Olivia_Tropical+cyclones_New+Caledonia



**Cyclone Erica: **

Cyclone Erica started off as a "depression' off just off the coast of Australia On March 1st 2003. The cyclone then became classified as a Cat. 2 cyclone & moved north starting to blow out.

4 days later (5th of March) it reappeared near the Solomon islands & then during the next 3 days it grew more powerful & developed into a Cat. 5 cyclone as it moved south with New Caledonia in its path.

3am on the 14th of March the cyclone was just off shore, but it's high speed winds were already causing damage along with torrential rain.

At 6am the cyclone hit Kone & continued down south through other town & struck Noumea. The cyclone continued down south & spun out NE of New Zealand. Cyclone Erica killed 2-14 people & caused 46.4 million dollars worth of damage & thousands lost their homes.

Cyclone Erica's path (above)
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Erica_2003_track.png/220px-Erica_2003_track.png width="638" height="383"]]

What is a Cyclone?**

Tropical cyclones are intense low pressure systems that develop in the tropics & spin clockwise in the southern hemisphere & anti- clockwise in the northern hemisphere. They are also known as hurricanes in America & Typhoons in Asia.


 * How do they form?**

Cyclones form when a cold air mass meets a warm moist mass over warm seas in the tropics(water temp. has to be 26-27 degrees to form). Cold air currents move quickly to replace the rapidly rising warm, moist air currents.The vapour in the air creates storm clouds & rain. This creates an intense low pressure system. At first, the winds spin around an area 200- 300km wide (the eye of the cyclone), as the winds gain more energy by sucking in warm moist air they get faster. The faster the winds flow the smalller the eye gets. Around the eye is where the weather is at it fiercest, but in the eye it's calm. When a cyclone passes over, people venture out into the eye, to see what has happened, but then the other side of the cyclone hits, with winds blowing from the opposite direction. Cyclones need to be over warm water to sustain themselves so once a cyclone hits land it should eventually blow out unless its travels along the coast line.





**Where do they form & Why?**

Cyclones form in the warm, tropical waters inbetween the Tropics of Cancer & Capricorn. Why?- the waters are warm- cyclones need warm water (26>degrees) to form.



Causes of a cyclone (humidity, warm water, cold & warm air) are not effected by man. Cyclones are a natural disaster.
 * Natural or Man made cause?**


 * The hazards impact on the human world;**


 * **//If a cyclone hits; //** || **//Effect: //** ||
 * ** The dump: ** || Rubbish & debris is spread everywhere adding to the pollution. ||
 * ** Electricity system; ** || Power is cut off from homes; no lighting, heating, cooling ect. ||
 * ** Water System; ** || No water to drink or to bathe in. ||
 * ** Waste system: ** || Waste is sent everywhere & households can’t get rid of waste & dirty water. ||
 * ** Housing district: ** || Houses are teared apart with debris sent everywhere & people are left without a shelter or sucked up with the house. ||
 * ** Shops: ** || People are left without a food source & may starve. ||

When a cyclone hits a human resourse it effects everybody.

Most urban areas in New Caledonia are on the coast line making them a high risk area for cyclones. Severe damage usually occurs on in the coastal cities, with high winds tearing down buildings, shops & homes.
 * Cyclone effects on rural & urban areas:

Cyclone Erica tearing down houses in the city of Poya & flooding bridges within 5mins **

Rural areas usually aren't effected because there're away from the coast & more inland, but rural areas near the coast are destroyed within minutes by firece, strong winds & flooded by torrentail rain.



This small creek in Bourali turned into a kilometer wide flood plain & now is 1m deep!

When cyclones strike, the winds take almost every thing up with them like roofs of houses, the whole house, cars, ect. Shops can be severely damaged or blown away with the food, when happens all people depending on the stall have to find another food source. If the cyclone hits the plantations, the food run stops altogether.
 * Immediate effects on food, health & housing:

Hospitals- will usually be full of injured or dead victims or destroyed leaving no place for people to get medical assistance.

Houses- usually destroyed or unsafe no longer provide shelter, warmth & food leaving people homeless. **

Rebuilding is tough & expensive but, Aid agencies & other countries donate money & help rebuild homes & feed victims. When cyclone had Erica passed, France promised $700 000 US dollars for repair & sent 35t of food & 30 000L of water.
 * Rebuilding:**

This cyclone hit QLD, Australia on Saturday March the 18th, also a Cat. 5 cyclone like Cyclone Erica. Cyclone Larry did not kill any body, but wiped out Australia's banana crop. Cyclone Larry caused several hundred million dollars worth of damage & like all cyclones damaged properties & wiped out crops.
 * Cyclone Larry:**

Cyclone Larry wipes out banana crop. Cyclone Larry approaching Queensland.


 * [[image:http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2006/03/australia_23mar2006/images/tempgraphics.jpg caption="Cyclone Larry Track Australia Map"]]

Environmental effects of Cyclone Erica:

New Caledonia is surrounded by a beautiful reef full of marine life. Cyclone Erica destroyed 80% of live coral in the reefs & with the coral gone a massive decrease in fish species occurred. With the reef gone their were more predators in the waters. 20 months after the disaster the reef had made very very little recovery. Not only the reef was effected, most of the crops/ plantations were destroyed, but gradually recovered.

Reef surrounding New Caledonia & its islands. **

Cyclones benefits to the environment: Although cyclones uproot, tear down & wash away the environment they can beneficial. The strong winds & rain turn out the soil & make it fertile & winds can blow seeds everywhere & into the soil. The cyclone up roots big trees giving smaller trees an opportunity to grow bigger.


 * Cyclones impact on the environment:**


 * C yclones can cause severe erosion on the coastline or inland because of the fierce weather that's carried with them. When a cyclone hits land, the wind & waves batter the cliffs & coastline encouraging the cliffs to collapse or cave in & the fierce winds uproot trees making it easier for soil to be washed or blown away.

Usually animals know when a storm is coming because they hide or flyaway, but those animals who cannot shelter from the storm will be swept or sucked away. It doesn't matter what country your in, animals feel the disturbance & flee to get away from it. Cyclone Larry also battered the coast line of Australia, just like all cyclones when they hit. Cyclone Larry also uprooted thousands of trees & destroyed the banana plantations & washed away tons of soil.

Cyclone warnings**:

Click this Link below to hear Australia's Cyclone Larry warning: []
 * All cyclone prone countries usually have a warning siren that sounds when a cyclone is near.

New Caledonia & Australia have a news, radio & siren warnings.

Protection:** When cyclone Erica was on its way, the government evacacuted schools, grouned airports & advised people to tape all windows, get into a cyclone shelter, concrete bunker or stay in a strong secure shelter with pleny of food & warmth & to put everything inside & not tp rely on electricity.


 * //My//** **Survival strategies:**
 * Stay inside
 * Tape all windows & keep away from them
 * Do not go outside because the wind will definetly be blowing glass & other thigs around & you could become one of them
 * Do not go outside even if it seems calm. This is the passing of the eye, but the otherside of the storm will hit soon
 * if you can, get underground, into a cyclone shelter or a concrete bunker
 * you might want to set up a flood barrier to stop water from flooding your home & tie it down


 * Aid/recovery/relief agencies:**
 * Red cross
 * Oxfam
 * Samaritine's purse
 * Salvation army
 * ADRA (Adventist. Development.Relief Agency)
 * World Wide Disaster Relief Recovery
 * Unicef
 * Fema
 * Epicopal

In most countries they don't let people bulid right on the beach, on the slope of a mountain or on a cliff for your own saftey. If you live right on the beach & a cyclone, big swell or a very high tide came in your house would be fllooded, washed or blow away. If you lived on a cliff, any earth disturbances could bring down you & your house with the rest of the cliff or the cliff could collapse or give way ant time. If you lived on a mountain slope any distubed snow, or rocks could come down on you & your home.
 * Building:**

**Cyclone Erica Info & Images:** ** [] [|http://www.pryroda.gov.ua/en/uploads/posts/2008-07/1217338967_newcaledonia_etm_2001130.jpg] [|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Cyclonebiskit/Cyclone_Erica][] [] []
 * References:

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 * Cyclone Larry Info & Images.**
 * Cyclone images & Info:**