Tropical storms

Fig. 9.11 Historical record of 8lsO in tree rings of long-leaf pine in southern Georgia correlated with the historical record of hurricanes in the area. Open circles = no documented tropical storms, solid squares = documented storms in area, shaded triangles = major tropical storm >400 km from site (Reprinted with permission from Miller, D. L. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 103, 14294 (2006), copyright 2006, National Academy of Sciences, USA)...

Volume 5. M. Marchand, Modelling Coastal Vulnerability - Design and Evaluation of a Vulnerability Model for Tropical Storms and Floods Volume 4. S.A.M. Karstens, Bridging boundaries. Making Choices in Multi-actor Policy Analysis on Water Management. 

The hurricane began as a tropical depression on August 23, 2005, near the Bahamas. A tropical depression is characterized by surface winds blowing between 23 and 39 miles (37 and 63 km) per hour. By the next day, the tropical depression was upgraded to a tropical storm, an area with stronger winds and rain. It was given the name Katrina. The storm started moving toward the southeast coastline and did not officially become a hurricane until two hours before it struck land. 

This year was characterized by destructive meteorological disasters, especially floods. In Australia, the U.S.A., and Asia there were many tropical storms, in Europe heavy snowfall, avalanches, and storms, and again in the U.S.A. droughts and tornados. 

The hurricane season in 2003 was extremely active in the basin of the Atlantic Ocean with sixteen tropical storms, seven hurricanes, and three super-hurricanes. Five of these tropical cyclones led to landslides in the northeast of Mexico. In 2003, destructive hurricanes devastated New Scotland and Bermuda. The formation of five tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico turned out to be a specific feature of a region in the Atlantic Ocean. Three tropical storms formed outside the usual time interval (June-November), one formed in April, and two in December. In the eastern sector of the Pacific Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere, the activity of storm formation was below usual (there were no large-scale storms here at all). 

Indices of losses caused by natural disasters depend much on the preparedness of the regional population to reduce the risk of losses. The heaviest losses are caused by floods and hurricanes. The spatial distribution of natural disasters is also non-uni-form (Table 7.16). For example, the percentage distribution of natural disasters by type and continent is as follows tropical storms 32%, floods 32%, earthquakes 12%, droughts 10%, other disasters 14% Asia 38%, America 26%, Africa 14%, Europe 14%, and Oceania 8%. 

The climatic conditions in India facilitate its role as a global contamination source for persistent toxic substances. Many geographers characterize the climatic changes in India as violent. There are often abrupt changes on the onset of monsoon rains, sudden flooding, rapid erosion, extremes of temperatures, tropical storms and unpredictable fluctuations in rainfall (www.indianchild.com/climate india.htm). By all these, India represents wide range of climates. 

Hurricane Tropical Storm gg Flood yf Severe Weather Q Blizzard iMt Fires L Nor eeeter Ice Storm... 

Tropical Storm Watch Tropical storm conditions with sustained winds from 39 to 73 mph are possible in the watch area within the next 36 hours. 

Tropical Storm Warning Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area within the next 24 hours. 

Tropical storms, typhoons, or hurricanes, depending on their strength and geographical context, often deliver torrential rains. Increased river flow during such high intensity, low frequency rainfall events can transport a major portion of annual river N load to coastal systems. Historically, there has been a paucity of data on such events due to their irregular and extreme nature and the generally manual nature of water sample collection for nutrient analyses. However, with the use of in situ automatic water samplers and nutrient analysis systems, data from such events can now more readily be captured. 

Chesapeake Research Consortium (CRC). (1976). The effects of tropical storm Agnes on the Chesapeake Bay estuarine system. Chesapeake Research Consortium, Publication No. 54. Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD. 

Recent publication of world fire statistics reveals that costs of fires currently runs around 1% of GDP in most advanced countries. Deaths and losses in the United States tend to be the most extreme with annual losses of lObn/year [224], The annual review performed by Munich Re of world disaster losses reveals that world-wide forest fire losses alone exceeded 5.5bn and insured losses exceeded 2.5bn during 2003. Such losses exceed the sum of all losses from volcanic eruptions, hailstones, flash floods, Tsunamis, landslides, avalanches, water drainage, frost, and local and winter storms combined (Of course the Baran earthquake, the European heat wave, floods, and severe and tropical storms individually exceeded forest fire losses, Munich Re [437],... 

Of the 284 males and 55 females that began the study, 15 withdrew before the study was completed. Eight completed only the electroretinograph (ERG) test, 3 completed only the Risk Factor Questionnaire (RFQ), and 2 completed both the ERG and RFQ before dropping out. Two additional subjects withdrew with after completing nearly all parts of the study. Most of the withdrawals (7) were due to a tropical storm that arrived at Hurlbert Field the week of the study. The storm forced researchers to cancel the final data collection day of the study. 

Schubel, J. R. (1974). Effects of tropical storm Agnes on the suspended solids of the Northern Chesapeake Bay. In Suspended Solids in Water (R. J. Gibbs, ed.), pp. 113-132. Plenum, New York. 

Fensin, E.E., Impact of tropical storms and drought on the dinoflagellates Karlodinium micrum and Prorocentrum minimum in estuarine rivers of North Carolina, USA, Afr. J. Mar. Set Harmful Algae 28, 111, 2006. 

Temperature effect and climate conditions. Leg 9404 was measured in spring when seawater temperature was low, and still a little like that in winter. The climate was calm and vertical mixture was not strong, so DO concentrations were high in Leg 9404. Leg 9410 was measured in late fall and the seawater temperature was high. The marine environment was characterized by cold currents and occasional tropical storms. The vertical mixture of seawater was very strong. The higher the seawater temperature, the lower the DO concentration. 

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