#Irmageddon

So I've spent the last two weeks glued to the National Hurricane Center. First I was watching Harvey, seeing where he was going to end up, but then the concern drifted over to Irma as the largest storm in the Atlantic ever. Which targeted Florida in the models from early on, but as of today the eyewall is passing over the Florida Keys and tracing along the Peninsula's west coast. Which, considering that I live in Pensacola, is kind of a big deal.

Nonetheless, as different companies either close stores to let their employees prepare while others stay open and allow their worker to choose between their livelihoods and their lives, my mind wanders to how storms like Harvey and Irma (and Jose - I haven't forgotten about you!) would impact life along my fictional Carbon Coast. What are the threats from a hurricane? When and where do they occur as the storm comes crashing onto shore?

The first danger encountered as a hurricane approaches is the wind. By definition, hurricane winds have a minimum speed of 74 mph (119 kph), with no known maximum. The highest recorded sustained winds belong to Hurricane Allen (1980) at 190 mph (306 kph), but Irma is tied for second place with winds at one point holding steady at 185 mph (298 kph). Irma does hold the record for longest sustained winds over 175 mph, logging a total of 37 hours at that speed. In any case, winds present dangers to people (and thus characters) in two major ways.

As the winds first approach an area, the danger comes from loose items. Firewood, lawn furniture, dog houses, trashcans and even toys like bikes or baseball bats can become lethal projectiles when lifted off the ground and carried by the wind.

Additionally, the sustained winds of stronger hurricanes can batter, weaken and ultimately demolish structures like fences, trees, homes and garages. For people inside, under, or near these collapsing objects, there is danger from crushing and lacerating debris as it rains down.Worse, as structural integrity fails, the newly formed detritus can be swept up by the wind, reconstituting the previous hazard of flying objects.

The other peril posed by the storm itself is water; specifically, the storm surge and flooding that accompany a hurricane. The storm surge is a massive wall of water pushed along the leading edge of the storm. The surge can be several meters in height. Before the existence of prediction models, the majority of deaths from a hurricane were the unsuspecting coastal citizens caught by surprised and washed out to sea by the unannounced wave. For example, the 1900 hurricane that struck Galveston, TX, killed at least 8,000 people when a massive wave crashed over the city and surrounding coastline. Nowadays, the ability of meteorologists to forecast the path and intensity of hurricane landfall has all but eliminated this danger. But if in the future, humanity lost the skill or technology to predict hurricanes, then one could reasonable assume that the deaths from storm surges would approach historical levels.

Moreover, the storm surge and rains can turn into flood waters and threaten residents far inland. Flood related deaths represent the bulk of modern hurricane fatalities. As shown in post-Harvey Houston, a relentless downpour can bring flooding to areas originally spared the hurricane's wrath. Conversely, Hurricane Irma pushed a wall of water ahead of it, which backed up into Florida waterways such as the St. Johns River, again causing flood damage far from the beaches.

Hurricane Harvey present new threats that could easily become more commonplace in a post-technological future. The Akema chemical plant in nearby Crosby, TX, lost power and refrigeration to tanks of volatile chemicals that needed cooling. Authorities cleared out a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) radius around the plant to prevent casualties as these chemicals ignited. Even without the threat of immediate explosions, the toxic chemicals there and at other Houston-area Superfund sites can be carried by the water far beyond the borders of the original contamination. (For reference, the Pensacola area is home to six separate Superfund sites in various stages of remediation.)

And if that wasn't enough, there were rafts composed of fire ants floating on top of the floodwaters, threatening to swarm over any boats, oars or limbs that the unholy amalgam of arthropods encountered.

Even when the storm has passed and the winds and waters have subsided, danger remains. Most injuries from a hurricane happen after the weather has regained a semblance of normalcy. There is ample opportunity to cut or impale a hand or foot while cleaning up debris of houses and buildings. Glass, nails, jagged wooden planks and more could easily harm an unprotected person. Fallen power lines hidden in the wreckage or underwater can electrocute the unwary or unlucky. While wading through floodwaters or handling soggy building remnants, a small wound (even a bug bite) can be the entry point for "flesh eating bacteria" which can be fatal in days if not aggressively treated.

And then you might also encounter escaped or abandoned animals, including panthers, lions or tigers, while venturing through areas that humans had to flee quickly.

Anyhow, with Irma quickly dissipating, the threat from this storm is mostly over, but hurricane season lasts until December 1st, so there plenty of time to suffer.