Natural Disasters in Latin America

SSWG7 d. Explain how geographic features and climatic patterns affect population distribution

SSWG7 e. Analyze the impact of natural disasters and political instability on economic activity in Latin

America

Natural Disasters

• The effect of a natural hazard that affects the environment, and leads to financial, environmental and/or human losses.

Earthquakes

• Caused by the tectonic plates colliding.– Lead to fires, building collapses

and tsunamis• Measured by a seismograph• Classified by the Richter scale• Occur at fault line, near

volcanoes and around the Ring of Fire

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Quake_epicenters_1963-98.png

Chilean Earthquake, 1960

• Largest recorded earthquake measured 9.5 on the Richter scale in Chile on May 22, 1960

• Led the Chile improving their infrastructure to withstand high magnitude earthquakes

Haitian Earthquake, 2010

• 7.0 M earthquake in January 2010 followed by 52 aftershocks

• Left 1 million people homeless and 530,000 dead or injured

• Haiti’s poor infrastructure caused much of the damage and death

El Nino and La Nina

• A warm ocean current that flows off the west coast of South America every few years– Changes weather patterns around the world

• Causes extreme weather like floods, droughts and other weather disturbances– Developing countries dependent on agriculture

and fishing are most affected

Hurricanes

• Storm that forms over warm, tropical ocean waters

• Produce powerful winds, torrential rain, high waves and storm surges

• Storms start out off the coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean and move west toward the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea

Hurricane Survival Kit

• Water, 1 gallon/person• Food, 3-7 days• First aid and medicine• Blankets and clothes• Flashlight and batteries• Battery powered radio• Tools for repairing

storm damage

Impact of Natural Disasters

• Human Impact

• Economic Impact

• Infrastructure Impact

• Political Impact