VOA新闻杂志2024--In the US, Disasters Strike All Over the Country

When it comes to disasters in the United States, most people think of major storms and earthquakes that hit coastal¹ areas. But a study from the nonprofit Rebuild by Design and New York University says disasters happen everywhere across the country.

The study looks at information on hundreds of federally declared disasters from 2011 to about 2021. It also examines the $60 billion that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, gave state and local governments.

The study finds that eight of the nine counties with the most federally declared disasters since 2011 are in Kentucky. One is in Vermont. These counties have several times the number of disasters as the national average of three in the past 13 years.

A federal disaster is declared when a bad natural event is so costly² that local government officials do not believe they can recover. So, the governor of the state asks the president to declare a disaster which frees federal money set aside for this purpose.

Amy Chester is director of Rebuild by Design. She said, "California and Louisiana and I would say now even Texas, Florida, for sure, they soak up all the oxygen when you hear about these giant storms."

Chester added, "But what you're not hearing about are these storms that are happening all the time, and that's just becoming ...regular to places like Vermont." Chester also noted³ Tennessee, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Iowa and Alaska as having a lot of disasters.

"We want to show that climate change is already here," Chester said of the data, which covers 2011 to 2023. It does not include heat waves, lack of rain or diseases, like COVID-19.

Before she studied the data, Chester said she thought Vermont would be safe from climate change. Instead, it has many disasters.

"It's awful," Chester said. "It just keeps happening to them."

Vermont recently flooded again because of heavy rain from Hurricane Beryl.

Disasters in unexpected places

In July 2022, at least 40 people died, and 300 homes were damaged when a flood struck Floyd County in eastern Kentucky. It was the 13th time in 12 years that the federal government declared the rural county a disaster.

Judge Robbie Williams is the administrator⁴ of the county with about 35,0000 people. He said, "After that flood, I had 500 homeless people looking at me, 'Judge what are we going to do'?" Williams added, "It's overwhelming and it's just a matter of time before it happens again."

Then, in 2023, Floyd County was declared a disaster again for the 14th time since 2011. But Floyd County is not the nation's most disaster-prone county. Neighboring Johnson County has had 15 disasters declared by FEMA.

Floyd County's government received more than $35 million in FEMA disaster aid since 2011. But that is not a lot of money compared to other counties hit by hurricanes.

Five counties received more than $1 billion in FEMA aid. Three of them are in New York state. They are led by Manhattan's New York County, which got $8.9 billion after being struck by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

FEMA notes that flooding is the most common disaster in the U.S. Since 2011, FEMA has paid more than $41 billion in aid following hurricanes, the most of any kind of disaster.

Susan Cutter is with the Hazards Vulnerability and Resilience Institute at the University of South Carolina. Cutter said: "What the data tell us is that the frequency and severity of disasters at local-state scales is increasing with rural, suburban⁵, and urban places being affected⁶ nationwide." She was not involved in Chester's research. But she added, "More needs to be done."

Geography and regulations

In Floyd County, Judge Williams said geography and government regulations make it tough for the area. The county is in the mountains. People live in the narrow valleys, he said. When it rains, the creeks⁸ and rivers overflow⁹.

"We're seeing historic levels of flooding," Williams said. "It's only getting worse."

Environmental regulations bar local officials from dredging the creeks. Silt¹⁰ from the mountains keeps building up, Williams said. Some creeks were about six meters deep but are now shallow enough to walk across, he said.

"The problem is there is nowhere for the rain to go," Williams said.

Samantha Montano is a professor of emergency management at the Massachusetts Maritime¹¹ Academy. Montano said what is more important is how state and local policies create or reduce the risk of future disasters.

In Floyd County, the local government is using FEMA money to buy the homes of 150 residents to move them out of a flood area, but some do not want to leave, Williams said.

"Until we get those homes out of these flood ways...we're still going to have these issues," Williams added.

Words in This Story

county -n. an area in a state that has its own local government

overwhelming -adj. an amount too big to deal with effectively

scale -n. a level or size of something in relation to other, similar things that are bigger or smaller

regulation -n. a rule or law that governs a kind of activity or industry

disaster-prone -adj. likely to have a disaster

dredging -n. the process of removing mud from the bottom of a river or canal to make it deeper so boats can pass

silt -n. dirt that is carried by rivers and streams to lower areas of land

management -n. the effort of overseeing and controlling a business, government office or organization

creek⁷ -n. a small stream

shallow -adj. not deep

 

•  

1 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

2 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

5 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

8 creeks   

n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪

参考例句：

• The prospect lies between two creeks. 矿区位于两条溪流之间。 来自辞典例句
• There was the excitement of fishing in country creeks with my grandpa on cloudy days. 有在阴雨天和姥爷一起到乡村河湾钓鱼的喜悦。 来自辞典例句

9 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

10 silt   

n.淤泥，淤沙，粉砂层，泥沙层；vt.使淤塞；vi.被淤塞

参考例句：

• The lake was almost solid with silt and vegetation.湖里几乎快被淤泥和植物填满了。
• During the annual floods the river deposits its silt on the fields.每年河水泛滥时都会在田野上沉积一层淤泥。

11 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。