Impact of Tropical Cyclones on Ecosystem
Tropical cyclone is an intense circular storm which originates over a warm tropical ocean that is characterized by low atmospheric pressure, high winds and heavy rain. It draws energy from the sea surface and maintains its strength as long as it is over the water. A tropical cyclone can generate wind from 119 km per hour to 250 km per hour along with torrential rains which is a devastating phenomenon that can create elevation of the sea surface to reach 20 feet above normal level. This kind of combination makes cyclones very hazardous for coastal areas in tropical and subtropical areas of the world.
Tropical cyclones carry heavy rain, strong wind, large storms and tornadoes. The destruction from a tropical cyclone depends upon its intensity and size. A typical tropical cyclone can remove forest canopy, change the landscape near coastal areas following extensive erosion and heavy rainfall can also lead to landslides in mountainous areas. The after effects of the cyclone are also devastating such as fallen trees, delayed rescues, slow repairs to electrical lines and water pipes. The transportation and communication infrastructure gets destroyed and will take lots of cleanup and rescue efforts.
Tropical cyclones at the sea level cause large waves, heavy rain and high winds which disrupts international shipping and causes shipwrecks. After the passage a tropical cyclone stirs up ocean water which lowers the sea surface temperature behind it. The most significant effects of the tropical cyclones occur when they impact coastlines and crosses it which destroys human infrastructures and most sadly lives. Strong winds can damage or destroy vehicles, bridges, buildings, trees, personal property and in fact every outside object. It can often cut the power supply of thousands of people and create communication issues for rescue operations. The storm surge which is the increase of sea level during the cyclone is the worst effect from landfalling and the main cause of deaths in cyclones as it floods homes and cuts off the escape routes. The thunderstorm activity in a cyclone produces heavy rainfall potentially leading into flooding, mudslides, landslides, etc. The wet environment combined with the destruction of sanitization facilities and warm climate can impact epidemics of disease long after the storm passes. This type of damage to the society has a huge economic loss in order to recover from the effects of the tropical cyclone.
Tropical cyclones have been responsible for the deaths of a large number of living creatures and humans. About 1.9 million people worldwide have died in the last two centuries. It is estimated that around 10,000 people per year perish due to tropical cyclones.
India is a country which is bounded by the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal from three sides. On an average around 2 to 4 tropical cyclones impact India every year on the east coast of Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and the west coast of Indian states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. The most intense tropical cyclone to make landfall was the 1999 Odisha Cyclone which hit the state of Odisha. The costliest tropical cyclone was Cyclone Amphan of 2020 which hit the state of West Bengal having the damage cost was US$13 billion. The deadliest is the 1839 India cyclone which hit the present-day state of Andhra Pradesh which caused over 300,000 fatalities and 20,000 ships destroyed.
Written by: Maharshi Vidhyarthi (Instagram: @mahi_103)
Vociferous Writers (Instagram: @vociferouswriters)
