3.4.3 Storm Hazards - Case Studies

Question 1

Case studies for storm hazards

Answer 1

• Hurricane Katrina
• Typhoon Haiyan

Question 2

New Orleans

Answer 2

The largest city in the state of Louisiana, USA.

It is located on the South Coast, next to the Gulf of Mexico.

Question 3

When was Hurricane Katrna?

Answer 3

August 2005

Question 4

Fatalities from Hurricane Katrina

Answer 4

Around 1,500 deaths

Question 5

Damage caused by Hurricane Katrina

Answer 5

$108 billion – The costliest Hurricane on record.

Question 6

Areas affected by Hurricane Katrina

Answer 6

The Bahamas, South Florida, Cuba, Louisiana (particularly New Orleans), Mississippi and Alabama.

Question 7

Hurricane Katrina timeline

Answer 7

1) Hurricane Katrina started as a tropical depression near the Bahamas.
2) The depression intensified and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Katrina.
3) Katrina hits Florida, where is weakened.
4) Katrina then passes over the Gulf of Mexico (warm ocean) where it intensifies to category 5 strength.
5) Katrina hits New Orleans, causing huge storm surges, creates tornados and causes millions of dollars worth of damages.

Question 8

What did Obama say made Hurricane Katrina worse?

Answer 8

Obama believed human factors made the impacts of Katrina worse. – In a speech as president on the 10-year anniversary.

Question 9

Economic impacts of Hurricane Katrina

Answer 9

• 30 offshore oil platforms damaged or destroyed, and 9 refineries shut down. This reduced oil production by 25% for 6 months.
• Total cost of damage in Louisiana and Mississippi estimated at over $150 billion.
• Most major roads into and out of the city damaged as bridges collapsed.
• Forestry, port trade and grain handing severely affected.
• Hundreds of thousands of residents left unemployed. Trickle-down effect with less taxes being paid to local government.

Question 10

Social impacts of Hurricane Katrina

Answer 10

• Over a million people evacuated, displaced or made homeless.
• Overhead power lines brought down by strong winds. Water and food supplies contaminated.
• Worst-hit groups were those with no personal transport, less wealthy, non-white and vulnerable.
• Hundreds of thousands of residents left unemployed. Trickle-down effect with less taxes being paid to local government.

Question 11

Environmental impacts of Hurricane Katrina

Answer 11

• Flood waters containing sewage, heavy metals, pesticides and 24.6 million litres of oil pumped into Lake Pontchartrain.
• Overhead power lines brought down by strong winds. Water and food supplies contaminated.
• 20% of wetland lost, affecting breeding of pelicans, turtles, and fish. 16 National Wildlife refuges damaged.
• Storm surge destroyed sections of the barrier islands and Gulf beaches.
• 5,300km2 of forest and woodland destroyed.

Question 12

Factors which exacerbated the impacts of Hurricane Katrina

Answer 12

Question 13

Typhoon Haiyan

Answer 13

Typhoon Haiyan was a tropical storm that affected the Philippines in November 2013.

It was one of the strongest tropical storms ever recorded with winds of over 300km/h.

In some areas, 280mm of rainfall was recorded, most of which fell in under 12 hours.

Question 14

The role of Climate Change in the frequency and intensity of tropical storms, in particular, Typhoon Haiyan

Answer 14

It is widely believed the impacts of Typhoon Haiyan were more extreme because of climate change. Extreme sea level rise has left coastal communities were vulnerable to storm surges and increased sea level temperature increases the likelihood and intensity of tropical storms.

Question 15

The causes of Typhoon Haiyan

Answer 15

The Philippines sits in an area of deep warm ocean water (over 27°C) and has enough Coriolis Force to create rotating winds over the ocean’s surface – which are the ideal conditions for tropical storm formation.

Question 16

Economic impacts of Typhoon Haiyan

Answer 16

• Overall economic impact: $5.8bn.
• 6 million workers made unemployed.
• Main agricultural areas were destroyed, affecting international trade.
• Tacloban airport was severely damaged – affecting business and tourism.
• Fishing communities were severely affected by the storm, destroying around 30,000 boats.

Question 17

Social impacts of Typhoon Haiyan

Answer 17

• Over 7,000 deaths.
• 1.9 million people made homeless.
• Outbreaks of disease due to a lack of sanitation, food, water and shelter.
• Large levels of internal migration as people from affected areas evacuated from the danger.

Question 18

Environmental impacts of Typhoon Haiyan

Answer 18

• Widespread floods damaged and destroyed homes and businesses in coastal areas.
• An estimated 71,000 hectares of farmland was affected.
• Major roads were blocked by trees and were impassable.

Question 19

Immediate responses to Typhoon Haiyan

Answer 19

• Over 800,000 people were evacuated.
• One evacuation centre was a stadium in Tacloban. However, this was flooded, causing many deaths.
• Emergency overseas air arrived and over 1 million food packs and 250,000 litres of water were distributed within two weeks.
• Over $1.5bn of foreign aid was pledged from countries, charities and NGOs.

Question 20

Long-term responses to Typhoon Haiyan

Answer 20

• A government-run rebuilding programme focused on upgrading damaged buildings to protect them from future disasters.
• The government has set up a no-build zone along a stretch of the coastline and a storm surge warning system.
• Reforestation of mangrove trees has also been a focus as they can absorb future storm surges