Hurricane Juan: A survey of impacts and vulnerabilities: Implications for mitigation.

Description

Hurricane Juan struck the Halifax Regional Municipality on September 29th with sustained winds of 158 km/h, causing eight deaths and approximately $150 million in damage. The experience of Hurricane Juan provided a case study to examine how the public perceived their vulnerability and how they used warning information, the vulnerabilities ingrained in the municipality, and the distribution of impacts as a result of the storm. The majority of survey respondents felt vulnerable to hurricanes, citing the experience of Juan and the physical characteristics of Juan as reasons why they felt vulnerable; yet this perception of vulnerability is expected to weaken as time passes and the memory of Juan fades. The factors investigated by researchers as enhancing vulnerability, such as age or gender, were not cited by the public as reasons for increasing their feelings of vulnerability. Perceived vulnerability was not always higher in areas that experienced significant impacts, but the scale of the disaster could have influenced people who personally did not experience losses. Areas classified as more vulnerable through the vulnerability assessment in this thesis include Beaverbank, Hammonds Plains, Timberlea, and Preston; however more comprehensive investigations should also be conducted on communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Mitigation should focus on education campaigns to raise awareness and planning for storms by securing safe locations for boats and more protected arrangements for gear and structures bordering waterfronts.

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