Weather and climate (hazards associated with tropical cyclones)

Question 1

hazards associated with tropical cyclones?

Answer 1

• —> storm surges
• —> strong winds
• —> torrential rain

Question 2

What are storm surges

Answer 2

—-> sudden rise of sea level in which water is piled up against a coastline beyond the normal conditions at high tide

cause:

• —> combination of low air pressure and strong winds
• —> when cyclone forms over warm ocean waters, intense low pressure in eye of cyclone cause sea level to rise
• —> strong winds push water toward coast and create huge waves

Question 3

storm surges examples

Answer 3

• —> 2008
• —> Hurricane Ike
• —> storm surge of btw 4 to 6 m above normal tide levels in Texas
• —> estimated property damage: US$24.9 billion

Question 4

strong winds

Answer 4

• —> destroy infrastructure
• —> injure ppl
• —> cause loose debris to fly and hit ppl/buildings

Question 5

strong winds example

Answer 5

• —> 1992
• —> Hurricane Andrew
• —> attained strong wind speeds of up to 177km/h
• —> caused widespread damage to Bahamas and various parts of USA
• —> damage to infrastructure disrupted power supply
• —> left 150000 homes w/o electricity

Question 6

Torrential rain

Answer 6

—-> cyclones produce large amounts of rainfall that cause inland flooding

heavy and sudden rainfall results in:

• —> addition to flow of water in rivers and streams, causing them to overflow
• —> destabilise slopes
• —> excess water in soil causes landslides
• —> landslides crush buildings

Question 7

torrential rain examples

Answer 7

• —> 2003
• —> hurricane Isabel
• —> flooded across the state of Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC in USA
• —> affected area 120 times SG
• —> damage of more than US$2.23 billion