Newswise — Clemson University experts stand ready to answer questions about what homeowners and businesses can do in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Immediately below is a list of experts and contact information followed by details of their expertise.
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE AND NOT A DROP TO DRINK: Clemson University environment toxicologist John Rodgers is a nationally known expert on wetlands and toxic effluent in waterways. He has constructed numerous artificial wetlands for industries that produce water pollution that must be cleaned up. One of his projects was just west of New Orleans, a Shell Oil refinery. Rodgers is meeting with the EPA and other federal officials to discuss the problems of toxic chemicals in the floodwaters from Katrina. Later this month, Rodgers will go to the Savannah River Site, which has one of his largest artificial wetlands and can show how to build new wetlands to protect our coastlines and reclaim polluted waterways. John Rodgers is in Clemson's department of forestry and natural resources.
TOO MUCH SALTWATER IS A BAD THING: Coastal wetland forests can stand up against hurricane-strength winds, but storm surges can drown them in saltwater. Clemson University researchers are looking at data from South Carolina and Louisiana to learn about the effects of excess saltwater on coastal ecosystems.
REBUILDING AFTER KATRINA: Given that Katrina will not be the last hurricane to strike the area, homeowners should consider structural upgrades to improve the performance of their home as they start repairs, says Clemson civil engineer Scott Schiff. He says many insurance policies are written such that the available funds will allow the homeowner to rebuild only as it was. Consequently, if it failed in Katrina, it will fail again in another severe storm. Homeowners need to be creative with their available funds so that they can break the cycle. The rebuilding process will take some time given that there was damage to so many structures and the available resources (materials and labor) will be limited. Analysis of the damage will begin to reveal whether newer buildings performed better than older construction. Schiff says the post-event analysis should focus on 1) a better understanding of the windfield, 2) assessment of the engineering, 3) quality of the construction and 4) enforcement of the building code.
HOME SAFE HOME: The house at 113 Calhoun St. in Charleston is a "model home" that shows how to use off-the-shelf, economically feasible materials and techniques to protect houses from natural disasters. Clemson University engineers have found that by better protecting roofs, doors and windows, homeowners can minimize most wind damage.
PUBLIC POLICY: Clemson wind engineer David Prevatt says coastal communities from Texas through Massachusetts are at risk of this type of event. He warns, "The risks will not go away. Instead we must learn to manage those risks by reducing the vulnerability of structures, providing options to evacuation and improving the performance of shelters hospitals and critical facilities." Through the Clemson Wind Load Testing Facility, he conducts fundamental research into these areas in an effort to change public policy approaches to dealing with hurricanes.
OPPORTUNITIES SOMETIMES LIE IN THE RUBBLE of natural disaster. Clemson professor Umit Yilmaz took his planning and landscape architecture students to a town near San Salvador that was destroyed when an earthquake rocked El Salvador in 2001. He and his students devised a practical plan for the town leaders in their bid to rebuild the town on limited resources.
LESSONS LEARNED: Are the coastal communities of the East coast and South Carolina better suited to withstand a monster hurricane? Were lessons learned during Hugo's 1989 sprint eventually forgotten? Planning and landscape architecture associate professor Grant Cunningham studies coastal development, resource policy and community development.
IF YOU INSURE IT, THEY WILL BUILD: The federal flood insurance program, adopted by South Carolina in 1972, fueled a speculative coastal land market by reducing the risk of building.
COMMUNICATION IS KEY TO TOURISM RECOVERY: Clemson University research has found that open communication is key to attracting potential tourists after a disaster. According to a study led by professor of parks, recreation and tourism management, Sheila Backman, a little truth can go a long way.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Looters and victims of the hurricane who eat food left in stores that has not been refrigerated for more than 24 hours are in danger of illness. Susan Barefoot, a micro-biologist can speak about problems with food that has been opened and not stored properly.
PESTY ISSUES: Hurricanes and similar storms, including tornadoes, high winds and flooding, can wreak havoc with agricultural operations. In addition to the disastrous effects, severe weather events can cause both dollar loss and environmental pollution from agricultural chemicals. Fertilizers, pesticides, solvents, fuels and other agricultural chemicals can be lost, contaminated or contaminate the surrounding environment and environments downstream of storage and use areas.
PLANT PROTECTION: The right plants could help protect property along rivers, channels and canals from flooding. Clemson University civil engineer David Werth experiments with manmade floods to determine which plants provide the most protection from heavy rains and flooding.
GAS PRICES: GOING UP: Larry Golan, director of South Carolina Institute for Energy Studies at Clemson University, says with crude oil prices reaching all-time highs, damage to the refineries in the Gulf Coast and the oil rigs will impact the entire country. Any loss in refining capacity would not be good for the Gulf Coast refineries that have been running at 90 to 100 percent capacity for several years. Remember, it's not just gasoline that's in the mix; other recognizable products would be heating oils, diesel oil, jet fuels, kerosene and propylene."
PUMPED UP: Clemson economist Ray Sauer said Hurricane Katrina's impact at the pump isn't surprising. With improvements in information technology and fewer independently operated gas stations, price decisions are made more quickly and local control is lost. However, he said there is a bright side: such a quick price reaction at the pump will be a boon when supplies improve and prices drop.
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES? According to mathematical sciences professor Robert Lund, Katrina is, minimally, a one-in-10-year storm for any hurricane in the U.S. He says, "Given the 175 mph wind speed reached in the Gulf of Mexico, it would have been very unfortunate if Katrina came ashore anywhere close to this strength . . . achieving 902 millibars minimal pressure, it had the 4th lowest pressure ever recorded. The pressure puts this as approximately a one in 50-year storm. Meteorologists regard pressure as a better indicator of overall storm strength than wind speed. As for landfall, the storm played a little stronger than the advertised "140 mph" landfalling windspeed observed at the mouth of the Mississippi given the above specs. Camille, the queen bee of hurricanes, came ashore in 1969 very close to the same area, with 200 mph+ winds. On what to expect next, Lund says warm sea surface temperatures in the north Atlantic suggest that we are in a 10-year period of heightened hurricane activity.
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