Hurricanes, storms and tornadoes are one of the most powerful forces of the elements and in their destructive effect are often comparable to an earthquake. They cause significant destruction, cause great damage to the national economy, and lead to human casualties.
The main indicator that determines the destructive effect of hurricanes, storms and tornadoes is the velocity pressure of air masses, which determines the force of dynamic impact and has a propelling effect. Hurricane wind damages strong and demolishes light buildings, breaks wires of power lines and communications, devastates fields, breaks and uproots trees. Tarasov V.V. Human ecology in emergency situations. - M.: MGU, 1992
People caught in the hurricane zone, injuries of varying severity and concussion can be inflicted as a result of their transfer, but to the air (thrown), blows by flying objects, blows and crushing by collapsed structures.
The destruction of buildings and structures during hurricanes and tornadoes is divided into complete, strong and weak. With complete destruction, only the foundations and basements of buildings, as well as buried structures and shelters, are preserved. Such objects are not subject to subsequent restoration and use. Such destruction is rare.
Severe destruction is characterized by the collapse of the walls of the upper floors. The lower floors and underground rooms of buildings are preserved. Engineering networks are broken or deformed. You can restore such objects only by rebuilding them.
With moderate destruction, the strong structures of structures (walls, ceilings, stairs) are preserved. Possible damage to engineering networks at the joints. Objects with such damage are restored in full.
Weak destructions include the deformation of light outbuildings, window and door frames, cornices and roofs. Partitions and plaster walls inside the buildings are damaged. With such minor damage, the premises are restored, as a rule, during the operation of the structures.
A hurricane, passing over the ocean, forms powerful clouds, which are sources of catastrophic downpours that cause flooding not only in coastal areas, but also in large areas in the interior of the continent. Heavy rainfall that accompanies hurricanes is also the cause of natural phenomena such as mudflows and landslides. A common secondary consequence of a hurricane is fires resulting from accidents in power supply systems, leakage of flammable substances, violations of the localization of sources of fire at work and at home. Life safety: Textbook. allowance. Part 1, 2 / Ed. prof. E.A. Arustamov. M.: ITC "Marketing", 1998
Storms (storms) lead to much less destructive consequences, since their characteristic wind speeds are much less than those of hurricanes. However, if they are accompanied by the transport of sand, dust or snow, significant damage can be caused. agriculture, transport and other industries.
Dust storms cover fields, settlements and roads with a layer of dust and sand, sometimes reaching several tens of centimeters, over areas of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers. Under such conditions, the harvest is significantly reduced or completely lost, and large expenditures of effort and money are required to clean up settlements, roads and restore agricultural land.
Snow storms (blizzards) in our country often reach great strength over vast expanses. Their consequences can be the cessation of traffic in cities, rural areas and on the roads, the death of farm animals and even people. Such situations disrupt the rhythm of production throughout the country and require significant expenditure of manpower and resources for restoration work, especially on railways and roads.
Strong winds at low air temperatures contribute to the occurrence of such dangerous meteorological phenomena as ice, frost and frost. As a result, failure of overhead power lines and communications, contact networks of electrified transport, antenna mast and other similar structures is possible. Abramov VV Life safety: Proc. allowance. -- St. Petersburg: Publishing House of St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise, 2006.
Thus, hurricanes and storms, dangerous in themselves, are also accompanied by destruction and casualties.
A tornado, in contact with the earth's surface, often causes destruction of the same degree as with strong hurricane winds, but on much smaller areas. These destructions are associated with the action of rapidly rotating air and a sharp rise of air masses upwards. As a result, some objects (cars, light houses, roofs of buildings, people and animals) can get off the ground and be transported hundreds of meters, as a result of which they are destroyed, and people get injured and shell-shocked, and sometimes die. At the same time, due to the rise into the air of a huge number of objects, significant indirect injuries to people are observed.
Protection of the population in case of a threat and during hurricanes, storms and tornadoes
It is necessary to inform the population about the threat of hurricanes and storms in advance: people should have enough time to prepare places of protection from the elements and take refuge in them. It is necessary to inform about the time of approach of the danger to a particular area, its possible nature and the rules of behavior of people in the current situation. The public should also be informed about the possibility of tornadoes.
The warning signal about the threat of hurricanes, storms and tornadoes is given according to the adopted system "Attention to all" by a siren and subsequent message through outdoor loudspeakers and apartment radios, as well as local broadcasting stations and television. Having received a signal, the population should begin work to improve the stability of buildings, structures and other places of human settlement, to prevent fires and create the necessary reserves.
On the windward side of buildings, windows, doors, attic hatches and ventilation openings should be tightly closed; Paste glass windows with paper, protect windows or showcases with shutters or shields. To equalize the internal pressure, doors and windows on the leeward side of buildings must be opened. It is recommended that the population prepare electric lanterns, kerosene lamps, candles, kerosene stoves and stoves, stock up on food, drinking water and medicines. Life safety. / Under the total. ed. S.V. Belova. -- M.: Higher school, 2000
Residents must check the placement in the house and the condition of electrical switches, gas and water main taps and, if necessary, be able to use them. All adult family members must be taught the rules of first aid for injuries and concussions.
Having received a message about the immediate approach of a hurricane or a strong storm, residents of settlements that are threatened by the elements must take previously prepared places in buildings and shelters, and in the case of tornadoes, in basements and underground structures. While in the building, you should beware of injuries from broken glass. In case of strong gusts of wind, it is necessary to move away from the windows and take a place in the niche of the walls, in doorways or stand close to the wall. For protection, it is also recommended to use built-in wardrobes, other furniture and mattresses.
When forced to stay in the open air, it is necessary to move away from buildings and take cover in ravines, pits, ditches, ditches, road ditches. In this case, you need to lie on the bottom of the shelter and press firmly to the ground. Such actions significantly reduce the number of injuries resulting from the throwing action of hurricanes and storms, and also completely protect against flying fragments of glass, slate, brick, etc. You should also avoid being on bridges, pipelines, in places in close proximity to objects where there are highly toxic and flammable substances (chemical, oil refineries and storage bases).
During the passage of hurricanes and storms, situations in which the likelihood of electrical shock increases should be avoided. Therefore, you can not hide under separate trees, poles, come close to power line supports. While a hurricane or a storm continues, and also after it ends, it is not recommended to enter damaged buildings, and if necessary, this should be done with caution, making sure that there are no significant damage to stairs, ceilings and walls, fires, gas leaks, rupture of electrical wires. Abramov VV Life safety: Proc. allowance. -- St. Petersburg: Publishing House of St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise, 2006.
During snow or dust storms, it is allowed to leave the premises in exceptional cases and only as part of a group. In this case, it is necessary to inform relatives or neighbors of the route of movement and the estimated time of return. In such conditions, you can use pre-prepared vehicles that can move with snow drifts and sleet. If it is impossible to continue driving, mark the parking lot, close the blinds completely and cover the engine from the side of the radiator. It is necessary to periodically warm up the engine and rake the snow (sand) around the machine. Life safety / Ed. IS HE. Rusaka. - St. Petersburg. LTA, 1996.
When receiving information about the approach of a tornado or detecting it by external signs, you should leave all types of transport and take cover in the nearest basement, shelter, ravine or lie down on the bottom of any recess and cling to the ground. When choosing a place of protection against a tornado, it should be remembered that it is often accompanied by intense downpour and large hail. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to protect against damage by these hydrometeorological phenomena.
Hurricanes are one of the most powerful forces of the elements and, in terms of their detrimental effects, are not inferior to such terrible natural disasters as earthquakes. This is due to the fact that hurricanes carry enormous energy. Its amount released by a hurricane of average power during 1 hour is equal to the energy of a nuclear explosion of 36 Mt. In one day, the amount of energy that would be enough to provide electricity to a country like the United States is released. And in two weeks (the average duration of the existence of a hurricane), such a hurricane releases energy equal to the energy of the Bratsk hydroelectric power station, which it can generate in 26 thousand years. The pressure in the hurricane zone is also very high. It reaches several hundred kilograms per square meter of a fixed surface located perpendicular to the direction of wind movement.
The hurricane destroys strong and demolishes light buildings, devastates sown fields, breaks wires and knocks down power lines and communication poles, damages highways and bridges, breaks and uproots trees, damages and sinks ships, causes accidents on public energy networks, in production. There are cases when hurricane winds destroyed dams and dams, which led to large floods, threw trains off the rails, tore bridges off their supports, knocked down factory pipes, and threw ships onto land. Hurricanes are often accompanied by heavy downpours, which are more dangerous than the hurricane itself, as they cause mudflows and landslides.
Hurricanes vary in size. Usually, the width of the zone of catastrophic destruction is taken as the width of the hurricane. Often, the area of storm force winds with relatively little damage is added to this zone. Then the width of the hurricane is measured in hundreds of kilometers, sometimes reaching 1000 km. For typhoons, the destruction zone is usually 15-45 km. The average duration of a hurricane is 9-12 days. Hurricanes occur at any time of the year, but most often from July to October. In the remaining 8 months they are rare, their paths are short.
The damage caused by a hurricane is determined by a whole complex of various factors, including the terrain, the degree of development and the strength of buildings, the nature of vegetation, the presence of population and animals in its zone of action, the time of year, preventive measures taken and a number of other circumstances, the main of which is velocity head of the air flow q, proportional to the product of the density atmospheric air per square of air flow velocity q = 0.5pv 2.
Every year, about a hundred powerful hurricanes march across the globe, causing destruction and often claiming human lives. On June 23, 1997, a hurricane swept over most of the Brest and Minsk regions, as a result of which 4 people died and 50 were injured. In the Brest region, 229 settlements were de-energized, 1071 substations were disabled, roofs were torn off from 10-80% of residential buildings in more than 100 settlements, up to 60% of agricultural production buildings were destroyed. In the Minsk region, 1,410 settlements were de-energized, hundreds of houses were damaged. Broken and uprooted trees in forests and forest parks. At the end of December 1999, Belarus also suffered from a hurricane wind that swept through Europe. Power lines were cut, many settlements were de-energized. In total, 70 districts and more than 1,500 settlements were affected by the hurricane. Only in the Grodno region 325 transformer substations failed, in the Mogilev region even more - 665.
Impact of some hurricanes
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Location of the crash, year |
Death toll |
Number of wounded |
Associated phenomena |
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Haiti, 1963 |
Not fixed |
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Not fixed |
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Honduras, 1974 |
Not fixed |
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Australia, 1974 |
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Sri Lanka, 1978 |
Not fixed |
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Dominican Republic, 1979 |
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Not fixed |
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Indochina, 1981 |
Not fixed |
Flood |
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Bangladesh, 1985 |
Not fixed |
Flood |
Very heavy snowfall- prolonged intensive snowfall from clouds, leading to a significant deterioration in visibility and difficulty in traffic (precipitation of 20 mm or more in 12 hours). Heavy snowfalls (snow drifts) paralyze transport, cause damage to trees, power lines, buildings (snow layer pressure). Over the period of long-term observations, the average maximum winter loads can exceed 250 kg/m2, loads from one-time snowfalls - 100 kg/m2, and near the area of stable snow cover - even twice as much as the manifestation of natural forces in winter. They occur as a result of heavy snowfalls, which can last from several hours to several days. Snow drifts affect the operation of transport, public utilities, communications, agricultural facilities Strong snowstorms - the transfer of snow over the ground by strong winds (possibly in combination with snowfall), leading to poor visibility, skidding of highways, a complete cessation of traffic (duration at least 12 hours at average speed winds of 15 m/s or more). The weaker the blizzard (low wind speed), the more long time it can continue. Weak and ordinary blizzards last up to several days, stronger ones - up to several hours. Snow drifts are also a consequence of snowstorms.
Heavy ice- a layer of dense ice that forms on the earth's surface and on objects during the freezing of supercooled drops of rain or fog. Ice is considered dangerous if the thickness of the ice layer on the wires of a standard ice machine is 20 mm or more. Strong complex deposits - the thickness of the deposit of ice, hoarfrost and adhering wet snow on the wires of a standard icing machine is 35 mm or more.
large hail- atmospheric precipitation, which usually falls together with heavy rain during a thunderstorm in the warm season in the form of particles of dense ice with a diameter of 20 mm or more (hail with a diameter of hailstones from 5 mm to 15 cm does not apply to meteorological emergencies).
frost- decrease in air temperature (or soil surface) below 0°C during the period of active vegetation of agricultural crops, leading to their damage or death. Drought is a complex of meteorological factors in the form of: a prolonged lack of precipitation combined with high temperature, low air humidity, low moisture reserves in the soil that persist for 1 month or more, leading to a violation of the water balance of plants and causing their inhibition or death, which leads to yield reduction. The drought is considered very severe when the yield decline reaches 50% or more, covers up to 30% of the region. With a slight drought, the yield reduction reaches up to 20%. In years of severe droughts, less than 40% of normal precipitation falls during the spring growing season.
Very hard frost- extremely low air temperatures, which are significant deviations from the usual average temperatures of a given area, while the nature and extent of damage depend not so much on the deviations themselves, but on the adaptability of the population and households to such events. Very severe frost is considered an emergency when the minimum air temperature reaches minus 35°C and below.
Affecting factors: hypothermia, frostbite.
Affecting factors
Very intense heat - heat air that occurs during the summer. The heat can be observed for one or more weeks over an area of several hundred kilometers. An extreme heat emergency occurs when the maximum air temperature reaches plus 35°C or more. The heat creates not only discomfort, but also leads to desiccation, an increase in fire hazard in forests, peat bogs, shallowing of navigable rivers, affects agricultural plants, and leads to transport failures.
heavy fog- presence in the air a large number small droplets of water (in liquid or solid form), while the visibility range is less than 50 m. The higher the terrain, the greater the number of foggy days. At the same time, 60-80% of all days fall on the cold season. Fogs often appear before sunrise and dissipate a few hours after sunrise. The average continuous duration of fog in cold weather is about 10 hours. However, in some cases, fogs can continue for several days in a row (Minsk, January 1971 - 79 hours; Novogrudok, December 1959 - 105 hours). Heavy fog is classified as an emergency if visibility is less than 50 meters and lasts 6 hours or more.
Forest fires- this is an uncontrolled burning of vegetation, spontaneously spreading through the forest area. The phenomenon is not at all rare. Such disasters occur, unfortunately, every year and largely depend on the person.
In dry weather and wind, they cover large areas. If in hot weather there is no rain for 15-18 days, the forest becomes so dry that any careless handling of fire causes a fire that quickly spreads through the forest area.
A negligible number of fires occur from lightning discharges and spontaneous combustion of peat chips. In 90-97 cases out of 100, the perpetrators of a fire are people who do not show due care when using fire in places of work and recreation. The proportion of fires from lightning is no more than 2% of the total.
Forest fires are classified according to the nature of the ignition, the speed of propagation and the size of the area covered by the fire.
Depending on the nature of the fire and the composition of the forest, fires are divided into grassroots, riding, soil (underground). Almost all fires at the beginning of their development are ground fires and, if certain conditions are created, they turn into crown or soil fires. The most important characteristics are the speed of propagation of ground and crown fires, the depth of burning underground, so they are divided into weak, medium and strong. According to the speed of the spread of fire, grassroots and horseback are divided into stable and runaway ones. The spread rate of a weak ground fire does not exceed 1 m/min, an average one - from 1 to 3 m/min, a strong one - over 3 m/min. A weak crown fire has a speed of up to 3 m/min, an average one - up to 100 m/min, a strong one - over 100 m/min. A weak underground fire is considered to be one in which the burnout depth does not exceed 25 cm, medium - from 25 to 50 cm, strong - more than 50 cm.
The intensity of burning depends on the state of the stock of combustible materials, the slope of the terrain, the time of day and, especially, the strength of the wind. Therefore, with the same fire, the rate of spread of fire in a forest area can vary greatly.
Runaway ground fires are characterized by the rapid advance of the edge of the fire, when dry grass and fallen leaves are burning. They occur more often in the spring and predominantly in grassy forests, usually do not damage mature trees, but often threaten the appearance of a crown. With stable ground fires, the edge moves slowly, a lot of smoke is formed, which indicates a heterogeneous nature of combustion. They are typical for the second half of summer.
Crown fires cause great damage when the crowns of the upper tier trees burn. Runaway crown fires occur both in the first and second half of the summer.
Underground fires are the result of grassroots or riding. After the burning of the upper ground cover, the fire deepens into the peaty horizon. They are called peat.
According to the area covered by fire, forest fires are divided into six classes.
Classification of forest fires according to the area covered by fire
Large forest fires develop during a period of extreme fire danger in the forest, with a long and severe drought. Their development is facilitated by windy weather and cluttered forests.
The average duration of large forest fires ranges from 10 to 15 days, the burnt area averages 450-500 hectares with a perimeter of 8 to 16 km.
Damaging fire factors
Drought- a long (from several weeks to two or three months) period of stable weather with high (for a given area) air temperatures and low precipitation (rain), as a result of which soil moisture reserves are reduced and crop plants are oppressed and die. The onset of a drought is usually associated with the establishment of an inactive high anticyclone. The abundance of solar heat and gradually decreasing air humidity create increased evaporation (atmospheric drought), and therefore soil moisture reserves are depleted without replenishment by rains (soil drought). Gradually, as soil drought intensifies, ponds, rivers, lakes, and springs dry up, and a hydrological drought begins.
In Central Russia in 1972, 2002 and 2010, due to prolonged heat and drought, numerous forest and peat fires broke out, which led to smoke in Moscow and many other cities and numerous health problems in people.
The set of measures to protect the population includes:
- § notification of the population about the danger, informing them about the procedure for actions in the current emergency conditions;
- § evacuation measures;
- § measures for engineering protection of the population;
- § radiation and chemical protection measures;
- § medical measures;
- § training of the population in the field of protection against emergency situations.
Storms, hurricanes, tornadoes. Population actions
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Before the storm, hurricane, tornado |
During a storm, hurricane, tornado |
After a storm, hurricane, tornado |
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Studying disaster warning signals; Study of ways to protect and increase the stability of buildings and structures to the effects of strong winds, storm surge of water; Study of evacuation routes; Preparation of documents, first aid kit, food supply for 2 days, autonomous lighting; Strengthening roofs, chimneys; Closing attic windows with shutters, shields; sealing windows with strips of paper crosswise, with a band-aid; Freeing balconies from fire hazardous objects and securing existing items; Preparation of the basement, subfloor; After a distress warning, departure from the epicenter. |
In the building, being away from windows; Shutting off gas, power outage; Do not use stoves for heating to avoid fire; Listening to headquarters messages civil defense and commissions on emergencies; Outdoors away from power lines, tall trees, flyovers, bridges, masts, rivers, lakes and industrial facilities; Use of plywood sheets, cardboard boxes to protect against flying fragments of glass, slate, etc.; Not using light buildings and destroyed buildings for shelter; Use of a gauze bandage and glasses for dust storms; Fast following to the shelter (basement, cellar) during a tornado or in pits, ditches, ditches, ravines. |
Self-help and assistance to victims; Debris removal, garbage collection; Checking the integrity of power lines, gas pipelines; Checking the integrity of windows and doors, partitions in the building; Follow the instructions of the lifeguards. |
Hail, fog, ice, snowdrifts. Population behavior.
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Before the disaster |
During a disaster |
After the disaster |
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Studying the weather forecast. In icy conditions, prepare slightly slippery shoes. Before a snowstorm, closing windows, doors, attic hatches, ventilation openings. Preparation of a stock of food for 2-3 days, medicines, autonomous light sources. Fixing things on the balcony that can be blown away by the wind. Sticking strips of paper or adhesive plaster on glass. Preparation of shelter (cellar, basement). Listening to civil defense or emergency services signals. |
When icy - slow movement. Squatting while slipping. When falling - rolling to soften the impact on the ground. Location away from power lines. Message from the administration of the settlement about the observed broken wires. During snowstorms - leaving the house in groups with a route message. By car - movement only on major roads. It is forbidden to move away from the car. When inside the car - it is forbidden to keep the windows closed in order to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. |
After falling during icy conditions and getting injured, proceed to the trauma center. When skidding and blocking indoors - finding out the situation and trying to get out on your own. Breakdown of drifts. Establish communication with rescue units. Actions on the instructions of the rescue teams. Assistance in the search for victims and the provision of medical assistance. Preservation of heat and food stocks. |
Actions of the population in case of fire
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Before the fire |
During the fire |
After the fire |
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Observation of the situation, monitoring the signals of the civil defense headquarters. Clearing clearings in the forests, cleaning broken glass. In dry times, the prohibition of kindling fires in the forest and on the edge. Study of evacuation routes. Preparation of a stock of food, a first-aid kit, autonomous lighting sources, documents and warm clothes. Preparing for the evacuation of pets. In the forest, search for places of shelter from a fire (ravines, pits, reservoirs). At a signal for evacuation - the preservation of valuable things in stone buildings, in dugouts, pits, cellars. |
Overwhelming the edge of the fire with bundles of branches 1-2 m long, tarpaulin, burlap. Arrangement on the path of fire propagation of wide barrier strips without vegetation. Evacuation from the smoke zone in a direction perpendicular to the spread of fire. Movement from the fire zone along rivers, streams, on water, close your mouth with a wet cotton-gauze bandage (towel, scarf); waiting for the line of fire to pass in a lake, river, covered with wet clothes, in a clearing, on arable land, on a rocky ridge. You should breathe air near the ground - it is less smoky here. In soft ground, tearing off a trench (pit) and hiding in it, protecting himself from the heat with a jacket. Staying in the immediate vicinity of the fire for no more than half an hour, after which you need a rest for 20-30 minutes outside the zone of smoke and heat exposure. Extinguishing clothes on fire with water, throwing tarps, blankets, rolling on the ground. You can not run - it will fan the flames. |
Movement after a fire is cautious, with a preliminary check of the depth of the burnt layer. After passing the front of the fire - movement in the direction where the fire has already gone out. In case of burns - self-help and first aid to the victims. Being away from large trees - their fall is possible due to burnt roots. Follow the signals of the rescue teams. Help in finding victims. |
Statistics. Dangerous natural phenomena on the territory of Russia for 1997. In 1997, 494 hazardous natural phenomena were recorded on the territory of Russia, of which 360 were natural emergencies.
In 1997, floods, floods, rain floods, weather conditions with heavy rain and strong winds were the most frequent sources of emergencies.
As a result of natural hazards in 1997, 74 people died.
Significant damage to the economy was caused by spring floods in the regions of the North-West region and in the regions of the Far East.
Hurricanes.
In April, a hurricane was noted on the coast of the Sea of Azov, which captured the territory Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov region.
As a result of a strong wind, a wind surge of water occurred at the mouth section of the river. Don and in the Taganrog Bay. For the first time during the observation period since 1881, the maximum water levels were noted: the city of Azov - 752 cm, the city of Taganrog - 804 cm. 36 settlements were flooded.
There was a hurricane in December Black Sea coast Krasnodar Territory. Wind gusts near the port of Novorossiysk reached up to 45-52m/sec. During the disaster, 3 people died. The damage was estimated at 49 billion rubles.
Heavy rains.
An emergency situation arose on June 17-18 in the Novgorod region, where, as a result of heavy rains, there was a sharp rise in water in small rivers. Significant flood zones formed, in which 18 settlements with a population of about 3,500 people ended up. 139 people were evacuated.
Spring flood.
The spring flood was exceptionally high on the rivers of the Arkhangelsk region (R. Onega, Vychegda and their tributaries) and on the rivers of the Kamchatka Peninsula (Penzhina, Talovka, Kamchatka).
In the Arkhangelsk region in May, as a result of intense snowmelt and heavy rains, there was a sharp rise in the water level in the Onega and Vychegda rivers and their tributaries. A particularly strong flood, which has not been observed here for 70 years, was in the basin of the river. Onega. 53 settlements with a population of 17186 people were in the flood zone with an area of 1220 sq. km.
In the Penzhinsky district of the Koryak Autonomous Okrug of Kamchatka, intense snowmelt in June caused an unprecedented high flood on the Penzhina and Talovka rivers. At some points, the maximum water levels were the highest recorded for the entire observation period. The total flooded area was 6858 ha. 5 settlements were flooded. The total damage from the flood amounted to 72 billion rubles.
During the passage of the spring flood of 1997 on the rivers Russian Federation 6 people died, and the total material damage caused by them to the economy and the population amounted to 548 billion rubles.
Drought
Abnormally warm weather persisted in April-May in the south of Eastern Siberia. On May 21, the absolute maximum air temperature was recorded on the territory of the Krasnoyarsk Territory +29.6 C.
Forest fires
On the territory of the forest fund of Russia, from 10 to 35 thousand forest fires are recorded annually, covering areas from 0.5 to 2.5 million hectares. Taking into account the burning of forests in unprotected and occasionally protected areas of the northern regions of Siberia and the Far East, the total area covered by fire is from 2.0 to 5.5 million hectares.
The fire season of 1997 was not extremely flammable. During the forest fires, 17 people died. Direct damage from forest fires amounted to more than 1263.4 billion rubles.
Elimination of the consequences of emergencies. The administrations of 37 constituent entities applied to the Government of the Russian Federation with a request for financial assistance to eliminate the consequences of natural disasters. Of these, 7 suffered from snowfalls and icing, 7 - from spring floods and surge of water from the sea, 8 - from rain floods, 15 - from a hurricane with a downpour and hail.
The total damage from the disaster in 1997 in the 37 subjects of the Russian Federation indicated amounted to 97 billion rubles.
The population affected by the disaster was provided with one-time assistance in the amount of 24.81 billion rubles.
A huge and terrifying, demolishing everything in its path, a spinning funnel made of a mixture of dust and sand is a unique natural phenomenon. It's called a tornado.
For a long time, scientists could not decide what the nature of this terrible phenomenon was, and only after the appearance of ultra-high-speed equipment (video) were they able to describe the process of tornado formation.
Most likely, there is no place on Earth where a tornado has not formed. Over many years of observation, funnels have been recorded on almost all continents and in different climatic zones.
They can form both over land and over the sea. Most often they occur during heat and high humidity.
Often tornadoes appear even in perfectly clear weather, although, as experience has shown, most often the companions of this phenomenon are thunderstorms and showers.
A tornado is a kind of whirlwind, representing a mixture of air, sand and dust. This terrible gray-black mass rotates at an unimaginably high speed and rises from the ground. Then, connecting with the cloud, it is visually represented as a trunk.
In essence, a tornado is something like a pump that sucks everything that comes in its path and raises it all into a cloud. These items can be anything and even very bulky. All this is carried over long distances.
What is a tornado over land called? Usually it is called in Europe blood clots, and in the USA - a tornado. Tornadoes, like hurricanes, are recorded from weather satellites.
Characteristic
A tornado consists of a funnel (spiral) and walls. Inside the walls, the air speed can reach 250 meters per second or more. In these walls, all objects that come across rise up, up to living creatures.
Tornadoes are powerful vortices of the atmosphere that arise in a thundercloud and propagate to the water or earth's surface. Visually, their appearance is a pillar with a diameter of up to tens, and sometimes hundreds of meters, with an expansion in the form of a funnel from below and above. Moreover, the air masses in a tornado rise to the sky, simultaneously twisting in a spiral and pulling literally everything inside the funnel. A tornado accompanied by rain and hail brings much more destruction.
The nature of occurrence, the formation of a funnel
How is a tornado formed over land (tornado)?
This amazing phenomenon (the birth of a funnel) has not yet been fully studied. It occurs in the process of collision of oncoming air fronts: cold and wet, hot and dry.
Most likely, the air mass, which is heavier, is inside the future funnel, and the one that is lighter envelops what is inside. As a result, the least heated air masses move towards the center from the periphery. A column is formed from an inhomogeneous mass.
For the formation of this phenomenon (tornado), as a rule, a few minutes are enough. It should be noted that it exists for several minutes, but there are cases when a tornado lasted several hours, inflicting its destructive blows.
A tornado travels a long way - from 20 meters to hundreds of kilometers. At the same time, all natural barriers (forests, lakes, hills and mountains) are not an obstacle for him.
Terrible tornado over land. Its name corresponds to the behavior. It acts like a detached blood clot - it brings devastating murderous consequences.
Tornado behavior, examples of its action
For such an anomalous phenomenon of nature, even jumps are characteristic: first, a tornado moves along the ground for a certain time, then it rises sharply high into the air and already flies without contact with the earth's surface. Then he touches her again. This moment is the scariest. Not only light small objects fall into the funnel, but also animals, houses, cars and even people.
Air in a column of dust and sand rotates very quickly. A tornado sometimes destroys entire settlements. During the period of its existence, it travels up to 600 km. Buildings caught in a tornado, due to the rarefaction of air in the column, are instantly destroyed from the inside from the pressure of air.
The tornado is moving very fast. Over land, sometimes its speed exceeds the speed of sound. On its way, it uproots trees, overturns cars and any other transport, lifts houses or parts of them high into the air, transfers all living things over distances of several kilometers.
Examples of the terrible consequences of tornadoes
A powerful tornado over land occurs in many parts of the Earth.
In Russia, there are areas and regions in which there is a frequent occurrence of such anomalies: the Urals, the Volga region, Siberia, the coasts of the Baltic, Black and Azov seas.
It should be noted that very often a tornado that has arisen over the sea passes to land and increases its strength.
In Russia, on average, over a 10-year period, up to 30 tornadoes are formed, which subsequently leave horrific pictures of destruction. For example, a tornado over land that originated in Ivanovo left behind more than 600 destroyed houses, 20 destroyed children's institutions and about 600 buildings, 20 people died and 500 people were injured.
In the USA, the Irvinch tornado twisted and drowned a 75 m long railway bridge. It also moved the church, along with all the parishioners, by 4 meters in the air, and then 2 meters on the ground.
In 1904, a tornado in Moscow destroyed trees in a century-old grove in Lefortovo, and also demolished and laid down almost all the trees in Sokolniki (400 paces wide).
Why do tornadoes often occur in the USA? Strong westerly winds blow over the mountains, which, breaking out into the spacious plains, meet warm, moist winds blowing from the Gulf of Mexico. When these air masses collide over the central states, strong hurricanes and terrible tornadoes are formed.
Despite the efforts of research scientists studying this natural phenomenon, it is almost impossible to predict the place and time of the next tornado.
Storm- a type of hurricane, but has a lower wind speed. The main causes of casualties during hurricanes and storms are the defeat of people by flying fragments, falling trees and building elements. The immediate cause of death in many cases is asphyxia from pressure, severe injuries. Among the survivors, there are multiple soft tissue injuries, closed or open fractures, craniocerebral injuries, spinal injuries. Wounds often contain deeply penetrated foreign bodies (soil, pieces of asphalt, glass fragments), which leads to septic complications and even gas gangrene. Dust storms are especially dangerous in the southern arid regions of Siberia and the European part of the country, as they cause erosion and weathering of the soil, removal or backfilling of crops, and exposure of roots.
Tornado(tornado) - a whirlwind movement of air propagating in the form of a giant black column with a diameter of up to hundreds of meters, inside which rarefaction of the air is observed, where various objects are drawn.
The speed of air rotation in the dust column reaches 500 m/s. The air in the column rises in a spiral and draws in dust, water, objects, people. A tornado sometimes destroys entire villages. During its existence, it can travel up to 600 km, moving at a speed of up to 20 m/s.
Buildings caught in a tornado due to rarefaction in the air column are destroyed from the pressure of air from the inside. Sometimes a tornado moves at a speed exceeding the speed of sound. It uproots trees, overturns cars, trains, lifts houses or their elements (roofs, individual parts) into the air, and transports people for several kilometers. The dead showed devastation of the body, broken empty skulls, compressed chests.
Sweeping over the earth's surface, hurricanes, storms, tornadoes break and uproot trees, tear off roofs and destroy houses, power lines and communications, buildings and structures, disable various techniques. As a result of a short circuit in the power grid, fires occur, the supply of electricity is disrupted, the operation of objects stops, and other harmful consequences may occur. People may find themselves under the rubble of destroyed buildings and structures. Fragments of destroyed buildings and structures and other objects flying at high speed can cause serious injuries to people
PREVENTIVE MEASURES IN THE RISK OF TASTERS (HURRICANS AND STORMS)
The activities of authorities and administration aimed at preventing and mitigating the consequences of tornadoes (hurricanes and storms). Includes: notification of the population about the threat of the danger of a natural phenomenon; determination of the main direction of propagation of a tornado (hurricane, storm); disconnection of power lines, de-energization of consumers in order to avoid the closure of electrical networks; alerting forces and means of fire extinguishing; cleaning of roofs, balconies from foreign objects; alerting utilities; alerting medical supplies; strengthening of buildings and structures; shelter of the population in capital buildings, basements and shelters; protection of showcases, windows on the windward side; carrying out anti-flood measures; shelter, driving of farm animals in without dangerous places; securing equipment, machinery; teaching the population the rules of behavior in the face of the threat and occurrence of tornadoes, hurricanes and storms; termination of loading and unloading operations, securing of handling equipment; mooring or withdrawal to the open sea of large vessels; shelter in channels, canals and fastening of ships of a small fleet; Strengthening the regulation and control of traffic on motorways, stopping traffic.
A tornado (in America this phenomenon is called a tornado) is a fairly stable atmospheric vortex, most often occurring in thunderclouds. It is visualized as a dark funnel, often descending to the surface of the earth. The wind speed in a tornado develops very high - even in weak whirlwinds it reaches 170 km / h, and in some F5 tornadoes a real hurricane rages inside - 500 km / h. Such a natural phenomenon can bring considerable destruction. Tornadoes occur in different parts of the world, but most of all tornadoes and tornadoes occur in the United States, in the so-called "tornado alley".
1. Daulatpur Saturia, Bangladesh (1989)
The greatest destruction and casualties were caused by a tornado that hit Bangladesh on April 26, 1989. In this country, tornadoes are almost as frequent as on the North American continent. The diameter of the tornado exceeded 1.5 kilometers, it traveled 80 kilometers through the Manikganj district in the center of the country. The cities of Saturia and Daulatpur suffered the most. 1,300 people died and 12,000 were injured. A powerful air whirlwind easily lifted into the air and carried away fragile buildings from the poorest areas of cities. Part settlements was completely destroyed, and 80,000 inhabitants were left homeless.
2. East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) (1969)
This drama played out in 1969, when Dhaka and its surrounding lands were still the eastern part of Pakistan. The tornado hit the northeastern outskirts of Dhaka, passing through densely populated areas. At that time, 660 people died, and another 4,000 were injured. On that day, two tornadoes passed through these places at once. The impact of the second fell on the Camille region in the Homna Upazila region and claimed the lives of 223 people. Both tornadoes were the result of one storm, but after the occurrence they went along different routes.
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3. Madarganj-Mrizapur, Bangladesh (1996)
Proportionately, a small country like Bangladesh is probably even more affected by tornadoes than the United States. And the poverty of the population turns into the largest harvest of victims, which is collected here by the elements. No matter how people study this formidable natural phenomenon, but in 1996 it again took its share of victims. This time, 700 Bangladeshis were killed and about 80,000 of their houses were destroyed.
4. Tri-State Tornado, USA (1925)
For a long time, this tornado that passed through the United States in the first quarter of the last century was considered the most destructive. Its trajectory ran on March 18 through the territory of three states at once - Missouri, Indiana and Illinois. On the Fujita scale, he was awarded the highest category F5. 50,000 Americans were left homeless, over 2,000 were injured, and 695 people died. Most people died in southern Illinois, and other cities were completely destroyed by the wind. The tornado raged for 3.5 hours, moving from state to state at a speed of about 100 km/h.
At that time, there was no television, no Internet, and no special means of warning about the approach of a catastrophe, so most people were taken by surprise. According to eyewitnesses, the diameter of the tornado funnel reached one and a half kilometers. The element caused damage to the then 16.5 million dollars (now it would be over 200 million). On this tragic day, 9 tornadoes raged across 7 states of America, from which a total of 747 inhabitants died during the day.
5. La Valetta, Malta (1961 or 1965)
It would seem that such an island as far from such surprises of nature as Malta in the last century also had to experience the power of angry nature on itself. This whirlwind originated over the surface of the Mediterranean Sea, after which it headed towards the island. Having sunk and broken most of the ships in the Grand Harbor Bay, he went to land, where he was able to take the lives of over 600 Maltese. The most surprising thing is that eyewitnesses indicate the exact date of this catastrophe in different ways: for some it happened in 1961, while for others it happened in 1965. Although they probably wrote about it in the newspapers of that time.
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6. Sicily, Italy (1851)
But this much older tornado is mentioned in many chronicles, it still attracts the attention of meteorologists and historians. An exact count of the victims was not carried out then, but there were no less than 600 people. It is assumed that the tornado acquired its colossal destructive power when two tornadoes came to land at once and merged into one. Although history has not left any evidence for this, therefore this assumption will remain a hypothesis.
7. Narail and Magura, Bangladesh (1964)
Another tornado that occurred in 1964 in long-suffering Bangladesh devastated two cities and seven villages to boot. Approximately 500 people died, and another 1,400 were declared missing. Despite the scale of this tragedy, very little information about it has reached the world community.
8 Comoros (1951)
The coast of Africa was also vulnerable to this type of element. In 1951, a giant tornado raged in earnest in the Comoros, taking the lives of more than 500 islanders, as well as travelers from France. Could the latter assume that earthly paradise, where they came to get pleasure, will turn into a pitch hell? In those years, the islands were under the protectorate of France, which decided not to disclose the details of the tragedy.
9. Gainesville, Georgia and Tupelo, Mississippi, USA (1936)
A powerful tornado, which received an F5 category in Gainesville, and an F4 category in Tupelo, literally and figuratively claimed the lives of about 450 people, and their exact number could not be established. At first, the elements hit the city of Tupelo - it happened on April 5, 1936. At least 203 residents died there and another 1,600 received injuries of varying severity. There are no exact figures on the victims, but since the newspapers did not take into account the casualties among the Negro population at that time, they must have been much higher.
The world was lucky that one year-old child survived in this pitch hell, whom we later learned under the name of Elvis Presley. The very next day, a tornado that passed Alabama attacked the city of Gainesville, located in Georgia. The Cooper Pants factory was especially affected by the disaster - 70 of its workers died, and another 40 could not be found, and therefore they fell into the category of missing persons. In total, 216 people died in this city, and the state counted losses of 13 million dollars (today it would be 200 million). At the beginning of that April, numerous tornadoes of various strengths hit 6 different states: Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.