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This lesson examines three contrasting tropical storm events — Typhoon Haiyan (2013), Hurricane Katrina (2005), and Cyclone Nargis (2008) — to illustrate how physical intensity, level of development, governance, and preparedness interact to determine outcomes.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Deaths | 6,300 confirmed; over 1,000 still missing |
| Displaced | ~4.1 million people |
| Storm surge | Up to 7 m in Tacloban City — the primary cause of death; many residents had never experienced a surge of this magnitude |
| Infrastructure | ~1.1 million homes destroyed or damaged; 33 million coconut palms destroyed (devastating for the copra industry); Tacloban airport severely damaged |
| Economic | ~$12.9 billion in damage |
| Livelihoods | Fishing communities lost boats and equipment; agricultural land contaminated by saltwater |
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Deaths | 1,836 |
| Displaced | Over 1 million people; ~400,000 from New Orleans alone |
| Flooding | Levee failures (not the storm surge alone) caused 80% of New Orleans to flood; water up to 6 m deep in some areas |
| Infrastructure | Oil platforms damaged; Superdome used as shelter (chaotic conditions); roads, bridges, hospitals destroyed |
| Economic | $161 billion in damage — the costliest natural disaster in US history at the time |
| Social | Disproportionate impact on African American and low-income communities in the Lower Ninth Ward; elderly and disabled were most vulnerable |
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