Sever Flash Floods in Italy

Northern Italy received an estimated 20 inches of precipitation in the past 24 hours.  The downpour has led to flash flooding and mudslides in the region, anywhere between six and nine people dead, and many others still missing. The rain and floods have blocked roads, swept away bridges, and caused large amounts of damage to cities.  People were being evacuated from coastal cities by the Coast Guard.  I believe that if this amount of flooding occurred in a lesser developed country, the death toll would have been much higher.  Italy's government was able to warn people about the flooding, and evacuate others to safety.

http://hypervocal.com/news/2011/severe-flash-floods-in-italy-kill-at-least-six-destroy-cinque-terre-villages/

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E90-9f2OOg4

Earthquake in Eastern Turkey

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey, leading to many deaths and extensive amount of damage.  An estimated 279 people have died, while another 1,300 have been injured.  It was also estimated that almost 1,000 buildings were damaged.  Because eastern Turkey is among the poorest areas in the country, these people were more susceptible to experience extensive amounts of damage and casualties from a hazard.  The structures in this area were probably not built very well, or are built to withstand earthquakes.  Immediately following the earthquake, people were subject to near freezing temperatures, making survival before rescue workers arrived even that more challenging.                

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/24/world/europe/turkey-quake/index.html?iref=allsearch

Hurricane Rina

The newest hurricane in the Caribbean is Hurricane Rina. The hurricane has grown into a Category 2 storm as it heads towards Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.  The storm is expected to become a major storm in the next few hours, and should hit the coast of Mexico on Thursday.  Warnings have already been issued for the area, including the popular tourist city of Cancun.  The hurricane formed off of the coasts of Honduras and Nicaragua.  The hurricane's path moved away from other Central America countries that have already experienced huge amounts of rain and flooding.  This relates to the Swiss Cheese Model discussed in class.  These countries are very lucky that the hurricane is not going to be affecting them because of the extensive damage that they have already experienced.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15443540

Central America Floods

A week long torrential downpour caused by two low pressure systems in the Pacific and Caribbean has led to the deaths of 80 people in Central America.  Heavy rainfall has triggered flooding and landslides which have washed out highways, villages, homes, and crops.  Some places in El Salvador have experienced over four feet of rain so far, even with current forecasts predicting the rain to last for at least one more day.  With over 100,000 people being affected by the rains, the country's emergency response system is being put to the test.  So far, over 20,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.  People were also being removed from an area around a volcano where hundreds of people died in landslides after Hurricane Mitch.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15331290

Dangerous Flooding in Thailand

Due to a mid-summer tropical storm followed by heavy monsoon rains, the country of Thailand is experiencing severe flooding.  Reservoirs are at full capacity and rivers are overflowing, leading to more than 252 deaths, affecting 10 million people, and causing 40,000 people to evacuate from their homes.  The flooding is affecting many historical sites, and is flights and tourists.  The flooding is also submerging farmland, which will most likely lead to a food shortage in the coming months.  The government is looking into devising better preventative measures and a better emergency alert system to cut down on the number of deaths and injuries from significant flooding.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15178872
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15217984
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12971141
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12971141

Water Shortage in the South Pacific (Lab 4)

A water shortage is occurring in the south Pacific, causing nations to declare a state of emergency.  The island nation of Tuvalu, and Tokelau, a nation of New Zealand, are severely low on drinking water and have begun rationing water supplies.  People are unable to wash their clothes and do household chores, public restrooms are shut off, and most people are bathing in lagoons. 

Engineering Approach
The main cause behind this water shortage is due to a lack of rainfall from the current La Nina weather pattern.  La Nina is triggered when there are large differences in water temperatures across the Pacific Ocean that cause trade winds to increase in strength and push rainfall to the west, leaving places such as Tuvalu and Tokelau dry.  Reports say that there has not been any precipitation in seven months.  These islands are not able to use ground water because their reserves have become spoiled by saltwater from rising sea levels.  Many scientists have linked these rising levels to climate change.  Because of this, the areas are almost entirely reliant on precipitation collected on the tops of houses and government buildings. 

Behavioral Approach
People who live in these areas experience La Nina and El Nino weather patterns every year.  The current drought has left these areas virtually uninhabitable with the complete lack of water available.  Although not likely a viable option for most people, they may want to consider living in another area where they are not so susceptible to water shortage.  The climate change that has caused sea levels to rise and contaminate underground water reserves could also be related to increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere stemming from human industrialization.

Development Approach
The islands of Tuvalu and Tokelaun are very small and have populations of 11,000 and 1,400, respectively.  They are not very wealthy nations, and when they are faced with a desperate situation like this, they must reach out to other nations for assistance.  The Red Cross is currently sending large quantities of bottled water and desalination units to the areas.  It is a proven fact that people need water to survive.  As the world's population grows, it is putting more and more stress on the world's freshwater supply.  This makes many people vulnerable to water shortages, particulary during droughts.  In the future, places like Tuvalu and Tokelaun might have to make agreements with countries who possess large quantities of freshwater for water.  They also might want to look into permanent desalination facilities to convert salt water into freshwater.   

Complex Approach
The water shortages are having great consequences on the interactions between nature and society.  For example, people are having to leave schools and businesses to go home and use the bathroom because public facilities are shut down.  Due to the severe drought brought about by La Nina weather patterns, crops being grown on the island are in very poor shape, which will likely lead to a food shortage as well.  The process of collecting water on the tops of buildings is not working because of the drought, and groundwater reserves are contaminated.  Water sources are being heavily rationed, and the people of these islands are completely dependent on outside sources for freshwater and medical supplies at the moment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15163543
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/04/south-pacific-water-crisis-rainfall
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/south-pacific-water-shortage-means-some-islands-have-only-a-weeks-worth-of-water-left/2011/10/04/gIQAosZALL_blog.html
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20110908_lanina.html