Primary + Secondary Impacts

Question 1

Formation of cyclone nagis

Answer 1

• formed in the Bay of Bengal due to combination of warm ocean temperatures + low pressure system = eventually intensifying into a cat 4 hurricane
• made landfall on the coast of Myanmar on 2 May 2008 + died out by 3 May , causing devastation on the Irrawaddy delta due to strong winds, storm surge + heavy rainfall

Question 2

Primary impacts of cyclone nagis

Answer 2

• wind speed up to 165 km/h for 3 minutes + over 215 km/h for 1 min, peak air pressure 962 millibars = 75% of buildings in La butta (Burma) collapsed + 20% had their roofs ripped off
• Storm surge of 7.6m = tropical cyclone generates a large area of low presssure, which raises sea levels. Combined with the storm’s high winds, this results in a powerful surge of water being driven towards the coast
• combination of intense rainfall + storm surges places coastal regions at high risk of flooding, and in Burma floodwaters penetrated an estimated 40-50km inland from coast = destroyed farmland, livestock + fisheries

Question 3

secondary impacts SOCIAL

Answer 3

• estimated by the UN that 1.5 million people were severely affected by cyclone nargis
• Irrawaddy delta is home to 7 million people of Burma’s 53 million population - 2 million inhabitants live on land 5m above sea, with the Irrawaddy delta being very low lying in particular = extremely vulnerable
• 15 townships in Irrawaddy suffered the most, with seven of these townships lost 90-95% of housing + 70% of pop died
- 80,000 deaths in labutta + 10,000 in bogale

Question 4

secondary impacts ECONOMIC

Answer 4

• Agricultural loss to the delta = considered Burma’s rice bowl —> 2008-09 harvest destroyed as rice fields were flooded, costs increased by 50%
  • estimated cost of $10 billion to rebuild affected area

Question 5

Response to disaster

Answer 5

• according to aid agencies trying to get into Burma, up to 1 million people could have died from the cyclone due to lack of relief
• initially declined international aid + then asked for aid on the 6 May but only accepted it from India + refused to give visas to to many organisations trying to deliver aid
• Indian meteorologists had warned Burma of cyclone nagis 48 hours before it hit the coast but the govt provided no warning
• more than a week after the disaster only 1 out of 10 people who were homeless, injured or threatened by disease + hunger had received aid

Question 6

Tornados in Indiana

Answer 6

• Indiana considered to be ‘tornado valley’ = path across the plains
• March-June is tornado season = historically most destructive ones strike in March + April
• e.g. 1990 37 tornados hit 31 counties

Question 7

Primary impacts of tornados in Indiana

Answer 7

• March 1925 = tri-state tornado travelled 352 km on the ground from Missouri to Indiana + nearly 700 people died
• April 1965 = 11 tornados struck 20 counties in Indiana = killed 137 people
• 3-4 April 1974 = ‘Super Outbreak’ = 148 tornadoes hit 13 states including Indians = path of destruction covered 4000 km + more than 300 people died + 5000 injured

Question 8

Secondary impacts of tornadoes in Indiana

Answer 8

• March 1925 = tri-state tornado = the town griffin lost 150 homes + 85 farms were devastated, half of Princeton was destroyed = losses totalling $2 mil
• April 1965 = 11 tornados caused property damage worth $30 million = Indiana’s worst tornado disaster
• 3-4 April 1974 = ‘Super Outbreak’ = seven of tornados produced damage rated F5 (maximum possible) + 23 were rated F4