How Lessons from Hurricane Floyd prepared us for

Super Storm Sandy

Union Hospital - 1999

• 100 bed community hospital• Independent organization• Approximately 900 employees• Construction underway for a new

front entrance, step down care unit and a new 12 bed OB unit.

Elkton, Maryland• Elkton is located on the colonial highway of

America. Our forefathers navigated its waterways and traveled its roads when heading north to Philadelphia, or south to Virginia. Once known as Head of Elk, named by Captain John Smith, it sits at the northern headwaters of Chesapeake Bay.

• Elkton played a significant role in both the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.

• Elkton, which has been the Cecil County Seat since 1787.

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs07301/Coverphoto_big.gif

What we were expecting!

• "Although it appears that the worst of Floyd will not fall on Maryland, there is still great danger from flooding, storm surge, and high winds," Gov. Parris Glendening said as he encouraged Marylanders in low-lying areas to seek shelter.

Projected to see 4 inches of rain

What we received!

•14 + inches of rain

• Storm surge somewhere between 5 – 7 feet

A miracle arrives from New Jersey

What about the Storm Surge?

What did we learn and its impact on Super Storm Sandy!

Future opportunities for adventure!

Meltwater flowing from the Greenland ice sheet Source: NASA

Future Concerns: Sea Level Change

• Ice loss from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets could contribute an additional 1 foot of sea level rise, depending on how the ice sheets respond.

• Should these historical geological forces continue, a 2-foot rise in global sea level by 2100

• The result in the following relative sea level rise; 2.3 feet higher water level at New York City

Questions