Science 10 Is Weather Becoming More Extreme? Sarah Stride
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- World Weather Element World Element Characteristic Value
- Longitude/ Latitude Elevation
- Highest Sea Lvl Air Pressure Above 750m
- Lowest Sea Lvl Air Pressure (excluding tornadoes)
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- Maximum Gust for Tropical Cyclone
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In recent years extreme weather has been more frequent and more intense. Looking at past and present statistics Hurricanes have been happening more often and are getting more intense. The first storm is the Great Hurricane Of 1780. This hurricane is holding the record as the deadliest Atlantic hurricane. This storm wiped out Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Lesser Antilles, Bermuda, and possibly Florida and other States. Not knowing the total damages the death toll was well over 22,000 people. The second storm is the 1970 Bhola cyclone. The 1970 Bhola cyclone is the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded. This storm hit East Pakistan (Bangladesh today) and India's West Bengal on November 12, 1970. No one knowing the exact death toll, it is estimated that 300,000-500,000 people perished in the aftermath of this storm, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent history. The Bhola was not extremely large, reaching strengths equivalent of a Category 3 Hurricane. The last storm is Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Hurricane Katrina was the largest and 3rd strongest hurricane ever recorded to make landfall in the US. Katrina was at a Category 5 hurricane, with winds up to 175 mph. The storm surge from Katrina was 20-ft (six meters) high. The final death toll was at 1,836, mostly from Louisiana (1,577) and Mississippi (238). More than half of these victims were senior citizens. 705 people are reported as still missing as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina affected over 15 million people in different ways from having to leave their homes, rising gas prices, and the economy suffering. It was estimated that 80% of New Orleans was under water. Hurricane Katrina caused $81 billion in property damages, but it is estimated that the total economic impact in Louisiana and Mississippi may exceed $150 billion, earning the title of expensive hurricane ever in US history. Hurricane Katrina impacted about 90,000 square miles. From looking at these three Hurricanes we can see that they have gotten more intense and they are happening more often. Droughts have been more frequent and more intense throughout the years. The Horn of Africa has been affected by droughts almost every year for the past 12 years. Data for 2009 shows that Kenya’s agriculture was the most severely affected, with wheat fields dropping by 45% compared to 2010’s good crop season. Australia suffered multi-year droughts between 2002 and 2010. The total Australia wheat fields in 2006 dropped by 46%. The 2010 drought in Russia was very long, intensive, spread over a sizeable area and caused serious damage to the environment, economy and human health. Droughts have a huge impact on the earth and on the people. Droughts are getting more frequent every year. Temperature extremes are greater than they have been historically. With the look of the chart below you can see the weather at its highest and it’s lowest. Throughout the years the numbers are increasing.
Citations "11 Facts About Hurricane Katrina." 11 Facts About Hurricane Katrina. Web. 23 Apr. 2015. "The 10 Biggest, Deadliest, Most Destructive Hurricanes EVER!" Ranker. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. "World Meteorological Organization." Global Weather & Climate Extremes. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. Download 41.99 Kb. Share with your friends:
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