Lessons Learned from Hurricane Patricia

Hurricane Patricia slammed into the west coast of Mexico several weeks ago, breaking worldwide wind-speed records and becoming the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere in terms of barometric pressure. Though the storm astonished meteorologists with its massive size and 200-mph winds, the storm resulted in far less damage and loss of life than was predicted.
 
Dodging a Bullet
 
Patricia could have been catastrophic, but the Mexican government’s handling of evacuation and preparation were exemplary, saving hundreds if not thousands of lives. It also helps that the storm made landfall far from any heavily populated areas. With Mexico’s mountainous terrain, the storm quickly disintegrated and wind speeds dropped. That didn’t stop massive amounts of rainfall, however, and in the following week a weakened Patricia trekked across the United States, dumping 20 inches of rain in Texas and a foot in Louisiana before making its way across the Mid-Atlantic. With the storm behind us, many experts agree that both the United States and Mexico dodged a bullet.
 
One Month of Hurricane Season Remains
 
Patricia was the most powerful Pacific hurricane on record, and only location and circumstance prevented serious loss of life and destruction. There’s still nearly three weeks of hurricane season remaining, and the possibility of a strong Gulf of Mexico or East Coast storm remains. Meteorologists expect this year to be relatively light in the Atlantic, but more storms in the Pacific are a distinct possibility. That being said, strong Atlantic storms have been produced in otherwise inactive years.
 
Rising Threat of Flooding and Water Contamination
 
With rising sea levels and an increasing number of hurricanes expected—both in the Atlantic and the Pacific—the threat of flooding is increasing as well. There has been $43 billion in flood damage in the United States since 1978, and over half of the damage has come from just two storms within the last 10 years: Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of New York and New Jersey, and AWWT was proud to play a role in mitigating the damage.
 
Wastewater Treatment During Extreme Weather
 
When heavy rains and freak weather events like Patricia or Sandy impact the New York area, AWWT is more prepared than ever to respond. We serve private, commercial, and municipal facilities with innovative treatment solutions, pilot and demonstration-scale studies, plant upgrades, quality control, and much more. For complete information on our services, please visit our homepage.