Viridian Note 00305: Texas Is Number One

Key concepts: weather violence, death rates,
Texas

Attention Conservation Notice: of local Texan interest, but maybe of intense interest if you are being killed.

Links:

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/space_elevator_020327-1.html
Okay, get this: this cat claims that, with newfangled carbon nanotubes, he can build a no-kidding elevator into outer space for a mere five billion bucks.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21938-2002Mar26.html
Supreme Court allows EPA to pretend to enforce the law; heavily financed pro-asthma contingent vents righteous indignation at length.

Source: Austin American-Statesman, page 1, March 27, 02002 http://www.statesman.com

"Size, location make Texas No. 1 in weather deaths, study says

"Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, tropical storms bring destruction to state (((Yee-haw!)))

By Dick Stanley, American-Statesman Staff

"A new study underscores why meteorologists have long said about Texas: Because of its size and location, Texas consistently outranks other states in deaths and damage from tornadoes and floods.

"According to 'American Hazardscapes: The Regionalization of Hazards and Disasters,' Texas just misses the first rank in casualties and damage from hurricanes and tropical storms as well.

"From 1975 to 1998, all four weather phenomena combined to make the Lone Star State the most storm- hazardous place in the country, according to the academic book for government policymakers published by the National Academy Press.

"The book, which also considers other kind of hazards ((("Utter boredom strikes Toledo, Peoria"... "Minnesota's Niceness Menace"))) was edited by University of South Carolina geography professor Susan Cutter.

Links: Prof Cutter and her c.v. http://www.cla.sc.edu/GEOG/facStaff/cutter.html

The Natural Hazards Center, home of "Natural Hazards Observer," "Natural Hazards Informer," "Natural Hazards Review," etc. http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/index.html

"It says Texas accounted for 10 percent of the almost 9,000 American hazard deaths from 1975 to 1998 == because of tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and tropical storms. That was more than five times the national average and nearly twice that of Florida, the second-ranking state."

Link: Hapless Florida menaced by giant black floating blob of dead aquatic filth! And when Florida vanishes under rising Greenhouse seas, Texas will still be here. http://www.naplesnews.com/sections/specials/blackwater/front.html http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html

"In those years, Texas recorded 442 deaths and $10.2 billion in property damage from floods, and 246 deaths and $3.6 billion in damage from tornadoes. The state was second only to Florida in deaths == 30 vs 36 == from hurricanes and tropical storms during tht period, and third behind Florida and South Carolina with $3.6 billion in property damage. (...)

"As for hurricanes and tropical storms, the book said Texans were hit by 16 of them from 1975 to 1998 == Amelia in 1978, Elena and Claudette in 1979, Allen and Danielle in 1980, Alicia in 1983, Bonnie in 1986, Beryl, Florence and Gilbert in 1988, Allison, Chantal and Jerry in 1989, Arlene in 1993, Dean in 1995 and Charley in 1998."