National 5 Geography

Global Issues- Environmental Hazards- Case Study

Tropical Storm: Hurricane Mitch, 1998

Cause

A tropical storm can only form when each of the following conditions are met:

1. Warm seas with a surface temperature of 27 degrees Celsius or greater

2. Water of a depth of at least 60 metres

3. Low air pressure, with air beginning to rise

4. Damp, moist air

When each of the above conditions are met, warm moist air rises rapidly, cools and condenses, forming very deep cumulonimbus clouds with heavy rainfall. Low pressure develops and air is sucked into the depression causing high winds of at least 60km/h. The rotation of the Earth encourages violent winds to rotate around the central eye of the tropical storm.

Impact

People

19,325 people died (mostly as the result of severe flooding and mudslides)
2.7 million people were left homeless

33,000 houses were destroyed, and a further 50,000 were damages in Honduras alone
People had a lack of basic supplies such as food, water and shelter
Electricity was lost
Contaminated flood water led to an increase in the number of cases of water borne diseases, such as malaria and cholera
2328 people caught cholera, of whom, 34 people died
Farm land was destroyed, so jobs in agriculture were lost

National debt increased due to the costs of making repairs
Economic development was badly affected

Landscape

Coastal buildings in Honduras were destroyed
Wind of up to 180mph flattened trees
Heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding
Rain caused soil to wash into rivers, blocking them and causing them to overflow
Flooding resulted in mudslides, which wiped out several villages
Bridges and roads were destroyed
70% of Honduras' crops were destroyed by flooding
50,000 cattle were killed
The landscape was altered so much that maps at the time were rendered useless

Management

Prediction

Satellite images from space were used to observe the hurricane and predict its path
This allowed predictions to be made for what route it may take in the next 3-5 days
Heavy rainfall and flooding, with the potential of mudslides, were also predicted
Before the hurricane reached land, the predictions were not very accurate as it changed direction, but once it made landfall, the predictions became more accurate
Planning
Warnings were given to all countries in Central America, so may people fled inland, causing traffic jams and fuel shortages
The government of Honduras evacuated 45,000 people from the Bay Islands
The Honduran government prepared al of their air and naval resources for action
Red alerts told people to seek shelter and be prepared
People were advised to keep boats in their ports
Flood warnings were put in place and sandbags were distributed in an attempt to reduce the impact of flooding
After Hurricane Mitch made landfall, thousands of residents were evacuated from the Caribbean coastline
People living along the coast and on offshore islands were airlifted to safety by the Honduran Air Force
Short Term Aid
Government troops helped to rescue people who were stranded by floods or trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings
The Red Cross provided water purification kits to combat disease
Troops, helicopters and bulldozers were sent by the USA and Mexico
Helicopters lifted people to safety and dropped supplies in remote areas
Medical supplies, blankets food and clothing were also provided
Long Term Aid
The UN provided seeds, tools and fertilisers to rural areas who had lost farmland
New schools, hospitals, roads and homes were built with funds provided by aid agencies
Countries from around the world donated a total of $6.3 billion USD
The US administration donated $70 million

	Created by Mhairi McCann about 9 years ago

Scottish Highers National 5 Geography (Environmental Hazards) Note on Tropical Storms Cars Study: Hurricane Mitch, 1998, created by Mhairi McCann on 11/04/2015.