• Nearly one third of the hazardous chemical facilities in the United States are at risk from climate-driven floods, storms and wildfires, according to a new analysis by the Government Accountability Office. (sdpb.org)
  • They found that more than 3,200 of them are located in places where they face damage from sea level rise, hurricane storm surge, wildfires or flooding from heavy rain. (sdpb.org)
  • For example, if a chemical plant stores substances that catch fire if they are not refrigerated, then that plant needs to be prepared for the prolonged power outages that climate-driven storms, heat waves and wildfires can cause. (sdpb.org)
  • Unfortunately, natural disaster events such as hurricanes, cyclones, storms, floods and wildfires are occurring more often and with greater severity. (construction-today.com)
  • The extent and nature of such action is largely dependent on each individual business' appetite for risk - in other words, the extent to which your business is prepared to deal with disruptions caused by storms, hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other extreme events. (construction-today.com)
  • The report calls on the Environmental Protection Agency to require facilities to prepare for floods, power outages and other effects of climate change. (sdpb.org)
  • Hurricane Harvey: Emergency Management Officials have requested that people escaping flood waters as a last resort do not stay in the attic. (cdc.gov)
  • Even in areas where power lines are buried, flooding can lead to loss of power, as occurred in Houston, Texas during Hurricane Harvey. (guyonclimate.com)
  • And, in 2017, flooding from Hurricane Harvey caused massive sewage leaks from water treatment plants, and caused at least one chemical plant to catch fire and burn for days. (sdpb.org)
  • Hurricane Harvey made landfall between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor, Texas on August 25, 2017, causing 300,000 persons to lose power. (cdc.gov)
  • Consider CO poisoning in persons affected by Hurricane Harvey, particularly persons who are currently without power. (cdc.gov)
  • Countless communities across the United States have felt firsthand the often deadly and devastating impacts of hurricanes, from Hurricane Katrina, which left 1,833 people dead after slamming into the Gulf Coast in 2005, to Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017-some of the most costly tropical storms on record-along with many others. (americanprogress.org)
  • A chemical plant near Lake Charles, La., burns after sustaining damage from Hurricane Laura in August 2020. (sdpb.org)
  • In 2020, Hurricane Laura forced tens of thousands of people near Lake Charles, La., to shelter in place after a local chemical plant was damaged and began leaking dangerous chlorine gas . (sdpb.org)
  • Many areas impacted by Ida's winds were also impacted by storm surge, precipitation-induced flooding, and the hurricane events of 2020. (haggiepartners.com)
  • And recently, on August 27, 2020, Hurricane Laura lashed Louisiana with 150-mile-per-hour winds, killing six people and registering as one of the most powerful storms on record to strike the United States. (americanprogress.org)
  • 1 Hurricane Sally rapidly intensified shortly before making landfall on September 16, 2020, as a slow-moving Category 2 storm with 105 mph winds, dumping 20 to 30 inches of rainfall along hard-hit communities in western Florida and coastal Alabama. (americanprogress.org)
  • 2 All in all, as of September 23, 2020, the Atlantic hurricane season has produced 23 named storms-nearly double the season's long-term average and exhausting, for only the second time in history, the National Hurricane Center's list of 21 names. (americanprogress.org)
  • 3 Yet the 2020 hurricane season represents uncharted territory, as storms are expected to continue making landfall in communities that are still struggling to contain COVID-19 outbreaks, maintain social distancing, and weather the historic pandemic-induced economic downturn-all amid a national reckoning with racial oppression and resource disparities in Black communities and other communities of color. (americanprogress.org)
  • Despite the deadly consequences of both delaying the federal response to the pandemic at its outset and urging states to reopen their economies before it was safe to do so, President Donald Trump has boasted about the federal government's response to COVID-19 and the nation's preparedness for the 2020 hurricane season. (americanprogress.org)
  • Anecdotal reports associate exposures from Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy response and recovery activities with individuals' respiratory illnesses. (cdc.gov)
  • In the US, Hurricane Ida brought back painful memories to the people of New Orleans, a city which is still rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina caused 1800 deaths and $125 billion of damage back in 2005. (construction-today.com)
  • When power outages occur after severe weather (such as severe storms, hurricanes or tornadoes), using alternative sources of power can cause carbon monoxide (CO) to build up in a home and poison the people and animals inside. (cdc.gov)
  • Due to major damage to power plants, as well as transmission and distribution lines, the widespread power outage will significantly delay full recovery. (haggiepartners.com)
  • Neighboring states that were hit hard by the winter storm but did not experience the widespread power outages seen in Texas did not show a spike in deaths. (buzzfeednews.com)
  • Children's rapid development from before they are born through early childhood makes them more vulnerable to environmental exposures. (cdc.gov)
  • The power grid is a foundational, but vulnerable, part of America's infrastructure. (guyonclimate.com)
  • The grid remains vulnerable to large-scale outages caused by cascading power failures, cyber-attacks, and perhaps most significantly, extreme weather. (guyonclimate.com)
  • These are some of the leading causes of major power outages, and their increases put stress on an already-vulnerable power grid. (guyonclimate.com)
  • State-run Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and the federal government spent 11 months and billions of dollars restoring electricity across the U.S. territory, yet the grid remains just as vulnerable to hurricanes and brownouts. (ieee.org)
  • At the same time, power companies are most vulnerable to the effects of the carbon accumulated in the atmosphere, facing higher exposure to physical risk from climate change than other sectors. (deloitte.com)
  • A BuzzFeed News analysis shows the catastrophic failure of Texas's power grid in February killed hundreds of medically vulnerable people. (buzzfeednews.com)
  • Many of the uncounted victims of the storm and power outages were already medically vulnerable - with chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney problems. (buzzfeednews.com)
  • The hurricane weakened prior to continuing into the Gulf of Mexico, but increased its intensity by the time of its final landfall in Galveston, Texas, on September 13 before becoming an extratropical storm on September 14. (wikipedia.org)
  • Of these deaths, 74 were in Haiti, which was already trying to recover from the impact of three storms (Fay, Gustav, and Hanna) that had made landfall the same year. (wikipedia.org)
  • So not all these make landfall but, again, two years like this in a row, these are two years that they will probably be in the top 18 or so of the past 170 years for hurricanes. (cdc.gov)
  • These dates correspond to landfall of the first hurricane (Charley) and 3 weeks after landfall of the last hurricane (Jeanne), when active surveillance for CO poisoning was discontinued. (cdc.gov)
  • The number of cases and incidents peaked within 3 days after landfall of each hurricane ( Figure 1 ). (cdc.gov)
  • This estimate includes wind, storm surge, and inland flood losses across only the impacted Gulf states in the landfall region - Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi - based on analysis of RMS ensemble footprints in Version 21 of the RMS North Atlantic Hurricane Models and estimates from the RMS U.S. Inland Flood HD Model. (haggiepartners.com)
  • Between 2000 and 2021, about 83% of reported major outages in the U.S. were attributed to weather-related events. (guyonclimate.com)
  • Climate Central analyzed data on major power outages in the U.S. from 2000-2021. (guyonclimate.com)
  • In 2021, Hurricane Ida caused leaks and power outages at facilities from Louisiana to New Jersey. (sdpb.org)
  • Many cases of CO exposure occur in private residences. (medscape.com)
  • When power outages occur during emergencies such as hurricanes or winter storms, the use of alternative sources of fuel or electricity for heating, cooling, or cooking can cause CO to build up in a home, garage, or camper and poison the people and animals inside. (cdc.gov)
  • Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of the extreme weather that wreaks havoc on our power grid-from wildfire to heat waves and hurricanes. (guyonclimate.com)
  • All available information about the patient's exposure, clinical presentation, laboratory testing (e.g., result of earliest available measurement of blood carboxyhemoglobin [COHb] level), and medical treatment was collected. (cdc.gov)
  • The COHgb level must be interpreted in light of the patient's exposure history and length of time away from CO exposure, as levels gradually fall once the patient is removed from the exposure. (cdc.gov)
  • This report describes the results of that analysis, which determined that misplacement of portable, gasoline-powered generators (e.g., indoors, in garages, or outdoors near windows) was responsible for nearly all of these CO exposures. (cdc.gov)
  • [ 2 ] CO toxicity is especially common during power outages due to storms, as a result of the improper use of gasoline-powered portable generators to provide electricity and indoor use of charcoal briquettes for cooking and heating. (medscape.com)
  • During a significant power outage, persons using alternative fuel or power sources such as generators or gasoline powered engine tools such as pressure washers might be exposed to toxic CO levels if the fuel or power sources are placed inside or too close to the exterior of the building causing CO to build up in the structure. (cdc.gov)
  • As disaster impacts increase in scope and frequency ( 2023 had seen 15 "billion dollar" disasters even before the Lahaina Fire and Hurricane Idalia , and we're still four days from the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane season), federal resources are stretched thin. (lovecitystrongvi.org)
  • In April, Colorado State University released their first long range forecast for the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season. (lovecitystrongvi.org)
  • Preventing respiratory disease associated with severe weather response. (cdc.gov)
  • Severe weather events bring attention to threats to respiratory health that are associated with indoor exposures from moisture incursion. (cdc.gov)
  • When we made this slide, one of the captions for it was 2017 was an unusual year because seven of the 13 named storms were intense enough to be named hurricanes. (cdc.gov)
  • And this is on top of both these years 2017 and 2018 resources already being somewhat strained because some of the same resources and some of the same people, like me, get involved in wildfire response. (cdc.gov)
  • Hurricane Maria had ravaged the island on 20 September 2017 and knocked out the entire grid . (ieee.org)
  • and Hurricane Sandy which caused extensive destruction (2012). (cdc.gov)
  • The work is directed to increase knowledge and protective behavior related to mold mitigation and health effects within emergency and recovery responders in states affected by Hurricane Sandy. (cdc.gov)
  • Some of you will recall that back in 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit right around Halloween. (cdc.gov)
  • and Hurricane Sandy in the United States in October 2012. (inboundlogistics.com)
  • Climate-driven storms have damaged numerous chemical plants, refineries and water treatment plants in recent years. (sdpb.org)
  • Southern Louisiana has a high concentration of petrochemical plants, refineries, marine cargo and port exposures, power plants and other high-value industrial facilities that were impacted by Ida. (haggiepartners.com)
  • So what we want to talk about this afternoon - what we're going to talk about is the communication response to some of the comment post-hurricane hazards, things that we pretty much know are going to happen. (cdc.gov)
  • Public health practitioners should recognize that post-hurricane environments present challenges to the safe operation of portable generators and should educate the public on the hazards of CO poisoning in these settings. (cdc.gov)
  • Contact the nearest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU)to learn how to protect your child from exposure to health hazards in the environment. (cdc.gov)
  • The Institute of Medicine Committee on the "Effect of Climate Change on Indoor Air Quality and Public Health" identified chemical exposures, vector-borne disease, and mold and moisture associated illnesses as potential impacts from the damage and degradation of buildings, flooding and water damage associated with hurricanes (IOM 2011). (cdc.gov)
  • Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Abacos and Grand Bahama Island, and the USVI collectively held our breath as we remembered our own trauma and knew exactly what was in store for the communities impacted by Dorian. (lovecitystrongvi.org)
  • Two people walk down a flooded street in Rodanthe, North Carolina, as Hurricane Dorian hits Cape Hatteras on September 6, 2019. (americanprogress.org)
  • Whether it is hurricanes, or fire, or flooding, or earthquakes, or some other hazard that imparts disaster, the commonly resounding theme is this: communities save themselves. (lovecitystrongvi.org)
  • The objective is to design questionnaires that assess and track responses to large-scale traumatic events that may significantly impact public mental health. (cdc.gov)
  • The following is a copied Climate Central pdf on power outages and climate change. (guyonclimate.com)
  • Climate change exacerbates risks throughout the power system. (guyonclimate.com)
  • As the United States struggles to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal, state, and local governments must prepare communities for an extremely active hurricane season fueled by climate change, as well as support resilient and equitable rebuilding in the wake of disasters. (americanprogress.org)
  • and the onset of an unusually active hurricane season-caused by warmer ocean temperatures that are fueled by climate change-that continues to break storm formation records. (americanprogress.org)
  • The ninth tropical storm, fifth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Ike developed from a tropical wave west of Cape Verde on September 1 and strengthened to a peak intensity as a Category 4 hurricane over the open waters of the central Atlantic on September 4 as it tracked westward. (wikipedia.org)
  • Ike's placement in an area with virtually no wind shear allowed for the hurricane to undergo explosive intensification despite unfavorable upper-level winds to its north, reaching major hurricane strength six hours after its designation as a hurricane. (wikipedia.org)
  • However, this track also brought the storm into an area of strong wind shear, causing the storm to become asymmetric in structure late on September 4 and weaken, briefly dropping below major hurricane status on September 6 while 150 miles (240 km) east of Grand Turk Island. (wikipedia.org)
  • The four major hurricanes that struck Florida during August 13--September 25, 2004, produced electric power outages in several million homes ( 1 ). (cdc.gov)
  • Unplanned outages and economic losses from production downtime are major consequences of the disruption caused by extreme weather events. (construction-today.com)
  • Their projections are for 13 named storms, including 6 hurricanes, 2 of which they expect to be major (Category 3 or higher) storms. (lovecitystrongvi.org)
  • In an effort to test the questionnaire under conditions similar to its intended use, interviews for Tier II were conducted in Orlando, Florida in late fall of 2004, after the area had experienced three major hurricanes. (cdc.gov)
  • The interviews for Tier II were conducted in break-out style conference rooms of an Orlando hotel which was chosen for its proximity to a community whose residents had experienced three recent hurricanes, Charlie, Francis, and Jeanne. (cdc.gov)
  • These businesses rely heavily on the state's power grid. (haggiepartners.com)
  • Our customers lost confidence in solar without batteries, because many people with grid-tied systems didn't have a way to use their solar panels during the extended outage. (ieee.org)
  • Considering these reports and other experience in our clinic, the UCONN Center for Indoor Environments and Health began working on a project - Recovery from catastrophic weather: mold exposure and health-related training* last year. (cdc.gov)
  • To provide guidance to clinicians who see patients presenting with illnesses that may relate to exposures during hurricane response and recovery activities, a new course segment offering Continuing Medical Education will be incorporated with an update to the UCONN Center for Indoor Environments and Health on-line Clinicians Mold Course [ www.video.uchc.edu/MoldMoisture/ ]. (cdc.gov)
  • In this role, he develops and oversees CDC's communication on asthma, air pollution, climate and indoor air health issues such as carbon monoxide poisoning and mold exposure. (cdc.gov)
  • Clinicians should also ask about exposure to any fuel or power sources that place a person at increased risk for CO poisoning, including gas-powered generators, charcoal grills, propane stoves, charcoal briquettes, and other indoor heating and cooking devices. (cdc.gov)
  • NFIP losses were derived using RMS' view of NFIP exposure based on 2019 policy-in-force data published by FEMA, the Version 21 North Atlantic Hurricane Models, and the U.S. Inland Flood HD Model. (haggiepartners.com)
  • Ike's gradual strengthening began to quicken early on September 3, with the strengthening of an intense rainband around the center of the storm. (wikipedia.org)
  • Damaging storms, extreme weather, and a growing demand for electricity are straining our nation's aging power infrastructure. (guyonclimate.com)
  • There will be cleanup issues in terms of mold exposure. (cdc.gov)
  • Damage along the hundreds of thousands of miles of high-voltage transmission lines or the millions of miles of local distribution lines can impede power delivery to customers. (guyonclimate.com)
  • For example, if a flood causes chemicals to leak into the air, or a hurricane causes a fire to break out, the people living nearby are most likely to suffer from pollution exposure while they are also trying to cope with damage to their own homes. (sdpb.org)
  • However, as we all know, it only takes one storm to create significant damage in our community. (lovecitystrongvi.org)
  • This astonishing toll exposes the full consequence of officials' neglect in preventing the power grid's collapse despite repeated warnings of its vulnerability to cold weather, as well as the state's failure to reckon with the magnitude of the crisis that followed. (buzzfeednews.com)
  • RMS ® , the world's leading catastrophe risk solutions company, estimates onshore and offshore U.S. insured losses from Hurricane Ida in the Gulf of Mexico to be between US$25 and US$35 billion. (haggiepartners.com)
  • In the wake of Hurricane Maria, have you noticed a shift in people's attitudes toward solar projects? (ieee.org)
  • Hurricane Ike (/aɪk/) was a powerful tropical cyclone that swept through portions of the Greater Antilles and Northern America in September 2008, wreaking havoc on infrastructure and agriculture, particularly in Cuba and Texas. (wikipedia.org)
  • Power failures have cascading effects on other infrastructure and cost billions of dollars annually. (guyonclimate.com)
  • The buildings and infrastructure in this region have never experienced such a strong hurricane wind intensity. (haggiepartners.com)
  • After the hurricanes, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) investigated six deaths in Florida attributed to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning (CPSC, unpublished data, 2004). (cdc.gov)
  • In addition, investigations into six deaths from five exposure incidents were reviewed for basic demographic information and details about generator location. (cdc.gov)
  • The BuzzFeed News analysis of deaths during the storm is based on mortality data from the CDC. (buzzfeednews.com)
  • The purpose of this HAN advisory is to remind clinicians evaluating persons affected by the storm to maintain a high index of suspicion for CO poisoning. (cdc.gov)
  • Clinicians are advised to consider CO exposure and take steps to discontinue exposure to CO. Clinicians are also advised to ask a patient with CO poisoning about other people who may be exposed to the same CO exposure, such as persons living with or visiting them so they may be treated for possible CO poisoning. (cdc.gov)
  • There will be power outage issues along the lines of carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocution from downed power lines. (cdc.gov)
  • The power sector is both a primary mover and a casualty of carbon emissions. (deloitte.com)
  • Power companies drive the clean energy transition: Their move to lower-carbon sources of generation and higher efficiency enables the decarbonization of all electricity-consuming sectors. (deloitte.com)
  • No one knows the nuances of response like local first responders and emergency services. (lovecitystrongvi.org)
  • But by looking at how many more people died during and immediately after the storm than would have been expected - an established method that has been used to count the full toll of other disasters - we estimate that 700 people were killed by the storm during the week with the worst power outages. (buzzfeednews.com)
  • Direct concerns may include the reliability and resilience of your organization's equipment, facilities to provide worker safety and reduced unplanned outages. (construction-today.com)
  • RMS ensemble footprints are reconstructions of Ida's hazard that capture the uncertainties surrounding observed winds and storm surge. (haggiepartners.com)
  • I was honored to be appointed by the Federal Communications Commission as the Vice-Chair of its Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) Disaster Response and Recovery Working Group (DRRWG). (wia.org)
  • By working together and implementing effective disaster response plans, we can build resilience and recovery in the face of adversity. (tagvault.org)
  • In any case, power outages in association with winter storms and other weather events are on the rise across the United States, and I suspect globally. (guyonclimate.com)
  • The true number of people killed by the disastrous winter storm and power outages that devastated Texas in February is likely four or five times what the state has acknowledged so far. (buzzfeednews.com)
  • This is to be achieved by implementing two questionnaires (Tier I and Tier II), each designed to capture different phases of human response to traumatic events. (cdc.gov)
  • The percentages of those poisoned who were Hispanic and black were approximately twice the percentages of Hispanics (14.7%) and blacks (9.1%) reported residing in the hurricane-affected counties by the Florida 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. (cdc.gov)
  • Even a scant understanding of a supply chain's risk exposure can help companies make necessary preparations before the inevitable eventually happens. (inboundlogistics.com)
  • With fewer redundancies, exposure to risk only grew. (inboundlogistics.com)
  • Industrial workers at pulp mills, steel foundries, and plants producing formaldehyde or coke are at risk for exposure, as are personnel at fire scenes and individuals working indoors with combustion engines or combustible gases. (medscape.com)
  • The EPA issued a response to the report saying the agency "generally agrees" with the recommendations and laying out a multi-year timeline for reducing climate-related risk to hazardous chemical facilities. (sdpb.org)
  • People depend on the complex electricity system that serves homes and businesses across the U.S. This system-including power generation, high-voltage transmission, local distribution, and the end-use customers-is connected through an intricate network spanning the country. (guyonclimate.com)
  • At the same time, warming temperatures and drought can reduce the available surface water needed for cooling power plants, thereby reducing the electricity they can generate. (guyonclimate.com)
  • Thank you for joining us for today's Webinar titled "Hurricane Recovery. (cdc.gov)
  • Rivera was building household emergency kits, consisting of a solar panel hooked to a battery, to help people power their vital medical equipment. (ieee.org)
  • We did about 40 to 50 projects across the island, and people still have those in their homes, but we don't do any more urgent installations right now, because most people have power again. (ieee.org)
  • Our best estimate is that 702 people were killed by the storm that week. (buzzfeednews.com)
  • BuzzFeed News reached out to relatives of people who died during the power outages, identified from dozens of wrongful death lawsuits as well as death reports obtained from public records requests to medical examiners in eight of the biggest counties in Texas. (buzzfeednews.com)
  • Tracking northwestward, the NHC upgraded Ike to hurricane status at 18:00 UTC based on objective satellite intensity estimates and the appearance of the eye on visible satellite imagery. (wikipedia.org)
  • At 06:00 UTC on September 4, Ike peaked with maximum sustained winds of 145 miles per hour (233 kilometers per hour) and a minimum barometric pressure of 935 millibars (27.6 inches of mercury), making the storm a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. (wikipedia.org)
  • This makes them especially susceptible to hurricane and flood risks. (construction-today.com)
  • Prior to these roles, Katie led Deloitte's Environmental & Sustainability Consulting services and subsequently held practice leadership roles in the oil and gas, and power and utilities sectors, working with clients and Boards of Directors to assess and manage risks to corporate, functional, and operational strategies. (deloitte.com)
  • The Florida Department of Health and CDC analyzed demographic and CO exposure data from these fatal poisoning cases and from nonfatal poisoning cases among 167 persons treated at 10 hospitals, including two with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO 2 ) chambers. (cdc.gov)
  • This poster discusses UCONN's work to provide primary care, occupational and environmental specialists, and emergency response physicians with guidance to make informed decisions in patient treatment. (cdc.gov)
  • Dr. Amy Watson works in the Emergency Response Branch of the Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health at CDC. (cdc.gov)
  • Large-scale power outages are increasingly common across the United States. (guyonclimate.com)
  • Dermal methylene chloride exposure may not result in significant systemic effects but can cause significant dermal burns. (medscape.com)
  • The number of severe storms is projected to continue. (cdc.gov)
  • The other day I was looking at the weather service site and so if a this year seven of the 14 named storms have become hurricane and we are definitely not out of the hurricane season yet. (cdc.gov)
  • Also this year, we've had a hurricane in Hawaii which isn't unheard of but is somewhat unusual, a cyclone hit Guam. (cdc.gov)
  • Experts have calculated that $915 billion is needed to relieve the fiscal pressures that the COVID-19 pandemic has put on states, localities, tribes, and territories 8 -all during a year that is expected to be "one of the most active hurricane seasons on record," the resource needs of which will likely strain state and local government finances further. (americanprogress.org)
  • Over the past year, it has become more apparent that the power sector will likely need to more than redouble its efforts. (deloitte.com)
  • So this slide actually talks about last year's 2017's hurricane season. (cdc.gov)
  • We chose to conduct fieldwork in central Florida where the region had experienced a record number of hurricanes in the 2004 season. (cdc.gov)