I-Hurricane Harvey: Izikhukhula Ezisenhla, Amanzi Asezansi Nomfula

"Uphuma kuphi?"

"Houston, Texas."

"Oh Nkosi yami. Ngiyaxolisa. Unjani umndeni wakho?”

“Kuhle. Konke kuhamba kahle lokho kuphetha kahle.”

Njengomdabu waseHoustonia obize iHouston ikhaya yonke impilo yami (efushane), ngiphile ku-Allison, uRita, uKatrina, u-Ike, futhi manje u-Harvey. Kusukela ekhaya lethu elingasentshonalanga ye-Houston, asijwayelene nezikhukhula. Ngokuvamile, indawo yakithi igcwala izikhukhula kanye ngonyaka cishe usuku olulodwa, isikhathi esiningi zenzeka entwasahlobo.

Umakhelwane uhamba ngezikebhe ngokukhululekile phakathi nezikhukhula zoSuku Lwentela ngaphandle kwendlu yethu ngomhla ka-April 18, 2016.

Kodwa nokho, akekho owabona kusengaphambili ukuthi iSiphepho uHarvey sishaya ngamandla njengoba senza. Umonakalo omningi uHarvey awushiya eTexas wawuncane mayelana nesiphepho sangempela, futhi okwengeziwe mayelana nezimvula ezinkulu eza naso. Lesi siphepho esihamba kancane sahlala phezu kwe-Houston izinsuku ezimbalwa, sehlisa amanzi amaningi ngesikhathi eside. Izimvula eziholele ekutheni zikhukhule idolobha lesine ngobukhulu lase-US kanye nezifunda ezingomakhelwane ngesamba samalitha angama-33 trillion amanzi.¹ Ekugcineni, iningi lala manzi lathola indlela yokubuyela lapho lalivela khona, olwandle.² Nokho, baphatha inqwaba yezinto ezingcolisa umoya, kuhlanganise namakhemikhali aphuma ezindaweni zokuhluza ezigcwele izikhukhula, amagciwane anobuthi, nemfucumfucu eyayishiywe emigwaqweni.³

Ngokusho kweNational Weather Service, uhlangothi lwami lwedolobha lwathola phakathi kwamayintshi angama-30 kuya kwangu-40 emvula. ¹⁰

Amaxhaphozi asogwini lwaseGulf bekulokhu kuwumzila wethu wokuqala wokuzivikela eziphephweni ezisivimbayo, kodwa sibeka wona, kanye nathi, engcupheni uma sihluleka ukuwavikela.⁴ Isibonelo, singase singaphumeleli ekuvikeleni la maxhaphozi asogwini, futhi esikhundleni salokho siwashiye abhidlizwe ngomzamo wokwenza izikhungo ezingase zibonakale zinenzuzo enkulu kunokushiya izindawo ezingamaxhaphozi lapho ukuze zivikeleke ezivunguvungwini ezithile ezizayo. Ngokufanayo, amaxhaphozi asogwini anempilo nawo ahluza amanzi aphuma ezweni, anciphise ukulimala olwandle.

Amanzi asenhla nomfula ageleza eGulf of Mexico. ¹¹

Uhlelo lokuvikela ugu lungalinyazwa ezinye izici zemvelo ezilimazayo, njengezimvula zamanzi ahlanzekile ezivela eSiphepho i-Harvey. Amanzi emvula ageleza ezansi nomfula esuka ezinkangala zase-Houston aye eGulf of Mexico, njengoba kwenza izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zamanzi ahlanzekile e-United States.⁵ Ngisho namanje, amanzi ahlanzekile awehliswe u-Harvey kusafanele axubane ngokugcwele namanzi anosawoti e-Gulf.⁶ Ngenhlanhla, naphezu kwamanani aphansi kasawoti kasawoti abhalwe eGulf ngenxa yaleli “blob yamanzi ahlanzekile,” akukaze kube khona ukushona kwabantu abaningi eduze kwezixhobo zamakhorali, ikakhulukazi ngenxa yendlela la manzi ageleza ngayo esuka kulezi zindawo zemvelo. Kube khona imibhalo emincane yokuthi yibuphi ubuthi obusha obungatholakala ezindaweni ezingasogwini nasemaxhaphozini, obushiywe ngemuva njengoba amanzi ezikhukhula edonsa ehlela eGulf.

Izinsalela ezivela ku-Hurricane Harvey.¹²

Sekukonke, iHouston yabhekana nezikhukhula ezimbi kangako ngoba idolobha lakhiwe endaweni eyizikhukhula. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ukwanda kokukhula kwezindawo zasemadolobheni kanye nokuntuleka kwamakhodi okuklama kwandisa ingozi yethu yezikhukhula njengoba imigwaqo egandayiwe egandayiwe ishintsha izindawo ezinotshani ngaphandle kokubheka imiphumela yokusatshalaliswa okungalawuleki kwedolobha.⁷ Ngokwesibonelo, endaweni eqhele ngamakhilomitha ambalwa ukusuka e-Addicks nase-Barker Reservoirs, indawo yakithi ihlangabezane nezikhukhula ezithathe isikhathi eside ngenxa yokuthi amanzi ahlala emile. Ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi idolobha laseHouston aligcwali, izikhulu zikhethe ngamabomu ukudedela amasango alawula amadamu, okuholele ekukhukhuleni kwemizi obekungalindelekile ukuthi igcwale eNtshonalanga Houston.⁸ Izinto ze-Hardscape ezifana ne-asphalt nokhonkolo zivame ukuchitha amanzi kunokuba ziwamunce, ngakho-ke amanzi aqoqana emigwaqweni futhi kamuva athola indlela yawo eGulf of Mexico.

(Usuku lwesi-4) Iloli likamakhelwane, elilodwa kwafinyelela esigidini elaligcwele izikhukhula edolobheni. ¹³

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, sachitha isikhathi esingaphezu kwesonto sihlezi endlini yethu. I-Coast Guard kanye namavolontiya abagibeli bezikebhe babevame ukudlula futhi babuze ukuthi siyakudinga yini ukuhlenga noma ukuhlinzekwa ngesikhathi sihlala ngaphakathi. Abanye omakhelwane baphume baya otshanini babo bafike balengisa izindwangu ezimhlophe ezihlahleni zabo njengophawu lokuthi bafuna ukuhlengwa. Lapho amanzi ebohla ngosuku lweshumi lwalesi senzakalo sesikhukhula seminyaka eyinkulungwane⁹ futhi ekugcineni sakwazi ukuphuma ngaphandle ngaphandle kokungena emanzini, umonakalo wawumangalisa. Iphunga lendle elingcolile laligcwele yonke indawo futhi imfucumfucu igcwele umgwaqo. Izinhlanzi ezifile zazilele emigwaqweni kakhonkolo nezimoto ezilahliwe zikleliswe emigwaqweni.

(Usuku 5) Sasebenzisa induku ukuze siphawule ukuthi amanzi ayekhuphuka kangakanani.

Ngosuku olungemva kokuba sikhululekile ukuzulazula ngaphandle, mina nomndeni wami sasihlelelwe ukuthi siphume ngendiza siye eMinnesota Iviki Elisha Labafundi eCarleton College. Njengoba sasindiza izinkulungwane zamamitha esibhakabhakeni, angikwazanga ukuzibamba kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi sasingomunye wababe nenhlanhla. Umuzi wethu wawusomile futhi ukuphila kwethu kwakungabekwa engcupheni. Nokho, angazi ukuthi siyoba nenhlanhla kangakanani ngokuzayo lapho izikhulu zedolobha zinquma ukuthi kulula ukugcwala endaweni yakithi kunokuthatha isinyathelo sokuvuselela izivikelo zethu.

Into eyodwa eyanamathela kimi yilapho ubaba wami oneminyaka engamashumi ayisithupha ethi kimi, “Hhayi-ke, ngiyajabula ukuthi ngeke ngiphinde ngibone into enjengale ekuphileni kwami.”

Ngaphendula ngathi, “Angazi ngalokho, Baba.”

“Ucabanga kanjalo?”

“Ngiyazi kanjalo.”

(Usuku lwesi-6) Mina nobaba sadabula emanzini ukuze sifike egalaji likaphethiloli ekhoneni lomgwaqo. Sacela ukugitsheliswa isikebhe sibuyela ekhaya futhi ngawuthatha lo mbono omuhle ngendlela eshaqisayo.

U-Andrew Farias uyilungu lekilasi lika-2021 eCarleton College, osanda kuphothula i-internship eWashington, DC.

¹https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/08/30/harvey-has-unloaded-24-5-trillion-gallons-of-water-on-texas-and-louisiana/?utm_term=.7513293a929b
²https://www.popsci.com/where-does-flood-water-go#page-5
³http://www.galvbay.org/news/how-has-harvey-impacted-water-quality/
⁴https://oceanfdn.org/blog/coastal-ecosystems-are-our-first-line-defense-against-hurricanes
⁵https://www.dallasnews.com/news/harvey/2017/09/07/hurricane-harveys-floodwaters-harm-coral-reefs-gulf-mexico
⁶http://stormwater.wef.org/2017/12/gulf-mexico-researchers-examine-effects-hurricane-harvey-floodwaters/
⁷https://qz.com/1064364/hurricane-harvey-houstons-flooding-made-worse-by-unchecked-urban-development-and-wetland-destruction/
⁸https://www.houstoniamag.com/articles/2017/10/16/barker-addicks-reservoirs-release-west-houston-memorial-energy-corridor-hurricane-harvey
⁹https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/08/31/harvey-is-a-1000-year-flood-event-unprecedented-in-scale/?utm_term=.d3639e421c3a#comments
¹⁰ https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/tropical-storm-harvey-forecast-texas-louisiana-arkansas
¹¹ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/29/houston-area-impacted-hurricane-harvey-visual-guide
¹² https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=90866