Black Saturday Fires, Victoria 2009.

1. What needs to be done? Mikayla Lane 9b Black Saturday Fires, Victoria 2009. At the time of the Black Saturday fires Victoria had no effective bushfire plan in action. When these fires devastation ended Victoria brought out a new and more advanced fire plan. This plan also included the National Telephone Based Warning System (NTBWS). This system is now Australian wide. What Happened? Why it Happened? On the 7th of February 2009 wild bushfires enraged the state of Victoria, Australia. This disaster lasted until the 14th of March. So overall this disaster was so big it took over a month to fight it off. One of the main reasons for why it happened was the weather conditions of the day. High temperatures in the mid 40’s and incredible winds speeds up to 100km/ph ripped through the state. Another reason is people with an obsession of fire (arsonist). Who took advantage of the day lighting fires so they could watch the flora and fauna burn. Where it Happened? This disaster occurred in the lower part of Victoria, Australia, North-East of Melbourne. Two of the major towns affected were Maysville and Kinglake. What was the impact? The impact was huge on Victoria, one the biggest disasters Australia had ever seen. 173 people confirmed dead, 414 people injured, 1.1 million acres were burnt and over 3000 structures destroyed leaving thousands of people without a home to go back to. How it Happened? There are main causes of bushfires. Human causes, Natural causes, Accidental causes and Mechanical causes. The Black Saturday bushfires were created by more than one cause. On the 7th of February, wind speeds were up to 100km/ph and the temperatures were around mid 40’s. Power lines fell, sparking flames and there were also counts of deliberately lit fires in several other areas. The conditions of the day aggravated the fires making them huge.

2. Christchurch Earthquakes, New Zealand 2010. What needs to be done? In order for something like this to not happen again and cause as much damage is that building taken down by the earthquakes should be re-built to withstand earthquakes, they should also have a safety plan in action to prevent any injuries. What Happened? Why it Happened? At 4:35am, Saturday September the 7th an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 shook the southern island of New Zealand. The Earthquake struck so hard that the north island of New Zealand felt its fury. New Zealand is on the boundary of two plates, they are the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate. These plates are constantly grinding into each other. This creates brittle and when the brittle rock finally breaks, it generates an earthquake. Under New Zealand, the Pacific Plate is moving to the west-south-west at about 50 mm a year .The entire plate interaction zone is potentially a source of moderate-to-large earthquakes in New Zealand. Where it Happened? The earthquakes occurred in the city of Christ church. Which is around the middle section of New Zealand ‘s southern island. Christchurch is New Zealand’s second largest city with a population of 372,000. What was the impact? The impact of these earthquakes did not have and fatal outcomes but did knock down several buildings and damage possessions such as cars. How it Happened? The Christchurch earthquake occurred as a result of movement between the Australian and Pacific Plates, which affects the New Zealand Southern Alps. The plates were estimate to move around 5meters!

3. Cyclone Tomas, Fiji 2010 What needs to be done? A cyclone safety plan need to be brought in so that when this does happen there is a place the local can flee to or if not flee they will understand what to do when it hits so there is less injuries. What was the impact? What Happened? More than 5000 people have been evacuated from their homes, thousands of structures have been knocked down or damaged and hundreds have been left homeless. Tropical Cyclone Tomas moved over the Fiji islands, bringing winds of up to 270 kilometres an hour and heavy rain. It tore through the islands of Vanua Levu and northern Lau and is pounding villages with high waves, damaging winds and torrential rain. It was Category 4 storm, the most powerful to hit the area in seven years. Where it Happened? It happened in the islands of Vanua Levu and northern Lau . How it Happened? Cyclones develop over warm seas near the Equator. Air heated by the sun rises very swiftly, which creates areas of very low pressure. Fiji is a tropical area near the equator which makes it prone to bad cyclones like Tomas..