Typhoon Haiyan Location
Philippines, near Tacloban (in Leyte) on 8th November 2013 at 4:40am. It also went over Vietnam and China.
Typhoon Haiyan Key Stats
Cat 5 typhoon
wind speeds of up to 200km/h and wind gusts of 314 kph waves up to 14m
600km long
Formed on November 3 2013, died on November 11 2013. Fatalities 6,352 total, Injuries 28,781
Around 25% of the Philippines was already homeless before the typhoon.
Typhoon Haiyan Causes
Physical - there were winds, in the correct latitude, the water was really warm - 30, the water was deep and there was low pressure, Phillipines is an island, so no power was lost when the typhoon passed over it
Human - slow warnings, poor construction housing, limited resources to make blockades/shelters
Typhoon Haiyan Social Consequences
Social Damages
- Mass homelessness: 1.1 million houses were destroyed, leaving 4.1 million people homeless.
- High human toll: Over 6,000 deaths, 29,000 injuries, and 1,400 people missing.
- Widespread impact: 14.1 million people affected, with outbreaks of disease and rising violence due to lack of resources.
Typhoon Haiyan Economic Consequences
Economic Damages
- Massive financial loss: Total damage estimated at $12 billion, with $2.9 billion lost in agriculture.
- Livelihoods destroyed: 30,000 fishing boats lost, 6 million people lost jobs or income.
- Farmland devastation: 600,000 hectares and 1.1 million tonnes of crops damaged, affecting 1 million farmers.
Typhoon Haiyan Environmental Consequences
Environmental Damages
- Infrastructure collapse: Electricity poles, roads, and the airport were severely damaged; some areas had no power for a month.
- Severe flooding: A 5-meter storm surge and 400mm of rainfall flooded areas up to 1km inland.
- Pollution crisis: An oil tanker spill contaminated fishing waters with 800,000 litres of oil.
Typhoon Haiyan Immediate Responses
Immediate Response
- Basic needs met: 1,000 tonnes of rice, clean water, and emergency shelters were provided by various countries and organizations.
- Shelter and medical aid: The UK sent shelter kits; France, Belgium, and Israel set up field hospitals to treat the injured.
- Evacuation support: Over 1,200 evacuation centres were established for displaced individuals.
Typhoon Haiyan Long-term Responses
Long-Term Recovery
- Infrastructure rebuilt: Damaged roads, bridges, and airports were reconstructed.
- Livelihood restoration: Aid agencies replaced fishing boats to help communities regain income.
- Future protection: Cyclone shelters were built in coastal areas to safeguard people from future tropical storms.
Australia Millenium Drought Location
Overall most of Australia, but mainly South east Australia and the Murray-Darling Basin in 1997-2010.
Australia Millenium Drought Key Stats
One in a thousand drought
Australia has a very low annual rainfall of 450 mm per year
It is mainly arid land or desert
It is the dryest land in the world where people live
Australia Millenium Drought Causes
- Climate Change which causes global warming to occur had caused higher temperatures which meant that there was more evaporation and so there was less water availability.
- It was an El Nino year (when the trade winds weaken and the winds are reversed so Australia becomes dry and Brazil becomes wet) and that brought very high pressure which meant less rainfall.
The higher temperatures and unreliable rainfall meant that rivers had dried up, reducing water availability from lakes, rivers and reservoirs
- It was an El Nino year (when the trade winds weaken and the winds are reversed so Australia becomes dry and Brazil becomes wet) and that brought very high pressure which meant less rainfall.
Australia Millenium Drought Social Consequences
- Farmer suicides surged, with one death every four days, highlighting the mental health crisis in rural communities according to Body Blue, Australia’s national mental health body.
- Widespread distress in rural communities as drought made agricultural work unsustainable, forcing families to leave their livelihoods.
Australia Millenium Drought Economic Consequences
Irrigation bans due to depleted reservoirs caused:
- Crop failures and livestock deaths.
- A 1% drop in the $940 million regional economy.
- Government response included exit grants for farmers forced to abandon their farms to buy their land for money.
Australia Millenium Drought Environmental Consequences
Drying river systems (especially Murray and Darling) led to:
- Loss of wetland habitats.
- Decline in native fish stocks.
- Severe land degradation and increased bushfire risk
Australia Millenium Drought Immediate Responses
- Water restrictions across Australia led to immediate conservation: Melbourne reduced water use by 16% from 2006-2007, saving 69 billion litres.
- Grey water recycling was adopted for irrigation, helping households reuse domestic wastewater effectively (though not for drinking).
- Initial desalination efforts began, with Perth’s 2006 plant supplying 17% of the city’s water needs—marking a shift toward alternative sources. In Syndey, the city proposed to build a $1.3 billion desalinisation plant which will distribute water to 1.5 million people.
Australia Millenium Drought Long-Term Responses
- Expansion of desalination infrastructure: Over 200 plants now operate nationwide, securing water supplies for growing urban populations like Sydney.
- Major investment projects: Victoria launched a $3.1 billion water delivery scheme and a $750 million pipeline to support Melbourne and Geelong.
- Controversy over water redistribution: The North–South pipeline faced criticism for diverting water from one of the driest regions to a wetter one, raising sustainability concerns.
Storm Desmond- Carlisle Flood Location
5th and 6th December 2015 in Cumbria (North West of England, south of the Scottish border, Carlisle, at the mouth of the river Eden)
Storm Desmond- Carlisle Flood Key Stats
130km/h winds
Record breaking rainfall that lead to worst flooding in 600 years
341mm in 24hours
Storm Desmond- Carlisle Flood Causes
Physical:
-Warm and cold air met, causing the warm air to rise, cool, and condense—leading to heavy rainfall.
- Sudden drop in pressure intensified the storm system, triggering rapid and intense precipitation.
- Relief Rainfall from the Cumbrian Mountains – Moist air was forced to rise over the mountains, cooled, and condensed into heavy rain, intensifying local rainfall levels.
- The area had already experienced twice its monthly average rainfall, so the ground was oversaturated, meaning that rainfall ran off the surface of the ground
Human:
- Urbanisation – The spread of buildings and roads created more impermeable surfaces, reducing infiltration and causing rainwater to flow rapidly into rivers and drains.
- Deforestation for Farming – Trees had been cleared centuries earlier, removing natural vegetation that would have absorbed rainfall and slowed runoff.
- Flood Embankments Upstream – Barriers built to protect upstream areas redirected excess water downstream, increasing discharge into Carlisle and worsening the flood impact
Storm Desmond- Carlisle Flood Social Consequences
- 5,200 homes flooded, displacing families and disrupting daily life.
- 43,000 homes lost power in Cumbria and Lancashire, affecting residents and businesses.
- School closures impacted 3,000 students, interrupting education across the region.
Storm Desmond- Carlisle Flood Economic Consequences
- £500 million in damages hit infrastructure, homes, and businesses.
- West Coast Railway closure due to a landslide disrupted transport and commutes.
- Business operations stalled from power outages and flood damage
Storm Desmond- Carlisle Flood Environmental Consequences
- River erosion and sediment buildup altered floodplains and reshaped the landscape.
- Malham Cove waterfall (previously dormant) briefly flowed, a rare event triggered by extreme rainfall.
Storm Desmond- Carlisle Flood Immediate Responses
- Emergency flood warnings and alerts helped communities prepare and evacuate.
- Rescue centres and military support provided shelter, aid, and clean-up assistance in affected areas.
- High-volume pumps were deployed to remove floodwater quickly, preventing further damage.
Storm Desmond- Carlisle Flood Long-Term Responses
- £50 million repair and renewal fund supported rebuilding efforts for 5,000 affected households.
- Bridge repairs over two years restored transport links and improved infrastructure resilience and safety from the bridges.
- Local recovery fund ensured access to essentials like food, water, and clothing during recovery.
