Broken Brick Initiative

Author: SamanthaSze

  • Hurricanes and Louisiana: Coastal Forests

    Cypress trees in swamp in Atchafalaya Basin by Danita Delimont

    The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season resulted in 3 billion-dollar hurricanes, with Hurricane Laura costing $1.6 billion in losses in agriculture and forestry alone, according to the LSU AgCenter. Valued at over $7 billion, agriculture and forestry are one of the most important industries in Louisiana, and as more Category 4 and 5 storms are projected, due to climate change, these sectors are left vulnerable in the years to come. While damages to agriculture were minimal, high winds uprooted trees and resulted in extensive damage to forestry. 

    Southern states provide 63% of total timber harvested in the U.S., generating $251.1 billion annually and supplying 2% of all jobs in those states.[1] With more intense hurricanes due to climate change, this industry is most vulnerable during the Atlantic hurricane season, as saltwater intrusion and flooding kill trees and expand salt marshes into coastal forests. The alteration of the ecological make-up of these coastal forests is detrimental to both local economies and our environment. The preservation of mangrove forests is especially important due to their role as carbon sinks, habitats for endangered species, and shoreline buffers. Additionally, these windstorms also select for shorter and younger trees, given the vulnerability of taller and older trees to survive them, further destabilizing the ecology of coastal forests.[1] Climate change will only continue to intensify tropical storms and threaten the agriculture and forestry economy of the southern coast. 

    Salt marsh: costal wetland subject to frequent flooding and serves as a buffer between land and ocean through absorption of wave energy during storms.

    Storm surges: a rising of the sea resulting from atmospheric pressure changes and wind associated with a storm

    Mangrove forests: a region of trees and shrubs in coastal intertidal zone

    To learn more about the impact of hurricanes on forest ecosystems: Analyzing Hurricane Impacts on Forest Ecosystem Services on the Gulf (noaa.gov)

    To learn more about the agriculture and forestry economy of Louisiana: 2015 ag summary pages 1-30pdf.pdf (lsuagcenter.com)

    To learn more about mangroves: Mangroves | Smithsonian Ocean (si.edu)

    References:

    [1] Sharma, A., Ojha, S.K., Dimov, L.D., Vogel, J.G., & Nowak, J. (2020). Long-term effects of catastrophic wind on southern US coastal forests: Lessons from a major hurricane. PLoS ONE 16(1).

    Her, Y.G., Smyth, A. Fletcher, P., Bassil, E., Stingl, U., Brym, Z., & Qiu, J. Hurricane impacts on florida’s agriculture and natural resources. IRAS Extension.

    Jaiphong, T., Tominaga, J., Watanabe, K., Suwa, R., Ueno, M., & Kawamitsu, Y. (2017). Changes in photosynthesis, growth, and sugar content of commercial sugarcane cultivars and erianthus under flood conditions. Plant Production Science 20:1.

  • Hurricanes and Louisiana: A Climate Crisis

    Five hurricanes made landfall in Louisiana during the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. Three of which, Laura, Delta, and Zeta, cost billions of dollars in damage. The deadliest, Hurricane Laura, resulted in 28 deaths and totaled $19 billion in damage, according to the 2020 State of Climate report. With 50% of the population of Louisiana residing in coastal areas, climate change will exacerbate the intensity of these storms: posing a greater threat to the safety and property of residents in the years to come. 

    Climate change is projected to have great impacts on built environments in coastal regions. Storm surges, especially, pose great threats, occurring when high wind speed and low-pressure areas of cyclones force ocean water into coastal areas. Climate scientists project that maximum wind speeds and minimum pressures will intensify by the end of the 21st century; with wind speeds to increase 5% for every 1° C increase in ocean temperature, resulting in more Category 4 and 5 storms (Knuston et al., 2010; Emanuel, 2005). In a recent study by Camelo et al., (2020), inundation volumes are projected to double over the century, increasing the number of people and property threatened by storm surges. Greater inundation volumes also have environmental implications due to inland flooding and saltwater intrusion, threatening agriculture and biogeochemical cycling of coastal ecosystems. While the frequency of hurricanes will remain stable, climate change will exacerbate the intensity of tropical storms, posing greater threats to coastal communities in our near future. 

    Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with winds of 74 mph accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightning

    Storm surge: A rising of the sea resulting from atmospheric pressure changes and wind associated with a storm

    Inundation: Flooding

    To find out more about how Louisiana is preparing for hurricane season, follow Hurricane – NOLA Ready  and/or  Home – Get a Game Plan

    To find out past public policies on hurricane protection in Louisiana, see the following links:

    Hurricane Protection Strategies in the Greater New Orleans Area

    The New Orleans Protection System: What Went Wrong and Why

    Preparing for a Catastrophe: The Hurricane Pam Exercise

    References:

    Camelo, J., Mayo, T.L., and Gutmann, E.D. (2020). Projected climate change impacts on hurricane storm surge inundation in the coastal united states. Frontiers in Built Environment. 6:588049.

    Emanuel, K.A. (1987). The dependence of hurricane intensity on climate. Nature 326, 483-485.

    Emanuel, K. (2005). Increasing destructiveness of tropical cyclones over the past 30 years. Nature 436, 686-688.

    Knutson, T.R., McBride, J.L., Chan, J., Emanuel, K., Holland, G., Landsea, C., et al. (2010). Tropical cyclones and climate change. Nat Geosci. 3, 157-163.