With hundreds of explosive #chemical plants, #Louisiana could be a ticking time bomb this #hurricane season

by Russel Honoré, July 10, 2023

"The science is clear: the warmer the oceans, the stronger the storms. Heat is energy, and the more of it there is in the ocean, the more fuel for increasingly destructive storms. At the same time, rising sea levels, caused by the melting of the South Pole’s ice caps and Arctic glaciers, mean higher storm surges.

"I don’t have to tell you that storm surges are the deadliest part of a hurricane making landfall. They occur when a storm pushes a wall of seawater several feet high onto the land, causing lethal flooding and costly property damage. In #NewOrleans, I saw the city’s Lower 9th Ward all but razed by fierce ocean waters. Residents evacuated as far as other states; nearly two decades later, many have never returned.

"Tragically for Louisiana, the state has 740 #petrochemical plants that are vulnerable to tropical storms, according to a new report by The Times-Picayune and The Advocate. While most have weathered storms in the past, there’s no evidence to show they will be able to withstand the storm surges of the powerful #superstorms that are becoming the new norm.

"It’s outrageous that #chemical plant owners can put the health and safety of some 1.2 million Louisiana residents at risk. The rest of us understand we need to undertake additional precautionary measures now that hurricane season is becoming increasingly deadly. Petrochemical companies should not be able to put us in harm’s way by denying this reality."

Read more:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/with-hundreds-of-explosive-chemical-plants-louisiana-could-be-a-ticking-time-bomb-this-hurricane-season/ar-AA1dG8dS?rc=1&ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=91a65af4d5f4419fe13f9641855524d3&ei=6

#ClimateChange #EnvironmentalRacism #ClimateCatastrophe #WaterIsLife