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WILDFIRES IN FLORIDA

WILDFIRES IN FLORIDA. FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 4, 2011. Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of North Carolina, USA. Natural Phenomena that Cause Disasters. Planet Earth’s atmospheric-lithospheric interactions cause: Wildfires.

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WILDFIRES IN FLORIDA

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  1. WILDFIRES IN FLORIDA FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 4, 2011 Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of North Carolina, USA

  2. Natural Phenomena that Cause Disasters Planet Earth’s atmospheric-lithospheric interactions cause: • Wildfires

  3. THE CONDITIONS IN 2011 WERE FAVORABLE FOR WILDFIRES In 2010, Florida had the driest July to December on record, and parts of Florida had their driest winter months in 2011 in nearly 80 years.

  4. FLORIDA IS AMONG THE TOP TEN USA STATES HAVING WILDFIRES By March 2nd Florida had become an inferno with 89 wildfires burning, including one near the Kennedy Space Center.

  5. WILDFIRESare conflagrations caused by lightning discharges (or acts of man) in wilderness areas close enough to one or more urban interfaces that they threaten people, property, infrastructure, and business enterprise.

  6. SCIENCE OF WILDFIRES

  7. RISK FACTORS: FLORIDA • The absence in 2010 of the usual number of tropical storm systems that make landfall in Florida left the land dry and low water tables, two factors that increased the likelihood of wildfires, and, along with high winds, exacerbated risk..

  8. WILDFIRE HAZARDS (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS) • FIRE • HOT GASES AND SMOKE • HOT SPOTS • BURNED OUT SLOPES (with increased susceptibility to insect infestation, erosion, and landslides)

  9. WILDFIRE HAZARDS (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS) • HIGH WINDS • LOCAL CHANGES IN AIR QUALITY • LOCAL CHANGES IN WEATHER

  10. WILDFIRESCAN CAUSE HIGH-RISK SITUATIONS Any wildfire can be devastating to people, property, infrastructure, business enterprise, and the environment.

  11. CAUSES OF DAMAGE LIGHTNING STRIKES MAN-MADE FIRES PROXIMITY OF URBAN AREA TO THE WILDLAND FIRE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION (DAY/NIGHT) WILDFIRES DRYNESS DISASTER LABORATORIES HIGH TEMPERATURES LOCAL FUEL SUPPLY

  12. FORECASTS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES (E.G., REMOTE SENSING, TEMPER-ATURE, HUMIDITY, WINDS) WARNING SYSTEMS DATABASES FOR PAST WILDFIRES COMPUTER MODELS OF WILDFIRES MAPS; ZONING DISASTER SCENARIOS HAZARD ASSESSMENTS RISK ASSESSMENTS EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR FIGHTING WILDFIRES

  13. RISK ASSESSMENT • VULNERABILITY • EXPOSURE • EVENT • COST • BENEFIT WILDFIRES EXPECTED LOSS POLICY ADOPTION • CONSEQUENCES POLICY ASSESSMENT TOWARDS WILDFIRE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

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