Title

Adverse weather events that cause social and economical impact.

Synopsis

The purpose of this paper is to examine the social(health) and economical consequences, caused by storms and other severe weather events in the USA. This paper aims to find the most harmful (people who are injured, not killed) events. It also aims to find out the events that cause the greatest economic consequences, which are measured by the value of property damaged, and the value of crops damaged. The paper uses R to process the data and present the results.

Data loading and cleaning

StormData <- read.csv("repdata_data_StormData.csv.bz2")
  
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("WILDFIRE", "FIRE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("WILDFIRES", "FIRE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("BRUSH FIRES", "FIRE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("WILD FIRES", "FIRE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("GRASS FIRES", "FIRE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("FOREST FIRES", "FIRE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("FIRES", "FIRE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("WILD/FOREST FIRE", "FIRE", StormData$EVTYPE)

StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("FLOOD.*", "FLOOD", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("FLASH FLOOD", "FLOOD", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Coastal FLOOD", "FLOOD", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("RIVERFLOOD", "FLOOD", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("TIDALFLOOD", "FLOOD", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("River FLOODing", "FLOOD", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("COASTALFLOOD", "FLOOD", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub(" FLOOD", "FLOOD", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("FLOODS", "FLOOD", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Flood", "FLOOD", StormData$EVTYPE)

StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("DENSE FOG", "FOG", StormData$EVTYPE)

StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("HAIL.*", "HAIL", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("ICE STORM", "HAIL", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("ICE", "HAIL", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("SMALL HAIL", "HAIL", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("BLACK HAIL", "HAIL", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("GLAZE/HAIL", "HAIL", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("GLAZE HAIL", "HAIL", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("MARINE HAIL", "HAIL", StormData$EVTYPE)
    
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("HEAT.*", "HEAT", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("EXCESSIVE HEAT", "HEAT", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("EXTREME HEAT", "HEAT", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("RECORD HEAT", "HEAT", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Heat Wave", "HEAT", StormData$EVTYPE)
    
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("HURRICANE.*", "HURRICANE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("HURRICANE-", "HURRICANE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Hurricane.*", "HURRICANE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("MARINE TORNADO", "HURRICANE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("TYPHOON", "HURRICANE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("WATERSPOUT TORNADO", "HURRICANE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("WATERSPOUT/TORNADO", "HURRICANE", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("WATERSPOUT", "HURRICANE", StormData$EVTYPE)

StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("LIGHTING", "LIGHTNING", StormData$EVTYPE)

StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("HEAVY RAIN", "RAIN", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("HEAVY RAINS", "RAIN", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("HVY RAIN", "RAIN", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("LIGHT RAIN", "RAIN", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("RAINS", "RAIN", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("FREEZING RAIN", "RAIN", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("EXCESSIVE RAINFALL", "RAIN", StormData$EVTYPE)

StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("SNOW.*", "SNOW", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("LIGHT SNOW", "SNOW", StormData$EVTYPE)    
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("BLIZZARD", "SNOW", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("HEAVY SNOW", "SNOW", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("EXCESSIVE SNOW", "SNOW", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("GROUND SNOW", "SNOW", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("FALLING SNOW", "SNOW", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Light SNOW", "SNOW", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("THUNDERSNOW", "SNOW", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("BLOWING SNOW", "SNOW", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("blowing snow", "SNOW", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Snow", "SNOW", StormData$EVTYPE)

StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("TSTM", "STORM", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("THUNDERSTORM.*", "STORM", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("WINTER STORM", "STORM", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("DUST STORM", "STORM", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("TROPICAL STORM", "STORM", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("STORM SURGE", "STORM", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("THUNDERSTORMS", "STORM", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub(" THUNDERSTORM", "STORM", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("SEVERETHUNDERSTORM", "STORM", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("MARINETHUNDERSTORM", "STORM", StormData$EVTYPE)
     
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("TORNADOS", "TORNADO", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("TORNADOES", "TORNADO", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("TORNDAO", "TORNADO", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("TORNADO.*", "TORNADO", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("COLD AIR TORNADO", "TORNADO", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("LANDSPOUT", "TORNADO", StormData$EVTYPE)

StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("WINDS", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("GUSTY WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("GUSTY WINDS", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("EXTREME WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("MARINE WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)  
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Gusty Winds", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Gusty winds", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("HIGH WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("WIND.*", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Wind", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("HIGH  WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("WHIRLWIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Gradient wind", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("gradient wind", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Strong Wind", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Strong Winds", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("STORM WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("STRONG WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("WIND/", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("TSTM WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("TSTM WND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Tstm Wind", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("THUNDERESTORM WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("THUNERSTORM WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Thunderstorm wind", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("Thunderstorm Wind", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("TUNDERSTORM WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("TUNDERTSORM WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)
StormData$EVTYPE <- gsub("THUNDERSTROM WIND", "WIND", StormData$EVTYPE)

Data processing

library(dplyr)

## 
## Attaching package: 'dplyr'
## 
## The following object is masked from 'package:stats':
## 
##     filter
## 
## The following objects are masked from 'package:base':
## 
##     intersect, setdiff, setequal, union

datahurt <- StormData %>%
        select(STATE, EVTYPE, FATALITIES, INJURIES, PROPDMG, PROPDMGEXP, CROPDMG, CROPDMGEXP) %>%
                filter(INJURIES>0) %>%
                    group_by(EVTYPE) %>%
                        summarize(Hurt = sum(INJURIES)) %>%
                            arrange(desc(Hurt))


proplost <- StormData %>%
        select(STATE, EVTYPE, FATALITIES, INJURIES, PROPDMG, PROPDMGEXP, CROPDMG, CROPDMGEXP) %>%
                filter(PROPDMG>0) %>%
                    group_by(EVTYPE) %>%
                        summarize(Dmg = sum(PROPDMG)) %>%
                            arrange(desc(Dmg))


croplost <- StormData %>%
        select(STATE, EVTYPE, FATALITIES, INJURIES, PROPDMG, PROPDMGEXP, CROPDMG, CROPDMGEXP) %>%
                filter(CROPDMG>0) %>%
                    group_by(EVTYPE) %>%
                        summarize(Dmg = sum(CROPDMG)) %>%
                            arrange(desc(Dmg))

Results

pie(datahurt$Hurt, labels = datahurt$EVTYPE, main = "Most harmful events")

pie(proplost$Dmg, labels = proplost$EVTYPE, main = "Most damaging events to property")

pie(croplost$Dmg, labels = croplost$EVTYPE, main = "Most damaging events to crop")