Lessons from hurricanes in the Caribbean and Asia-Pacific

摘要

Historically developing nations of the Asia-Pacific region have experienced the greatest absolute mortality from tropical cyclones. Cyclone mortality continues to be periodically catastrophic, with death occurring primarily during the impact phase and being predominantly due to storm surge. After implementation of warning, evacuation, shelter systems, drowning from storm surge accounted for an estimated 90 percent of cyclone attributable mortality dramatically decreased and majority of impact phase deaths now are due to high-velocity winds.During the past two centuries, 42% of tropical cyclone-associated deaths have occurred in Bangladesh and 27% in India. Developing nations in the Caribbean have also experienced major loss of life from hurricanes.