Hazards Case Studies

Question 1

Multi hazard environments

Answer 1

California

Question 2

What is cali susceptible to

Answer 2

Mainly floods, eq and wildfires

Question 3

Eathquakes in California

Answer 3

Averages over 10000 earthquakes per year with a magnitude of 4 or over happening every 5 days

Question 4

Cost of earthquakes to California

Answer 4

Earthquakes cost California roughly £20 billion every 2 years
The biggest in recent times being - puente hills fault = £60 billion
San Andreas fault = 54 billion

Question 5

Wildfires in California

Answer 5

Annually 0.1% of all land in California has been lost to wildfires

Question 6

2020 wildfire season in Cali

Answer 6

4.5 million acres of land was lost to wildfires in this season alone ( 8100 wildfires )

Question 7

Cost of wildfires to California

Answer 7

In 2023 wildfires cost California around 400 million dollars- this has risen from only 25 million in 2019

Question 8

Floods in California

Answer 8

Floods aren’t extremely common in California however they have risen by 30-35% in recent years

Question 9

Flood costs

Answer 9

There is no exact figure for costs however it is seen to of cost Cali 2-3 billion in management schemes

Question 10

Earthquake case study

Answer 10

Kobe Japan 1995

Question 11

Primary impacts (Kobe)

Answer 11

5000 deaths, 300000 left homeless, 102,000 buildings destroyed, £ 95 billion cost to rebuild

Question 12

Secondary impacts (Kobe)

Answer 12

The centre of love was liquidified causing buildings to sink, coasts and docks destroyed limiting trade into Kobe

Question 13

Successful responses (Kobe)

Answer 13

Water, electricity and gas where working within a month
Within a year 80% of the port was fully functional
New laws to make buildings more earthquake proof

Question 14

How the political character effected the impacts (Kobe)

Answer 14

There was rapid government response
Policies put in place to enhance eq resilience
Refused aid from other countries

Question 15

How the social character affected the impact of the event (Kobe)

Answer 15

There was a strong sense of community in Kobe as residents would help each other physically and mentally helping with grief and trauma
Many schools destroyed causing challenges to education

Question 16

How the economic character effected the impact of the event (Kobe)

Answer 16

Stopped lots of business as Kobe is a major port city - there was a decrease in the movement of goods
Huge loss of jobs due to factories and businesses destroyed

Question 17

Wildfire case study

Answer 17

California 2020

Question 18

Primary impacts

Answer 18

86 days of lightening, 1.1 million acres of land lost, 935 buildings destroyed

Question 19

Secondary impacts

Answer 19

Loss of life stock, decrease in the quality of air, mental health issues such as stress

Question 20

Responses

Answer 20

There was little response due to it being during Covid-19 which caused health services to already be under pressure
- little impact on education as kids where home schooled
- future education of residents limiting the costs of future fires

Question 21

Volcano case study
1995-1999

Answer 21

Montserrat

Question 22

Primary impacts (Montserrat )

Answer 22

32 deaths, 2/3 of the population evacuated the island, 17 nearby villages destroyed, huge pyroclastic flows destroying 10 villages alone burial of the capital (Plymouth)

Question 23

Secondary impacts (Montserrat)

Answer 23

2 of the main industries destroyed, riots as people thought the Uk weren’t doing enough to help , limited water supplies due to the chemicals infusing the water

Question 24

Responses (Montserrat)

Answer 24

No political impact as the island is a UK overseas territory, the Uk gave £41 million to help, MVO obersvatory set up to watch future activity