Extreme Natural Events (Cyclones)
CHECKLIST
Element 1: Processes that Lead to Tropical Cyclones
Can you….
o explain in a paragraph how a cyclone forms, using examples from Cyclone Percy and
Hurricane Katrina?
o draw a labelled diagram showing the side-on view of a cyclone?
o draw a series of labelled diagrams showing how a cyclone forms?
o sketch a map showing the track of Cyclone Percy?
o sketch a map showing the track of Hurricane Katrina?
Do you know…
o what dates Cyclone Percy and Hurricane Katrina occurred on?
o what latitude CP and HK formed in?
o what ocean/sea they formed in?
o what the top windspeed achieved by both CP and HK was?
o what the lowest pressure of CP and HK was?
o what category both CP and HK reached?
o the meaning of the following words: eye, eye wall, Coriolis effect, jetstream,
condensation, latent heat, evaporation
o the four main things a cyclone needs to form (the recipe)?
o which way the wind spins in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres?
o how many cyclones form a year?
o how wide across a cyclone gets on average?
o how high they can get on average?
Important numbers
o 5 – 15o
o 10 – 30o
o 26.5oC
Element 2: Effects on the Natural Environment
Can you….
o write a paragraph describing how a cyclone can affect the land, using both Cyclone
Percy and Hurricane Katrina as examples?
Do you know…
o what the four agents of destruction of a cyclone are?
o at least TWO types of damage caused by each agent of destruction?
o at least TWO ways Cyclone Percy affected the land, including where it happened
(island, area), what it damaged, and how much damage it caused (in money terms, or
whole numbers, or in percentages)?
o list at least TWO ways Hurricane Katrina affected the land, including where it
happened (island, area), what it damaged, and how much damage it caused (in
money terms, or whole numbers, or in percentages)?
Element 3: Social and Economic Effects
Can you…
o write a paragraph describing the social and economic effects of a cyclone, using both
Cyclone Percy and Hurricane Katrina as examples?
Do you know…
o at least 5 social effects of cyclones?
o five economic effects of cyclones?
o at least two social effects of Cyclone Percy, including where it happened, who it
affected and the extent (numbers etc)?
o at least two economic effects of Cyclone Percy, including where it happened, who it
affected and the extent (numbers, money damage etc)?
o at least two social effects of Hurricane Katrina, including where it happened, who it
affected and the extent (numbers, percentages etc)?
o at least two economic effects of Hurricane Katrina, including where it happened,
what it affected and the extent (numbers, money damage, percentages etc)?
Element 4: Human Activities Before and After that Increase/Decrease the Effects
Can you…
o write a paragraph describing what people can do before a cyclone to either make the
situation better or worse, using Cyclone Percy and Hurricane Katrina as examples?
o write a paragraph describing what people can do after a cyclone to either make the
situation better or worse, using Cyclone Percy and Hurricane Katrina as examples?
o write a paragraph explaining why Hurricane Katrina caused so much more social
and economic damage than Cyclone Percy?
Do you know…
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
at least five things people can do to increase or decrease the effects of a cyclone BEFORE it
happens?
the four main categories of response AFTER a cyclone hits that can increase or decrease effects?
TWO things that were done BEFORE Cyclone Percy hit that DECREASED the effects of the
cyclone, including where it was done, what it involved, and to what extent (numbers, money
damage, percentages etc)?
ONE thing that was done BEFORE Cyclone Percy hit that INCREASED the effects of the
cyclone, including where it was done, what it involved, and to what extent (numbers, money
damage, percentages etc)?
at least TWO things that were done BEFORE Hurricane Katrina hit that DECREASED the
effects of the cyclone, including where it was done, what it involved, and to what extent
(numbers, money damage, percentages etc)?
at least TWO things that were done BEFORE Hurricane Katrina hit that INCREASED the
effects of the cyclone, including where it was done, what it involved, and to what extent
(numbers, money damage, percentages etc)?
at least TWO things that were done AFTER Cyclone Percy hit that DECREASED the effects of
the cyclone, including where it was done, what it involved, and to what extent (numbers,
money damage, percentages etc)? Make sure at least one thing is an immediate response, and
one is long-term.
ONE thing that was done AFTER Cyclone Percy hit that INCREASED the effects of the cyclone,
including where it was done, what it involved, and to what extent (numbers, money damage,
percentages etc)?
TWO things that were done AFTER Hurricane Katrina hit that DECREASED the effects of the
cyclone, including where it was done, what it involved, and to what extent (numbers, money
damage, percentages etc)? Make sure at least one thing is an immediate response, and one is
long-term.
TWO things that was done AFTER Hurricane Katrina hit that INCREASED the effects of the
cyclone, including where it was done, what it involved, and to what extent (numbers, money
damage, percentages etc)?
how predictable cyclones are compared to other extreme natural events, and how this helps or
hinders preparations