1.5 Tropical cyclones present hazards and cause impacts Flashcards
Rank the hazards from tropical cyclones in order of their impact
High winds up to 250km/h
Intense rainfall - trillions of water per day and heavier closer to the eye of the cyclone
Storm surges - large rise in sea level
Coastal flooding - storm surges + strong winds = large waves
Landslides - heavy rain makes hills unstable causing landslides
Explain how tropical cyclone hazards impact on a. the people and b. the environment
People
Drown in strong currents created by floodwater and storm surges
Windspeeds destroy buildings - people become homeless
Large amounts of debris from high winds and floodwater can kill or injure people
Electricity cut off due to damaged cables
Flooding causes sewage overflow which contaminates water
Shortage of clean water leads to lack of sanitation which leads to diseases
In poor countries - shortage of food because crops damaged and livestock (farm animals) killed
Unemployment because businesses damaged or destroyed
Damaged roads - difficult for aid and emergency vehicles to get through
Environment
Trees uprooted due to high winds destroying animal habitats
Beaches eroded by storm surges destroying coastal habitats e.g. coral reefs
Flooding causes pollution of fresh water with salt water
Landslides deposit sediment in rivers and lakes - kills fish
Coastal flooding can damage industrial buildings causing harmful chemical leaks that cause pollution
How and where would be most vulnerable to the impacts of tropical cyclones? Explain why each of these factors would be a problem
Most vulnerable countries would be poorer developing countries e.g. India where people rely on agriculture which can be badly affected in a cyclones
Physical vulnerability - low lying coastlines and steep hillsides easily affected
Economic vulnerability - crops and animals damaged/destroyed so cannot sell crops. People may not have insurance to repair damaged homes
Social vulnerability - healthcare is poor and struggles to treat people. Harder to rescue people with lack of transport links and roads
