Toward a Greener Planet Through IoT JOI_20230426_eBook | Page 78

Leveraging IoT and Blockchain Technology
Figure 1-1 : Path of Hurricane Ian across the Caribbean into Florida . Source : National Hurricane Center .

1.3 INTRODUCTION

In late September 2022 , Hurricane Ian rampaged through the Caribbean , the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast from Cuba to South Carolina , achieving Category-4 status by the time it reached southwest Florida . The storm took both animal and human life and changed entire stretches of the coastline beyond recognition . Thousands of boats were left behind as their owners evacuated or attempted to fortify their homes . Whichever vessels remained afloat eventually broke free of their moorings , were surged aground by the rising ocean , and crashed into other boats or even buildings . The full extent of Ian ’ s environmental damage remains to be seen , but it is certain that the freed boats caused extra property damage to the affected communities and additional liability to their owners . 3
3
Marine Industry News . “ WATCH : Devastating Cost of Hurricane Ian to Marine Community ,” 2022 . https :// marineindustrynews . co . uk / watch-hurricane-ian-destroys-boats /
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