Case Study – US/UK Christmas Storms
United States – 2014 North American Cold Wave
What
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Where
Cause
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When
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Social
Short Term:
Extreme weather event, (Artic cold front)
resulting in extremely low temperatures
 Much flight disruption for example: In
and heavy snowfall.
Chicago, O’Hare and Midway airports
cancelled 1,200 flights due to frozen jet
Caused many weather records to be
fuel and lack of de-icing equipment
broken, much disruption and affected
large areas, as far south as Northern
 In total 20,000 flights cancelled
Mexico
 Plane skidded off taxiway Delta Air Lines
at JFK airport with no injuries
200 million people affected (187 million
US Americans)
 Numerous road closures
The average daily temperature for the
 $200 million people affected
United States on January 6 was calculated  Polar vortex blamed for 21 deaths due
to be −7.8 °C, at least 49 record lows for
to unsafe road conditions and extreme
the day were set across the country
cold.
United States
 Train disruptions, cancellations and
Canada
reports of trains being stranded as well
as accidents.
Mexico

Power cuts due to strain on power
The breakdown of the polar vortex and
supply 32,700 people were affected in
the southward movement of Arctic air was
Illinois and Tennessee. As well as
caused by sudden stratospheric warming,
190,000 in Newfoundland Canada.
temperatures increase by at least 25 in
one week, wind at or near 10 (at about 30  In Indiana, more than fifty of the state's
ninety-two counties, closed all roads to
km altitude) reverses direction and
all traffic except emergency vehicles.
becomes easterly north of 60°
 In Michigan a snow emergency was
An initial contrast formed between cold
issued prohibiting all non-essential
air in Canada and mild winter
travel as well as closing down nontemperatures in the United States. The
essential government offices.
Met Office said the pressure difference
caused significant winds where the air
 Lots of school closures, including state
masses met, strengthening the jet stream,
wide ones e.g. in Minnesota on 6/01/14
which went off-course and brought the
 Ottawa issued a Frostbite Alert
cold air south. Winds led to bitter wind
 Additional spaces were opened up in
chills, worsening the impact of the record
homeless shelters
cold temperatures.
Formed: January 2nd 2014
Economic
Short Term:
 Some businesses
benefitted e.g.
online deliveries
Long Term:
 Cost to economy:
$5 billion
 $50-100 million
lost by airlines
 Many firms like the
Federal Reserve
Bank of
Minneapolis took
major hits as
parents had to stay
at home to look
after children due
to school closures
 Huge insurance
costs
 Large government
costs for repairs
and salting roads
as well as
employees working
overtime
Environmental
Short Term:
 Severely cold temperatures which
set records across the USA
 Cold weather caused related
extreme weather – the strong winds
made it feel at least 10 degrees
colder.

Severe cold causes high mortality
among the emerald ash borer. The
progressive loss of ash trees in
North America due to this insect
has probably been delayed by this
deep freeze.
United Kingdom – Winter storms 2013-2014
What
Where
Cause
When
Multiple windstorms, storm surges and heavy rainfall has
resulting in extensive and severe flooding across the UK.
(560 flood warnings/past flood warnings)
 Southeast of England most badly affected
 Southwest (3/3 severe warnings), Anglican and
Midlands also quite badly affected
 Parts of wales and the North-east also affected
 Severe windstorms caused by areas of low pressure
(these include Bernd (17-21/12/13), Dirk (2128/12/13), Enrich (25/12/13), Anne (1-6/1/14), Nadja
(29/1/14-5/2/14) and Petra (3-8/2/14), as well as
weather fronts associated with others.
 Storm surges - The main cause of a storm surge is
high winds pushing the sea water towards the coast,
causing it to pile up there. There is also a smaller
contribution from the low pressure at the centre of
the storm "pulling" the water level up, by about 1 cm
for every 1 millibar change in pressure. This is called
the inverse barometer effect
17th December 2013 – still currently active (written on the
8th February 2014)
Social
Short term:
 Emily caused power outages to
22,000 homes in west Ireland, 8
people injured and 1 fatality, 1
person missing in England.
 Dirk caused rail disruption, including
network rail imposing speed
restrictions, cancellations, shut lines
and there was a lot of damage to
infrastructure. As well as traffic
restrictions and cancellations in boat
services in the south of England and
flights from the Scilly Islands, as well
as some from Bristol, Glasgow and
Heathrow. 2,700 people in Cornwall
were left without power. 4
casualties.
 Anne brought hail, thunder and
lightning resulting in a lot of damage,
including some to traffic lights which
cause disruption, 130 homes flooded
in England, 30 in Wales, 130,000
other protected by flood defences in
England, 100 residents in
Aberystwyth evacuated.
 Nadja - Coastal flooding and
damaging seas around Scotland and
woman washed away on the south
coast of the UK.
Long term:
 Overall the December and January
storms resulted in around seven
fatalities and 1,700 properties
flooded across England.

Petra –Another coastal event with
high seas washing away the railway
line at Dawlish, Devon.
A lot of debate about the government not
doing enough to protect against and
prevent floods.
Economic
Environmental
Short term:
 Disruption to Christmas
shoppers and businesses due
to flooding and weather.
Short Term:
 Dirk brought localised flooding
in Kent and Sussex.
 Anne caused a lot of trees to
fall over, leading to traffic
disruption and damage.
Saturated ground led to part
of a cliff to collapse at Rock aNore near Hastings as well as
flooding, both coastal and
inland.
 At Hemsby (Norfolk) cliff
erosion resulted in several
properties collapsing into the
sea.
Long term:
 Money lost from travel
cancellations
 Money paid out due to
insurance
 The government may have to
spend money on better flood
defences and dredging rivers
to prevent homes flooding
again
 Money will be spent on repairs