The Effects of Hurricane Season on the Environment

Are There Effects of Hurricane Season on the Environment, Too?

This is a Guest Post by C. N. Moore

The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season is one of the most active hurricane seasons in recorded history.  As a result, the effects of hurricane season on the western hemisphere are devastating, and we know that the long-term effects will produce their own brand of destruction.

Here’s a quick recap of some of 2017’s most disastrous hurricanes – so you can fully see the scope of the damage:

Hurricane Harvey (August 2017) was both a tropical depression and a category 3 hurricane. It caused 84 fatalities when it touched down along the gulf coast of the United States, and was one of the wettest cyclones to touch down in the states, causing the displacement of approximately 30,000 people.

Hurricane Irma (September 2017) caused at least 132 deaths and reached the status of a category 5 hurricane. It impacted the Leeward Islands, Greater Antilles, The Bahamas and the Eastern part of the United States.

 Hurricane Maria (September 2017) has been cited as the worst natural disaster to ever impact Dominica, and it put Puerto Rico in a humanitarian crisis. The category 5 hurricane took the lives of at least 88 people during its catastrophic journey through the Caribbean.

Hurricane Season and the Environment

The extent of the effects of hurricane season on the environment are difficult to imagine in their entirety, because they disrupt the ecosystems and the natural habitat of the animals where they occur.

Let’s look at key areas that are impacted:

Hurricane Season and Coastal Areas

When hurricanes wash over coastal areas, the effects on the environment are seen most dramatically on the sands and marshes that various life forms call home.

Powerful winds and ocean surges have the ability to move many inches of sand from their original placement, and to erode the cliffs and marshes that line the water.

Thus, creatures both in and out of the water are susceptible to life-altering differences in their environment.

Hurricane Season and Coastal Forests, Wetlands

The strong winds of a hurricane can uproot both trees and smaller vegetation, and can defoliate those that remain. This has major effects on the environment in terms of

• lighting,
• humidity,
• rainfall reaching the forest floor,
• and wind levels impacting ground-level life.

The implications are seemingly endless when you consider the effects that these large-scale hurricanes have on even just a mile of beach or coastal vegetation; each mile can theoretically represent thousands of lifeforms.

Rebuilding After Hurricane Season and the Environment

We all want the individuals who have primarily felt the effects of hurricanes to be able to return to their former version of life. And obviously, that means not only the rebuilding of their homes and lives, but also the rebuilding of the towns and cities they hold dear.

Other cities have managed to complete notable turnarounds, and we hope that those who have felt the catastrophic effects of 2017 are among them.

However, it is worth noting that that forward momentum isn’t without its own environmental impact. Rebuilding brings its own effects to the environment.

• The vehicles and machinery necessary for reconstruction consume an above-average amount of fuel in specific areas, thus sending extra-high amounts of emissions into the atmosphere.
• Plus, the traffic that inevitably gets backed up along construction zones also creates prolonged periods wherein congested vehicles are essentially sitting, and creating both noise pollution and emissions.

“The old adage stands true that says the best preparation leads to the least recovery,” says Taylor Litle, an expert on the lifts and machinery that are necessary for that rebuilding effort.

Be Prepared and Sustainable

In the aftermath of heavy-hitting hurricanes, we tend to gravitate towards questions of alternative versions of reality.

• Could we have prevented this?
• Can we prevent it in the future?

We ask, because we know that these hurricanes aren’t one-time events; rather, they’re a part of life here on planet Earth.

After Hurricane Season, Encourage Change

The moments following large-scale environmental devastation double as the moments when  championing sustainability and ecofriendly processes is most relevant.

Certainly, the effects of the hurricanes would not be non-existent if we were living in a greener world, but the hardships that come afterwards would not continue to heap financial burdens on us.

Not only that, but there’s something to be said for the fact that in terms of climate change, there is a real cost. If ever there’s been a good reason to pursue a passion for sustainability, these hurricanes remind us that the time is now.

Do what you can, where you are

If you take the rising waters and temperatures seriously, if the effects of hurricane season concern you, then consider making choices so that you can help slow down climate change. Make small changes where you are to bolster the health of the environment.

Even small things, like not letting your car idle when you have to wait for roadwork and improving the energy efficiency of your home, are exactly the kinds of things that add up and allow you to make an impact, right where you are, right now.

Conclusion

When the effects of hurricane season are catastrophic like the 2017 season, we focus on the human costs, the pets lost and found, and the reconstruction efforts.

But we rarely consider the effects of hurricane season on the environment and the myriad life forms that are also made homeless and have their lives changed forever.

Now is a perfect time to look at including sustainable options when re-building houses and entire communities. Amongst other things, we need to look at de-centralizing energy for homes, using renewables and not assuming that cars are the only methods of transport.

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Had you thought about the effects of hurricane season on the environment? Let me know in the comments below.

Warm regards,

P.S.  Don’t forget to download your free climate change report here!

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