2.3 Tropical Cyclones - Case Study: Hurricane Sandy in USA (Paper 1) Flashcards
<p>When did Hurricane Sandy occur?</p>
<p>Hurricane Sandy occurred in October 2012</p>
<p>What were the <strong>Social Impacts</strong> of <strong>Hurricane Sandy</strong> on the <strong>USA</strong>?</p>
`
<ul>
<li>117 people were killed</li>
<li>Roughly 9 million homes had power cuts</li>
<li>650,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in the USA</li>
<li>250,500 cars were destroyed by floodwater</li>
<li>The streets of New York were flooded, as was the Subway</li>
</ul>
<p>What were the <strong>EconomicalImpacts</strong> of<strong> Hurricane Sandy</strong> on the <strong>USA</strong>?</p>
<ul>
<li>Insurance claims in New Jersey totalled US$3.3 billion</li>
<li>US$1.1 billion was spent on repairing the damage to sewage and water pipes in New Jersey and New York</li>
<li>The damage cost in New York totalled US$19 billion</li>
</ul>
<p>What were the <strong>Environmental Impacts</strong> of<strong> Hurricane Sandy</strong> on the <strong>USA</strong>?</p>
<ul>
<li>The storm surge meant that seawater got into freshwater habitats, which had severe impacts on wildlife from Delaware Bay to Long Island Sound</li>
<li>Approximately 1.5 billion litres of sewage was released into the Raritan River in New Jersey</li>
<li>Around 90 per cent of beaches in New York and New Jersey were damaged: on average the beaches were 9-12mm narrower after the hurricane</li>
<li>1.5 million litres of oil were spilt into Arthur Kill (the stretch of water between New Jersey and Staten Island, New York), damaging wildlife habitats and killing fish and birds</li>
</ul>
<p>Whatwere the <strong>individual responses</strong> to <strong>Hurricane Sandy </strong>in the <strong>USA</strong>?</p>
<ul>
<li>After the Hurricane, people moved in with relatives and used shelters</li>
<li>People rebuilt their homes bu used builders rather than doing it themselves</li>
<li>Americans have home insurance but those affected also received aid from the government and other organisations</li>
</ul>
<p>Whatwere the <strong>Organisation responses</strong> to <strong>Hurricane Sandy </strong>in the <strong>USA</strong>?</p>
<ul>
<li>Hurricane Sandy caused extensive erosion to the Delaware Bay beaches, which has an impact on the breeding grounds of horseshoe crabs. The Canadian Rivers Institue worked with several other NGOs and public agencies to restore these beaches by clearing rubble and replenishing sand to provide a nesting area for horseshoe crabs</li>
<li>The Red Cross had 17,000 trained workers, 90 per cent of the volunteers, providing over 3000 response vehicles, 74,000 overnight stays, and 17 million meals and snacks, among other aid</li>
<li>AmeriCares, an American charity, responded quickly by sending teams of relief workers to hard-hit areas, sending aid shipments, providing funding and deploying a mobile medical clinic. In the two years following Hurricane Sandy, AmeriCares has provided US$7.1 million in aid benefiting 450,000 people</li>
</ul>
<p>What were the <strong>Government responses</strong> to <strong>Hurricane Sandy</strong> in the <strong>USA</strong>?</p>
<ul>
<li>The US government approved US$60.3 billion in aid to the victims of Hurricane Sandy</li>
<li>The government promised that there would be improved weather forecasting, especially of storm surges</li>
<li>FEMA teams and resources were put in place to help people even before the hurricane had caused any problems. They were on hand to offer any help that was needed</li>
<li>FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers worked with state and local governments to quickly reopen most of the beaches in New Jersey</li>
<li>The department of Agriculture promised US$6.2 million ofemergency food assistance, infrastructure and economic programmes to help repair farmland and flood plains</li>
</ul>
