Cyclones - Destructions & Consequences

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.

Cyclones
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Destruction Caused by Cyclones

The destruction caused by cyclones depends on their 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.

Disasters

Tertiary Hazards:

Tertiary hazards include diseases caused due to stagnant water, water poisoning and an increase in the 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, 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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Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Q1

What kind of destruction are included in 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 livestock, 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.
Q2

What is a cyclone?

A cyclone is any low-pressure area with winds spiralling inwards. Cyclones rotate anti-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and rotate clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. The process of Cyclone formation and intensification is called Cyclogenesis.
Q3

What are the different types of cyclones?

There are various types of cyclones depending on the type of prevailing low-pressure system.
  1. Tropical cyclone
  2. Extratropical cyclone
  3. Tornadoes
Q4

How are cyclones addressed in different locations?

Cyclones are addressed by different names in different locations.
  1. Hurricanes – In the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific.
  2. Typhoons – In Southeast Asia
  3. Cyclone – In the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific around Australia.
Q5

What is a tropical cyclone?

Tropical cyclones are regarded as one of the most devastating natural calamities in the world. They originate and intensify over warm tropical oceans. These are ferocious storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move over to the coastal areas causing violent winds, very heavy rainfall, and storm outpourings.
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