Associated Tropical Storm Hazrds

Question 1

Storm surge

Answer 1

. An abnormal rise in sea level that occurs during tropical storm
. The strong winds produced push the water into shore, which can lead to flooding
. Formed when low pressure at the center of a storm lifts the water level up, and in addition with high winds, pushes the seawater towards the coast

Question 2

Factors that make storm surges worse

Answer 2

. Low air pressure, not enough force to push water down
. Ability to funnel through areas - increases the areas which storm surges can affect
. In smaller more compact areas the storm surge pressure increases gaining force behind it - like a tube of toothpaste

Question 3

Areas at risk of storm surges

Answer 3

. Coastal areas
. Warmer areas 
. More severe tropical storms
. Enclosed areas due to funnelling 
. River mouths as the water combines to flood more severely

Question 4

Example of storm surge

Answer 4

. Hurricane Katrina
. Storm surge flooding of 25 to 28ft above normal tide levels
. Led to widespread flooding, including almost all of New Orleans where sea defences couldn’t cope
. Shallow depth of the offshore shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. And bay like shoreline shape contributed to high surge
. 80% of city was flooded
. Storm surge caused substantial beach erosion

Question 5

Rainfall

Answer 5

Areas has more saturated ground so flooding increases

Question 6

High winds

Answer 6

. As air rises it cools, condenses and forms clouds, rapidly rising air creates an area of intense low pressure
. Factors effecting it - warmer water, low pressure, weak infrastructure
. Hurricane Katrina 125mph

Question 7

Landslides

Answer 7

. Factors - steeper slopes, amount of rain, ground saturation, deforestation
. Earl Mexico (august 2016) - 6 died, homes were buried
. Hurricane Maria in Porto Rico (September 2017) - triggered more than 400,000 landslides
. A collapse of a mass of earth or rock from a mountain or cliff caused by rain, earthquakes, volcanoes that make the slope unstable
. Occur because of gravity, saturation, changes in water level
. Slope movement occurs when forces acting down slope (mainly due to gravity) exceeds the strength of the materials that compose the slope
. At risk - lower levels of vegetation, course soil, mountainous areas