Vulnerability: The people of The Gulf Coast are well educated about hurricanes as they are fairly frequent and several organisations are set up to warn and protect people against the hurricanes. Houses are built to with stand the impacts of storms. Roads and cities can be congested at certain times of the day but transport is good and people would be advised not to travel when the storm is due. Due to high economy levels, healthcare is very good and many facilities are available. Money can be spent on the quality of buildings and organisations protecting and supporting people in disasters.
Capacity: Infrastructure is well thought out and housing regulations are enforced. Healthcare is to a high standard and available widely. The overall wealth of the country is very high and national and international support is readily available. Several organisations such as Emergency Operations Center, and National Guard issue evacuation orders and produce emergency shelters for evacuees. Computer models were able to detect the potential path of Hurricane Katrina and warn and evacuate people before the storm hit. They were also able to predict and forecast the chances of the storm hitting certain areas. The massive Louisiana Superdome provided shelter for approximately 26’000 people and food and water was provided to the people as long as they had to stay. Infrastructure along the Gulf Coast was shut down along with schools, rail and airways before the storm was due. All these preparations for the storm meant the death toll stayed below 2000 people and only 700 went missing, even though the Federal disaster declarations covered 90’000 square miles of the US and 80% of New Orleans submerged.
Bangladesh Cyclone, 1991, Chittagong
Hazard: Bangladesh Cyclone stuck Bay of Bengal and Chittagong with wind speeds around 260km/h and a storm surge 6 metres high inland. The hurricane was recorded as a Category 5 hurricane. There were also torrential rains, which urban areas are often not able to drain quickly enough, and a flash flood results.
Vulnerability: Bangladesh is a country in Southern Asia that is referred as a “the nation born of a cyclone.” This country is located on the largest delta region in the world on a bowl shaped alluvial plain that is rests between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal. Much of this country is only a few feet about sea level. Because of its geographical location and other factors, it is often a frequent target for several natural disasters including tornadoes, floods, and tropical cyclones. The country is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, and also one of the poorest. The local people scratch out a living primarily on the farming of jute and other agriculture products that grow on this prime region. The low elevation of much of coastal Bangladesh allowed this surge to reach extremely far inland and cause much damage. The warm sea had a consistent temperature of over 80 0 F (26.6 0 C) and the weather conditions were favourable for the growth of it as well.
Capacity: Bangladesh is a very vulnerable country to these disasters and loss of life. Prior to the 1991 cyclone, there was ample warning that a cyclone might strike, but few people were convinced of the severity of it until they saw the wave advancing. Analysts of the cyclone later found that the warning system in place was only intended for port authorities, and not citizens, as it contained “technical information” only. Citizens need to be taught to obey warnings and have trust in them. Many false alarms were issued prior to this event which lowered the citizen’s trust in the warning system. When the cyclone hit, people were unprepared. The present warning cyclone warning system in Bangladesh is now outfitted with sophisticated satellites and radar, but much more needs to be done to prepare for a future event. Communication also needs to be improved between officials and citizens. Television and radio stations should be able to broadcast information about the cyclone, and the evacuation route details. Short wave radios might serve as a better warning system in the more rural areas.
Both Hurricane Katrina and Bangladesh Cyclone had similar hazards, for example wind speeds and Category 5, but the impacts and number of deaths were very different. Hurricane Katrina killed 1,464, while Bangladesh killed 138’000 directly, plus thousands more in the aftermath due to quick spread of disease and conaminated water and lack of healthcare. But Katrina caused $81.2 billion in economic damage while Bangladesh Cyclone caused $2 billion.
The reasons for such difference in deaths were mainly due to the countries economy. The MEDC’s hurricane had ample warning systems and precise predictions of the hurricanes path and communication to the relevant cities could be carried out in several methods including television and radio. Many shelters with food, and evacuation procedures were provided before the storm even hit. While the LEDC’s Bangladesh Cyclone caused thousands of death and damage to the whole country was due to the actual location of Bangladesh being very near sea level which meant the storm surge went straight over Bangladesh. Also due to very little and too late warning given to the locals, and no shelters available, and ones that were set up, people did not know about them. This was due to very poor communication between other countries and within the nation. The housing in Bangladesh is very basic compared to the US and Mexico, also the education available and support from organisations and warning systems were very different in the countries.