A flood wall being installed around the Iowa Advanced Technology Laboratories (IATL) building. Credit: Tim Schoon/University of Iowa
by Michelle Taylor
Two weeks ago, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida as a strong Category 4 hurricane. While everyone in Ian’s path was busy preparing their houses and making safety plans, scientists working in the Sunshine State had an additional concern: their research. Would knocked-out power harm their sensitive samples? Would the inevitable flooding kill their extremely expensive instrumentation and equipment?
It was certainly a possibility, but—being prone to tropical storms and hurricanes—most Florida laboratories were prepared. Despite hurricane damage estimated between $28 and $63 billion, most reports indicate little loss of science. The damage that did occur was mostly from flooding, with the cities of Fort Myers Beach and Naples particularly impacted.
Advance planning can take the guesswork out of emergency response and prevent a bad situation from becoming worse. That’s part of the reason why safety experts and regulatory agencies exist—to consider and plan for the worst-case scenario.
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