Interaction: Surge of storms

Myers: Hello, and welcome to Interaction. This evening we’re examining the situation in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. These areas have been hit by a number of tropical storms and hurricanes in recent weeks. At the moment, Ike is passing through the Houston metropolitan region, one of the largest cities in the United States. Earlier in this hurricane season, we have seen Fay, Gustav, and Hanna. Each of these struck parts of the Caribbean before heading toward the United States, and each of these caused numerous deaths, stranded many without homes, and caused heavy damage throughout the region. Why are there so many powerful storms this year? What can be done to keep people safe? Should we raise entire cities on pylons, or simply pick them up and drop them further inland? To address these questions, we have gathered a panel. Joining us from Boca Raton, FL, USA, is hurricane researcher and director of the Hurricane and Tropical Storm Awareness Centre, Mr Hugh Walsbert.

Walsbert: Hello.

Myers: In New Orleans, LA, USA, we have the regional coordinator for Helpers Helping Helpees, Mr Carlos Cintanilla.

Cintanilla: Hi.

Myers: Joining us from Jacksonville, FL, USA, the author of Your Fault: Why You are Responsible for Everything That’s Going Wrong – And What You Can Do to Atone for Your Mistakes, Ms Clarise Paussley.

Paussley: Good afternoon.

Myers: And joining me here in our Warwickshire studios is the Mike Scoutwart professor of history at Scunthorpe University, and an expert on disaster response, Ms Harriett Clenworthe.

Clenworthe: Good to be here.

Myers: Thank you all for joining us here today. First, though, we go to our correspondent in Houston, TX, USA, Ms Missy Baker, for the latest there. Missy, what can you tell us?

Baker: Well, good evening Debbie. At the moment, Ike is a category one hurricane. It was a strong category two, just shy of category three, when it made landfall early this morning. It’s now just past fourteen o’clock local time, so the worst of it has passed. But we understand that there has been a great deal of damage. According to some estimates, up to three million are without electricity. The island of Galveston, which sits just off the coast, has seen widespread flooding. There has also been significant flooding here in Houston, along with widespread wind damage. Several high rise buildings and skyscrapers in the downtown area have had windows blown out. However, Debbie, it will be some time before authorities are able to canvass the area, to begin search and rescue operations, and to start assessing damage. Debbie, back to you.

Myers: Thank you Missy. We’ll check in with you again a bit later. First, though, some initial reactions from our panel. Hugh?

Walsbert: This was a big storm. A lot of people ought to have evacuated. We’ll see how many of them actually did.

Myers: That’s certainly something to consider. Carlos, your impressions?

Cintanilla: People are going to need lots of stuff down there. Help is coming as soon as we can get down there.

Myers: Noble sentiments there. Clarise, what have you observed?

Paussley: Well, you are no doubt aware that Americans consume way too much gasoline. This demonstrates just how vulnerable our gasoline supplies are here in this country. There are fifteen refineries that have been shut down, and it may be some time before they’re all operational again. Until that time, expect to see even higher prices for gasoline here in the US.

Myers: Well, we’ll all watch for that. Harriett, what would you like to add?

Clenworthe: I would like to add: What the fuck?

Myers: We can all agree with that, I’m sure. Well, it’s now time to move on to questions from our viewers. Remember that there are several ways you can get in touch with us, including snail mail, E-mail, telephone, facsimile, text message, and placing your question inside the insulation in the wall of your home so that it’s revealed when a hurricane peels the insulation away. Our first question is an E-mail from Kristy in St Paul, MN, USA, who wants to know if Republicans will stop campaigning whilst Hurricane Ike is causing havoc. Missy, will Republicans stop campaigning whilst Hurricane Ike is causing havoc?

Baker: They will in Texas, I’m sure.

Myers: Well, that brings us to an interesting point. As we discussed earlier, Ike is the latest in a series of storms that have affected the Caribbean and the southeast US. What is there, if anything, about this hurricane season that has prompted so many devastating hurricane strikes, Hugh?

Walsbert: Hurricanes form above warm ocean water when there are strong thermal gradients in the height of the air above the water. We don’t know yet, but the thermal gradients in the north Atlantic, or the high humidity, may be playing a part.

Myers: Have storms been increasing, in strength or in frequency, over the last several decades as global temperatures rise?

Walsbert: Yes, they have. A well known paper published three years ago in Science by Webster et al showed that although the total number of hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones worldwide has been decreasing, a greater proportion of storms that do form have been reaching major hurricane and supertyphoon status.

Myers: So, as Clarise writes, is it indeed our fault?

Walsbert: I think some of the blame does have to rest on our shoulders, yes.

Myers: Interesting. We now have another question from Feng in Hong Kong, China PR. Feng, are you there?

Feng in Hong Kong: Yes. Hi.

Myers: Hello Feng. What is your question?

Feng in Hong Kong: My question is this. If typhoons and hurricanes are our fault, should we reinstitute human sacrifice by executing the worst infringers?

Myers: Well, that’s an interesting thought. It’s personal responsibility taken to extremes, I suppose. Clarise, you claim that there is no such thing as a purely “natural” disaster and that there is always a manmade contributing factor. Does that necessarily lead to the conclusion that Feng draws?

Paussley: I don’t think so.

Myers: That’s surprisingly reasonable of you, based upon the contents of your book.

Paussley: Those who consume the most gasoline should be made to wear a big scarlet G everywhere they go.

Myers: And what would that G stand for?

Paussley: “Gas Guzzler”.

Clenworthe: Then why not two Gs?

Paussley: How about two Gs for the most superegregious of the egregious?

Clenworthe: Why stop at two? Let’s give them a suit covered with Gs, like the Riddler.

Paussley: Or Matthew Lesko?

Clenworthe: Who’s that?

Paussley: He’s this guy who writes books and sells them on infomercials over here. He wears a Riddler suit all the time. It’s actually really creepy.

Clenworthe: Debbie, how come you never wear a Riddler suit?

Myers: Do I really need to answer that?

Cintanilla: I’d be interested.

Myers: That’s too bad.

Cintanilla: Can I at least hear you say “Riddle me this, riddle me that”?

Myers: What is this, TRL? We’ll have another question in a moment, but first, let’s go back to Houston and Missy Baker. Missy, where does Houston go from here?

Baker: Well, Debbie, in fact Houston is not going anywhere. It’s going to stay right here. Though there have been suggestions that the entire city be airlifted to alternative locations, in the end, there has not been any significant planning toward that end.

Myers: I meant figuratively.

Baker: Oh. Wow, you’re so clever.

Myers: Anyway, Missy, where are you now?

Baker: Well, our crew is in a hotel near downtown Houston. There does not appear to have been any flooding in this area, though perhaps a few hundred feet away, we can see some lower ground that is in fact under water. The rain is still continuing, though the eye of the storm passed us at around four this morning. As I mentioned, Debbie, conditions are still not suitable to begin search and rescue operations. Those will likely have to wait until tomorrow. So for those of us here in Houston, we are through the worst of it, but the extent of the damage will become clear in the next several days. Debbie, back to you.

Myers: Thank you Missy. We’ll go now to our next question, and it’s from Carey in East Lensworth, MA, USA. Carey, are you there?

Carey in East Lensworth: Yes, I’m here.

Myers: Hello Carey. What is your question?

Carey in East Lensworth: Is this TRL?

Myers: Beg pardon?

Carey in East Lensworth: Well, you just said, “What is this, TRL?”. But nobody ever answered. So I would like to know whether it actually is TRL.

Myers: If this is TRL, I’m retiring and taking up lawn bowling.

Cintanilla: In a Riddler suit?

Myers: What is it with you and Riddler suits?

Cintanilla: Who doesn’t like the Riddler?

Walsbert: Ooh! Ooh! I know this one! Okay. We all know that nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee. So if the Riddler is Sara Lee, the answer would be nobody. However, that’s not an interesting riddle, so we can rule that one out. What do we know about the Riddler? He’s been portrayed by Frank Gorshin and Jim Carrey, we know that. Jim Carrey also played Fire Marshal Bill on In Living Color. As we all remember, Fire Marshal Bill’s “safety” tips were anything but, and there was considerable uproar over the message that was being sent to children, who in many cases are much smarter than those making the uproar, a fact that can still be witnessed today on Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader. So, who doesn’t like the Riddler? The Parents Television Council.

Cintanilla: Actually, I was thinking of “idiots”.

Myers: Then that’s close enough. And that is all the time we have this evening here on Interaction. Thanks to Ms Harriett Clenworthe, Ms Clarisa Paussley, Mr Carlos Cintanilla, and Mr Hugh Walsbert for being here today, and thanks as well to our correspondent in Houston, TX, USA, Ms Missy Baker. Join us again next week when we’ll be discussing Earth’s continued existence despite the activation of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. We’ll speak to a particle physicist, a science author, a Geneva business leader, and the current leader in the World Doomsayers’ League. Till then, good night.

Clenworthe: We didn’t really talk about hurricanes that much today, did we?

Cintanilla: Not unless you count Hurricane Edward Nygma.