EQ2 - 1.6 The Impacts Of Tropical Cyclones Are Linked To A Country's Ability To Prepare And Respond To Them Flashcards
What can happen in an aftermath of a tropical cyclone?
- Government agencies deliver shelter/food and water..
- Bodies become disposed in mass graves.
- Emergency services rescue people and check the safety of buildings.
- Roads and infrastructure repaired shortly after the disaster.
How can we prepare for a tropical cyclone?
- Hurricane forecasting - GIS.
- Satellite tracking.
- Building design of the house - cba.
- Flood levees.
- Hurricane warning of how large the hurricane may be.
How do the hazards from a tropical cyclone affect people in a developed country - USA, Hurricane Katrina?
- 1800+ people killed.
- 300,000+ houses were destroyed leaving 100,000’s homeless.
- 3,000,000 people were left without electricity.
- Roads damaged, bridges collapsed.
- 230,000 + jobs were lost from damaged business.
How do the hazards from a tropical cyclone affect people in a developing country - Myanmar, Cyclone Nargis?
- 140,000 + people killed.
- 450,000 + houses were destroyed and 350,000 + were damaged.
- Approx 65% of rice paddies in the Irrawaddy Delta were damaged, which led to a loss of livelihoods.
- Many people suffered from diseases due to poor sanitary conditions and contaminated water.
Characteristics of Hurricane Katrina, USA.
- Category 3 at landfall.
- South East USA.
- 29th August 2005.
Characteristics of Cyclone Nargis, Myanmar.
- Category 4 at landfall.
- Irrawaddy Delta, Myanmar.
- 2nd May 2008.
How do the hazards from a tropical cyclone affect the environment in a developed country - Hurricane Katrina, USA?
- Coastal habitat such as sea turtle breeding beaches were damaged.
- Some coastal conservation areas were destroyed.
- Flooding damaged oil refineries in Louisiana, causing massive oil spills.
How do the hazards from a tropical cyclone affect the environment in a developing country - Cyclone Nargis, Myanmar?
- Irrawaddy Delta was the hardest hit area - large proportion of it is just above sea level and 14,000KM2 of land was flooded.
- 38,000 + hectares of mangrove forests were destroyed.
- Flooding caused erosion and salivation (increased salt content) of the land.
What did the USA do in forecasting terms of preparation for Hurricane Katrina?
- Sophisticated monitoring system to predict if and where a hurricane will hit.
- National Hurricane Centre (NHC) tracks and predicts using satellite images and planes getting data of the weather.
How did the USA warn and evacuate the people in the area of Hurricane Katrina?
- NHC issued a hurricane warning on 26th August for Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama whilst continuing to track and tell the government where it would hit.
- 70% - 80% of New Orleans residents were evacuated before the storm reached land decreasing the number of deaths.
What defences did the USA have in place before Hurricane Katrina?
- There was embankments in place that had failed.
- This caused 80% of the city underwater.
What did Myanmar do in forecasting terms of preparation for Cyclone Nargis?
- Didn’t have a dedicated monitoring centre for tropical cyclones.
- Didn’t have a radar network that can predict the height of storm surges.
How did Myanmar warn and evacuate the people in the area of Cyclone Nargis?
- India weather agencies warned the government of Myanmar that Cyclone Nargis was likely to hit the country 48 hours before.
- Warnings were only issued on TV and radio so poorer rural areas couldn’t reach the info in time meaning more people were killed.
- No emergency preparation plans, evacuation plans and the country didn’t have an early warning system.
What defences did Myanmar have in place before Cyclone Nargis hit?
- Mangrove forests protect the coast from flooding.
- However, loads had been chopped down in the previous decade so natural defence was decreased.
