Never before did two Atlantic category 4 hurricanes batter the United States of America in the same year, let alone within weeks. Both have made records -certainly not in a positive sense. Hurricane Harvey caused record rainfall of 51.88 inches and Irma broke records for speed at 185 mph which fell to 130 mph when it struck Miami, Florida. Earlier it was a category 5 hurricane and had it struck the Caribbean and the US at that speed, the damage would have been far greater. It, however, did hit Cuba at that speed and was the first time to do so in the past 100 years. Both Houston and Florida Keys were battered by 130 mph winds.
Another hurricane brewed from the Gulf of Mexico and also struck the mountainous area of Mexico with a history of mudslide. Notably Mexico is still reeling from the earthquake that struck only a few days ago. To add to this, Hurricane Jose also could have hit the US had it not veered off at the last minute.
Compared to the extent of property damage, the human casualty figure is not high. Harvey has accounted for 70 lives while the number of death from Irma's lashing was in the single digit -five until September 12. But the two hurricanes have reportedly caused $150-$200 billion in property damage in Texas and Florida. Altogether 6.5 million Floridians, more than a third of the state's residents, had to be evacuated because of Irma's strike. Surprisingly, residents of Houston, with rare exceptions, were asked to stay at home. Because Houstonians, as residents of flat land, are familiar with floods.
Now natural calamities in America have their local editions, barring hurricane or cyclone this time, in South Asia - in Bangladesh particularly. Floods in haor (wetlands) areas in Sylhet and then in the north of the country -a few regions experiencing such inundation for the first time in decades - point to some unprecedented developments. At the time rainfall in Bangladesh was recorded one of the highest in history. Heavy rains toppled a number of hill tops causing deaths and disrupting communication with the capital for the hill districts and the vice versa.
If this year's monsoon and beyond are likely to be the wettest spell ever, the USA's share of capricious climate has already been extraordinarily at variance. In the West Coast of America, temperature has created record after record. A little interior in North Dakota and Montana, temperature rise recorded the highest causing a drought.
The cataloguing here of the natural calamities in the land of the opportunities and a small but overpopulated country like Bangladesh is not for nothing. This is to show that in the face of Nature's furies even the richest nation or the only superpower is no less vulnerable than a poorer country. Also, the American citizens are exposed to their own notoriety in that many resort to looting amid human misery. Looters swooped on when people abandoned their flooded homes immediately after Harvey hit Houston.
So far as vulnerability to climate change is concerned, nobody is going to be spared. The signs are ominous. But people like Donald Trump who until the latest battering of America by Harvey and Irma were unconvinced of the consequences of global warming should have enough evidence of what is awaiting the planet if the issue is left unattended.
Now the question is, if Trump and his contingent of hardliners will have a change of heart after the devastation wreaked by the two hurricanes. Will they need more and stronger proofs to admit that withdrawing from the Paris climate deal was a gross mistake on the part of America? Pope Francis has no doubt that unless the nations can agree to arrest temperature to 20 centigrade above the pre-industrial level, the world will court annihilation in the near future. Unlike Trump, the highest pontiff keeps faith in the climate scientists who have made dire predictions about the planet if its temperature cannot be maintained at their suggested level.
Another study has held that wet bulb temperature which is a measurement of temperature along with humidity will have devastating impacts on South Asians who will have to work in the open in particular. This means that people will get dehydrated beyond recovery and even under shed with no fans to cool down they will die at 350 wet bulb temperature.
The planet is in turmoil because man has upset its balance. That scientists have long sounded alarming bell but not many are willing to heed the warning is a misfortune. Now should the nations take a fatalistic view only because the greatest polluter of the world has turned its back on the climate deal? This will be a folly. America has produced Trump so has it done green campaigners like Al Gore. Let the Americans who have respect for humanity and international legislation and charters join hands to launch a campaign aimed at compelling Trump and his company to honour the provisions of the deal. The US can volunteer to cut carbon emission and back up the deal even without returning to the Paris deal.
