Dangerous weather events with wind and rain have disproportionate effects on the socially vulnerable, according to new research. Research from Northeastern University associate professor Serena Alexander studied “compound precipitation-wind extremes.”
Most studies, Alexander says, “examine rain and wind separately, but we do know that when these are combined, or happen simultaneously, they can have greater impacts — and they jointly affect, especially, socially vulnerable communities.” Compound precipitation-wind extremes, or CPWEs, “occur when we have heavy precipitation and strong winds that happen either simultaneously or within a short window,” she continues. Either kind of event — a heavy downpour, high winds — is less dangerous and causes less damage on its own than when they occur together.
Most of the time, “we look at these hazards separately,” Alexander says. One important takeaway from research of this kind “is that perhaps you should look at them simultaneously, on maps, in order to really understand the potential impacts.”
