weather & climate (responses to cyclones)

Question 1

responses to cyclones?

Answer 1

• —> emergency action
• —> prediction & warning
• —> land use control
• —> floodplain management
• —> reducing vulnerability of infrasatructure

Question 2

emergency action (evacuation)

Answer 2

it involves taking immediate action in response to any situation that poses risk to people’s health and lives

• —> community cyclone shelter
• —> built with strong concrete
• —> able to withstand cyclones
• —> located near homes of ppl

Question 3

emergency action (evacuation) examples

Answer 3

• —> Bangladesh and India

- —> greatly reduced no. of casualties

Question 4

emergency action (assistance from NGOs)

Answer 4

• —> provide aid for victims
• —> Red cross
• —> Oxfam
• —> Save the children
• —> organize and send relief teams to countries struck by cyclones
• —> Philippine red cross
• —> provided food packages consisting of rice, noodles, and sardines to ppl affected by Typhoon Megi

Question 5

mitigation measures?

Answer 5

• —> prediction and warning
• —> land use control
• —> floodplain management

Question 6

prediction warning

Answer 6

• —> analyze long-term climate records
• —> establishes patterns of occurrence & severity of damage
• —> predict next cyclone
• —> computer modeling
• —> predict cyclone’s path
• —> predict degree of damage

Question 7

prediction warning limitations

Answer 7

• —> only indicate the frequency of tropical cyclone
• —> not accurate in when future cyclones will occur
• —> predicted paths of cyclones inaccurate
• —> predictions based on weather information
• —> weather conditions change quickly

Question 8

prediction warning examples

Answer 8

• —> Japan & USA
• —> installed warning systems for cyclones
• —> info on the severity of cyclones & necessary precautionary measures that need to be taken are announced to the public

Question 9

land use control

Answer 9

—-> regulates the use of land by placing restrictions on how the land can be used

• —> areas along coasts are vulnerable to storm surges and flooding
• —> developers may need to pay higher taxes to use land along coasts
• —> discourage development in these vulnerable areas
• —> land along coasts can be used for recreational purposes like parks
• —> protected zones: barrier against storm surges

Question 10

land use control limitations

Answer 10

• —> only successful when authorities enforce them
• —> requires much time and manpower
• —> developments found along coastlines may have been around for a long time
• —> residents may be reluctant to move out of these areas
• —> govt needs to purchase land in these areas in order to convert them into recreational areas
• —> costly

Question 11

floodplain management

Answer 11

floodplain: low-lying area near rivers or coasts

floodplain management: masterplan to reduce potential of flood damage

masterplan involves

• —> mapping the land use of an area
• —> implementing measures to prevent floods
• —> ensuring that new developments in floodplains are not prone to floods
• —> reducing potential of flood damage in already developed floodplains
• —> includes drawing up evacuation plans to ensure ppl are able to leave flooded areas as quickly as possible

Question 12

floodplain management examples

Answer 12

• —> Cairns, Australia
• —> based on models of storm surges floods
• —> drawing up of evacuation plans
• —> ensure that ppl are able to evacuate as quickly as possible

Question 13

reducing vulnerability of infrastructure

Answer 13

—-> infrastructure designed to withstand impacts of cyclones

Buildings resistant to wind & water:
—-> galvanized steel hurricane ties are nailed to roof to prevent it from being blown off by winds

Regular inspection of river embankments and coastal dikes

• —> river embankments: levees which are walls constructed by sides of rivers to prevent river from overflowing
• —> coastal dikes: artificial walls made of stone, often meant to prevent flooding of coastal areas
• —> continuously eroded by waters

locating utility lines underground

• —> power
• —> telecommunication lines
• —> water supply networks
• —> placed underground to avoid damage by strong winds and storm surges
• —> ensure services are maintained during and after a cyclone

Question 14

reducing vulnerability of infrastructure examples

Answer 14

• —> USA
• —> employ specialized companies
• —> improve designs of roof and openings of houses
• —> Jensen Beach, Florida
• —> Hurricane Wilma
• —> 2005
• —> suffered only minor roof damage