Collegiate Times

With the passing of Hurricane Wilma over the coast of Florida, many wonder why so many hurricanes have plagued us this hurricane season.

?This is a very unusual season,? said Martin Chapman, a research assistant professor in the Geosciences department. ?This hurricane activity has been the most in the Atlantic since 1935.?

A reason for this flux in activity has been questioned by many and still leaves people wondering.

?It appears that there is evidence pointing out that these types of tropical disturbances may be affected by global warming,? Chapman said. ?Whether or not it has affected this season?s climate is just speculation, but it will affect the world?s climate in years to come.?

Chapman said that the damage caused in New Orleans was due to an inadequate levee system coupled with the intense effects of savage, but predictable flooding.

?These hurricanes cause flooding due to the raising of sea level and the storms themselves have no impact on solid earth,? Chapman said. ?The storm surge that is witnessed forms as the bulge of water increases while approaching land and the storm waves increase due to wind intensity.?

From an economic standpoint, there is cause to worry about the effects that these natural disasters are having and will continue to have on our nation?s economy.

?It?s important to realize that (hurricanes) aren?t that big in comparison to the economy,? said Nicolaus Tideman, professor of economics. ?It affects people very differently and while it destroys a lot of capital, there is a rush to replace the capital that is lost.?

Tideman said that the important thing is to rebuild infrastructure as quickly as possible, and with that comes a demand for building talents, which will increase individual incomes.

?I heard that a large number of the people who were killed in New Orleans were old, which saves on Social Security,? Tideman said. ?The weak get killed in these natural disasters and in turn, saves the money spent on maintaining those weak people.?

Tideman said that these disasters are making us poorer, but it?s a matter of helping the population and how those plans are put into action.

?There is a somewhat troubling level of debt which adds to the precariousness of the national economy, but our debt is not too bad in comparison to other countries,? Tideman said. ?These hurricanes will not break us.?

When asked if it was possible to change the warning system and increase the amount of time people have to get to safety, Chapman said that it is impossible to change the intensity or direction of a storm, but a better job can be done in ways of predicting where hurricanes will strike land.

?The main thing that needs to happen is the educating of the population in order to save lives and amount of damage,? Chapman said. ?In the long haul, the number of hurricanes in years to come will probably average out.?

According to the Weather channel, former Tropical Storm Alpha has now weakened to a tropical depression as it moves northward from the Bahamas and by this evening, the remains of Alpha will be absorbed into the larger circulation of Hurricane Wilma. Alpha was used as the name for the pattern because all pre-approved names on the list had already been used for previous storms.