Weather and Climate gateway 3 part 2 sorry

Question 1

how people react to tropical cyclones

2 and 3 sub

Answer 1

1. emergency action
2. mitigation measures (prediction and warning, land use control (coastal plain management, floodplain management) , reducing vulnerability of infrastructure)

Question 2

emergency action elab

Answer 2

-government issues weather warnings and advisories to made preparations to protect lives and properties
-people are evacuated to cyclone-proof places
(eg community cyclone shelter, India. It is built with strong concrete and raised above the ground. It is located near the homes of people and it greatly reduces the number of casualties)
-assistance from national government and governments of neighbouring countries help repair damage and provides aid to victims
-NGOs like the red cross organise and send relief teams to provide victims with basic necessities

Question 3

prediction and warning elab

Answer 3

-analysing long term climate records to establish patterns of occurrences and the severity of damage caused so that we can predict when a cyclone of a similar severity will occur
NEGATIVE
-only indicates frequency and does not give accurate details about when a future tropical cyclone will occur

-computer modelling gives predictions about the cyclone’s path and likely areas to be affected
NEGATIVE
-based on weather information worldwide but weather conditions change quickly

POSITIVE
-people are warned and evacuated in time
eg japan installed warning systems for tropical cyclones. Information on severity and necessary precaution measures were announced to the public. Tohoku earthquake, 2011, people were alerted a minute before it struck

Question 4

land use control (coastal plain management) elab

ngl this wont really work because sg is so small even toa payoh is ‘near the coast’ because were freaking tiny.

Answer 4

• areas near the coast are vulnerable to storm surges and floods
• to discourage development, developers pay higher taxes to use that land and it is used for recreational purposes like parks
• can be done by having protected zones where no development is allowed. it acts as a barrier
• successful when authorities are able to enforce them but this requires time and management for effective implementation
• some developers were there for a long time and are reluctant to move out so the government as to purchase the land to convert it into recreational areas and this is costly

Question 5

land use control (floodplain management) elab

Answer 5

-a masterplan to reduce potential flood damage-
-done by mapping out land use and implementing measures to prevent floods
-ensures that new developments in floodplains are not prone to floods to reduce the potential of flood damage
-they draw up evacuation plans so that people are able to leave a flooded area as quickly as possible
(eg brooklyn)

Question 6

reducing vulnerability of infrastructure elab

Answer 6

-to build infrastructure that is resistant to wind and water damage
(eg galvanised steel hurricane ties nailed to the roof to prevent it from being blown off due to strong winds)
-secondary water resistance to roofs of houses to prevent it from leaking if the room is blown off.
(eg Florida. Government employed specialised companies to improve the design of the roofs and the openings of houses. Houses of most citizens suffered only minor damage from Hurricane Wilma in 2005)
-protective barriers need to be regularly inspected (eg river embankments and coastal dikes) due to continuous erosion by river waters and coastal waves, and repairing damage is costly
-levees and dikes are easily destroyed and maintenance is costly. If the rain is torrential, the aggressive force of the water may break levees and can result in catastrophic damage
(eg Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Levees and floodwalls fell in more than 50 locations and flooded 80% of the city. The flooding causes power outages and transportation features, making emergency response even more difficult