SECOND REPORT

SECOND REPORT

NATURAL DISASTER

 

LUISA: Good morning to the people is watching now my name is Luisa Tangarife. Today we are going to show you a special report about natural disaster. These phenomenons are famous in the last years. Many people thing in the apocalyptical version of the end of the world. But these are speculations, because the natural disasters are present since remote times.

First i am going to explain what a natural disaster is?

A Natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of or effecting the Earth, for example floods, tsunami, tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, heat waves and droughts, wild fires, landslides, blizzards, ice storms and avalanches. A natural disaster can include loss of life, injury, economic loss, and environmental loss. The severity of the losses depends on the ability of the affected population to resist the hazard, also called their resilience.

 Thus an event will not constitute a natural disaster if it occurs in an area without vulnerability, for example an earthquake in an uninhabited area. The term natural has consequently been disputed because the events are not purely natural but result from interaction between natural forces and humanity.

Here we have the experts on the subject: Maria Clara Puerta and Maria Paulina Salcedo. They are going to talk us about this normal but destructive phenomenon. Maria Paulina is going to talk about Tsunamis, so Maria Paulina what is a Tsunami?

 

MARIA PAULINA: A tsunami is a series of waves, made in an ocean or other body of water by an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, or meteorite impact. Tsunami waves are different from the waves you can usually find rolling into the coast of a lake or ocean. A tsunami wave in the open ocean can be more than 100 km across. That’s roughly the length of 1000 American football fields! Tsunami waves are huge and can travel very quickly, at about 700 km/hr, but they are only about one meter high in the open ocean.

As a tsunami wave travels into the shallower water near the coast, it slows and grows in height. Even though a tsunami may be barely visible at sea, it may grow to be many meters high near the coast and have a tremendous amount of energy.

 

LUISA: And what are the causes and effect of the tsunamis?

 

MARIA PAULINA:   A few minutes before a tsunami wave hits, the water near shore may move away, exposing the ocean floor. Tsunamis are formed as a result of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides that occur under the sea. When these events occur under the water, huge amounts of energy are released as a result of quick upward bottom movement. For example, if a volcanic eruption occurs, the ocean floor may very quickly move upward several hundred feet. When this happens, huge volumes of ocean water are pushed upward and a wave is formed. A large earthquake can lift thousands of square kilometers of sea floor which will cause the formation of huge waves. The Pacific Ocean is especially prone to tsunamis as a result of the large amount of undersea geological activity.

Often the first wave may not be the largest and additional waves may arrive at the coast every 10 to 60 minutes. They move much faster than a person can run. The danger from a tsunami can last for several hours after the arrival of the first wave. Unlike other waves, tsunami waves typically do not curl and break. Coasts affected by a tsunami will be severely eroded. A tsunami can cause flooding hundreds of meters inland. The water moves with such force that it is capable of crushing homes and other buildings. A tsunami can do a big destruction when happen.

 

LUISA: Thank you Maria Paulina, now Maria Clara is going to explain what is a hurricane?

 

MARIA CLARA: A hurricane is an intense, rotating oceanic weather system that possesses maximum sustained winds exceeding 119 km/hr (74 mph). It forms and intensifies over tropical oceanic regions.

Hurricanes are generally smaller than storms in mid-latitudes, typically about 500 km (311 miles) in diameter. At the ocean’s surface, the air spirals inward in a counterclockwise direction. This cyclonic circulation becomes weaker with height, eventually turning into clockwise outflow near the top of the storm.

 

LUISA: And what are the causes and effect of the hurricanes?

 

MARIA CLARA: Hurricanes only form over really warm ocean water of 80°F or warmer. The air must cool off very quickly the higher you go. Also, the wind must be blowing in the same direction and at the same speed to force air upward from the ocean surface. Winds flow outward above the storm allowing the air below to rise. Hurricanes typically form between 5 to 15 degrees latitude north and south of the equator.  The Coriolis force is needed to create the spin in the hurricane and it becomes too weak near the equator, so hurricanes can never form there.

When the hurricane comes it causes the water to rise and also to make huge waves. The waves and high water level, also known as the storm surge, cause erosion. The erosion may destroy buildings by pulling the sand from underneath the building. Another effect is high levels of bacteria get in the bayou and makes the water unsafe to swim in. It’s bad for the fish and other animals in the bayou. Some fish even die from hurricanes because of the bacteria levels. It makes it hard for the fish and other animals to breathe. When people go fishing sometimes they get bad fish and when they eat them they can get very sick.

 

LUISA:  Thank you Maria Clara, another important natural disaster is the earthquake also known as a quake or temblor is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves.
Earthquakes are measured by Richter scale. The most recent large earthquake of magnitude 9.0 or larger was a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan in 2011.

 

MARIA PAULINA: Here we have a video with the top 10 infamous natural disaster of the last 100 years.

 

VIDEO (While the video is playing Maria Paulina and Maria Clara are going to say more interesting information about these natural disasters)

 

MARIA PAULINA:

10. HURRICAN ANDREW: Overall, Andrew caused 65 fatalities and $26 billion in damage, and it is currently the third costliest hurricane in U.S. history

Formed in August 16, 1992

Dissipated in August 28, 1992

Fatalities: 26 direct, 39 indirect

Areas affected: Bahamas, south Florida, Louisiana and other areas of the Southern United States

9. HURRICAN KATRINA: It was the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. At least 1,833 people died in the hurricane.

Formed in august 23, 2005

Dissipated in august 30, 2005

Areas affected: Bahamas, south Florida, Cuba, Louisiana (especially New Orleans) Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

8. SICHUAN EARTHQUAKE: The 2008 Sichuan earthquake or the Great Sichuan Earthquake was a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0 in the Richter scale. Official figures state that 69,197 are confirmed dead, including 68,636 in Sichuan province and 374,176 injured, with 18,222 listed as missing. The earthquake left about 4.8 million people homeless.

7. CYCLONE NARGIS:  

Formed in April 27, 2008.

Dissipated in May 3, 2008

Fatalities: 138.366

Damage: 10 billions (USD)

Areas affected: Bangladesh, Burma, India, and Sri Lanka

6. JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI: It was the most powerful known earthquake ever to have hit Japan, and one of the five most powerful earthquakes in the world. The earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves that reached heights of up to 40.5 meters. The World Bank's estimated economic cost was US$235 billion, making it the most expensive natural disaster in world history

Date: march 11, 2011

Duration: 6 minutes

MARIA CLARA:

5. THE EARTHQUAKE "TANGSHAN" 1976 (CHINA): Had a magnitude of 7.5 degrees on the Richter scale. According to official figures 242,419 people died, but some unofficial sources indicate that could be three times greater. The main quake occurred at 3:52 am, and the second occurred 15 hours after the second of 7.1 degrees. Many people reported seeing strange lights the night before the earthquake.

 

4. THE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI, "INDIAN OCEAN” 2004 (INDONESIA):  

In total there were 229,866 deaths. It is the second earthquake more long in history (10 minutes). The world community donated more than $ 7 billion dollars.

 

3. THE CYCLONE "BHOLA", 1970, (BANGLADESH): Up to 500,000 people lost their lives in the storm. The cyclone reached a speed of 185 km / h. Several islands were erased from the map, and destroying a large number of crops. The population of Barisal lost 45% of its population in one day. Many of the donations were stolen.

 

2. THE EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI (2010): The earthquake would have a magnitude of 7.0 degrees. Haiti is the poorest country in Latin America. The death toll exceeded 316,000, and the number of hurts exceeded 350,000, and more than 1.5 million people homeless. All staff who was in the United Nations building died, including the head of the UN mission.

 

1. 1931 CENTRAL CHINA FLOODS:  Estimates of the total death toll range from 145,000 to between 3.7 million and 4 million. Many people died of hunger, and disease.

 

MARIA CLARA: Finally, Natural disasters occur from natural causes, but some can avoid doing a proper use of waste”, building only in appropriate places, taking care of natural resources (water, trees, etc.), prevent erosion, preventing pollution.

 

LUISA:  Thank you very much, see you next week with another special repot.