Introduction
In August 2017, the terrible natural catastrophe of Hurricane Harvey (HH) occurred and significantly impacted the United States (US) Gulf Coast (GC). The tragedy left some long-lasting effects on the area and its people. Due to those damages, it is essential to apprehend the HH’s causes, the degree of its destruction, methods for preparing for such events in the future, and a reflection after the event. HH disaster had meteorological causes and damages and alerted people on the importance of readiness and resilience for future-like challenges.
Preconditions of Hurricane Harvey
Firstly, it is critical to understand the occurrence of the HH. Several meteorological conditions came together to form the ideal storm for HH. One of the leading causes was the Gulf of Mexico’s (GoM’s) abnormally warm sea surface temperatures, which gave the storm the energy it needed to strengthen quickly. Galarneau Jr and Zeng (2020) support that “Harvey underwent a period of rapid intensification…Harvey’s deep tropical moisture was lifted along frontogenetical coastal front beneath the equatorward entrance region of an upper-level jet…” (p. 2498). This quote confirms that the GoM’s high sea surface temperatures fed this lifting process and gave the hurricane the energy it needed to build quickly.
The HH’s occurrence was the storm trapped over Texas for some days. This was due to a weak steering current created by a deep anticyclone to the east of Harvey and a midlatitude trough to the north. Galarneau Jrand Zeng (2020) elaborated, “By 0000 UTC 27 August, as the midlatitude trough moved eastward on the north side of Harvey…. flow pattern in southeast Texas” (p. 2483). Following this paragraph’s explanation, Harvey stalled over Texas because of the weak flow zone, a lot of moisture, and lifting processes, which produced unprecedented rain.
Consequences of Hurricane Harvey
Secondly, it is vital to understand some of the damages that came along with HH. The storm dumped 36 and 48 inches of rain in the Houston metro area, devastating flooding throughout the GC (Rammah et al., 2022). Rammah and his colleagues concluded that roughly 80,000 buildings were damaged due to the inundation. The managed releases from the Addicks and Barker reservoirs brought on further floods and evictions.
Rammah et al. (2022) published that 68 direct fatalities occurred, as well as an estimated $125 billion in damages. Unprecedented flooding likewise affected East Houston, a neighborhood Northeast of the city populated mainly by low-income Black and Hispanic/Latinx people. The Houston Fire Department received 943 rescue calls from locals in this region seeking assistance (Rammah et al., 2022). Different authors alternatively conducted their research and found more to it. Yao et al. (2020) found that HH resulted in $125 billion in damages and 107 deaths from storm-related events. From the figures mentioned above, it is clear that the catastrophe led to severe financial and life losses.
Apart from these HH health effects, a report was published to elucidate such repercussions. Schnall et al. (2020) reported that HH resulted in the death of 100 people and a medical report from the Red Cross (RC). Schnall and colleagues continue that RC during HH showed that 9,043 client visits occurred; of those, 38% were for health care maintenance, while 33% were for acute illnesses. Schnall and his fellows conclude by stating that 19% were for the exacerbation of chronic diseases, 7% were for mental health issues, and 4% were for injuries. Schnall and colleagues (2020) claim that 41% of shelter clients received treatment from RC. Nevertheless, disposition reports were frequently omitted. This demonstrates the variety and seriousness of health problems that HH’s victims faced, emphasizing the value of medical assistance and emergencies.
Lessons Learned: Future Disaster Preparation
Thirdly, based on the experiences during HH, it is key for communities to be prepared to be in a position to overcome such challenges in the future. Following lessons, communities’ and governments’ tactics for handling storm dangers can be improved. The human race prepares for such challenges by improving the forecast. The unexpected course and intensity of HH was one of the obstacles encountered, as it caused advanced planning to fail and made patient evacuation and transportation challenging.
Timely Preparations of Emergency Services
Nevertheless, with greater forecasting, medical facilities, and emergency management organizations may better grasp the course, severity, and timing of these occurrences, enabling more efficient planning and reaction. Hines and Reid (2023) mentioned that hospitals in Harris County would have prepared for the storm far sooner, according to SETRAC. The statement by Hines and Reid suggests that hospitals could have prepared sooner and possibly evacuated patients more quickly if they had a better prediction plan. Therefore, investing in sophisticated meteorological systems and technology can aid in establishing accurate future catastrophes and prevent or minimize their impacts.
Community Education and Infrastructural Preparations
Other ways to handle events such as HH are infrastructural developments and educating the community. Hines (2019) has several infrastructural upgrades, including flood gates, above-ground generators, water pump systems, and submarine doors, which took place. These infrastructures were installed by several hospitals in Harris County after Tropical Storm Allison. Hines (2019) adds that, excluding other healthcare facilities, the hospitals within the Texas Medical Center devoted around $50 million to infrastructural development.
The infrastructures helped prevent major flooding inside hospitals during HH. Hines confirmed that the installed infrastructures assisted in controlling the hurricane; thus, communities should emulate such infrastructural investment. Nonetheless, enlightening the community enables people to safeguard themselves, their families proactively, and their property during flood occurrences by disseminating knowledge about flood hazards, mitigation options, and emergency response protocols.
Collaboration
Collaboration is another way communities can prepare for HH-like events. A collaborative strategy necessitates routine communication and knowledge of partner organization contacts to enable prompt catastrophe response. Hines and Reid (2023) support by quoting Agency 2 verbatim, explaining how they believed to be doing a good job working together. Agency 2 said they did not do a great job of explaining the partnership to the public. Therefore, the majority of people mistakenly perceived them to be operating in two distinct silos. The statement by Agency 2 emphasizes the value of collaboration and the necessity of informing the public about joint efforts and showcasing them.
Personal Experience
Fourthly, I have personal reflection related to HH, following its harm to my friends. Because we had friends and relatives in the impacted areas, HH directly impacted us. It was motivating but also painful to see the resiliency of the HH victims and the strength of the community’s support. The experience reaffirmed how crucial it is to be prepared for disasters and how strong individuals can become when challenged with catastrophes. I learned more about the importance of preparing ahead of time, possessing emergency supplies on hand, and aiding people impacted by natural disasters.
Conclusion
In summary, the causes of HH were anchored in meteorological elements that came together to form a storm. The severe destruction resulted in both loss of lives and enormous financial hardships. In some ways, the catastrophe acted as a spur for improvement, leading to enhanced readiness and reaction for such events in the future. Above all, the HH experience taught people the value of preparedness, support among community members, and fortitude in the face of natural calamities.
References
Galarneau Jr, T. J., & Zeng, X. (2020). The Hurricane Harvey (2017) Texas rainstorm: Synoptic analysis and sensitivity to soil moisture. Monthly Weather Review, 148(6), 2479-2500. Web.
Hines, E. N. R. (2019). Hospital Experiences with Hurricane Harvey in Harris County, Texas (Doctoral dissertation, University of Colorado at Boulder). 1-52. Web.
Hines, E., & Reid, C. E. (2023). Hospital preparedness, mitigation, and response to Hurricane Harvey in Harris County, Texas. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 17(e18), 1-7. Web.
Rammah, A., McCurdy, S., Bondy, M., Oluyomi, A. O., & Symanski, E. (2022). Resident perceptions of the short-and long-term impacts of Hurricane Harvey. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 81, 1-9. Web.
Schnall, A. H., Hanchey, A., Nakata, N., Wang, A., Jeddy, Z., Alva, H., Tan, C., Boehmer, T., Bayleyegn, T., & Casey-Lockyer, M. (2020). Disaster-related shelter surveillance during the Hurricane Harvey response – Texas 2017. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 14(1), 1-13. Web.
Yao, Q., Liu, K. B., Williams, H., Joshi, S., Bianchette, T. A., Ryu, J., & Dietz, M. (2020). Hurricane Harvey storm sedimentation in the San Bernard national wildlife refuge, Texas: Fluvial versus storm surge deposition. Estuaries and Coasts, 43, 2-3. Web.