Abstracts

Hurricane Juan: A comparison of impacts and vulnerability: Implications for natural hazard mitigation

Rebecca Hanson
Environment Canada
rebecca.hanson@ec.gc.ca

Hurricane Juan struck Nova Scotia near Halifax on September 29th, 2003. The storm brought sustained winds of 158 km/h and storm surge as high as two metres. Juan caused localized flooding and widespread power outages, with some residents not regaining power for two weeks. Eight people were killed by Juan, two because of falling trees, two in a boating accident, and four indirectly in the aftermath of the storm. The timing of Juan's arrival late on a Sunday night reduced the number of fatalities that occurred compared to what would be expected given a midday arrival. Nevertheless, the population was largely unaware or unconvinced of the severity of the storm.

A sample of the population of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) was questioned in a telephone survey. Questions were designed to measure participants' perceived level of risk to hurricanes before Juan, how the passing of the storm altered their perceptions, respondents' personal cost from Juan, and characteristics that may have exacerbated their vulnerability. An integrated assessment was conducted to compare the impacts experienced from Juan to the pre-existing conditions of vulnerability in the HRM. Analysis was completed through comparison of census statistics, aerial survey data, damage reports, and the public opinion/impact survey. Impact and vulnerability data was mapped in a GIS in a series of overlays to determine which vulnerability variables influenced the impacts from Juan. The purpose of this research was to highlight the vulnerabilities of the population of the HRM ingrained prior to Juan and suggest techniques for mitigating the risk from future hurricanes.

2005-04-05