When a cyclone is formed over the sea, it generates strong winds along it. These winds have the potential to generate storm surges. A storm surge is an abnormal rise in the sea level due to a storm (cyclone, hurricane etc).
A storm surge becomes dangerous because it has the potential to flood low-lying areas along the coast. It can drown humans and animals, destroy infrastructure and damage environment by eroding beaches, flooding vegetation, among others.
The second dame-causing aspect of cyclones is the strong winds that are generated by the storm. These strong winds that accompany cyclones can uproot trees, electricity poles, shatter houses etc. This is a common phenomenon in the United States of America which regularly weathers strong hurricanes.
The third aspect with cyclones is their ability to cause sudden, heavy and prolonged rain in the affected areas. This causes floods in rivers, pollutes drinking water and if combined with storm surge, it becomes a double whammy.
Unfortunately, all the three factors occur at the same time when a cyclone makes a landfall. The IMD states that of three factors, it is storm surge that is most catastrophic and causes widespread destruction. "Past history indicates that loss of life is significant when surge magnitude is three metres or more and catastrophic when five metres and above," it says.
A possible reason for this could be that not much can actually be done against rising sea waves, especially if they are more than 3 metres in height. Storm surge becomes more dangerous if their timing coincides with the timing of high tides.
A storm surge becomes dangerous because it has the potential to flood low-lying areas along the coast. It can drown humans and animals, destroy infrastructure and damage environment by eroding beaches, flooding vegetation, among others.
The second dame-causing aspect of cyclones is the strong winds that are generated by the storm. These strong winds that accompany cyclones can uproot trees, electricity poles, shatter houses etc. This is a common phenomenon in the United States of America which regularly weathers strong hurricanes.
The third aspect with cyclones is their ability to cause sudden, heavy and prolonged rain in the affected areas. This causes floods in rivers, pollutes drinking water and if combined with storm surge, it becomes a double whammy.
Unfortunately, all the three factors occur at the same time when a cyclone makes a landfall. The IMD states that of three factors, it is storm surge that is most catastrophic and causes widespread destruction. "Past history indicates that loss of life is significant when surge magnitude is three metres or more and catastrophic when five metres and above," it says.
A possible reason for this could be that not much can actually be done against rising sea waves, especially if they are more than 3 metres in height. Storm surge becomes more dangerous if their timing coincides with the timing of high tides.
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