Tropical storm Amanda batters El Salvador

June 01, 2020

Tropical storm Amanda made landfall in El Salvador on Sunday, dumping heavy rain and unleashing floods that left at least 10 people dead.

”We are facing a critical situation,” El Salvador Interior Minister Mario Duran said. ”The situation in all of the country and especially in the metropolitan area of San Salvador is grave.”

Over 2 million of the 6.6 million inhabitants of El Salvador live in the capital city’s metropolitan area.

Amanda is the first tropical storm of the Eastern Pacific season and made landfall carrying maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph).

Read more: Coronavirus threatens millions displaced by extreme weather and conflict

It weakened back to tropical depression status soon after landing and moved north, centering some 45 miles (75 kilometers) northeast of Guatemala City.

Amanda’s downpours threaten to cause further flooding in southern Guatemala, western Honduras and southeastern Mexico, with lesser accumulations over parts of Nicaragua and Belize.

El Salvador declares emergency

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele declared a 15-day state of emergency on Friday, ahead of the storm’s landfall.

By Sunday, some 1,200 people were left homeless and around 900 homes were damaged, while four people were missing, authorities said.

San Salvador Mayor Ernesto Muyshondt said the country had never experienced something like this, given that the storm hit during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are living through an unprecedented situation, an emergency of great magnitude within another emergency of enormous proportions,” Muyshondt said.

The rain is expected to continue through Monday, authorities have said. Areas of western El Salvador will be monitored by emergency services, as a large number of rivers there are in danger of overflowing.

The Ministry of Environment also warned the public of the “high probability” of flash floods, mudslides and falling debris along coastal zones, which could threaten lives and cause damage to property.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Social distancing impossible during Cyclone Amphan

Residents along Bangladesh’s coast are being moved to safety as one of the strongest cyclones in years strikes the region. Millions of people had to be evacuated from low-lying regions along the Bay of Bengal on May 19. But plans are complicated by the coronavirus precautions. Maintaining social distancing is nearly impossible.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Typhoon season amid the COVID-19 pandemic

On May 14, Typhoon Vongfong slammed the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rains, destroying the city of San Policarpo in the eastern province of Samar. At least five people died and more than 91,000 people were forced to leave their homes. Typhoons are not unusual in the Philippines at this time of year. But the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown measures are exacerbating the situation.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Three names – one phenomenon

Hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone are actually three names for the same phenomenon. Along the North American coast they are called hurricanes, in East and Southeast Asia they are called typhoons, and near India and Australia they are called cyclones. But despite the different names, they develop in the same way.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

A cyclone is created

Tropical storms develop over oceans when the water temperature is at least 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). As the warm water evaporates and condenses, the air around it heats up and drags cooler air upwards, creating powerful winds.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

The eye of the storm

The Earth’s rotation causes the air stream to move around the eye of the storm, which can be up to 50 kilometers wide. This area is nearly completely free of clouds and wind.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

A storm hits land

When a tropical storm hits a coastline, it becomes weaker due to the lack of warm water. In Australia, “Marcia” was soon downgraded to a category one storm, while “Lam” weakened after striking near Brisbane. Masses of water from the sea often cause the worst damage – as seen here in China after Typhoon Nanmadol in August 2011.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Chaos ensues

Hurricane Sandy was one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. It caused waves of up to 4 meters high, fires, power outages and broken dykes. Sandy arrived with winds at speeds of more than 145 kilometers per hour. Cuba, New York and New Jersey were particularly affected.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Destructive vortex

Tornadoes however, are non-tropical whirlwinds that can occur anywhere a storm is brewing. Local temperature differences force warm air upwards and cold air down, and a column of warm air rotates upwards at an increasing velocity. Tornadoes are usually only a maximum of 1 kilometer in diameter.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Fastest storms

As the warm air rises, it forms a funnel, the main characteristic of a tornado. Inside the funnel, the speed of the air can be tremendous – up to 500 kilometers per hour. Tornadoes are the fastest whirlwind type of weather phenomenon.

Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – the power of devastation

Trail of destruction

A tornado can leave a trail of destruction several kilometers long. In the US Midwest, tornadoes occur several hundred times a year, as dry, cold air from the north hits damp, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. It’s different in other countries – in Germany, for example, tornadoes occasionally occur along the coast.

Author: Brigitte Osterath / ew