9.Hurricane Sandy 2012 Flashcards
Overview
Swept ashore on the New Jersey coastline
Windspeeds of 100mph and reached category 3
Storm merged with a weather system which transformed it into an extra tropical storm, powerful storm system as hurricane lost structure but retained intense winds
Primary effects
286 people killed, 147 direct deaths
Jamaica: 70% of pop left without electricity, and in Haiti 200,000 were left homeless. Cuba, extensive flooding 15,000 homes destroyed
Strong winds, rain and storm surges Brough devastation to north-east America
Approx. 10m of beach lost in NJ, exposed coast to further erosion
Secondary effects
USA’s 2nd most costly hurricane. $75billion in damages. NYC economic losses $18billion
18,000 flights cancelled, disruptions in business, tourism and trade
Washington DC, supermarkets ran out of essentials such as bottled water. Untreated sewage washed into drinking water
Storm hit 1 week before election. Led to debates about climate change
Risk and vulnerability
Jamaica and Cuba experience frequent hurricanes and were still recovering from Hurricane Matthew
USA had high GDP and was affected by Hurricane Irene 1 year earlier, most parts had recovered tho
Short term responses
Provision of food, water and shelter for those whose homes had been damaged or destroyed
The UN and World Food programme sent relief supplies for 500,000 people in Cuba
In USA power companies gradually restored electricity
NYC, government provided emergency supplies of petrol
All countries had experiences of storms so knew what to expect
Long term responses
Money raised for victims, live concert raised over $20 million
Jan 2013 US government approved a relief aid package worth over $50 billion to aid recovery
Rebuilding of communities continued in form of rebuilding payments
30,000 residents of NYC and NJ remained displaced
Stricter building regulations introduced
