Extreme Weather: Your favourite conversation topic
April 26. 1989. Daulatpur–Saturia tornados plundered though Dhaka Bangladesh where 19 tornados reached winds of 240 km/h (150 mph) at heights of 10.6 km (35,000 ft). The 1,300 deaths came from each tornado, which contributed to a death toll of about 100 deaths. The abrupt tornados earned the name of some of the deadliest tornadoes in history. The aftershocks of the events were even worse with floods, diseases, and $1.5 million in damage costs. The events affected over one million people and the Bangladeshi government.
The tornados are what we call extreme weather events. There are more extreme weather events such as rains, tropical storms and tornadoes as mentioned. This article talks about those three specifically.
TROPICAL STORMS
Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis was a destructive and deadly cyclone that struck the Burmese people in late April 2008. The storm created landslides and heavy rainfall. A storm surged 40 kilometres up the densely populated Irrawaddy delta, causing catastrophic destruction and at least 138,373 fatalities at speeds of 215 km/h.
The Cyclonic Storm Nargis falls under the category of a typhoon. The formation hit its height on the 27th of April and disappeared on the 3rd of May. Typhoons form in the warmer months of the year and they form by multiple smaller storms colliding and creating an area of lower pressure. The damage was estimated at more than $10 billion which greatly stagnated the area.
The effect the storm Nargis had on land was just as effective in disrupting the growth of the country. Those effects were landslides, heavy rainfall, and floods which disrupted the land and stopped food production in the area, as well as created a move of people to areas that are less prone to disasters. Almost quarter of a million people were left in debris and homeless and even more injured.
If you are in such a situation , it is important to be educated on tactics that could save your life. Stay inside for the duration of the event. If thunder is heard, try not to use too much electricity and if your area is known to have damaged or badly built waterlines, avoid drinking the water.
RAIN/FLOODS
In Rosharon Texas, the flood season triggered by August rain has flooded thousands of homes and left the country and the people with huge damages and costs.
The Brass River has flooded that area multiple times in the past, so Randy Wagner used an Aqua Dam which is a big rubber tube which is filled with water to prevent other water from passing through. This has prevented destruction to his house completely and saved them from evacuation and a lot of money in repairs.
Rain is often seen as harmless or as a natural occurrence, but flood-prone rivers, such as the Brass River or the rivers in southern China, can pose a great danger. Flooding from these rivers happens as all the water seeps into the ground or is directly transferred to the river. The river then rises its elevation rapidly, and then it spills out of its bank and creates a flood.
Heavy rains that cause floods can destroy houses and infrastructure. This might not seem like a huge deal, but for people living in the area or the country which has to pay for damages, the cost would be up to $100,000–such as in the case of the neighbours of Randy Wagner. Another way rains and floods could affect wood structures or concrete structures specifically is mould. Mould would crack holes in the structure and could bring in moisture which can lead to multiple diseases such as respiratory problems or affect people with asthma.
Some ways of protection from such events could be the Aqua Dam or putting sponges under buildings which have been used by China in construction of new cities near flood prone areas.
TORNADOS
On March 18th 1925, an F5 tornado called the Tri-State tornado passed through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. The tornado had an average wind speed of almost 62 miles per hour or 100 km per hour, and peak speed of 73 miles per hour or 117 km per hour. At least 695 people died, 2,000 people were injured and 15,000 homes were destroyed. The tornado inflicted $17. Million in damages for over fifteen thousand people.
A tornado is a weather event created by either tropical storms or similar to a tropical storm where low pressure, warm and cool humid air mix and the winds reach a certain speed where it creates a spinning motion. In the simplest words, a tornado is spinning air. Tornados also need a large amount of flat lands or water, so the great plains located in the United States or the so-called tornado alley are the prime areas for tornadoes to spawn as the wet and dry climate mix.
Damages inflicted by tornadoes are known to all but they can range from completely destroyed concrete buildings and transport ships being stranded onto roads to just tilting trees or rising water into the air. There is not much we can do to protect from tornadoes besides hiding in UNDERGROUND bunkers or concrete boxes which may or may not work.
CONCLUSION
If you found yourself in extreme weather, please DO NOT go hunting for tornados or experimenting on whether wind speeds can blow your dog away. The most important part is to be educated and to be cautious of your surroundings. Who knows, maybe making a plan of escape will be a fun activity.
