With reference to contrasting examples examine the ways in which the impact of tropical cyclones vary.

the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Wind speeds of over 240 km/h along with torrential rain and a 5m tidal surge were predicted. In response to the warnings, the Florida population prepared itself for the hurricane. On the 24th of August the hurricane hit southern Florida devastating Homestead, Florida City and parts of Miami, then continued north-west across the Gulf of Mexico to strike the Louisiana coastline. Hundreds were injured and at least In all, the storm caused 15 deaths directly, 25 deaths indirectly and $30-billion in property damage, making it the costliest disaster in U.S history. More than 250,000 people were left homeless; 82,000 businesses were destroyed or damaged; about 100,000 residents of south Dade County permanently left the area in Andrew's wake. Andrew also had a severe impact on the environment. It damaged 33 percent of the coral reefs at Biscayne National Park, and 90 percent of South Dade's native pinelands, mangroves and tropical hardwood hammocks. It also created 30 years worth of debris. Although the area was declared a national disaster area later, first aid efforts were delayed by the confusion and by the bureaucratic problems of moving soldiers and trucks which were moved only when the area was declared a national disaster area.  Being the costliest disaster in American history it even raised the problem oh insurance claims. Insurance companies were left with 100’s of thousands insurance claims which meant a loss amounting to 18 billion dollars. Many insurance companies were pushed out of business while others had to put a limit on future policies.  Following Hurricane Andrew, many companies have cancelled or limited property insurance in coastal areas of Florida. Thousands of property owners and businesses were left without cover. The hurricane’s powerful winds showed the poor building policing and construction work. Concrete block construction resisted much better than buildings with timber frames and this influenced people’s future house purchasing. Stricter building regulations have been introduced and hopefully the inefficiencies which led to a slow response to the disaster by the government and the military will not be repeated.         In May 1997 instead a tropical cycle formed over the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean. Severe tropical cyclone with winds up to 250 km/h were recorded. It struck land at Chittagong on the southern eastern coast of Bangladesh causing mass destruction. The cyclone caused 111 deaths as the population was not evacuated completely and rapidly The cyclones caused heavy torrential rains flooding the Bangladesh plain in very little time. The flooding was also quickened by the massive storm surges. This caused wells to be contaminated by salt water and left 1 million people without fresh water. The first aids given by the government were insufficient so international help was needed. The international helps took time and people were left in famine and dehydrated. Among the people there were many outbreaks of diarrhoea. Building were poorly built and did not resist the fury of the cyclone. Very few people had insurance and consequently 500,000 people were left homeless. Crops were completely destroyed and 2000 cattle were lost.         On a whole the impact of tropical cyclones vary on the speed of population evacuations and the degree of preparedness of the authorities and the population. In LEDC countries like Bangladesh there is not a great system of preparedness and people were not informed in time. The deaths were caused by the spreading of disease and the low quality of the infrastructures which quickly collapsed under the force of the tropical cyclone. In the United States instead we see that the population was informed on time and that the evacuation plans took place and there was a low number of deaths. Help was not immediately available but on the long term the help was given and the population recovered quickly, Some infrastructures such as buildings poorly built served to understand how future buildings would have to be constructed and so to minimise the risk of death and destruction.