Using a specific example, discuss the main differences in how HICs and LICs are affected by hazards

A hazard is an extreme natural event that poses threat to life and property, examples of such hazards might be volcanic eruptions, earthquakes or tsunamis. The hazard that I am going to explore is that of the tropical storm - specifically the differences between Storm Marian (a cyclone which hit south east Bangladesh in April 1991) and Hurricane Katrina (which devastated New Orleans, USA in August 2005). Both New Orleans and South East Bangladesh are areas with extreme vulnerability to storm hazards: Bangladesh being almost entirely less than 15 metres above sea level, with recent deforestation of mangroves removing natural defence again storms, and with high population density; likewise 80% of New Orleans is in fact below sea level, protected by levees, whilst the natural defence of the marshes had been weakened by building. Both were hit by Category 4 storms, with similar wind speeds (210kph for Marian, and 280kph for Katrina), and large storm surges (6 metres high in Bangladesh and 8.5 metres high in New Orleans) - and yet the differences in how the two storms affected the population are huge. Storm Marian left 140,000 people dead and 10 million people homeless, far more devastating than the 1,300 killed by Katrina, and the 200,000 left without a home. Yet, Marian caused just $1.5billion worth of damage, whilst Katrina caused $26 billion in damage. The reasons for this show the stark differences between HICs and LICs. Marian hit Bangladesh, an LIC, and the storm preparation was thus poor. Though the storm was tracked, and a warning was issued 12 hours in advance, the communication systems were poor, and much of the population were left without warning. In contrast, Katrina hit the USA a HIC. Katrina was tracked by satellites and planes, and very carefully monitored. A warning was issued just 8 hours in advance, however this 'state of emergency' warning, would have reached almost every citizen, and allowed 99% to evacuate and all to prepare. Thus Katrina proved far less deadly, as superior warning systems, and methods of evacuation as well as general hazard planning, proved very successful in comparison to the poor hazard infrastructure of Bangladesh. The reason that Katrina caused so much more economic damage than Marian, is simply because the infrastructure in the USA is far more expensive than that in Bangladesh, and thus the economic cost of destruction was higher.