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may have killed off most of the human species, leaving behind only *,''' # *',''' breeding pairs. %his phenomenon, called a population bottleneck, has been confirmed through genetic analysis.
@angladesh as far as the death toll is in concern. %he recent 0old "pell that appeared on the &th Aanuary in @angladesh has already taken si!teen lives, out of which are + children and made most of the population of the northern @angladesh to suffer with pneumonia, cold diarrhea, cough, fever, asthma and other cold# related diseases. ?uring a 0old "pell, gusty e!treme cold wind coupled with heavy fog covers the whole area of @angladesh. 6istorically the average winter temperature in @angladesh is within *, to (' degree 0elsius. 6owever, in recent 0old "pells this average temperature has dropped to as low as B degree 0elsius, a new record for the country. %he most affected area during this calamity is the northern part of the @angladesh which is closer to the 6imalayas. =orthern @angladesh is the most poverty stricken area of the country where people have year round income poverty and seasonal food poverty during the time of agricultural lean seasons. %he recent catastrophe of 0old "pell has magnified their sufferings to a severe e!tent, shortage of warm clothing and shelter has caused them even their lives. %he sufferings of poor people of northern @angladesh reached to an untold terrible stage especially for those who live in the remote island areas of river %ista, which is locally known as 0har. "ome places in the northern part had not seen the sun for the last ) to B days due to the e!treme fog and clouds. 7ost places of the char areas in the river basins remained covered with fog, reducing the visibility till noon almost every day. In such situations, poor cannot 4oin their regular work because of the unfavorable weather condition as well as due to sickness. As a result, they lose a significant share of their regular income which further reduces their ability to take proper action against the shock. Also the daily transportation of food items from all parts of the country has been dangerously interrupted. @asic road and water transportation has been delayed for an indefinite time, causing ma4or physical communication to an almost complete halt. =eedless to say, such physical communication chaos has triggered the price of common household commodities to a seasonal e!treme, causing the sufferings of the poor even more severe. Ceople who took desperate attempt to hit the road ignoring such bad driving conditions have already paid the price with road accidents if not heavy traffic congestions in the highways.
%he main reason for such calamity is the constant and consistent blow of chilly wind from the northwest blowing at a speed of *'#*, kms per hour which made the weather further cooler during the typical winter season. As there is no rain, pollen count in the air is relatively high in this season making the air full of dust and causing respiratory problem and allergic infections along with asthma, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, respiratory problem, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 6ospitals, especially those in the northern part of the country, are e!periencing massive admission of patients suffering from cold related illnesses for the last few days. 5eports received from different sources mentioned seriously sufferings of thousands and millions people living in the sandy char areas in Durigram, Ealmonirhat, Faibandha, 5angpur, =ilphamari, @ogra and "ira4gan4 districts on the @rahmaputra basin.
h!sical Destruction: %he biggest visible effect of natural disasters is the physical ruin they leave behind. 6omes, vehicles and personal possessions are often destroyed within a short period of time, leaving families homeless and shutting some businesses down permanently. %ornadoes destroy structures at whim, earthquakes can cause structural damage that might not be apparent at first glance, and tsunamis and floods sweep homes off their foundations. E"otional #oll: Cossessions are not hard to replace, as many people keep insurance on their property and tangible goods. %he emotional toll of natural disasters is much more devastating. %he death of a loved one
may be the worst#case scenario but it>s not the only lasting emotional effect victims e!perience. 3hole communities may be displaced, separating friends and neighbors< victims face an!iety and depression as they wonder if it could happen again. In e!treme cases, they may e!perience post traumatic stress disorder (C%"?). Econo"ic Concerns: According to the =ational 6urricane 0enter, 6urricane Datrina cost the 1.". H&, billion when it slammed into =ew Irleans in August ('',. %hat doesn>t include the damage caused in the $lorida counties of 7iami#?ade and @roward by the same storm. 3hile destruction of this magnitude is not commonplace, even a minor storm can cause considerable damage. At the very least, the local economy must be able to absorb the cost of cleanup and repairs. Indirect Effects: 3hile the visible effects of natural disasters are immediate and strongly felt, communities that surround ground zero can be indirectly affected by them as well. =atural disasters almost always lead to a disruption in utility services around the area impacted. %his can mean life or death for those who rely on dialysis or o!ygen to live. 7edical assistance is also often slowed, as emergency crews must focus on the victims of the disaster. @anks and other businesses might be closed, affecting a family>s ability to withdraw money to pay bills and buy groceries. $eograph!: Feography plays a large role in how natural disasters affect an area. In rural or isolated communities, natural disasters can thrust families into a situation where they must do without modern conveniences like electric and running water. %hey may not be able to get to town to buy necessities and have to rely on what they have stocked up. ?ensely populated areas face their own unique problems from natural disasters. 6ygiene becomes a concern, as people crowd into temporary relief centers and competes for limited resources. En%iron"ent: 6umans aren>t the only living things affected by natural disasters. As is the case with humans, animals can be displaced from their homes. "ometimes they have no alternative but to leave the area and try to fit into a new habitat. Golcanoes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires and mudslides often permanently alter an area>s Eandscape, leading in some cases to the destruction of a local species
Disruption of &tilities 0ommunities that surround areas affected by natural disasters are seriously affected by the disruption caused to utility services. Fenerally, power is the first thing to go when there>s a natural disaster. %his can literally mean life or death to the people who are on life support systems such as o!ygen and dialysis. 7edical assistance becomes hard to get since the crews are busy helping the victims of the disaster. @anks can be shut down, causing a shortage of cash circulation that prevents people from accessing funds for much needed provisions for babies and small children. E"otional Da"age 3hen a natural disaster strikes, the emotional toll on the people affected is quite devastating. 3hile possessions can be replaced eventually through insurance, the emotional damage can take a long while to heal. Ceople lose loved ones in natural disasters< deaths of people and precious pets, serious in4ury and people missing all add up to severe emotional trauma. 0ommunities get displaced meaning separation from family and friends. Gictims face stress, trauma, an!iety and depression as a result of natural disasters. Social Conse'uences %he social consequences of natural disasters in the short and long term are wide ranging. %he disasters affect housing< people are left homeless and rebuilding a home takes a long time and a lot of money. 6ealth care infrastructure is affected< the impacts are worse in developing countries that already have poor facilities to begin with. ?isease starts spreading and, without proper medical attention, makes a bad situation worse. ducation is a big loser when a natural disaster happens, schools are often closed, teachers are unable to come in to work and children are displaced and unable to attend school. %ransportation capacity is reduced hindering relief efforts and disrupting normal life.
#ornado A tornado occurs on the surface of the earth>s land as a result of humidity in the lower atmosphere combining with wind shears. %he spinning comes by way of downdrafts and updrafts, but the violent speed is usually due to rapid changes in the air (such as dry air suddenly becoming very cool). 3hen air mass is unstable
and storms come through an area, a tornado often results. %he reason most tornadoes occur in the 7idwest of the 1nited "tates is because tropical winds from the south Fulf move up to meet the cool winds of 0anada>s north. 3hen they collide in the middle, it>s usually somewhere around Dansas or =ebraska (though tornadoes can occur anywhere if the conditions are right, they>re usually not as severe in other regions). Earth'uake Giolent tremors of the earth>s surface are the result of earthquakes, which are caused by the shifting of the earth>s tectonic plates and fault lines below the surface. 3hen the earth>s temperature changes, this causes movement of rock and plates in the earth>s mantle. %his happens all over the globe, but some stresses are more severe in some areas. Carts of the world that e!perience more earthquakes usually do so because the plates below them are more brittle and weak. In the Cacific Icean, there is the 5ing of $ire that stretches up and down the coasts of =orth America and "outh America and continues across to Aapan and down to east of Australia. Golcanic eruption occurs for similar reasons, in that activity occurs below the surface of the earth causing stress and sudden release of molten rock. +urricane Also known as a tropical cyclone or typhoon, hurricanes are violent storms that occur off of ocean shores. 6igh winds are produced by water that has evaporated from an ocean surface in a low pressure area. %his also causes a spiraling effect, which gains momentum the more condensation it collects. 7inimal hurricanes have winds of about &, mph (0ategory *), but the most catastrophic storms will blow more than *,, mph (0ategory ,). Ince a hurricane hits land, it begins to cool and slow, but this is the point at which a hurricane does its most damage. ?estruction of trees, cars and buildings is likely in the event of a hurricane.
%he health of the ecosystem is dependent on this disturbance. $ires remove a buildup of litter on the soil surface, allowing nutrients to be released into the environment. It also creates favorable conditions for seed germination. "uppression of fire allows litter to accumulate, setting the stage for catastrophic fires. Clants and trees have adapted to the presence of fire. 6owever, the higher temperatures of crown fires can kill plants entirely. %hese fires are more difficult to control. "uppression of fires is e!pensive, upward of H* billion annually, according to the 1.". $orest "ervice. Drought: ?rought has had more widespread effects than any other natural disaster. ach year, drought costs the 1nited "tates more than H/ billion. It>s safe to say that droughts have greater impacts in modern times. 7ore people are affected by loss of land and food crops as well as environmental damage. %he immediate effects are overshadowed by secondary issues. 0ompacted, dry soils are vulnerable to topsoil loss and erosion. ?ry conditions make fires more common. vidence suggests global warming may be the cause for an increase in drought frequency and changes in the global climate. (eather E%ents: Eike drought, an increase in severe weather events has been recorded in the last *'' years by the =ational 0limatic ?ata 0enter. 3hile notification systems are in place, vulnerabilities still e!ist for property damage and crop loss. ?evelopment has also complicated the effects of such events. An increase in development leads to a decrease in wetlands and an increase in impervious surfaces such as roads and driveways. %his creates a scenario for floods and flash flooding. As with drought, scientists believe a link between global warming and climate changes e!ists. re%ention-Solution: =ot all natural disasters can be prevented. ach natural disaster has its own factors and complications. 1nderstanding the basic principles of ecology can provide keys to lessening their effects. =ature evolved with natural disasters and disturbance. %he best prevention is looking at the strategies found in nature.
Features Fovernments and some large corporations in developed countries designate aid money for natural disasters before they happen. %hey also liaise with the governments of affected regions and aid workers on the ground when a disaster occurs to determine the e!tent of medical aid and supplies needed. Aid workers are trained to assess the scale of the disaster. =on#government overseas aid workers may already be based in the region and have a good understanding of the local culture, which can be invaluable in advising how to administer help effectively, according to the Flobal ducation website. Considerations Fovernments and aid organizations, such as the 5ed 0ross, and representatives of the affected region usually work together to save lives and restore order after a disaster occurs. =atural disaster management continues long after the initial crisis has passed. $unds, for e!ample, may be allocated to rebuild homes destroyed by a flood.