Shannon Ashton-Ayres

Cyclone Nargis

Description The cyclone hit on 2nd may 2008 causing

catastrophic destruction and approximately 146,000 fatalities, with thousands more missing. Nargis is the deadliest named cyclones in the North Indian Ocean Basin and the second worst of all time.

Nargis developed on 27th April in the centre area of the Bay of Bengal. It initially tracked slowly north-westward and encountered good conditions, then quickly it strengthen.

Description Continued Dry Air weakened the cyclone on April 29th,

though after beginning a steady east wood motion, Nargis rapidly intensified to attain peak winds of at least 165km.h (105mph on May 2nd. Peak winds were at 215km/h (135mph)

The cyclone moved ashore in the Ayeyarwardy division of Burma at peak intensity and after passing near the major city of Yangon, the storm gradually weakened until dissipating near the border of Burma and Thailand.

Effects of the Storm

High winds, massive flooding, power loss, damage to houses and other buildings, loss of life, farming and fishing and other jobs were destroyed.

Short Term Impacts Relief was slow due to the Burma's

military rulers who initially resisted aid. Short term, people had to come to terms

with the loss of their family, homes, jobs, schools, they lost hospitals. There was no food or shelter and the flooding brings disease cause more death and health problems. Initial aid brought in food and equipment to build shelters and water purifying equipment

Long Term Impacts The people were in a lot of debt before the Cyclone,

having already borrowed to become farmers and fishermen etc to feed their families. Now they had nothing they had even more debt because they would need to borrow again to get back on their feet.

Money in aid from other countries would be needed long term to help them rebuild their homes, start to farm again and fish again. They would need to buy cattle and equipment to help them do this.

Homes, schools and hospitals would need to be rebuilt. This would take many years of continuous aid.

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina formed over the Bahamas on August

23, 2005 and crossed southern Florida as a moderate Category 1 hurricane, causing some deaths and flooding there before strengthening rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico.

The storm weakened before making its second landfall as a Category 3 storm on the morning of Monday, August 29 in southeast Louisiana. It caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas, much of it due to the storm surge.

The most severe loss of life and property damage occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana, which flooded as the levee system catastrophically failed, in many cases hours after the storm had moved inland. Eventually 80% of the city became flooded and also large parts of neighboring parishes, and the floodwaters lingered for weeks

Description Continued

At least 1,836 people lost their lives in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. Hurricane. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was the largest natural disaster in the history of the United States.

Effects of the storm

The effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans were shattering and long-lasting. As the centre of the hurricane passed east of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, winds downtown were in the Category 3 range with frequent intense gusts and tidal surge.

Though the most severe portion of Katrina missed the city, hitting nearby St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, the storm surge caused more than 50 breaches in drainage canal levees and also in navigational canal levees and precipitated the worst engineering disaster in the history of the United States.

By August 31, 2005, eighty percent of New Orleans was flooded, with some parts under 15 feet (4.5 m) of water.

Short term Impacts

One of the costliest and one of the five most deadliest in the USA. It was the sixth strongest Hurricane overall.

The economic effects of Katrina have been the worst in history.

Loss of life, homes, employment, also health issues, debt issues

Long Term Impacts

The repairs and reconstruction would cost $150billion.

Had a long term impact on the production of oil and grain exports being affected. At least 25 offshore rigs were missing.

Some areas farming communities suffered huge impacts in the loss of their farms and crops.

Long Term impacts

Rebuilding of homes and other buildings Long term ill health issues Political issues

Effects of the Storm contd 99% of the people Louisiana were

evacuated.Although some remained (mainly the elderly and poor).

The Louisiana Superdome was used as a designated "refuge of last resort" for those who remained in the city. The city flooded due to the failure of the federally built levee system. Many who remained in their homes had to swim for their lives, wade through deep water, or remain trapped in their attics or on their rooftops.

The disaster had major implications for a large segment of the population, economy and politics of the entire United States.

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