How can we better prepare for severe storms? Readers give their views

Maybe we should build in safer locations

Our recent storms were Harvey and Irma. Reminds me of the black comedy, “War of the Roses.” Oliver and Barbara fight a divorce battle over their material belongings. They each destroyed treasures the other valued and finally died together destroying one last treasure they didn’t want the other to have. 

In the case of our hurricanes, Harvey broke things in Texas, and Irma, with an “I will show you, Harvey” attitude, raged more in Florida, before they both died. 

But the question is how to prepare for storms — actually mindless acts of nature — like Harvey and Irma.  

Americans could take individual responsibility: Build your house on a hill, away from falling trees, out of serious hurricane zones, and drop ice cubes into the ocean to cool it. 

One Houston couple said it was the third time their house had flooded. It sounded like they were going for a fourth.

Oh, well.

George Timothy Mason

Salisbury

Enforce regulations intended to keep us safer

America learns valuable lessons after each storm. Unfortunately, some of those lessons go by the wayside if they are not put into practice.

It is imperative to enforce regulations designed to keep facilities and homes up to minimum standards. I'm specifically referring to the nursing facility in Florida where eight people died because they did not adhere to the minimum standards of care — and had a history of complaints that were not taken seriously.

Businesses don't want regulations, but some regulations are necessary for the health and welfare of the citizens. These people paid for this with their lives, which is just wrong.

The American island territories are also in desperate need of supplies. Possibly a better plan is needed for these islands, as they are usually the hardest hit when Caribbean storms arise.

Rose Carey

Delmar

More:Hurricane Irma recovery: Berlin Electric sending team to Florida to help

More:Weather Channel veteran Mike Seidel on why Harvey, Irma were like few storms he's covered

We can support both agriculture and clean energy

We have come a long way. Our ability to forecast and track storms is amazing.

After Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Florida enacted the strictest building codes in the nation. These codes prevented the amount of destruction seen in Andrew, when so many roofs flew off houses.

However, earlier this year there was controversy; builders cited the cost of hurricane-ready construction. Steps were taken to make it easier to change building codes.

Hopefully, with Irma, there will be second thoughts.  

We can slow down the effects of climate change. We can encourage wind farms off Ocean City.

Rep. Andy Harris did not approve relief money after the flooding from Superstorm Sandy. But he is against the wind farm, which is a step toward clean energy.

We support chicken farms as part of our agricultural heritage. So we can also support projects that convert chicken manure to bio-gas, another step toward clean energy. 

Deborah Nissley

Fairmount

More research, better understanding of climate science needed

Support better research into weather forecasting and climate change causes and effects, so as to permit better and earlier awareness of what the near future holds. This, in turn, permits more targeted preparation and staging of rescue-and-recovery resources.

There have been too many once-in-100- (or 500- or 1,000-) year weather events recently to allow an obstinate few to persist in denying how processes have changed. It is likely we humans have played a major role in introducing those changes into the natural forces that create our day-to-day weather.

We urgently need a better understanding of how Mother Nature's processes work, or how those forces are stimulated and guided. At the same time, we need better resources to detect and interpret those forces and how they work.

Our climate has changed — even if the dimensions and magnitudes are not fully understood.

Dick Taeuber

Salisbury