Odd one out?

Cyclone Pam

Vanuatu 2015

Imagine a cyclone here…

What is the difference

between a hurricane, a

cyclone, and a typhoon?

The only difference is the location where the

storm occurs – it is where sea surface

temperatures are over 27oC. They form between

10o and 30o north and south of the equator.

Where is Vanuatu?

Map skills

1) Which general direction did Cyclone Pam move

from the 12th to the 14th of March?

2) How many kilometres did it travel from 20:00 on

the 13th of March to 19:00 on the 14th of March?

3) Describe the change in speed during this time.

Can you think why it changed?

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The path of Cyclone Pam

Vanuatu facts

and figures

1) Which other natural hazards are a particular

problem for Vanuatu?

2) What are the main sources of revenue (money

coming into the country)?

3) Explain how Cyclone Pam has created a long-

term economic problem for Vanuatu.

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Effects

1) Describe the effects of the cyclone – think

about deaths, injuries, homeless?

2) What is the specific problem highlighted in the

news article? Why is this a problem?

3) Explain why it is difficult to see the full extent of

the damage, so soon after the disaster.

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Responses

1) What is the charity ‘Shelterbox’ doing to help

Vanuatu?

2) Why is this type of aid so important for

developing countries?

3) How can charities working in partnerships

(together) in shelter and repair work, benefit a

country?

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-Roofs torn off

-Trees uprooted

-Electricity lines blown down

-Roads impassable

-Sewers flooded

-Storm surge

Effects

Making links…

Damage Effects

Physical and

environmental

Structural damage to buildings and

roads. Sensitive environments

destroyed, loss of habitats. Fishing

boats damaged.

Social

Trauma and stress. Catching water-

borne diseases. Food and water

shortages. Displaced communities.

Job losses.

Economic

Cost of repair and insurance claims.

Businesses close. Exports lost as

crops destroyed. Oil prices can

increase.

Hurricane Ivan, USA 2004 (developed country)

-Hurricane Ivan caused 21 deaths in the USA, including

14 deaths in Florida.

-An additional 32 deaths were reported as indirectly

caused by the storm.

-As it passed over the Gulf of Mexico, Ivan caused the

destruction of an energy platform near the coast, as well

as oil and gas wells drilled in water 479 feet deep.

-Hundreds of gallons of oil per day were still leaking into

the Gulf ten years later in 2014.

-Ivan caused an estimated US$14 billion (£8.7bn) in

damage to the United States, making it the third costliest

hurricane on record at the time.

“Most damage from

tropical storms is physical

and environmental”

-Do you agree with this statement?

-Why? Why not?

-Explain your answer.

How can a tropical

storm trigger an

economic boom?

……..in the years that followed,

retail sales increased by 25-35%.

What did people buy?

- The exam specification requires

you to study the effects of

tropical storms in both

developing and developed

countries

- You need to compare how the

effects vary among countries

with different levels of economic

development.

Developed country case study:

Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans,

USA

Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. It tracked over

the Gulf of Mexico and devastated most of the

coastline from Louisiana to Alabama. It arrived as a

category 4 storm with winds of over 140 mph and a

storm surge of approximately 6 metres.

The city of New Orleans was very badly affected

because it is mostly below sea-level and is surrounded

by water.

The city was protected by defence walls called levees.

However, the levees were overwhelmed by the extra

water from the storm surge and rainfall, and many

collapsed allowing water to flood into the city.

About 80% of the city was flooded to depths of up to 6

metres.

The National Hurricane Centre predicted accurately

where Hurricane Katrina would make landfall and how

strong it would be. This gave people the opportunity to

prepare for the storm.

The mayor of New Orleans ordered people to

evacuate the city. About 80% of the city's residents did

so, but about 20% remained. The majority of these were

in the poorest areas of the city (people had little access

to transport so couldn't leave in many cases).

Over 10,000 people sought refuge in the

city's Superdome football stadium. Conditions here

deteriorated quickly - food and water soon ran out and

the toilet facilities were inadequate. The atmosphere in

the stadium was described as 'very tense and unsafe'.

Some of the effects…

More than 80% of the city was submerged with floodwater and

over 1200 people drowned. Approximately 1 million people were

made homeless and thousands of businesses were destroyed.

Thousands of jobs were lost and millions of dollars lost in tax

income. There was a lot of looting. Criminal gangs roamed the

streets, looting homes and businesses and committing other

crimes.

Major highways were disrupted and some major road bridges

were destroyed. Agricultural production was badly damaged by

the tornadoes and also by flooding. Cotton and sugar-cane crops

were flattened.

Hurricane Katrina didn't just impact people in the USA. Many

offshore oil facilities were damaged and supplies of oil were

reduced. This caused the price of oil to rise on the global markets

and the price of petrol in the UK rose as a result.

Estimates suggest that Hurricane Katrina has cost over $300 billion.

This makes it one of the costliest hurricanes ever to hit the USA.

Type of

damageEffects

Physical and

environmental

Social

Economic

Hurricane Pam (Vanuatu) vs. Hurricane Katrina (USA)