Hurricane Isaac makes landfall.

This is not something that we have to worry about usually here in Southern California, but we are very concerned for our fellow Americans over on the Gulf Coast. This will be the first time the the new levees and flood gates in Louisiana have been tested since Katrina.

The amount of damage that a hurricane causes is dependent on several keys factors besides the wind or hurricane rating. Just like earthquakes, the direction or angle the storm comes into land is very significant to the amount of potential damage or loss, as well as the speed the storms comes in. You may think that if it hits shore quicker it would cause more damage, but in fact if the storm slows down before landfall it has a significantly higher probability of being more destructive. Hurricane Isaac did slow down before hitting the Louisiana coast, and the people of Plaquemines Parish are in trouble. [Read more…]