section_path: Effects/Environmental effects
section_name: Environmental effects
paragraph_text: Environmental effects
  
  Although cyclones take an enormous toll in lives and personal property, they may be important factors in the precipitation regimes of places they affect, as they may bring much-needed precipitation to otherwise dry regions. Their precipitation may also alleviate drought conditions by restoring soil moisture, though one study focused on the Southeastern United States suggested tropical cyclones did not offer significant drought recovery. Tropical cyclones also help maintain the global heat balance by moving warm, moist tropical air to the middle latitudes and polar regions, and by regulating the thermohaline circulation through upweling. Research on Pacific cyclones has demonstrated that deeper layers of the ocean receive a heat transfer from these powerful storms. The storm surge and winds of hurricanes may be destructive to human-made structures, but they also stir up the waters of coastal estuaries, which are typically important fish breeding locales. Ecosystems, such as saltmarshes and Mangrove forests, can be severely damaged or destroyed by tropical cyclones, which erode land and destroy vegetation. Tropical cyclones can cause harmful algae blooms to form in bodies of water by increasing the amount of nutrients available. Insect populations can decrease in both quantity and diversity after the passage of storms. Strong winds associated with tropical cyclones and their remnants are capable of felling thousands of trees, causing damage to forests.
  
  When hurricanes surge upon shore from the ocean, salt is introduced to many freshwater areas and raises the salinity levels too high for some habitats to withstand. Some are able to cope with the salt and recycle it back into the ocean, but others can not release the extra surface water quickly enough or do not have a large enough freshwater source to replace it. Because of this, some species of plants and vegetation die due to the excess salt. In addition, hurricanes can carry toxins and acids onshore when they make landfall. The floodwater can pick up the toxins from different spills and contaminate the land that it passes over. These toxins are harmful to the people and animals in the area, as well as the environment around them. Tropical cyclones can cause oil spills by damaging or destroying pipelines and storage facilities. Similarly, chemical spills have been reported when chemical and processing facilities were damaged. Waterways have become contaminated with toxic levels of metals such as nickel, chromium, and mercury during tropical cyclones.
  
  Tropical cyclones can have an extensive effect on geography, such as creating or destroying land. Cyclone Bebe increased the size of Tuvalu island, Funafuti Atoll, by nearly 20%. Hurricane Walaka destroyed the small East Island in 2018, which destroyed the habitat for the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, as well as, threatened sea turtles and seabirds. Landslides frequently occur during tropical cyclones and can vastly alter landscapes; some storms are capable of causing hundreds to tens of thousands of landslides. Storms can erode coastlines over an extensive area and transport the sediment to other locations.