Typhoon Haiyan Hurricane Katrina

Category 5 Category 5

314kmph 200kmph

November 2013 August 2005

Typhoon Haiyan affected more people (social)

6201 killed 1500 killed

1.1 displaced. 109, 000 displaced

Disruption of services Disruption

- Mobile phone network - Electricity cut
- Vehicles were overturned and with - Unsanitary water
no fuel

90% of buildings destroyed in Tacloban 300 out of the state’s 9,000 poultry
houses were destroyed and another 2,400
were damaged

Typhoon Haiyan caused more economic damage

13 Billion 1 Billion

The economy of the Philippines relies on USD 125 million in damages, 700 million
farming, fishing, spent to provide temporary shelters
tourism and manufacturing - all of which - $75 billion worth of damage
were damaged. - 19% of US oil production damaged, 457
- The fishing industry was badly hit and oil and gas pipelines destroyed and spilled
95% of roads almost 37,000 metric tonnes of oil. Gas
and equipment were destroyed prices reached $5 a barrel.
- Overall losses of 13 billion
- Victimes and government turned to the
international
community for help. The UN fundraising
appeal totalled $788
million, and foreign national donated $500
million (including $131 million from the UK
alone).
- British and US forces were also drafted in
to help
- However, the estimated total damage
exceeded $8 billion so the disaster has
been a serious setback for the country’s
future development
 Environmental Impacts

- Landslides Flooding
- Flooding - 80% of New Orleans city flooded→
- Bodies were washed out from graves took a long time to pump out the water so
which caused local people much grief conditions were unsanitary
- Strong winds caused much damage to
buildings and huge amount of rain fell
in a short period of time, causing
widespread flooding
- When the levees broke, huge areas of
the city were flooded with water up to
8 metres deep in places. This resulted
in people being trapped in the city.

- Landslides
- Pollution
- In many areas, people were told to
boil water because it has been
contaminated and was not safe to
use.

Managing strategies

Disaster preparedness is taken seriously in In Florida, although there was little time to
the Philippines, and issued warnings​, but prepare, the state is very used to hurricanes
was not prepared for the typhoon to ​reach and has well-organised plans in place.
the highest level at such devastating Hurricane warnings being issues on all
speeds. radio and TV channels

Schools closing down

Shelters with feeding facilities being opened

Compulsory evacuation orders being issued

Police and emergency services being on

standby to help people.

Short term responses Short term responses

Immediate Relief from survivors, searching Superdome
for bodies in flattened settlements. - Had enough food and water for
International charities sent emergency three days for around 15, 000
supplies people.
- However a lot more than 15, 000
showed up and when electricity, air
con, and running water all failed,
conditions quickly became
unsanitary and uncomfortable.
-
Long term responses Long term response
Rebuilding homes with ​better The Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk
infrastructure​ to withstand wind damage Reduction System (HSDRRS) that has
and floods. been in place since 2011 reduces
vulnerability to flooding for most of the New
Preparedness from Red Cross brought Orleans region. Three specific measures:
message of​ good hygiene and clean
water.​ Prevented disease outbreaks,
despite loss of sanitation. ● Higher and more resistant levees
and flood walls were constructed
Efforts made to ​improve satellite and throughout the region.
computer monitoring​ to ​improve ● Emergency pumps and canal
prediction in future. closures were installed at the ends
of the outfall canals.
Soft engineering schemes like ​creating ● The pumps were designed to
mangrove plantations​ or tree plantations significantly reduce flooding heights
to r​educe impact of waves​ and ​provide in 100- and 500-year events. In turn,
windbreaks. this reduces damage and the hazard
for the inhabitants.

- Loss of $13 billion USD (economic) - A larger loss of $75 billion USD
(economic)

- Higher Death toll of 6021 (social) - Death toll of 1833 (social)

- Inland flooding of 1 km (envt) - Inland flooding of 19 km (envt)

- No electricity, no telecommunications. - Electricity, water supplies were cut off

- 95% of boats and equipment were lost - Storm surge battered the coastal
to the storm surge buildings, and high winds destroyed
infrastructure

POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR HURRICANE KATRINA’s IMPACT

- There was a ​lack of preparedness​ by the management
- The ​elderly and sick​ could not evacuate like other people since they were​ handicapped​.
In addition, some people were​ unwilling to leave, cultural/heritage attachment
- Since most of the population was left unemployed after the hurricane, ​people resorted to
crimes, making the situation worse

POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR TYPHOON HAIYAN’S IMPACT

- ​Population density​ is distributed unevenly across islands and is ​greatest in cities
- Typhoon ​moved unusually quickly​, contributed to its strength, and colder water ahead
was not stirred up and brought to the surface.​ Colder water takes energy out of a
typhoon, and this did not happen
- Configurations of islands Leyte and Cebu funnelled the Storm straight at Tacloban, which
sits on a promontory in the channel.
- The ​shallow water forced the surge higher as it approached land

Effects of cyclone on LEDCs vs MEDCs 

 
  LEDCs (​Typhoon Haiyan -  MEDCs (​Hurricane Katrina - US​) 
Philippines​)  *More economically developed countries 
*Less economically developed  (MEDC) 
countries (LEDC) 

Infrastructure  The infrastructure of LEDCs may  The infrastructure of MEDCs tend to 
not be as rigid as those in MEDCs  be better and more rigid in 
due to little resources and money  comparison to LEDCs. M​EDCs are
to be invested in reinforcing old  more likely to have better and more
buildings. Therefore it is likely that  money and resources to invest in
when these old infrastructure and reinforcements for buildings.
poorly built buildings are left Therefore, when a hurricane strikes,
without reinforcement and the infrastructure in MEDCs are more
inspection, the level of destruction likely to withstand the strong winds
will be greater to that in developed and this can help to reduce the
countries during a hurricane, number of casualties and death toll,
possibly contributing to a larger and the scale of damage.
death toll.
Hurricane Katrina death toll :
Typhoon Haiyan death toll: > 1,800 people
6,340 people 

Level of  LEDCs have a lower level of  MEDCs generally have a higher level 
awareness  preparedness and awareness as  of awareness as the community is 
they are often less educated. Not  educated about the risks and the 
being informed in an event of an  evacuation plans involved should a 
emergency slows down the  hurricane occur - this helps to 
evacuation process, resulting in  mitigate the impacts to some extent. 
more deaths. Even if locals are  In the case of Hurricane Katrina, the 
aware of the oncoming hurricane,  state government works very closely 
most of them refuse to evacuate  with the state police and FEMA to 
 due to personal reasons like  coordinate an emergency plan. 
attachment. Coastal communities 
were not aware of the possibility 
of a storm surge - only expected 
strong winds. Lack of media 
reports about the storm surge 
Lack of evacuation for the coastal 
communities.  

Ability to  The inability of LEDCs to predict  MEDCs generally can better predict 
predict  hurricanes and properly convey  the coming of hurricanes due to a 
hurricane/  important information (such as a  higher level of knowledge and 
disseminate  potentially disastrous storm surge)  technology. They are also able to 
warning  leads to a lower level of  disseminate warning information 
information   preparedness and less time to  promptly without much delay using 
evacuate the area if needed,  forms of media such as radio and 
ultimately resulting in greater  public speakers. This, in turn, allows 
casualties and damage.  them to make preparations for the 
onslaught brought by the hurricane 
in a timely fashion, thereby 
minimising the potential risks and 
impacts 

Immediate  Search and rescue as well as  There was no plan or immediate 
response   relief efforts were very slow due to  response as such as the tens of 
the damaged infrastructure. It was  thousands of people were desperate 
very difficult to deliver relief items  for food, shelter and water. However, 
to island communities.  in MEDCs, the short term and long 
Communication lines were also  term response 
disrupted, making it difficult to 
identify areas where help was 
needed. Five days after the 
typhoon first struck, residents still 
had no water or safe shelter. The 
slowing down of the distribution 
of aid from the airport was due to 
the high potential in crimes like 
trafficking, which has a higher 
chance of occurring in LEDCs.  

Economic  Poverty and a lack of insurance   

ability  makes it difficult to rebuild their 
lives as they did not spread the 
risk. 

Lack of  Lack of coastal defence -   

coastal  especially for coastal 
defence  communities. 

Lack of  High population density in the   

land-use  coastal areas. 
zoning 

Low  Given that they had survived   

perception  through previous hurricanes, plus   
they were unaware of the storm 
surge, a lot of people had a low 
perception of risk, causing them 
to not take the proper measures 
to minimise damage such as 
evacuation