Geology 113
Portfolio Project
Natural Hazard Project

Newcastle County
Margaret Henderson, Council Executive
Newcastle County
Wilmington, DE 19801

February, 1996

Re: Natural Hazard Study for Newcastle County

It is well known that natural disasters can destroy property and injure or even kill people. Two years ago, a major earthquake rocked Los Angeles, California, killing many people and causing an estimated 30 billion dollars in damage to homes, businesses, roads, and bridges. When Mt. St. Helens erupted violently in 1980, the force of the volcanic blast tore trees out of the ground fifteen miles away. In 1995, we had more hurricanes than any of the previous 62 years, and some of these storms smashed the shores of the southeastern United States. Could an earthquake strong enough to destroy bridges and buildings strike northern Delaware? Is Iron Hill the remnant of an ancient volcano that might erupt again? If a hurricane passed through Delaware, how might it affect our shores, streams, and population?

We ask that you study the causes of these natural disasters, identify what would be good evidence of their past occurrence here, locate and evaluate this evidence, and explain the likelihood of these three events affecting Delaware. Your results will be used to help us decide how to allocate our limited resources to the development of a Natural Hazards Response Plan. Such a plan would involve evacuation and emergency medical operations, and would be tailored for the natural hazard you determine most likely to occur.

The final report that you submit to our office should include:

  1. A ranking of the likelihood that these natural hazards will affect Newcastle County (from most likely to least likely).

  2. Scientific explanations for each ranking, supported by comparing the evidence you have studied to scientific theory for the causes of earthquakes, volcanoes, and hurricanes.

  3. A representative sampling of the evidence (maps, charts, tables, graphs, references, etc.) that you have examined to generate your explanations. This would include at least four visits to World Wide Web sites.

Thank you for your attention to this most important matter. Good luck!

Sincerely yours,

Margaret Henderson
Newcastle County Executive
cc: Department of Public Safety
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