Management of Tropical Storms (AQA GCSE Geography)

• Some countries are more vulnerable to tropical storms than others
• There are three types of vulnerability and contribute to the different methods of monitoring, prediction and planning:
  • Physical
  • Economic
  • Social

 Vulnerability of Tropical Storms

Physical	Economic	Social
Steep slopes increase the risk of landslides	Developing countries are economically vulnerable due to lack of money	In developing countries, buildings tend to be of poorer build quality and easily damaged
Areas where tropical storms form are hit more frequently as they are in the path of the storm	Financial cost of repairs can be too much for some countries, some people may not have insurance	Harder to rescue people if infrastructure is damaged or is non- existent in some poorer countries
Low-lying coastlines are vulnerable to storm surges, flooding and high winds	The cost of repairs for developed countries will be higher as the infrastructure and buildings are more complex and damage more intense	Health and well-being are impacted regardless of wealth, but poorer countries struggle to treat injuries and provide basic support

Monitoring - forecasting / prediction

• Weather charts, computer software, radar and satellites are used to track the development and approach of a tropical storm in HICs
  • The USA, has an effective hurricane monitoring system
  • The National Hurricane Centre, Florida, monitors all hurricane activity over the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans
  • The National Weather Service will announce a 'hurricane watch' when storm winds are detected to alert people and give them time to prepare
• Many LICs are less able to monitor tropical storms as the equipment is very expensive, plus the ability to communicate any information may be limited
• Wind strength can be monitored by measuring its wind speed against the Saffir-Simpson 5-point scale

Saffir-Simpson 5-Point Scale of Wind Strength

Category	Wind Speeds	Damage
1	74-95 mph 119-153 km/h	Some
2	96-100 mph 154-177 km/h	Extensive
3	111-129 mph 178-208 km/h	Devastating
4	130-156 mph 209-251 km/h	Catastrophic
5	157 mph or higher 252 km/h	Catastrophic

• Monitoring systems, allows for several days of warnings to be given
• This allows people time to prepare and or evacuate their homes and businesses

Planning

• Governments can plan evacuation routes to get people away from storms quickly and safely
• People are encouraged to stock up on food and water as they may not be able to leave their home for several days following a storm
• Training and education on the impacts of tropical storms along with information leaflets on what to do in the event, reduces injuries 
• Boarding up windows, reinforcing doors etc, helps to reduce flying debris
• Emergency services can train and prepare for disasters through practicing at regular intervals
• Early warning systems can be used to reduce the number of people killed - Bangladesh has a loudspeaker system in villages and designated emergency shelters on high ground or stilts to stop flood waters from entering the building

Protection

• Protection means that buildings are less likely to be destroyed, so less people will die from collapsing buildings and falling debris
• Defences such as sea walls and levees can be built along the coast to prevent damage from storm surges, 
• Buildings can be designed to withstand tropical storms:
  • Building on stilts to avoid flood waters
  • Building with reinforced concrete
  • Fixed roofs rather than tiles
  • Have windows covered either with metal shutters or wooden planks
• Protection can be expensive to put in place, but will save money in the long-term as there is less need for rebuilding