaminated our water supply, these type of people would not be able to buy other water possibly.  Or, if people do not have house/car/health/any type of insurance, and there was a chemical spill on the highway that impacted their car/health this would make them extremely vulnerable to this situation.  Others that are very stable might not be as vulnerable to these situations. My town’s overall vulnerability could be reduced by creating regulations on the amount of chemicals one is allowed to transport at a given time, so if something like this was to occur it would result in only a small scale problem.
3. Resources:
   1. “RSOE EDIS – – Event Reports (Earthquakes, Events, Tropical Storms, Tsunamies and Others).” RSOE EDIS. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
   2. Versio, 2011. NATHAN (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
   3. Looking at the Nathan map, there was a small risk for wildfires in my area.  This holds true, as there are rarely wildfires that occur.  On rare occasions, there could be a wildfire, and to reduce the vulnerability our town has a sign stating the likelihood of a wildfire for any given day based on the confounding variables.  Looking at the RSOE/EDIS page, there are a few chemical spills located near my state.  This makes sense as explained in number two above.  Something seen on the RSOE/EDIS page that interested me was that a lot of places in the US have earthquakes without most people noticing.  This leads me to think that these natural disasters could occur in my town without most of us knowing, and in face this has occurred before.
4. Looking at the natural resources such as wildfires, and earthquakes (along with other weather related disasters) there are things that can be done to reduce vulnerability.  In my town particularly, awareness can be made.  It is not as common for people to watch the news anymore, so there could be more updates that get sent to the cell phones of the people in my town.  These updates could be informing people if any natural disasters were going to occur in the future, and how to prepare for them.  Having the population educated about the disasters would reduce the vulnerability, and the impact because they could prepare for the disaster in advance, and not be taken by surprise.  The best way to perform this action would be for the government to link with the phone companies, and create some sort of agreement where if there is a natural disaster that will occur, the government officials could inform the cellular companies to send out the notifications to inform the general population.  Personally, as one individual, I can do my best to constantly keep up with the current news, and other factual information about natural disasters.  I can educate my family and friends on what I know so that they hopefully educate their families and friends, and a domino effect is created to overall reduce the vulnerability.

1. My name is William Graf and I am from Pompano Beach, Florida. This is a town in Southeast Florida, just North of Miami. The biggest threats that we face in this area include hurricanes and sea level rises. There is also a slight risk in the area of a tornado. The Nathan Map is well suited for this task because it does an excellent job of separating the different hazards. The first map is the only one with more than one natural hazard listed. This is because hurricanes are marked in the water regions, and earthquakes are marked in the land regions.  All of the other maps include only one map that is clearly marked for the corresponding natural hazard.

2. For this section I chose to research the biological disaster that is occurring in the states of Wisconsin and Michigan. There is an outbreak of a virus that has caused 17 deaths in the area and there have been 44 people infected. This area is a much larger scale than my hometown, however I think the virus would spread much quicker in the area that I am from. This is because I live in a population dense area where many people constantly interact. There are also plenty of beaches in Florida that seem to serve well to help the spread of biological disasters and various viruses. I think the children in the area would be most vulnerable to this disaster. They are constantly in contact at school and germs are constantly being spread throughout children. They also have lower immune systems and would not be able to fight the outbreak as easily.

3. I have lived in South Florida for over 18 years. The biggest threat of a natural hazard that we face is the threat of a hurricane. I have been through several hurricanes, and my house sustained plenty of damage during Hurricane Wilma. However, after every hurricane passes through the area it seems that the area becomes less vulnerable to the threat of these hurricanes. Wilma destroyed several windows in my house and this event led us to replace all of the windows in our house with hurricane proof windows, doors, and garage doors. The building codes in the area have been revamped to deal with the threat of hurricanes. Houses have better design codes to deal with the threat of water damage, and the potential threats of wind damage [1]. There has also been a major argument over burying powerlines in Florida to prevent the damage to them during Hurricanes. This remains an argument because it could cost tens of thousands of dollars to convert these powerlines to underground lines. [2]

[1]

“Current and Emerging Technologies of Hurricane Protection.” Hurricanes: Science and Society. Accessed March 27, 2016. http://www.hurricanescience.org/society/risk/currentandemergingtech/

[2]

Patel, Julie. “Are You Willing to Pay Thousands to Keep the Power on after a Storm?” Sun Sentinel, June 25, 2011. Accessed March 27, 2016. http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-06-25/business/fl-fpl-underground-lines-20110624_1_power-lines-utility-lines-tamara-tennant.

4. The best way to reduce vulnerability in my hometown is to just keep doing what people have started to do. As mentioned earlier the building codes are constantly changing to further protect buildings from hurricanes. Technology for tracking hurricanes and predicting where a hurricane will hit is constantly improving. I think my hometown has always done well of evacuating areas when there is a severe threat for a hurricane. As long as people continue to follow these codes and remain cautious of the threat of hurricanes and flooding I think the area will continue to become less and less vulnerable to the natural hazard. These actions require everyone in the area to do their part.

1. In the area of Western Pennsylvania, it appears that there does not seem to be any risk of earthquakes, tropical cyclones, or volcanoes. There may be a small chance of Earthquakes, but it seems rather unlikely according to the map. However, there is about about a Zone 3 which seems to be about medium when talking about frequency and intensity of hailstorms, a low amount of peak wind speeds when talking about winter storms, a low amount of frequency and intensity when talking about tornados, and a low chance when talking about wildfires. These maps contain a lot of helpful information, but I feel that it is hard to pinpoint your exact location. These maps would be helpful for general areas and trends of hazards, but not if you are trying to determine exactly where you fall on the maps.

2. The event that I picked was a biological hazard that occurred on March 18^th, 2016 in an area of Guinea, Africa. This specific event is related to the Ebola Virus Diseases. It is possible that my hometown could experience the same type of disaster. In fact, there were a few people that were considered to have Ebola in the United States. However, I would not consider that my specific hometown or area would be considered vulnerable. I believe this because there seems to have been lots of research and pre-event preparedness when an outbreak of Ebola was a concern. The only possible way I think this could be a concern would be if someone happened to be abroad and brought back the disease or bacteria with them. This event only was concerning four people which seems to be a low scale event, but is considered a 4/4 level Biohazard. Relative to my hometown, this would be a small amount of people, but it would still be a big concern because people would become worried and nervous about causing an outbreak. I believe that the impact of the disaster is much more intense than it would be if it occurred in my hometown because of resources and other factors such as the fact that Ebola is a larger concern in that part of the globe. In my hometown, I think there would be a high severity of the disaster if it were to occur because of the age of the residents. There is a high majority of older citizens in my hometown. According to the module, the elderly are at a higher risk for hazards. An idea that would reduce my town’s vulnerability could be something such as free screening or testing for the disease at any point because the area is a poor area.

3. Pittsburgh, which is located in Western Pennsylvania, does not have too many threats on natural hazards. However, I am going to focus on one that could be disastrous to the city. This was a great flood that occurred in 1907 and 1936. Because of the location, Pittsburgh is surrounded by three different rivers. When talking about these events, my grandpa was very helpful. He spoke about how he was there working during the 1936 flood and how they were evacuated due to flooded. There were very few casualties reported according to the Brookline Connection, but there was lots of damage in dollars. However, this was fixed with dams and reservoirs in order to provide flood control.

Resources:

Joe Mielecki, firsthand experience of the flood

“Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle – 1907.” Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle – 1907. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.

4. I believe that a major way to reduce the vulnerability includes knowledge, communication, and pre-event preparedness that was talked about in the Module. I believe communication and knowledge would have to be promoted by the governors of the town and the people of higher authority. Schools could help educate the young children in case of a disaster such as drills and lessons. The community as a whole could come together to increase knowledge and the importance of being prepared for a natural hazard event. I believe that it would be difficult for myself to be a part of these efforts at my age. However, I believe that once I become a teacher, I would easily be able to educate my students in order to try to prepare them for an event.

By using the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards, I was able to identify Philadelphia’s vulnerability to natural hazards. The vulnerability to natural hazards in any area is determined by the various trends over time that result as a consequence of both natural and human systems. Philadelphia is in Zone 0 in terms of earthquake potential. Fortunately, Pennsylvania is not located near tectonic plate boundaries, so its risk for earthquakes is almost obsolete. Philadelphia falls right in between the threat for sea level rise and the threat of heavy rainfall. Philadelphia falls between zones 1 and 2, which is low, in terms of frequency and intensity of hailstorms. Philadelphia is, however, at risk of experiencing winter storms as well as tornados (zone 2). As mentioned in the module, Philadelphia does experience the realm of seasons, but it is generally a safe location in terms of vulnerability to natural hazards. The Nathan Map provides an in-depth look at a city’s vulnerability to any number of natural hazards; however, the map is outdated as it is from 2011.

On March 13^th, 2016, Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia experienced a biological hazard. The biohazard level was ranked a 4 out of 4 as viruses and bacteria lead to a fatal disease that spread to patients at the hospital. The patients that contracted the disease experienced Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, bird flu, Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. Unfortunately, treatments and vaccines for these diseases are not available. This outbreak is suspected to have been caused by a single person infected with the Lassa Hemorrhagic Fever. Since one infected person caused the outbreak, the same thing could happen anywhere as long as the virus and bacteria are both present. A Hospital-Acquired Infection (HAI) may be spread to any susceptible patient by a number of means. Any hospital staff member can spread the infection, as well as contaminated equipment or bed linens, and especially air droplets. The CDC estimates that hospital acquired infections, from all types of bacteria, are responsible or aid in 99,000 deaths each year across the United States. The population size of Atlanta in 2013 was 447,841, which is just under a third of Philadelphia’s population in 2013, which was 1.553 million. Although the two factors have not been proven directly linked, a larger population size has a greater chance of acquiring the virus and bacteria, therefore a greater chance of the same biological hazard occurring. Different people in the city of Philadelphia will have different levels of vulnerability based on their day-to-day interactions. Those who spend more time in a hospital or clinical setting are at a greater risk of dealing with people that have a compromised immune system and are likely to spread the virus or bacteria. Human factors such as wealth and education may also affect vulnerability. In terms of wealth, living conditions and health maintenance both greatly impact the functionality of one’s immune system. In addition, education impacts vulnerability as a means of learning how to avoid such biological hazards. A literate population has most likely learned of HAI’s and the dangers associated with them, whereas a strongly illiterate population is unaware.

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy killed 131 Americans, left upwards of 6 million without power, and resulted in about $50 billion worth of damages (1). Hurricane Sandy mainly affected coastal Jersey Shore towns, however; some New York areas experienced flooding, property damage, and power outages (1). Fortunately, the neighboring Greater Philadelphia area experienced wind, rain, and some power outages, but not nearly as much damage, flooding or death. Although the city of Philadelphia was spared in 2012, its risk is expected to grow as a result of climate change (1). With the rising sea levels each year, Philadelphia has a greater risk of experiencing harsh natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy, but this time, it may not be so lucky.

In order to reduce the city of Philadelphia’s vulnerability to natural hazards, changes must be implemented. Without a doubt, pre-event preparations and emergency response teams must have their operations in order to run smoothly prior to the extreme weather situation. In dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, there was talk of “learning a lesson” in order to prevent this from happening again. Unfortunately though, as prevention expert Dr. Scott Knowles states, “The changes necessary to protect ourselves from the worst effects of such storms are not easy ones to make, even if we all agreed on the priorities” (1). In an effort to prevent this from happening again, city planners and disaster response agencies must get involved, especially from a civil engineering perspective. Risk management is also to be improved through increased planning, engineering and policy implementation. Undoubtedly, it will require the time and effort of many to prepare Philadelphia for the extreme weather that results as a consequence of global climate change.

Work Cited

(1) https://newsblog.drexel.edu/2013/02/20/learning-from-sandy-is-philadelphia-prepared-for-the-next-natural-disaster/

1)According to the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards, my hometown Potomac, Maryland experiences heavy rainfall and tropical cyclones. The Nathan World Map overall, is a generalized look on natural hazards that occur in the world. It does not specifically address each city and their natural hazards. According to the Nathan World Map, Maryland experiences heavy rainfall and the coast experiences tropical cyclones or hurricanes, which is accurate. However, Maryland also has lots of meteorological hazards such as cold waves, heat waves, hurricanes, freezing rain and even the occasional tornado. I don’t think the Nathan World Map is suited for identifying natural hazards in cities because shows outline of natural hazards worldwide, however, not for specific cities.

2)I decided to look into the heat wave in Kenya, Africa. Residents throughout Kenya are experiencing unusually high temperatures, which are causing an increase in water usage, dehydration and human discomfort. In Potomac, Maryland, heat waves can occur, however, we are better prepared for them than Kenya. We have multiple reservoirs throughout Potomac, better education on heat waves and better technology. This makes Potomac less vulnerable to heat waves than Kenya. The scale of the heat wave for Kenya is seen as local since it is only affecting the residents of Turkana County. These high temperatures are causing the residents to experience restless nights and dehydration. If this disaster occurred in my hometown, it would be seen as a big issue since the population in Potomac is much greater than the counties in Kenya. However, since there is less vulnerability in Potomac, wealthy families would be able to travel away from the heat and technology would be easier to purchase. In order to reduce vulnerability in my hometown, it is important to be prepared and become familiarized with heat waves. By having enough water, fans and air conditioning in Potomac, residents would be living in much better conditions, therefore less vulnerable, than the residents of Kenya.

3)In Potomac, Maryland, we are susceptible to a variety of meteorological, geological and hydrological hazards, however, Potomac is still at a relatively low risk compared to the rest of the US. Potomac has experienced droughts, heat waves, cold waves, hurricanes, freezing rain and tornados. One rather traumatic event that occurred in Maryland was an F3 tornado with close to 200 mph winds. It occurred in 2001 and caused 55 injuries, 2 deaths, and $101 million property damages. Since I was so young when this tornado occurred, I didn’t really learn about it, however, I remember my parents teaching me different procedures to take incase a tornado ever occurred again.

http://www.homefacts.com/tornadoes/Maryland/Montgomery-County/North-Potomac.html

4)In order to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards in Potomac, it is crucial for all residents to be educated on the issues and be provided governance. Education allows for residents to learn how to avoid or reduce impacts. Cities could provide articles, or classes to take on impacts and reduction of natural hazards in order to better prepare and educate their residents. Through governance, the government could create policies, agencies, and support groups for natural hazards in order to warn and make residents aware of the hazards ahead of time. I believe that residents have the capability and most influential impact on reducing vulnerability through the way they teach their families, children or peers about these natural hazards. If I learn about the proper procedures and how to stay safe and prepared during natural hazards, I could teach others to educate them as well.

1. State College is located in central Pennsylvania. According to the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards, my town is situated in Zone 2 for Hailstorms. The area is prone to heavy rainfall due to storms during the winter and summer. State College is situated in Zone 0 for Extratropical storms, with wind speed less than or equal to 80 miles per hour. The area does not frequently encounter tornadoes or wildfires and is located in Zone 1 for both. The Nathan map is great for looking at natural hazards at a global scale. It would be easier to view the data and draw conclusions if the maps were produced on a smaller scale. I had to guess the location of my town on the map and which zone the town was in for multiple hazards.
2. According to the RSOE EIS map, a 4.3 magnitude earthquake in Taitung City, Taiwan occurred today at 8:08 am (UTC time). The hazard is not likely to occur in State College as my town is not located near any fault lines. The Nathan map puts my town in Zone 0: MM V and below for earthquakes. On the other hand, Taiwan is located in Zone 3 and 4 for earthquakes on the Nathan map. The country is situated near tectonic plates which continually collide together producing earthquakes. The scale and number of people affected was not found in the details, but I would assume the hazard would affect many people and be at a national scale as Taiwan is relatively small. If the earthquake were to occur in State College, the results would be devastating as it would be at a local or smaller scale. The earthquake would be stronger and would lead to some more vulnerable than others depending on their location. Those who live on the outskirts of town would be less vulnerable to the earthquake as it might be weaker if the center occurred in State College. People who live in poorly built buildings or who live downtown might be more vulnerable as more debris could fall and hit them. Citizens who are young and live in open areas would be the least vulnerable as they would be able to protect themselves from danger. My town could reduce their vulnerability to earthquakes by educating citizens on what to do if they occur. Having a response plan to aid those who are hurt or affected by the earthquake would be beneficial as people could be treated quickly. It could fix the damages in the town as fast as possible.
3. I have lived in State College for my entire life and have experienced a handful of natural hazards. The area frequently endures severe thunderstorms and snowstorms. Several thunderstorms in the past have been so severe they led to a tornado warning. A few tornadoes have touched down near State College, but they were not very strong. Snowstorms have been present in my area, with totals exceeding 30 inches according to my father. In some cases, snow squalls have appeared during the winter which creates dangerous conditions for drivers. The area is not prone to earthquakes and volcanoes. Occasionally, the area may get hit with rain and winds from a hurricane coming off the Atlantic Ocean. Overall, central Pennsylvania is very safe compared to other regions throughout the country.
4. State College normally experiences thunderstorms and snowstorms throughout the year. I think educating people about these types of storms could help to reduce the damage done by them. In particular, improving the technology to communicate ideas related to weather problems would be important as well. For example, there is little communication regarding the presence of snow squalls. Most citizens do not know when or where they will occur. It would be great to educate people about the severity of snow squalls and to give them an idea of when they will occur. As a result, it could save the lives of many people driving on the highways or nearby areas. PennDot and AccuWeather would be the best people to perform these actions as they have the knowledge and skills needed to educate people about these hazards. Accuweather can inform people of the hazards while PennDot can educate and implement these actions. As a citizen of State College, I can create a plan with my neighbors to prepare and respond to natural hazards. I might designate a neighbor to have extra food available, to have extra batteries, and to have blankets in case we lose power due to a hazard. As a result, we could prepare and survive for all natural hazards which may occur in our area.

My hometown of Bellwood, nestled in the heart of Pennsylvania, does not have to worry about too many natural hazards. The worst we have faced in my lifetime are winter storms that do not cause damage, other than a few broken trees and unnavigable roads. Looking at the world map of natural hazards, it is evident that my town is not in a red zone for earthquakes or tropical cyclones. However, it is in zone 2 for hailstorms and tornados, both of which could very well happen, but not often. For wildfires, it is in a zone 1. There are many forests, but enough rainfall and weather change to prevent wildfires from occurring.

From the RSOE EDIS source, I came across a biological hazard in the state of Wisconsin, where there has been an outbreak of a strange blood infection. A bacteria known as Elizabethkingia has infected 44 people so far, with the majority of them being elderly. My hometown, along with any, could experience this outbreak for it has not yet been linked to a specific source nor through person-to-person contact. Any human population is vulnerable to a new infection, since we would not be vaccinated against it. Compared to other towns, mine would also be more vulnerable since it is quite small and the bacteria could spread quickly. Currently, this event is on a local (regional) scale and has not spread outside of Wisconsin. Relative to my hometown, the scale is somewhat similar, since it is covering a small area in relation to the rest of the United State and world.  If this were to occur in my area, those living in the central part of town would be more vulnerable to the outbreak, since they are in closer proximity to each other. However, those like myself who live in the outskirts of town, would be less vulnerable. The elderly would also be at an increased risk, like those currently in Wisconsin. To reduce the vulnerability of such a disaster, the mayor could create awareness of the outbreak and education materials could be developed to better educate people.

Coming from my own knowledge, a major natural hazard that my town could face is the contamination of our local water reservoir through natural causes or chemical pollutants. As mentioned above, it is also very likely to experience biological outbreaks, such as major diseases or something as simple as the common flu due to its small population and proximity of its residents. From a meteorological point of view, major snowstorms could occur, which could result in power loss and minor destruction, as happened in the past. There is a chance we could experience a tornado, although it would be very mild in strength due to our high mountains and valleys.

To reduce vulnerability to natural hazards in my town, governance and education could both play a vital role. As mentioned previously, the mayor could promote awareness of such potential hazards and inform residents of prevention tactics (i.e. emergency responses) and what to do if a hazard would occur. Education materials could be developed to give to residents and even students at school. Personally, I could contribute by following the prevention tactics (for biological hazards) and by providing my family and friends with helpful information. Promoting awareness is a vital step in reducing vulnerability, along with having sufficient preparation before the event even occurs.

1. Lewisburg is located in central Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River. Based on the Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards Pennsylvania experiences increased heavy rain influenced by Zone 2 (185-212 km/h) and Zone 3 (213-251 km/h) winds off the Atlantic Ocean. Winter storms have peak wind speed of ≤ 80 km/h and low frequency/intensity of hail storms and wildfires. Although It is rare that tornado activity occurs in this area, we do have a history. It is reported that a total of 26 historical tornado events occurred in or near Lewisburg, PA between 1950-2010 (1). Through my experience the natural disaster that affects Lewisburg is flooding due to its location along the river. The Nathan World Map is it great for looking at global patterns, but for a city. I needed to generalize information. The maps should be larger to make weather indications easier to find.

2. Hong Kong, China’s current disaster is H7N9 or highly pathogenic avian influenza. The virus infects human species through direct or indirect contact with infected live or dead poultry. It is hard to note the scale of this disaster because the information is not indicated on RSOE. The infection is confirmed to affect humans, but the scale and the total number of infections/deaths are not shown on the site. The CDC reported data by the World Health Organization showing 667 cases and 229 deaths from H7N9 flu have been reported globally from March 2013 through October 14, 2015 (most reported in China) (2).
Considering scale, China and the U.S. are relative in size, but Hong Kong in comparison to Lewisburg hold no similarities. Hong Kong is a large city with a population of 7 million, whereas Lewisburg is a small town with a population estimated at 5,733. Disease will spread in susceptible climates and at a greater rate in populated areas due to proximity to other individuals, but this is not the case for avian influenza that is spread through human to poultry contact. Areas around Lewisburg operate poultry farms. For example, my town 5 miles from Lewisburg has a poultry farm where they raise turkeys or chickens seasonally, but they do not process birds at this location. Much of the meat purchased by people of this area come from supermarkets. In China wet markets are more likely to be found where animal preparation is done on the spot. In Lewisburg, I believe every citizen that is not handling poultry directly has a low level of vulnerability to avian influenza. If such occurrence were to happen in Lewisburg people a person with direct contact with infected birds or surfaces contaminated with the avian influenza viruses will pick up this disease, but not spread it. The severity of this disease if it became present is low, and antiviral drugs are 70% to 90% effective (3) reducing the impact even more.

3.Lewisburg is located along the Susquehanna, which places it at low grown in the watershed. Streams from the surrounding mountains and towns all lead to this location making it susceptible to flooding. Thirteen local flood hazards have been reportedly marked between 1889-2011 (4). The historical flood of ‘72 during Hurricane Agnes is a disaster older generations still talk about since I can remember. Hurricanes and rapid snow melt typically cause the river to crest, but flash floods also create devastation for Lewisburg. The Susquehanna is a river that I needed to cross to get to my high school. Often my school closed due to flooding along the river that made access to the bridge impossible. Homes and business along the river are most vulnerable to flooding and pay the cost when these disasters occur, but large floods like the one of ‘72 and most recent in 2011 have caused devastation for a half mile beyond the floodplain.

4. In this module, we saw how hurricanes cause massive destruction in regions along the coast. I have experienced smaller scale destruction from hurricanes occurs that affects local water systems.The vulnerability of streams, rivers and reservoirs to flood is much easier to mitigate than instances from massive flooding in New Orleans or Japan. Large scale water destruction is often inevitable and unpreventable. Water leaves us no time to prepare when hurricanes begin causing rising water, and there is no chance with a tsunami. Are largest preventative measure is to not built on islands or along the coast, but we seek to live in these areas and pay the price when natural hazards occur. Lewisburg already accounts for vulnerability to flooding risks. They provided a website with information (5) addressing flood safety, floodplain ordinances, and insurance information for after flooding. I found Lewisburg has an “extensive storm drainage system to carry stormwater away from roadways and properties” (6). They city is built to move the water away from the town, and is system that they maintain prior to flooding.