5.4 Tropical Revolving Storm Case Study Flashcards
(9 cards)
Outline Hurricane Katrina USA (date, characteristics, etc)
1st developed - 23 August 2005
Category 3
Wind speed - 200km/h
Rainfall = 200-250mm
Storm surge - 8.5m high
5th most intense Atlantic basin
Hit Mississippi & Louisiana coasts
Outline the impacts of Hurricane Katrina
- Louisiana Superdrome with supplies - 26,000 ppl for 3 days
- Power/H2O supplies broken - 5 mil no power
- > 1mil became refugees
- 80% New Orleans deluged by floodwater
- > 1836 killed
- Economic damage $300bn
Outline the Short-term responses for Hurricane Katrina
‘Search and rescue’ New Orleans - 33,500/60,000 saved by Coast Guards
Infrastructures for food, water & med care
Outline the long term response for Hurricane Katrina
US Senate - bill assigned - $10.5bn aid
Buildings rebuilt & repairs of levees to prevent future breaching
FEMA - >700,000 housing & hotel costs 12,000 people
President Bush criticised for being slow
Outline Cyclone Nargis (date, location, characteristics)
Formed 27 April 2008
From Bay of Bengal to Burma (Myanmar)
Category 3-4
Wind speed - 215km/h
600mm rainfall
Outline the impacts of Cyclone Nargis
5 coastal regions declared disaster zones
140,000 dead
2.5 mil homeless (95% all homes destroyed in Irrawaddy delta)
600,000 ha lost (60% farming implements lost)
Damage cost - US$4bn
Outline the poor warning system for Cyclone Nargis
Indian weather agencies (TV/radio) warned 48hrs before landfall but no mention of intensity or how to evacuate
Outline the short term responses to Cyclone Nargis
‘Search & rescue’ by locals
Foreign governments took days to help ‘fear of invasion’ (Burmese military) - No aid workers until 19th May
No evacuation/emergency plans
Outline the long term responses to Cyclone Nargis
Very slow & piecemeal
Government overwhelmed by task scale - local community help themselves
