The GREAT HURRICANE

Mr. DeCarolis

Harry Truman High School

INTRODUCTION

You run down into the subway station to escape the pouring rain. The weather outside has been terrible. The wind was so strong that the rain actually hurt. Lucky for you the subway arrives just as you make it through the turnstile. Happy to be inside, you try to find a seat when the train slows and the lights go out. "Not another blackout", you think to yourself. But, you sense something is wrong. You hear a strange noise from the tunnel outside the train. You look down and, by the light of your cell phone, notice water seeping into the train from under the doors. You barely have time to think when you hear a deafening roar like a waterfall. You feel the subway car being shoved around as it fills quickly with water. The screams and cries of the other people in the subway car fade away as the water rises above your head…

Just then, you wake up. You've been waking up to these nightmares since the Mayor assigned you to the Office of Emergency Management. Ever since the Blackout, the Mayor wants to make sure the city is ready for anything. She has assigned your team to study the effects a hurricane would have on the city. It's not common, but it's possible that a hurricane could directly hit New York City. Hurricanes can kill hundreds or even thousands of people in coastal cities. But in New York City, it's easy to forget that we live next to the ocean. Is the city ready for a hurricane? Is the city's policy good enough to save as many people as possible? The mayor needs to know. She's asking you for the answers that could save thousands of lives. And you want to get rid of those nightmares…

TASK

Your group's task is to research three things:

· the damage a hurricane could do to New York City

· what the city plans to do to save lives if a hurricane hits

· what improvements could be made to existing policies

The Mayor expects a two-page report that addresses each of the above three points. In addition, you must deliver a 5-minute oral presentation to the Mayor that summarizes your report. You will use the Public Policy Analyst web site to help you.

PROCESS

Use the six steps of the Public Policy Analyst to complete your task. Click for an introduction to the Public Policy Analyst. Also, click on each link for help in completing that step. Remember to fill out and hand in the worksheets for each step!

Step One: Define the Problem

Worksheet 1

Step Two: Find Evidence

Worksheet 2

Step Three: Identify Causes

Worksheet 3

Step Four: Examine Existing Policy

Worksheet 4

Step Five: Develop Solutions

Worksheet 5

Step Six: Pick the Best Solution

Worksheet 6

RESOURCES

Hurricanes (FEMA) – general info

Hurricanes – online meteorology guide

Hurricane preparedness - steps 1 & 2

What If? –step s 1 & 2

The 1938 Hurricane –step 2

The Galveston Hurricane –step 2

Storm Surge Simulation –step 2

Do YOU live in a Hurricane Evacuation Zone? –steps 2 & 3

NYC Office of Emergency Management – for step 4

EVALUATION

Your work will be evaluated using the following rubric. A perfect score is 20 points (4 for each section).

Rubric

Points	4	3	2	1
Task Completeness	6 Steps	5 Steps	4 Steps	3 or fewer steps
Development & Organization	excellent organization & thorough explanations	very good organization & explanations	good organization & explanations	poor organization & explanations
Oral Presentation	All members participate; spoken clearly and loudly	All members participate; mostly spoken clearly and loudly	Some members participate; not always clear or loud enough	One group member dominates; OR spoken too softly to be understood
Grammar	No grammatical or spelling errors	1 – 5 grammatical or spelling errors	6 – 12 grammatical or spelling errors	More than 12 grammatical or spelling errors
Research	at least 4 online sources	3 online sources	2 online sources	1 online source

New York State Standards

Science Standard 4

Students will: understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

English Standard 1

Students will: read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas, discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

CONCLUSION

Hurricanes are powerful storms with the potential to kill. Although the storms can be controlled, it is possible to be prepared enough to prevent any loss of life. New York City has been lucky over the past 100 years to avoid a major hurricane. It is easy to forget that New York is a city by the sea, and is subject to all the benefits and hazards that it provides. A major hurricane that catches the city unaware could cost millions of dollars and thousands of lives. We must be ready for the day that our luck runs out.