AY Honors/Disaster Response - Advanced/Answer Key

1. Describe the underlying causes of each of these disaster scenarios and give a recent example of at least six and its impact on a community or country. Point to at least one in which ADRA responded.

Hurricane/Typhoon/Cyclone

A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones feed on heat released when moist air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor contained in the moist air. Tropical cyclones originate in the doldrums near the equator, about 10° away from it. Tropical cyclones are called either hurricanes or typhoons depending on where they originate.

Hurricane Dean

Fifteen countries felt the effects of Hurricane Dean as its path through the Caribbean Sea claimed 42 lives. The hurricane first brushed the Lesser Antilles on August 17, 2007, and as it passed through the interior of the Caribbean its outer rain bands swept over the Greater Antilles. It passed Jamaica as a Category 4 hurricane, and strengthened to a Category 5 storm as it made landfall on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula on August 21. A second landfall on August 22 was less devastating. ADRA responded to Hurricane Dean throughout the affected area, providing (among other things) food, blankets, bedding, clean-up supplies, boots, raincoats, and flashlights. ADRA was in charge of aid distribution and victim registration in Jamaica.

Typhoon Durian

Typhoon Durian first made landfall in the Philippine s in November 2006 packing strong winds and heavy rains that caused mudslides near Mayon Volcano. After causing massive damage in the Philippines, it exited into the South China Sea and weakened slightly, before managing to reorganise and restrengthen into a typhoon shortly before its second landfall, this time in Vietnam near Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, causing further damage of more than US$400 million. In all, Durian killed at least 1,497 people, and left hundreds more missing. Damages from the typhoon were estimated at over $13 billion (2006 USD). When Typhoon Durian tore through the eastern Philippines, ADRA responded immediately to the needs of the survivors, providing food and emergency aid to those affected by the devastating storm.

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall.

Hurricane Rita

Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005.

Hurricane Isabel

Hurricane Isabel was the costliest and deadliest hurricane in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Isabel moved northwestward, and within an environment of light wind shear and warm waters it steadily strengthened to reach peak winds of 165 mph (265 km/h) on September 11. After fluctuating in intensity for four days, Isabel gradually weakened and made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) on September 18. It quickly weakened over land and became extratropical over western Pennsylvania the next day.

Typhoon Rusa

Typhoon Rusa was the 10th typhoon of the 2002 Pacific typhoon season. Rusa brought heavy rains and flooding to South Korea, amounting to 36 inches (910 mm) in some areas. 113 people were killed in the country, making it one of the deadliest typhoons to hit South Korea. Extensive crop and property damage amounted to $6 billion (2002 USD).

Typhoon Utor

Typhoon Utor (also called Seniang) was a deadly typhoon which struck the Philippines about two weeks after Typhoon Durian causing significant devastation in the country. Typhoon Utor killed 30 people and left another eight missing throughout the Philippines.[4] A total of 9,553 homes were destroyed and 33,943 were damaged, displacing 56,313 people. In all, 880,663 people were affected. Damages from the storm totaled to $15.8 million, of which $9.6 million was from agricultural damage. An additional 44 people were injured by the storm. In response, ADRA provided food and shelter assistance to 2,615 people in the three provinces. More than 500 families received food items, such as rice, noodles, meat loaf, cooking oil, iodized salt, sugar, mongo beans, and sardines.