Tropical Storms Revision:

· Characteristics of tropical revolving storms

· Causes and impacts of a tropical revolving storm you have studied
· Strategies to limit the damage caused by tropical revolving storms

Task: Describe the distribution of

tropical revolving storms around the
world.

Should focus both on the overall

patterns and also location of different
intensity storms.

Labels: Put the correct letter next to the key term.

Cumulonimbus clouds Eye

Rainbands Eyewall

Airflow from higher pressure areas to low pressure

centre.
Questions:
What force causes the tropical revolving storm to spin?

What temperature does the ocean need to be at for TRS to form?

Why is there low pressure where a TRS is forming?

Case study…

For your case study, complete the following table: (Hint – use the information on the final
page to help you!)

Impact: Description of impact with Category: What the impact

evidence Social/economic/environ long-term or short-
mental/political term?
(can be a mix) How significant was
the impact and why?
How can we reduce the impact of tropical revolving storms?

Task: For three strategies, explain what they are, how they help reduce the impact and give
an assessment of their effectiveness.

Strategy and description How do they reduce the How effective are they?
(e.g. evacuation to hurricane impacts of TRS? (e.g. highly effective in preventing
shelters, government alerts, water damage to belongings)
board up houses and move
belongings to the top floor,
education on evacuation routes
and what to do in the case of a
hurricane, emergency packs/kit
bags…)
Hurricane Dorian: Impacts and Responses
Brief intro: At its strongest, Dorian was a category 5 hurricane. This is the strongest recorded hurricane in
the Bahamas’ history, with wind speeds of 185 mph and storm surge of up to 23 feet.

Task 1: Categorise the information into either, background info, impacts or responses.
Task 2: Categorise the impacts into social, economic, environmental.
Extension: Assess which impacts would have the greatest effect on the following: wealthy landowners,
Haitian migrants, elderly, youth. Justify your choices.

An estimated 76,000 people in the After hurricane Dorian and the The Bahamas is extremely
Bahamas were left homeless after provision of initial emergency vulnerable to the effects of disasters
Dorian rendered parts of some services, the government of and climate change, as some 80
Bahamian islands uninhabitable. 65 The Bahamas asked the Inter- percent of the landmass is
people were confirmed to have died. American Development Bank (IDB) within 5 ft (1.5 m) of mean sea level
to assess the resulting damage, and coastal areas hold the majority
losses and additional costs. The of the population and
report, completed by the Latin and economic activity.
Southern American branch of the
UN, also gave recommendations for
further resilience measures.

The Bahamas has made important Mercy Corps project: Abaco and its cays along the eastern
efforts in mitigating risks from 500 solar-powered lanterns side were the most affected areas.
hurricanes and improving resilience equipped with USB chargers to According to the trajectory of the
through hard engineering and a community members in need. hurricane, the central and
modern building code, along with the Water sanitation systems set up to northern parts of the island were
enactment of the Disaster provide clean water. affected by hurricane force winds,
Preparedness and Response Act The Economic Recovery Program storm surge and flooding.
from 2006. awards grants to small business According to the Bahamas
However, shanty towns such as The owners in The Bahamas who are in Department of Meteorology, the
Mudd do not stick to these codes as need of financial support. Awardees storm surge provoked a storm tide
they are they are built illegally, can receive up to $10,000 or up to of 20 to 25 ft (6.1 to 7.6 m). Dorian
therefore they were highly 75% of their financial need. also dropped an estimated 3 ft (0.91
vulnerable to the high winds and m) of rain over The Bahamas.
storm surge, hence the high level of
destruction.

There are concerns that Racial issues flare up: According to Prof Bertin Louis writing for The
undocumented Haitian immigrants Conversation:
may be reluctant to seek “Hate-filled social media posts and voice messages shared by Bahamians on
government aid in case they are Facebook include rumours about “packs” of Haitians roaming flooded areas
penalised and deported. Arthurs of the island, looting and robbing abandoned buildings. Commentators
said: “In every country, including the called Haitians “thugs” and said those who commit crimes in the wake of
United States, people are scared to Hurricane Dorian should be “shot in the head.”
come out and register during crisis ….“Widely held stereotypes portray Haitians as a burden on the Bahamas’
time, because after the crisis is economy and a strain on its health care, education and social services
finished they fear that they probably systems. Many Bahamians even think Haitians have a proclivity for
have enough information on them to violence.”
go and pick them up and deport
them.” The Guardian The total cost of the disaster was In his first post-hurricane speech, on
estimated at $3.4bn - with the Oct. 2, President Minnis said his
majority of this as ‘damages’ and the government would “eradicate” the
 rest as debris clear up and lost shantytowns where many poor
revenue. Haitians live.
This includes The Mudd - a large
shanty town on Abaco that was
destroyed during the hurricane.

Hurricane Dorian has left oil seeping A need for labour: "Much of the On Abaco, there were 23
into the ground on the island of population in Abaco evacuated or educational facilities impacted with
Grand Bahama after the storm blew were displaced. And now they are 3,512 students and 211 teachers
the tops off five crude-storage tanks largely unable to return because affected while Grand Bahama had
on the island. there is no housing," explains David 24 educational facilities impacted
Eisenbaum, with the charity All with 7,034 students and 585
Hands And Hearts. "We need teachers affected.
thousands of volunteers. There's a
tremendous need for manpower and
the recovery is limited by this
shortage of labour."

According to Mercy Corps: Government: In addition to The UK Government has initially

“Over 200 wells were flooded with providing tax relief through duty and committed up to £1.5 million
ocean water, leaving families VAT exemptions, the Government towards the immediate
without safe water for drinking and designated parts of Abaco and humanitarian response. This funding
basic hygiene. With the world now in Grand Bahama as Special Economic has been provided by the Conflict,
the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, Recovery Zones (SERZ), which Stability and Security Fund (CSSF),
the danger of disease spreading included designating these islands as for the delivery of critical aid
from a lack of clean water for hand VAT-free until June 2020. supplies. The Royal Navy Wildcat
washing and sanitation is even more helicopter on board is airlifting
clear.” supplies, conducting reconnaissance
flights and assessing damage.