When the Rescuers Need Healing
Events like Hurricane Katrina can traumatize even seasoned rescue professionals, said University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) crisis management expert Martha Starr, M.A. "The rescue workers in Mississippi and Louisiana are on automatic pilot now, but after their jobs are done and after they've dealt with their own loss of property or family members, that's when they may experience debilitating stress." Symptoms may include poor concentration, anxiety, depression, irritability, chest pains and headaches, just to name a few. "These are normal reactions to an abnormal event, but if the symptoms increase to where they remain over time, they may develop post-traumatic stress." To mitigate symptoms, Starr advises rescue workers to take care of their health, physically and emotionally, and be willing to talk about their experiences with someone they trust.
Why People Stay Behind Despite Hurricane Warnings
"When people are under stress they are not always rational, and they make emotionally based decisions," said University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) psychologist Joshua Klapow, Ph.D. Klapow is a licensed clinical psychologist and an associate professor in the UAB Department of Psychology. "Those who stayed behind may have believed that the benefits of staying with their property outweighed safety concerns. What's important is that for many people, their property represents more than just a house. It's a part of who they are, a part of themselves or their family. So abandoning the house is like leaving someone behind, and in times of stress, decisions can be driven by emotions rather than intellect."
Talking to Children About Katrina
Disasters like Hurricane Katrina can be especially frightening to young children, says University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) early childhood education expert Jerry Aldridge, Ed.D. "Young children are more susceptible to fears, and they pick up on anxieties and fears of parents or guardians," said Aldridge. "It's important that parents reassure children that everything is being done to ensure that he or she is safe from harm, and that the state and federal governments, the police, doctors and hospitals are doing everything possible to help people who are hurt or displaced. Monitor the media images and messages that children receive because children ages 4-6 often develop misconceptions about what they see and hear. For older children, discuss tragedies openly and honestly, and answer questions truthfully while reassuring them."
Why Bridges Go Down
The news photos of Hurricane Katrina's destructive force on the bridges in Mississippi and Louisiana show large sections of bridges and supports missing. So why, if millions of cars and even 18-wheelers can travel these bridges daily for years, do they buckle with wind and water? "Ordinarily, the structural design of bridge girders and concrete decks considers downward loads only, and large upward forces like those brought on by storm surge and hurricane force winds are not taken into design consideration," said University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) civil engineering professor Fouad H. Fouad, Ph.D. "The concrete decks and the precast, prestressed concrete girders likely were lifted up by the power of the storm surge. The upward forces from the water probably broke the bolts that hold the bridge girders in place. These bolts are simply to provide stability and are not designed to withstand the strenuous forces from hurricane force winds and storm surges. Hopefully what happened will impact future engineering designs and wave forces and storm surges will be taken into structural design considerations."
Engineering Disaster Protection
Frederick, Camille, Hugo, Andrew, Ivan and now Katrina. Just the mention of the names elicits vivid images of the devastation caused by these hurricanes. UAB engineers are developing new building materials to protect people and property from powerful storms such as these. "Improved building materials have the potential to reduce life and property losses, which will continue to increase if steps are not taken to make coastal communities less vulnerable," said University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) wind damage mitigation expert Nasim Uddin, Ph.D. One material in development is externally bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, which are stronger than concrete and can withstand hurricane-force winds, bullets and explosions. Uddin is organizing an NSF-funded international workshop on disaster mitigation construction in Bangladesh scheduled for December 2005. Bangladesh currently is the world's foremost natural disaster-prone country.
EDITOR'S NOTE: We are the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Please UAB on second reference. We are not to be confused with the University of Alabama, which is a separate, independent university.
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