Newswise — Hurricane Matthew roared up the east coast, leaving behind a path of destruction and environmental damage.
Long-term coastal impact often includes more than building replacement. Significant storm surge can reshape coastlines, create new channels through barrier islands, and debris from coastal development can litter shorelines and marshlands for years.
“When considering the cost of coastal properties and the fact that the landscape itself may be changed, matters can become complicated on reconstruction, and more importantly, if the development was in a vulnerable area, whether reconstruction should occur at all,” according to Virginia Tech meteorology instructor David Carroll.
Additionally, Carroll worries about coastal regions that may escape some of the impact of the storm this time around.
“With every big natural disaster, there is always the chance for breeding complacency if some areas escaped more catastrophic damage. As a society we have to guard against that, as vigilance is the single best tool we have to prepare for the next event.”
Virginia Tech Associate Professor of Geosciences Robert Weiss also fears climate change and changing demographics will put more residents in harm’s way of future storms.
“In the next decade, more Americans will be living closer to the coast. As populations shift, families, communities, local and regional economies will become more vulnerable as hurricanes like Matthew occur,” said Weiss. “As sea-levels rise, weaker hurricanes will likely be more devastating.”
Jennifer Irish, professor in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, points to the need for more education, especially moving away from wind scale as the most critical factor in predicting damage before the storm.
“The dominating cause of damage from many of our most recent storms is storm surge inundation,” said Irish. “Our community now faces the challenge of re-educating the public about the storm surge threat, namely to unlearn dependence on hurricane category as the only indicator of storm severity.”
To secure a live or recorded video interview with either Weiss, Irish or Carroll from the Virginia Tech campus, contact Bill Foy in the Media Relations office at 540-231-8719 or 540-998-0288.
Our studioVirginia Tech's television and radio studios can broadcast live HD audio and video to networks, news agencies, and affiliates interviewing Virginia Tech faculty, students, and staff. The university does not charge for use of its studios. Video is transmitted by LTN Global Communications and fees may apply.
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