To what extent can preparedness and planning mitigate the effects of tropical revolving storms free essay sample

A tropical revolving storm is a term that covers hurricanes, tropical cyclones, typhoons and willy-willies. These intense low-pressure weather systems are associated with catastrophic wind speeds averaging at 120kmph and torrential rainfall. Tropical revolving storms are huge and extremely violent extending to about 500km in diameter. They occur in the tropics and the sub-tropics and form over the oceans where sea surface temperatures are above 27’C. Tropical storms are natural hazards, a natural event brought about by weather or climate that threatens life and property, and therefore cannot be prevented, however there are methods that can mitigate the impacts. The effects of these storms can be devastating. Examples of major natural disasters caused by these storms are Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Tropical Cyclone Nargis in 2008 and two methods that are helping to mitigate the effects of tropical revolving storms in the future are preparedness and planning. The impacts can vary in severity due to a range of human and physical factors. We will write a custom essay sample on To what extent can preparedness and planning mitigate the effects of tropical revolving storms or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Human factors include how urbanised the area affected is, as built up cities tend to have impermeable surfaces which increases run-off and therefore worsens the floods that occur. Torrential rain and flooding, along with storm surges and strong winds, are all hazards posed by tropical revolving storms. These hazards, similar to the storm, are inevitable and cannot be stopped from occurring but methods can take place to try and reduce the impacts. Physical factors are out of our control. The size of the storm affects how widespread the impacts are, as well as the duration of the storm and the intensity of the storm, also affecting certain areas. Preparation and preparedness are not the only methods that can be carried out. Monitoring and forecasting with the use of satellites and radar create computer models based on historical data to predict the path of a storm. This in turn will help the country be prepared due to them having more time to react to the news. Structural approaches may also be necessary to protect coastal areas. Preparedness includes the education of populations. People need to know the dangers and what they can do to avoid them. In Florida, evacuation routes have been prepared and cyclone shelters are clearly signed and posted. Planning includes land-use planning. This regulation is used to reduce the vulnerability of people and property so for example, only low value land uses (recreational) can occupy coastal strips, the areas most vulnerable to a storm. In Northeast Florida, coastal properties have been rallied above the ground on stilts and have non-residential functions on the ground (storage). This means that hazards like the storm surges do not impact the people and less damage occurs to infrastructure. Warning systems put in place to predict incoming storms inform the public about them. This is linked with the effectiveness of the government and how developed the country is. A less developed country is less likely to have the money to be able to afford such technology and equipment meaning that no matter what form of planning or preparedness occurs, mitigation is less likely to be achieved. More developed countries have the money to install advanced technology and equipment to ensure that their population can be warned meaning that lives can be saved. In late August 2005, Hurricane Katrina swept onto the coast of Louisiana with winds of over 160km per hour. A deadly storm surge flooded 80% of the city of New Orleans leaving an area the size of the UK lying as waste. Over 1500 people were killed and the financial cost of the damage exceeded ? 50billion, making it the costliest hurricane in US history. The impacts affected everything and everyone, especially the poorer neighbourhoods with high rates of unemployment and a high proportion of people renting their homes. Many of these people didn’t have home insurance or the money to return and rebuild. The impacts have affected Louisiana on a larger scale also as dramatic population changes have occurred. The population has fallen by 8. 4% in the aftermath of the hurricanes due to 460,000 people leaving New Orleans. In response to some of these impacts, local planners have called for the lowest-lying areas, including the Lower 9th Ward where hundreds died in New Orleans, to be used as parkland. These green spaces would serve as buffers against future floodwaters and therefore prevent many of the impacts that occurred in 2005. This form of planning would help to mitigate some of the impacts but probably not by much. Hard engineering was used to repair and improve the levees to prevent future breaching. Bangladesh suffers from the most destructive cyclones in the world. The country has a funnel-shaped coast at the northern tip of the Bay of Bengal and an offshore shelf, making it vulnerable to tropical cyclones and storm surges. As many as 10% of the world’s tropical storm develop in the Bay of Bengal including the fiercest killer cyclone that hit Bangladesh on the 12th of November 1970. The storm caused the death of 500,000 people and a cost $1billion in property damage. Another powerful cyclone hit in 1991 killing another 138,000 people. In response to these deadly events, a number of initiatives were introduced. Tropical cyclones are now monitored, with warnings issued over the television, radio and Internet, a form of preparedness. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department issues two types of storm-waning signals to warn people to take steps to save their lives and property. Before 1991, cyclone-warning systems were unreliable but now, signals are passed on through volunteers of the Cyclone Preparedness Programme of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society as well as through radio and television as mentioned earlier. In remote village communities, designated warden’s help to spread the warnings and guide people to safety. A form of planning includes the construction of concrete cyclone shelters to provide a safe refuge for people threatened by flooding. These shelters, often raised up on stilts, serve as schools or community centres at other times. All of these methods will mitigate the impacts quite significantly and this was seen in 2003, when another cyclone struck Bangladesh. Despite killing 3000 people, Cyclone Sidr had a greatly reduced impact due to these initiatives being adopted by the government. Cyclone shelters have also been constructed in Burma, Southeast Asia, after Cyclone Nargis hit in May 2008. Charities, including Care International, have become involved and are helping to build wooden houses that are raised on stilts. This means that when storm surges accompany the cyclone, they can pass under properties reducing the damage. Construction is a form of planning and because it is hard engineering, it is likely to have a more significant impact in terms of mitigating the effects of tropical revolving storms. To conclude, due to the nature of revolving tropical storms and the fact that they are natural hazards, they cannot be prevented. However, various methods, taking the form of planning and preparedness, can help to reduce the impacts. The extent to which these methods help, depends on where they are occurring and in what form. Planning and preparedness have a more significant impact on more developed countries as they have money to ensure that these methods are enforced and sufficient. They also have a much more aware and education population meaning that mitigation of the impacts caused by tropical revolving storms is significant.