Storm Hazards

Question 1

Where do tropical storms occur (why)? On which sides of continents do they make landfall and why? - Storm Hazards

Answer 1

Tropical storms occur between 5 and 20° North and South of the Equator as this is where the spinning of the Earth allows the Coriolis Effect to occur.
Storms make landfall on the Eastern side of continents due to the earth’s rotations.

Question 2

What is the average % increase in a storm’s energy over the last 30 years? What May this be linked to? - Storm Hazards

Answer 2

Storms have seen an average of a 70% increase in their energy in the last 30 years.

Question 3

In what period in the year do tropical storms occur? - Storm Hazards

Answer 3

Tropical storms generally occur in late summer/autumn, when ocean temperatures are at their highest.

Question 4

Which direction do storms spin in both north and south of the equator? - Storm Hazards

Answer 4

North: spin anti-clockwise
South: spin clockwise

Question 5

What conditions are needed for the formation of tropical storms? - Storm Hazards

Answer 5

Storms can only form when the ocean temperatures exceed 27°C to allow moisture to evaporate, the Coriolis effect is significant enough to allow the storm to spin and when the pressure system is very low.

Question 6

What are the features of tropical storms? (Shape, size, length of time, spin, wind speed) - Storm Hazards

Answer 6

Tropical storms are circular in shape, hundreds of km wide, last for 7-14 days, rotate clockwise South of the equator and anti-clockwise North of it and have speeds above 74 mph.

Question 7

Describe the process of the formation of tropical storms - Storm Hazards

Answer 7

Tropical storms form when warm, moist air rises to create a low pressure environment and cause winds to converge upon the area. The moist air cools and condenses into cumulonimbus clouds, while the Coriolis effect causes the storm to spin. Movement over the ocean provides the storm with energy, and the storm loses energy as it passes over land.

Question 8

What is the relevance of latent heat to the energy of a storm? - Storm Hazards

Answer 8

Latent heat is relevant to the energy of a tropical storm as when condensation occurs, latent heat is released, providing even greater energy for the storm.

Question 9

What is the Saffir-Simpson scale? What does it measure? - Storm Hazards

Answer 9

The Saffir-Simpson scale is a scale of 5 categories of storm which measure the speed of wind and corresponding damage caused by a storm.

Question 10

How do tropical storms generate high wind speeds? What are impacts of a storm caused by high wind speed? - Storm Hazards

Answer 10

Tropical storms create areas of intense low pressure as warm air rises, leading to air being sucked in from surrounding areas at high speed as wind.
High wind speeds lead to uprooted trees, building damage, debris and fires.

Question 11

How do tropical storms lead to heavy rainfall? How may this be exacerbated by mountainous regions? - Storm Hazards

Answer 11

Tropical storms can result in heavy rainfall as cumulonimbus clouds generated by intense low pressure eventually lead to precipitation. This can create torrential rain and flooding. Mountainous regions may lead to heavier rainfall during tropical storms when these storms combine with relief rainfall.

Question 12

What are storm surges? What are they contributed to by? - Storm Hazards

Answer 12

Storm surges are changes in the sea level caused by a storm. This is mainly caused when sea water is pushed towards the coast by high winds (with waves therefore piling up). Low air pressures also cause a slight uplift in the water level by raising these up.

Question 13

What do storm surges lead to? - Storm Hazards

Answer 13

Storm surges contribute to and exacerbate existing flooding, causing widespread devastation to agricultural land and urban areas, with this able to damage harvests and lead to drownings.

Question 14

How do tropical storms contribute to river flooding? - Storm Hazards

Answer 14

Rapid and intense downpours created by cumulonimbus clouds during tropical storms can overwhelm river capacity and lead to a significant increase in river discharge. This eventually causes a river to burst its banks.

Question 15

How do tropical storms result in landslides? - Storm Hazards

Answer 15

Water from heavy rainfall can lubricate soils and cause the destabilising of land, leading to the rapid movement of these soils downhill under the influence of gravity.

Question 16

What are social impacts of tropical storms? (Primary and secondary) - Storm Hazards

Answer 16

Primary - people are killed by drowning and debris.
Secondary - people are left homeless when houses are destroyed, disease spreads due to a lack of clean water, electricity is cut off.

Question 17

What are economic impacts of tropical storms? (Secondary) - Storm Hazards

Answer 17

Secondary - buildings and infrastructure repairs cost large amounts, development limited by cost of rebuilding, businesses unable to trade due to damage.

Question 18

What are environmental impacts from tropical storms? (Primary and secondary) - Storm Hazards

Answer 18

Primary - beaches eroded and coastal habitats are damaged, land is polluted by saltwater and oil/chemical spills.
Secondary - commercial farming is damaged by harm to agricultural land, flooding causes sewage to overflow.

Question 19

How can preparation for tropical storms help to manage them? - Storm Hazards

Answer 19

Satellite imagery can be used to track the development and approach of a storm, HICs make use of monitoring systems to coordinate responses, evacuation routes can be set up to save lives.

Question 20

What experimental methods can be used to prevent tropical storms? - Storm Hazards

Answer 20

‘Cloud seeding’ can be used by injecting dust or particles into the atmosphere to encourage rainfall over the ocean rather than the land to weaken it. This therefore prevents them from occurring where impacts will be worst, but is not seriously used.

Question 21

How can adaptation and the altering of behaviours be used to manage tropical storms? - Storm Hazards

Answer 21

Land zoning can be used to place lower value land uses near the coast and relocate residential land to higher altitudes, property can be adapted such as through housing on stilts or amphibious housing, stronger houses can be built to resist damage from tropical storms.

Question 22

How can structural changes be made to mitigate the impacts of tropical storms? - Storm Hazards

Answer 22

Hard and soft engineering can be used to protect coastal communities from flood risk. This involves the planting of mangroves or hard structures being built.

Question 23

How can disaster aid be utilised to mitigate the impacts of tropical storms? - Storm Hazards

Answer 23

Immediate relief can be utilised, making use of search and rescue teams, food supplies, water, medicines and shelter. Furthermore, long-term aid can be delivered to improve infrastructure and rebuild medical/sanitation provisions.

Question 24

When did Hurricane Katrina occur? What category of storm was this and what was its maximum wind speed? - Storm Hazards

Answer 24

Hurricane Katrina occurred in August 2005. This was a 3/4/5 Category storm, reaching speeds of 200 mph.

Question 25

How many people were killed by Hurricane Katrina? How many people were displaced? - Storm Hazards

Answer 25

1836 people were killed by Hurricane Katrina, while 800,000 people were displaced.

Question 26

What was the cost of property damage caused by Hurricane Katrina? - Storm Hazards

Answer 26

$81bn of property damage was caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Question 27

What % of New Orleans was flooded in Hurricane Katrina? What % of houses were flooded? - Storm Hazards

Answer 27

80% of New Orleans was flooded in Hurricane Katrina, with 60% of houses flooded.

Question 28

What height was the storm surge caused by Hurricane Katrina? - Storm Hazards

Answer 28

Hurricane Katrina caused a 10m storm surge.

Question 29

What secondary social, economic and environmental impacts were there from Hurricane Katrina? - Storm Hazards

Answer 29

Social: houses were ransacked, racial tensions and inequality exposed by impacts.
Economic: loss of earnings and creation of unemployment, $81bn cost of damage.
Environmental: oil refineries and rigs were damaged, 16 wildlife refuges closed due to damage.

Question 30

What attempts at mitigation were there prior to Hurricane Katrina making landfall? - Storm Hazards

Answer 30

The storm was predicted and tracked to allow a response to be prepared. A mandatory evacuation was ordered and a state of emergency was declared by Bush 2 days prior to landfall.

Question 31

What aid was provided to assist the recovery from Hurricane Katrina? - Storm Hazards

Answer 31

$60bn of federal funds was assigned for the recovery effort, Kuwait gave $500m worth of aid, India sent basic supplies, 275 shelters were set up by the American Red Cross.

Question 32

What long-term responses were there to Hurricane Katrina? - Storm Hazards

Answer 32

Flood defences were rebuilt, 10,000 homes leased to displaced families, funding provided for environmental cleanup operations, many permanently left New Orleans, oil and gas refineries were repaired.

Question 33

When did Typhoon Haiyian take place? What category of storm was this and what wind speeds did this reach? - Storm Hazards

Answer 33

Typhoon Haiyan took place in November 2013, being a category 5 storm with 300km/h wind speeds.

Question 34

How many people were killed by Typhoon Haiyan? How many were missing? How many were made homeless? - Storm Hazards

Answer 34

Typhoon Haiyan killed 6000 people and left 1000 missing. 2 million people ended up homeless.

Question 35

What primary impacts occurred from Typhoon Haiyan? - Storm Hazards

Answer 35

Tacloban airport was destroyed, communication and power lines were felled, a 5m storm surge hit the Philippines, local ecosystems were hit by sewage and oil leaks, rice and coconut crops were destroyed, harming exports.

Question 36

What were secondary impacts from Typhoon Haiyan? - Storm Hazards

Answer 36

Major cost of recovery and rebuilding, looting took place in Tacloban, fishing equipment was damaged to harm food supplies, landslides and flooding blocked roads and restricted aid provision, farming land was devastated.

Question 37

What was the total cost of damage caused by Typhoon Haiyan? - Storm Hazards

Answer 37

Typhoon Haiyan’s damage cost $2.1bn

Question 38

What were short-term responses to Typhoon Haiyan? - Storm Hazards

Answer 38

A state of national calamity was declared in the Philippines, WHO medical aid ensured that cholera and dysentery remained isolated, Tacloban Airport was rebuilt to aid the relief effort.

Question 39

How much money did the UN donate in emergency funds to help the recovery after Typhoon Haiyan? How many tonnes of aid did the UK supply? - Storm Hazards

Answer 39

The UN donated $25m in emergency funds, while the UK donated 200,000 tonnes of aid.

Question 40

What involvement did NGOs have in the long-term responses to Typhoon Haiyan? - Storm Hazards

Answer 40

The Red Cross was involved in rebuilding efforts through cash for work schemes, Oxfam provided grants to repair and buy boats to aid fishing industries, Save the Children built tented schools to continue education.

Question 41

What long-term responses were there to Typhoon Haiyan? - Storm Hazards

Answer 41

Mangroves were planted along the coast to diminish the risk of a storm surge, the UN Development Programme worked with government to improve disaster management policies, cash for work schemes were organised to coordinate relief efforts, fishing industries were supported.