Hazards Case Studies Flashcards
(6 cards)
Typhoon Haiyan (2013)- tropical storm in LIC
Considered a ‘super storm’ at category 5 which hit the Philippines on 8th November 2013. Storm originated in North West Pacific and became 1 of the most powerful seen with wind speeds 195mph.
- Effects: primary: roughly 6500 people killed. Many drowned during storm surge. 90% of city of Tacloban destroyed. Over 600,000 people displaced and 40,000 homes destroyed. 30,000 fishing boats destroyed & crops destroyed too. Secondary: 14 million people affected. 6 million lost source of income. No electricity for over a month in areas. Shortages of fresh water, food and shelter caused outbreak of disease.
- Responses: long term: “cash 4 work” programme set up. AID agencies supported replacement of fishing boats. Short term:1200 evacuation centres set up for homeless. Uk government sent shelter kits. Philippines Red Cross delivered food aid.
Australian wildfires (2019-20)
An area bigger than England, fires of up to 40km in areas. Sky turned from orange-red- pitch black & smoky before fires took place. Happened after 2 years of droughts and a summer of intense heats of 40 degrees.
- Effects: At least 33 people died. Kangaroos jumped into water. 85 homes destroyed. Visibility of only 2m. Destroyed many acres of land.
- Responses: Nearly 1/2 a country needed response. Volunteer firefighters has to help out due to scale of disaster and a trained firefighter died.
The phillippines
Group of 700 islands in South China Sea in south- east Asia. Vulnerable population of 98 million people at risk of a variety of hazards. GDP in Phillippines is only $3000/yr. Area experiences a wide range of hazards (as a multi-hazardous area). There have been over 150 events since 1900!
- Impact: pressure created many faults where earthquakes occurred killing over 9500 people and led to global atmosphere cooling.
- Responses: Disaster risk management (DRM) plan services for distaste info, mitigation & management, including the climate experiment project, nationwide operational assessment of hazards (NOAH).
Eyjafallakollu Eruption (2010)
Icelandic eruption on mid-Atlantic ridge (North American/ Eurasian plates moving apart at 2.5cm per year). Eruption from 14th-20th April in 2010.
- Effects: 250 million cubic metres of ash & tephra emitted into the atmosphere. 95000 cancelled flights during a 6-day closure period. £1.1 billion losses from airline industry. 30,000 tonnes of CO2 released each day.
- Responses: 700 people evacuated by Red Cross volunteers. 27 previous national airspace’s replaced of EU replaced by 9 functional airspace blocks to make controlling EU airspace’s similar. Road embankments constructed within weeks.
Nepal Earthquake (April 2015)
Magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale with depth of 15km. Located on outside of Kathmandu, caused by a release of pressure at the Indian/ Eurasian plates with both plates being continental.
- Effects: primary: 8362 people killed immediately, landslides killed 2500 people and 7000 schools destroyed. Secondary: 2.8 million homeless. 72% reduction in tourists. Will take a decade to recover financially.
- Responses: short term: funeral piers set up to dispose of the dead. Oxfam provided clean water to over 400,000 people. Islamic relief provided 2500 meals to families. Long term: medical teams active in educating people of how to respond in the future. Oxfam “cash for work” programme.
Hurricane Sandy (2012)
Landed in NYC/HIC as a highly-hazardous storm.
- Effects: Primary: worst rainfall in century-which meant widespread flooding. $60 billion damage & death toll of 111. Secondary: $18 billion financial losses. NYC marathon cancelled. Stock exchange closed for 2 days.
- Responses: short term: Red Cross sheltered 11000 people & donated 7 million relief items. Empty hotels sheltered the homeless. Long term: stricter, new building codes and electricity is now supplied.
