We often hear the news regarding large-scale devastation caused by earthquakes and cyclones. The death tolls are usually very high in the regions primarily hit by the calamity. Cyclones result in the destruction of houses, buildings, transportation, electricity and death of livestock. Ever wondered how a calamity such as a cyclone affects the lives of a living being inhabiting that region.
Destruction caused by cyclones
Destruction Caused by Cyclones
The destruction caused by cyclones depends on its intensity, location, and size. In forest regions, the trees get uprooted and canopies get affected. In coastal regions, the banks and embankments get eroded. In deserts, the sand dunes get reshaped whereas in mountainous regions mudslides and landslides occur. When a cyclone hits a region, the hazards resulting from the hit can be divided into three types:
- Primary Hazards
- Secondary Hazards
- Tertiary Hazards
Primary Hazards:
Primary hazards include strong winds, heavy rains, and storms. The sea level rises abnormally near the coasts as a result of which the low-lying areas near the coastal regions get submerged, drowning humans, their live stocks, and their inhabitations, destroying vegetation and soil fertility. Very strong winds damage the houses, trees, communication systems etc, resulting in huge loss of life and property.
Secondary Hazards:
Secondary hazards include floods, fire, and freshwater flooding. Heavy and prolonged rains cause floods in rivers which cause submergence of the nearby inhabited regions, erosion of valuable farming lands and destruction of buildings. Strong winds in forest regions result in forest fires which spread with the intensity of cyclonic winds.
Secondary Hazards
Tertiary Hazards:
Tertiary hazards include diseases caused due to stagnant water, water poisoning and increase in prices of goods and resources.
Sometimes all the above hazards occur simultaneously because of which the relief operations become difficult. As the water level rises in the streets, transportation and communication in rescue operations and clean-up efforts become extremely difficult.
The death tolls due to cyclones are very high. Nearly two million people have died globally due to cyclones and their effects. Despite their devastating effects, the cyclones of low intensity are beneficial as they bring rain to dry areas and move heat from the tropical regions. They are sometimes useful in the field of navigation.
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