Cyclones Case

AP Human Geography

Cyclones

Throughout the years, large storms of strong, spiraling winds and heavy rain have wreaked havoc on countries, causing thousands upon thousands of casualties and costing countries billions to rebuild. Cyclones may begin as a small storm but the heat and humidity of the oceans near the equator cause these small storms to get stronger and bigger as ocean water evaporates and adds to the storm. Cyclones can affect countries whether they are extremely developed or have not developed. The most hurricane with the most casualties is Hurricane Bohla which hit Eastern Pakistan and Western India. The death toll is unknown but is estimated at 300,000 to 500,000, which puts it at the deadliest hurricane in recorded history. The cyclone formed over the Bay of Bengal on and travelled north, as it moved the hurricane intensified. Hurricane Bohla reached wind speeds of 115 mph. The Hurricane destroyed many of the offshore islands. The costliest hurricane in all of Texas history is Hurricane Ike, which cost 32 billion dollars. Hurricane Ike began on the coast of Africa. Hurricane Ike had wind speeds of 135 mph. It did the most damage to Houston, Texas. The costliest hurricane in U.S history was Hurricane Katrina which cost the U.S an estimated 108 billion dollars and resulted in the deaths of 1,833 people. Hurricane Katrina formed over the south-eastern Bahamas. New Orleans received a lot of damage due to them being below sea level.

Storms that happen over the Northwest Pacific Ocean and west of the International Date Line are called typhoons. Hurricanes near Australia and in the Indian Ocean are called tropical cyclones. When a cyclone has reached wind speeds up to 74 mph it is classified as a hurricane. North Atlantic Ocean, Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Northwest Pacific Ocean, Bay of Bengal, Southwest Pacific Ocean, Southeast Indian, Southwest Indian Ocean are regions that are hotspots for hurricanes because of the heat and humidity of these areas. These areas are near the equator which is a very humid area. The surface temperature of the land also has a lot to do with hurricane formation.

Hurricanes may cause significant damage to third-world countries due to homes and buildings not being structurally sound. These countries are not prepared for natural disasters, and that results in a loss of life. Hurricanes are most common during the summer months because it is increasingly hotter and the water will evaporate quicker causing the storm to intensify.

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