Y13 MG - Hazards Case Studies Flashcards
What is the multi-hazard setting?
The Philippines
What is the setting and nature of hazards in the Philippines? (Physical)
- It is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire at a destructive-subduction plate boundary (there is a high frequency of earthquakes and high risk of volcanic eruptions)
- It lies on a tropical storm belt where 1/3 of all tropical storms occur
What is the setting and nature of hazards in the Philippines? (Human)
- 60% of people live in low-lying coastal areas
- 75% of the population live in poverty (more likely to live in high risk areas)
- The Philippines is an NEE so has limited resources to invest in disaster management
What is the risk from hazards in the Philippines?
Typhoons (Typhoon Haiyan 2013)
50% of agricultural exports lost
Widespread flooding
Over 6000 people died
Volcanic eruptions (Mt Pinatubo 1991)
Crop failure due to ash fall
Ash in the lower atmosphere led to lowered global temperatures
500 died
What are the reasons for continued human occupation of the Philippines?
Resilience - rebuilding done by local people after Typhoon Haiyan 2013 as part of the ‘cash-for-work’ scheme set up by the Red Cross
Adaption - the Red Cross is supporting the use of land-use mapping to reduce risk in vulnerable areas
Mitigation - Aid agencies play a role in distaster relief and recovery e.g the Red Cross and the United Nations
Management - the United Nations claims that the Philippines has some of the best risk-reduction laws in the world
What is the local scale hazardous setting?
New Orleans, USA
What are the physical vulnerabilities of New Orleans?
- 50% of the land is below sea level (surrounded by levees which creates a bowl effect)
- Lies on the Gulf Coast so there are frequent storms
What are the human vulnerabilities of New Orleans?
- Densely populated city (2300/km^2)
- History of racial segregation (wealth inequality)
Give background information about Hurricane Katrina
- August 2005
- Made landfall on the 29th August 2005 in Louisiana and curved to Mississippi
- Category 3 tropical storm when it hit Louisiana
- New Orleans was affected by the edge of the eye wall
What were the primary impacts of Hurricane Katrina?
- 80% of New Orleans flooded with 60% of houses
- More than 1000 fatalities
- More than 1 million people became refugees, displaced from their homes
- Over 1 million acres of land destroyed
What were the secondary impacts of Hurricane Katrina?
- Costs of the storm broke all US records with damages of $125 billion
- Racial tensions exposed with reports claiming that those most affected were black (political critisism of the response)
- Loss of the population (may struggle to rebuild)
What were the immediate responses to Hurricane Katrina?
- Superdome used as a sanctuary for those left in the city (e.g those without Insurance wanted to stay and protect their homes) but there were insufficient supplies so conditions were squalid and unsafe
- Most aid from the USA with $10 billion in the first week
- State of emergency declared and evacuation ordered (political issues meant a lack of respect for leaders so some people did not obey)
What were the long term responses to Hurricane Katrina?
- Nearby states provided emergency shelter
- $800 million spent on repairs and rebuilding flood defences
- $17 billion provided by congress to rebuild housing (highlighted racial tensions as those who required it were mainly black)
What were the reasons for ineffective response for Hurricane Katrina?
- Low levels of literacy in some groups meant that there was a lack of understanding in the evacuation plans
- The inadequate levee system around New Orlands meant that they collapsed quickly, leading to very intense flooding around the city (80% was flooded)
- Lack of trust in the government (shown by low voter turnouts) meant people were reluctant to follow emergency instructions and seek assistance
Give some background information about the Alberta Wildfire
- In May 2016 a wildfire nicknamed ‘The Beast’ spread across the Alberta province of Canada, particularly impacting the city of Fort McMurray
- Cause is unknown
- ‘Fire spotting’ helped the fire spread (burning embers carried by the wind ignited fires ahead of the fire front and a change in wind direction meant that it became very difficult to control)
- Temperatures exceeded 30°C and the wind speed increased following the start of the fire
What were the primary impacts of the Alberta Wildfire?
- 90,000 residents (the entire city) of Fort McMurray were evacuated by the 3rd May
- No one was killed or injured
- 600,000 hectares of land were burned and destroyed
What were the secondary impacts of the Alberta Wildfire?
- Insurance companies estimate $9 CAN billion damage to Fprt McMurray
- 2400 homes and businesses destroyed
- Boreal forest ecosystems severely affected due to scorched earth and burned tree roots
What were the immediate responses to the Alberta Wildfire?
- Satellite and meteorological data was used to monitor and forecast the track of the wildfire so that emergency services could be mobilised and warnings issued
- Complete evacuation of Fort McMurray by the 3rd May meant no lives were lost
- Alberta province government declared a state of emergency which triggered support from the Canadian armed forces with fire-fighters and helicopters brought in by neighbouring states
What were the long term responses to the Alberta Wildfire?
- The Alberta government provided evacuees with CAN$1250 per adult
- In Edmonton in June, money was raised as a part of ‘Fire Aid’ to help those affected
What percentage of Fort McMurray was saved from the Alberta Wildfire?
85%
Give some background information about Typhoon Haiyan
- Deadliest tropical storm ever recorded in the Philippines
- Became a category 5 storm on the 6th November 2013 before it hit the Philippines on the 7th November 2013
- Devastated the city of Tacloban
What are the reasons for the vulnerability of the Philippines to Typhoon Haiyan?
- Tacloban is found at the end of a bay (water was funnelled inland from the storm surge)
- The Philippines is on a tropical storm belt
- Tacloban and many others urban areas in the country have experienced rapid rural to urban migration so there is a high population density
What are the primary impacts of Typhoon Haiyan?
- Over 6,000 fatalities
- Over 2 million made homeless and 6 million displaced from their homes
- 50% of agricultural exports lost (130,000 tonnes of rice lost altogether)
What are 5be secondary impacts of Typhoon Haiyan?
- Widespread looting and violence
- Total damage costs of $2.9 billion
