1b.3 DM - Case Studies

Question 1

What were the environmental impacts of Hurricane Harvey?

Answer 1

Know some of these:

Low-lying land with deltas
Chemical spill from a pipeline contaminated flood waters
Stagnant water carried West Nile virus
Alligators in people's houses.
Damage to swamp on the coastline

Question 2

What were the social impacts of Hurricane Harvey?

Answer 2

107 deaths – 103 in Texas, mainly flooding
1,000 homes destroyed, 17,000 with major damage
30,000 displaced

Question 3

What were the economic impacts of Hurricane Harvey?

Answer 3

$125 billion of damage
Oil refinery closed – fuel shortage, 10% drop in oil production
Cotton fields damaged, harvest ruined
Insurance bill of $10bn

Question 4

What were the environmental impacts of Typhoon Haiyan?

Answer 4

7m high waves – 4m storm surge
71,000ha of farmland ruined
Oil spill – mangrove ecosystems damaged
Major roads blocked by trees

Question 5

What were the social impacts of Typhoon Haiyan?

Answer 5

7,000 dead
1.9 million people homeless
6 million people displaced
Government devastated – 70 workers out of 2,500
Widespread looting by escaped prisoners

Question 6

What were the economic impacts of Typhoon Haiyan?

Answer 6

$5.8 billion of damage
6million workers lost income
Rice, corn and sugar-production destroyed
Tacloban City Airport flooded – planes couldn’t land
Fishing communities – 30,000 lost boats

Question 7

What were some of the short-term responses to Hurricane Harvey (USA)?

Answer 7

Charity response, e.g. American RedCross
Commercial planes used to evacuate and bring in supplies
Local companies provided meals for volunteers and victim
Singapore shared Chinook helicopters, Israel sent $1m, Mexico sent volunteers rescuers, and Venezuela provided $5m

Question 8

What were some of the long-term responses to Hurricane Harvey (USA)?

Answer 8

Federal Government provided $15bn – for flood insurance, low-interest rebuilding loans, hotel room costs,

Question 9

What were some of the short-term responses to Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines?

Answer 9

Emergency aid from charities – repairing fishing boats and distributing rice seeds
£480m was raised by an international UN Appeal
Taiwan mobilised 31,000 workers to clear debris and ‘OpenStreetMap’ the Philippines

Question 10

What were some of the long-term responses to Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines?

Answer 10

International Charter on Space and Major Disasters – provided maximum satellite coverage to aid relief organisations
UK (DHL) provided portable toilets, hygiene supplies and Psychological First Aid