A Buffer from the Storms：从风暴的缓冲.docVIP

A Geospatial Activity A Buffer from the Storms In recent years, many hurricanes have made landfall in the United States, with the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons being particularly active. In 2004, five named storms made landfall in the United States. The storms caused over 3,132 deaths and $50 billion in damages. The next year, seven hurricanes made landfall in the United States causing over 2,280 deaths and $128 billion in damage. Most of the deaths and destruction in 2005 resulted from five of these storms: Dennis, Emily, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Hurricane Katrina and its 30-foot storm surge devastated southeast Louisiana while Wilma was the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin. Over half of the United States’ population lives within fifty miles of the coast and much of our coastline is being developed to support its growing population. In Louisiana, a complex network of levees and canals, built to protect New Orleans from being flooded by the Mississippi River, prevented silt from replenishing the coastal marshes. These same marshes would have partially protected New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina. During a storm event, coastal marshes, wetlands, and barrier islands serve as the first line of defense against hurricanes. The vegetation and sediments can slow down the storm surge and absorb some of the storm’s energy and water, acting as a “buffer” from the storms. While sturdy vegetation, such as shrubs and cypress trees offer more protection than grasses against high winds, marsh grasses can absorb increased water levels. Removal of coastal vegetation removes the natural protection thee plants provide. Scientists estimate that for every square mile of wetlands lost in an area, storm surge rises by one foot. Exploring Hurricanes along the East Coast Launch My World GIS. Open the project file name Hurricanes.m3vz. The project should open displaying the U.S. States and Countries layers. Turn on the Atlantic Hurricane Tracts 1851-2006