senior citizen
02-14-2012, 07:11 AM
Put into perspective, sinkholes have become less of a worry or concern for us after revisiting what happened to our state last year:
YES , the sink hole scenario is scary............however, we have to weigh the global warming and climate change in Vermont.
In today’s morning newspaper, there is a large article saying that the RAINS will only grow more prevalent and the snow will diminish with global warming (that would kill the skiing industry up here, the snowmobiling industry, etc.).............and bring harm to those living by steams and rivers.
IRENE caused massive damage to Vermont last year. Vermont’s environmental agency states that “climate data is experiencing more extreme rain events and that trend is predicted to continue.”
“More frequent heavy rainstorms are expected to pose a recurrent challenge to our communities”.
“As our climate warms, we’re going to see much more extreme weather events and we need to be prepared”.
Here is a partial list of the effects of the past August 28, 2011 storm “Irene” on the state of Vermont:
More than 500 miles of state roads damaged and about 200 state bridges damaged or destroyed.
More than 2,000 acres of farm land flooded. Our state capital was flooded as well as other communities all over the state.
There also had been the May and June flooding before Irene hit in August.
More than 2,000 municipal road segments damaged or destroyed, as well as 280 bridges and 960 culverts.
More than 200 miles of state owned railroad track and six bridges damaged.
State offices flooded, including those of the Agency of Natural Resources and Vermont Emergency Management.
Significant damage to federal and state fish hatcheries.
More than 16,000 residents required to boil drinking water, after contamination of both public and private water systems.
Hundreds of hazardous waste spills as basements containing household chemicals were flooded and heating oil tanks became disconnected and lost their contents.
Seventeen municipal sewage systems compromised, with an estimated 10 million gallons of raw or partially processed waste flowing into rivers.
Homes were falling into the rivers, barns and bridges floating down........., lives lost, farm animals lost, food for farm animals lost....
IRENE was a true disaster in the tiny state of Vermont............so to put into perspective the chance of a sinkhole vs. another tropical storm hitting us, we’d probably be safer with the sinkholes. This is the conclusion I've come to.
People were isolated in many of the mountain towns due to the bridges being destroyed. No way in or out other than through the woods or Green Mountain Forest via all terrain vehicles.
You couldn’t get to the east part of ours state from the western half due to the damaged roads, etc.........or in some cases, south to north.
ACTUALLY, OUR DAMAGED ROADS LOOKED LIKE SINKHOLES. HUGE CHUNKS OF THE ROADS WERE MISSING. As if an earthquake had happened.
WATER IS VERY POWERFUL.
We always have to “cross the mountains” in one way or another here. RAINS ARE DEFINITELY INCREASING UP HERE AS IS GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE............after living n this state for 42 years, none of the seasons are the same anymore and it’s been happening for awhile.........just getting worse.
To put it into perspective, the sinkhole threat isn’t as bad. It seems lesser of the two evils actually.
YES , the sink hole scenario is scary............however, we have to weigh the global warming and climate change in Vermont.
In today’s morning newspaper, there is a large article saying that the RAINS will only grow more prevalent and the snow will diminish with global warming (that would kill the skiing industry up here, the snowmobiling industry, etc.).............and bring harm to those living by steams and rivers.
IRENE caused massive damage to Vermont last year. Vermont’s environmental agency states that “climate data is experiencing more extreme rain events and that trend is predicted to continue.”
“More frequent heavy rainstorms are expected to pose a recurrent challenge to our communities”.
“As our climate warms, we’re going to see much more extreme weather events and we need to be prepared”.
Here is a partial list of the effects of the past August 28, 2011 storm “Irene” on the state of Vermont:
More than 500 miles of state roads damaged and about 200 state bridges damaged or destroyed.
More than 2,000 acres of farm land flooded. Our state capital was flooded as well as other communities all over the state.
There also had been the May and June flooding before Irene hit in August.
More than 2,000 municipal road segments damaged or destroyed, as well as 280 bridges and 960 culverts.
More than 200 miles of state owned railroad track and six bridges damaged.
State offices flooded, including those of the Agency of Natural Resources and Vermont Emergency Management.
Significant damage to federal and state fish hatcheries.
More than 16,000 residents required to boil drinking water, after contamination of both public and private water systems.
Hundreds of hazardous waste spills as basements containing household chemicals were flooded and heating oil tanks became disconnected and lost their contents.
Seventeen municipal sewage systems compromised, with an estimated 10 million gallons of raw or partially processed waste flowing into rivers.
Homes were falling into the rivers, barns and bridges floating down........., lives lost, farm animals lost, food for farm animals lost....
IRENE was a true disaster in the tiny state of Vermont............so to put into perspective the chance of a sinkhole vs. another tropical storm hitting us, we’d probably be safer with the sinkholes. This is the conclusion I've come to.
People were isolated in many of the mountain towns due to the bridges being destroyed. No way in or out other than through the woods or Green Mountain Forest via all terrain vehicles.
You couldn’t get to the east part of ours state from the western half due to the damaged roads, etc.........or in some cases, south to north.
ACTUALLY, OUR DAMAGED ROADS LOOKED LIKE SINKHOLES. HUGE CHUNKS OF THE ROADS WERE MISSING. As if an earthquake had happened.
WATER IS VERY POWERFUL.
We always have to “cross the mountains” in one way or another here. RAINS ARE DEFINITELY INCREASING UP HERE AS IS GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE............after living n this state for 42 years, none of the seasons are the same anymore and it’s been happening for awhile.........just getting worse.
To put it into perspective, the sinkhole threat isn’t as bad. It seems lesser of the two evils actually.