Harvey, a once in a millenium event
What: A case study of Hurricane Harvey
Why: It is a case study that has affected us in many ways and has many synoptic links relevant to many geographical areas- Hazards, flooding, effects of urbanization and effects of climate change
How: By studying the causes, effects and responses of hurricanes with specific reference to Hurricane Harvey
Starter activity: Think- pair- share
What: A case study of Hurricane Harvey
Why: It is a case study that has affected us in many ways and has many synoptic links relevant to many geographical areas- Hazards, flooding, effects of urbanization and effects of climate change
How: By studying the causes, effects and responses of hurricanes with specific reference to Hurricane Harvey
Starter activity: Think- pair- share
- Are natural hazards becoming more frequent?
- Are disasters becoming more frequent?
There are now 400 extreme weather events every year, four times as many as in 1970 pic.twitter.com/Iv9fmG0Tla
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) September 11, 2017
|
Causes of Hurricanes
Starter: How are hurricanes born? Watch the video from the BBC Weather Centre to the right. i. What are the key ingredients for the start of storm formation? ii. Why is warm sea water (over 27°C) vital to hurricane growth and expansion? iii. Why is the 'Eye Wall' so dangerous? iv. Where might most damage come from in a hurricane? v. What kills off a hurricane and why? Task 1 - The first image to the right shows historical tropical storm activity plotted onto a Pacific centred map. i. Comment on the spatial distribution of tropical storms globally. Ensure you use the following terms to improve your response. equator tropics highest density anticlockwise clockwise warm water band low density concentration Pacific Atlantic Task 2 - Wind intensity is during a tropical storm is measured on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The yellow (4) & red (5) tracks on your map indicate the most powerful storms. i. Outline the areas of the world most prone to severe tropical storms? Task 3 - Using the YouTube 'Why Hurricane Categories Make a Difference' & 'Hurricane Storm Surge' videos to the right, complete the worksheet on the tab below. This site might also be of use. 
|
| ||
Task 4- Use the worksheet below to describe the track of Hurricane Harvey.
Quick overview of #Harvey's long existence. Slow movement makes this a bit cluttered, but did what I could. pic.twitter.com/uTRi3ceNRK
— Brenden Moses (@Cyclonebiskit) August 30, 2017
Click to set custom HTML
The effects of Hurricane Harvey
The effects from Harvey can be split into many different sources- from the winds, from the tornadoes that accompanied the hurricane, from the storm surge, from the flooding from the rain bands and from the flooding from the release of the release of the reservoirs.
- The most expensive in U.S. history at over $190 billion, surpassing Hurricane Katrina.
- Harvey has also swamped one-third of oil refining capacity of the US. It could be weeks before refineries return to full operation. This has caused huge concerns about fuel supplies. Prices for refined products like gasoline have jumped.
- Death toll more than 60
- 1 million cars lost
- 50,000 homes destroyed
- 150,000 homes damaged
Click to set custom HTML
|
|
— geogabout (@geogabout) August 28, 2017 |
What were the effects in a Coastal area:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/28/us/rockport-texas-hurricane-harvey-damage/index.html
What were the factors that caused Harvey to be such a disaster for Houston?
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/28/us/rockport-texas-hurricane-harvey-damage/index.html
What were the factors that caused Harvey to be such a disaster for Houston?
1. The rate of Urbanisation- Houston is the largest U.S. city to have no zoning laws, part of a hands-off approach to urban planning that may have contributed to catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Harvey and left thousands of residents in harm’s way.
Growth that is virtually unchecked, including in flood-prone areas, has diminished the land’s already-limited natural ability to absorb water, according to environmentalists and experts in land use and natural disasters. And the city’s drainage system — a network of reservoirs, bayous and, as a last resort, roads that hold and drain water — was not designed to handle the massive storms that are increasingly common.
The impermeable surfaces — asphalt and concrete — reduced the area’s ability to absorb excess water.
|
2. The amount of rain- Hurricane Harvey, which dumped an estimated 27 trillion gallons of wateron Texas and Louisiana, looks to be one of the most damaging natural disasters in U.S. history.
Over the course of five days, Hurricane Harvey dropped a record-breaking amount of rain on southeastern Texas. The slow-moving storm brought prolonged precipitation, often with staggering intensity. During one five-hour period, the rain in Houston exceeded the average amount that would be expected for an entire year in Los Angeles.
5. The link to climate change- There's a well-established physical law, the Clausius-Clapeyron equation, that says that a hotter atmosphere holds more moisture. For every extra degree Celsius in warming, the atmosphere can hold 7% more water. This tends to make rainfall events even more extreme when they occur. Another element that we can mention with some confidence is the temperature of the seas. "The waters of the Gulf of Mexico are about 1.5 degrees warmer above what they were from 1980-2010," Sir Brian Hoskins from the Grantham Institute for Climate Change told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "That is very significant because it means the potential for a stronger storm is there, and the contribution of global warming to the warmer waters in the Gulf, it's almost inevitable that there was a contribution to that." Researchers are also quite confident in linking the intensity of the rainfall that is still falling in the Houston area to climate change. |
3. The permeability of the soil- Houston is a city built on a low-lying coastal plain, on “black gumbo,” clay-based soil that is among the least absorbent in the nation. How would this increase the risk of flooding?
4. The size of the population- Houston has faced sharp criticism for telling its 2.3 million residents to stay put amid the unprecedented flooding, but local officials point to the lessons learned from the melee that ensued in September 2005 when the city evacuated from Hurricane Katrina. Of the more than 100 people who died during Hurricane Rita, at least 60 of those deaths were in connection to the evacuation.
|
How can Houston rebuild?
The US places huge emphasis on flood recovery, rather than avoidance. Houston has taken a rather laissez-faire approach to city planning, with a lack of zoning allowing housing to spill out over a large expanse, often in areas next to bayous vulnerable to flooding. The city is lacking in sponge-like parklands and is rich in concrete, which helps push water into unplanned streetscape swimming pools. The flat terrain of Houston, along with its proximity to the hurricane-spawning Gulf of Mexico, are further vulnerabilities.
After Katrina, New Orleans adopted the Dutch principle of “living with the water”. This involves huge fortifications in key areas against flood waters – New Orleans now has the largest flood barrier in the world – but also emphasizes the need for green, or natural, infrastructure such as grass, woodland and wetlands to soak up water. Innovations such as green rooftops, where plants absorb some rainwater before it’s funneled to barrels rather than on to the street, and permeable pavements are also being embraced.There are now seven “rain gardens” in New Orleans – essentially parks where water pools and is absorbed – and the city is spending a further $220m on new green areas that will draw away water that would otherwise end up in the streets or in people’s homes.
Hurricane Harvey and TOK
Obviously, for our school and local community Hurricane Harvey is an issue of the highest significance and will continue to be so for a long time to come. But it has also had almost blanket news coverage in many other parts of the world such as the UK and New Zealand while there have been were signifiant disasters in such as flooding in India, Nepal and Bangladesh which have unfortunately killed far more people.
Why do some issues receive more news coverage than others?
When is a disaster not a disaster?
| dealing_with_heavy_content-_making_harvey_infographic.docx |
Task:
Dealing with heavy content- geographical skill:
Creating visual representations to encourage understanding and highlight key information. Graphics are visual elements often used to point readers and viewers to particular information. They are also used in an effort to aid readers in their understanding of a particular concept or maker the concept more clear or interesting.
Challenge:
To include a range of specific case study detail figures/ place names) information about Hurricane Harvey relevant to the IGCSE geography course:
Examples of practice exam questions:
IGCSE geography:
For a named area, describe the causes of the hazard which you have chosen. [7)
IB geography:
Dealing with heavy content- geographical skill:
Creating visual representations to encourage understanding and highlight key information. Graphics are visual elements often used to point readers and viewers to particular information. They are also used in an effort to aid readers in their understanding of a particular concept or maker the concept more clear or interesting.
Challenge:
To include a range of specific case study detail figures/ place names) information about Hurricane Harvey relevant to the IGCSE geography course:
- Causes of hurricanes- physical development
- Wider causes- i.e. climate change and urbanisation in Houston
- Impacts of a specific hurricane on a coastal area (Rockport)
- Impacts of flooding (Houston)
Examples of practice exam questions:
IGCSE geography:
- Describe the reasons for tropical storm formation (5)
- Describe the impacts of a natural hazard on a named coastal area which you have studied. (7)
- For a named river which you have studied, describe the advantages and difficulties of living on its flood plain. (7)
- In many parts of the world the natural environment presents hazards to people.
For a named area, describe the causes of the hazard which you have chosen. [7)
- For an area you have studied explain the impacts of urban sprawl (7)
IB geography:
- Describe the atmospheric conditions in the eye and the eyewall of a typical hurricane. [2+2]
- Explain the conditions needed for the occurrence of a hurricane hazard event. [6]
- Explain the occurrence of hurricanes (tropical cyclones, typhoons) in a named area. [6]
- Explain two factors that affect the formation and development of hurricanes. [3+3]
- Outline two long-term actions a community can take to reduce the economic impact of hurricanes. [2+2]
- “The faster the speed of onset, the greater the impact of the hazard event.” Discus this statement, with reference to examples. [10]
- Suggest three reasons why some people continue to live in places with a known hazard risk. [3×2 marks]
- Using examples, examine the demographic and socio-economic factors that affect the vulnerability of a community to hazard events. [10]
- “Rich countries experience hazard events while poor countries experience disasters.” Discuss this statement with reference to one named hazard type. [10]
- Explain how building design and land-use planning can limit the potential damage from one named hazard type. [6]