Deadly Disasters

• Wind speed to be categorised as a cyclone is 118km/h to over 300km/h.
• $378 billion worth of damage was caused by disasters in 2023
• 6960 people unaccounted
• 10,000 people displaced
• 11 deaths
• Parts of NZ experienced rainfall amounts of 300-400mm
• 469 homes red stickered after Cyclone Gabrielle
• An impact is effects of an extreme natural or cultural event, short or long term.
• Response means

  A reaction to an event by a group or a person that occurs after the event.
• Process means

  A sequence of actions (step by step), natural or cultural, that shape and change environments, places and societies.
• Environment means

  the physical space (natural/cultural) around us.
• A natural disaster may be caused by weather and climate events or by earthquakes, landslides, and other occurrences that originate at Earth's surface or within the planet itself.
• Tropical cyclones are a very intense circular storm that forms over tropical oceans.
• Social - Related to people and their everyday lives.
• Economic - Related to money jobs, companies & the economies of countries.
• Environmental - Related to effects on the natural world and or the cultural world.
• Political - Impact of a new government or a president, changes to policies.
• Natural disasters - Disasters occuring as an result of environmental factors. e.g. Tsunami, Cyclone, Earthquake
• Cultural disasters- Disasters occurring as an result of human activity. e.g. War, terrorist attacks, human stampedes.
• The civil defence coordinates all forces to work together. They makes sure that temporary accommodation, food, and water are available, and protects the citizens from disasters.
• Cyclone Gabrielle hit NZ on 11 February 2023
• Costliest cyclone ever hit Southern Hemisphere - $14.5 billion NZD
• Saffir-Simpson

  Tropical cyclones wind scale
• Waves:

  • Bay of Islands = 10.9m, biggest wave recorded
  • Storm surge (abnormal rise of water generated by a storm) >0.5m.
• CG: 2000 injury claims (per ACC)
• 30+ sections of state highway completely closed to traffic
• Primary produce & exports (apples, grapes, kiwifruit) were severely damaged,

  Apple industry was the worst hit with 25% of countries orchards affected
• • 2nd most costly disaster in NZ following Cantebury Earthquake
• • Silt(fine sands/clays transported by rivers), floods dumped 5 million cubic metres of silt on orchards, farms, roads and properties
• Cyc. Gab. triggered at least 140,000 landslides across North Island between 12 Feb and 16 Feb.
• • Landslides damaged houses, power lines, bridges, roads and resulted in the death of 5 people (2 firefighters)
• New Zealand Defence Force response to Cyclone Gabrielle:.

  • Crews on aircraft conducted more than 190 hours of flight time
  • More than 350,000km driven
  • Delivered more than 100,000L of fuel, 739 tonnes of other supplies
  • Delivered around 9500 litres or water
  • 739 tonnes of other supplies delivered
  • Approx. 66,000 meals provided to NZDF & other Government Agencies
• Example of a Hero (Flooding)

  
Impact of the event - Flooding, stranded members of the public stuck on the roof where only a small portion was above the water.

  Response taken - Helicopter flew to pick them up. Pilot balanced the chopper on one skid on the small part of the roof.
• Two individual heroes:

  Todd Smith - Used his plumbing skills to ensure everyone in the community had a vital lifeline systems.

  Sammie-Jo Smaling - Cupcake queen, baked more than 800 cupcakes for emergency workers and children play spaces in her pool, charge people's phones where there was no electricity, provided people with warm meals.
• Cyclone devastating phenomenons

  • High seas - tsunami
  • Storm surge - Flooding
  • Heavy rain - flooding
  • Tornadoes - Extreme wind
• Two thing the Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi did

  • 'Tihei Mauri Ora' TMO (were the Covid-19 emergency response team) stood up to provide leadership to respond the needs of the whānau who were evacuated from their homes.
  • TMO initiated the set up of the Hawke's Bay Distribution Centre at the showgrounds in Heretaunga.
• Marae response

  • Short term

  Marae acted as welfare centres (including distributing food and water, power generators, accommodation) to take in and care for those whānaus affected. They also co-ordinated clean up teams to help remove the damages from the cyclone.

  • Long term

  Waikara Marae created emergency plans to help people for future cyclones, organisations to support Maori mental health and wellbeing after the cyclone.
• How to write summary news report

  • Headline that grabs attention
  • Headline image with a caption to hook readers into the story
  • Starts with who, what, where and when.
  • include quotes from people interviewed
  • Informative but accessible tone
• Steps of a cyclone forming

  1. Warm air rises from the ocean. As the warm air rises, it leaves a space below it. this space is instantly filled by surrounding air rushing in, causing strong wind.

  
  

  2. Rising air brings with it moisture. This cools and condenses to form towering storm clouds. This forms the eye wall.

  
  

  3. When the cooled air descends, it will form an area of calm in the centre called the eye.

  
  

  4. The spin of the Earth leads to the storm starting to spin.

  
• A hero is someone that stands up to help, is courageous, sacrifices for the benefit of others.