Hurricane Costs

Year           Deaths              Damage

2010            382                    $7.4B       
 

2011             112                     $17.4B

2012            335                    $72.3B

2013            54                      $1.5B

2014            21                       $371.6B

2015            89                      $813.9B

2016            736                  >$17.5B

2017            3364                >$294.7B

2018            172                   >$50.5B

2019            118                     $11.6B

2020           417                   >$51.1B

2021            195                    $80.7B

2022           336                    $53.5B

  Total         6361                 $1843.7B

  Average    489.31              $141.82B 

With hurricane losses in the billions, a cost to fix the problem in the millions will not be a problem.

The place to start is The Gambia River which is the largest river. Of course, The Gambia country will want to be compensated for letting us use their country to solve our hurricane problem.

Back in Colonial times, “entrepreneurs” invested as little as possible, and raped the countries of their resources with little intent to support the native  people. That is not an acceptable approach for the 21st century. 48 percent of the Gambian population lives in poverty. This project should really benefit the population.

Any time that money is given to a government it has a way of finding itself into private pockets, with little benefit for the people who were the intended beneficiaries. I strongly suggest that we compensate The Gambia with projects which we pay for, we engineer, and we complete ourselves using Gambian laborers. The Gambia may have a preference for other projects, but the following are obvious:

Seaport

The Gambia River has always been a shipping port. The Portuguese first sailed up the river and captured Africans whom they sold as servants in Europe. That slave trade later provided slaves for the Caribbean sugar plantations, and, eventually, the cotton plantations in America. Today, the Gambia serves as a port for transshipping goods for Senegal and other countries in West Africa.

The Gambia River port is only 8.5 meters deep; whereas, modern container ships require a draft of 16 meters. We could bring the port of the Gambia into the modern era by building a wharf out into the Atlantic Ocean with a train trestle to connect that wharf to the existing dock area further ashore. That same trestle could support some of the seawater spray that would condense the water vapor.

Roadways

Away from the Atlantic port areas, the roads leading to the villages are terrible. Using The Gambia as a modern port, good roads enhance the transshipping business of West Africa for The Gambia. Better roadways also improve the ability of farmers to bring their fruits and vegetables to the local markets.

Ideally, a rail system from the port area to the villages would provide a more cost effective system of transportation for the villages

Agriculture

Only one-sixth of the land is arable and poor soil quality has led to the predominance of one crop - peanuts.

American agricultural experts could evaluate the soil, and the farming techniques for possible improvements in growing techniques and crop selection. Dredging the Gambia River could produce nutrients which could fertilize the land.

There is no refrigeration in the main cities where agricultural produce could be delivered and refrigerated for retail sale. Instead of the farmers growing food, transporting food to market, and selling their produce in an, open marketplace, those functions could be delegated to people who specialize in those different functions. Construction of a main refrigeration site in town would modernize their agricultural business.

Cotton used to be a major agricultural and commercial product in The Gambia. That whole business from growing cotton to making cloth, and marketing the finished products needs to be revived into the modern world.

 

The villages treat the land as communally owned which is plowed with oxen. A battery powered electric tractor with a roof made of solar panels could elevate the farming from subsistence to commercial success.

There have been years when there was “not enough rain” to make the farmers happy. We could build water towers at the Gambia river together with irrigation systems for each village.

Power Generation

The fuel for the power generating stations has to be transported by tankers. A pipeline would expedite the supply of the power generating stations.

Health

Malaria is a problem which could be alleviated by supplying the people with netting for their sleeping areas.

There is a lack of sanitation which could lead to a serious health problems. Each of the villages would need a stand-alone sanitary system connected to public toilets.

Stand-alone water purification plants would also eliminate some health challenges.

Fishing

The commercial fishing industry suffers from a lack of motorized fishing boats, as well as commercial processing facilities. The fishermen’s needs might be met with some specific engineering associated with the wharf and trestle.

Electrification

A wind farm could provide the power to pump the colder water needed to quench the water vapor. A series of wind farms could provide electricity for each of the villages. That would provide electricity for lighting, mobile phones, and the Internet.

Education

In The Gambia, education is free, but not mandatory, and many villagers do not send their children to school. Possibly, the child labor increases the food supply. With electric power, the internet, and computers, the children could attend “night school” online in the evening and get the education which would ultimately improve their lives and The Gambia’s economy.

Housing

People have migrated from the villages to the metropolitan areas and there is a lack of sufficient housing to accommodate that population. Prefab housing could be the economic solution to that problem.