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Disasters Are Classified in Various Ways
Disasters Are Classified in Various Ways
WHO defines Disaster as "any occurrence, that causes damage, ecological disruption, loss of human life,
deterioration of health and health services, on a scale sufficient to warrant an extraordinary response from
outside the affected community or area"
.Disasters can be defined in different ways.
A disaster is an overwhelming ecological disruption occurring on a scale sufficient to require outside
assistance
A disaster is an event located in time and space which produces conditions whereby the continuity of
structure and process of social units becomes problematic
It is an event or series of events which seriously disrupts normal activities
Tornadoes,
Fires
Hurricanes,
Floods / Sea Surges / Tsunamis
Snow storms,
Earthquakes,
Landslides,
Severe air pollution (smog)
Heat waves,
Epidemics,
Building collapse,
Toxicological accidents
(e.g. release of hazardous substances),
Nuclear accidents,
Explosions
Civil disturbances,
Water contamination and
Existing or anticipated food shortages.
Deaths
Severe injuries, requiring extensive treatments
Increased risk of communicable diseases
Damage to the health facilities
Damage to the water systems
Food shortage
Population movements
Social reactions
Communicable diseases
Population displacements
Climatic exposure
Food and nutrition
Water supply and sanitation
Mental health
Damage to health infrastructure
Between 1990 and 2000 an average of about 3400 people lost their lives annually.
This is reason enough for Governments to give more priority to Disaster Management
But it has not been the case so far.
Vulnerable Populations
Emergencies, especially those that occur in Nature, only become catastrophic events when they
combine with vulnerability factors such as human settlements and population density.
An earthquake occurring in a deserted area would be considered a natural hazard; but if it
occurred in a mega city it would be recognized as a major disaster.
Man made emergencies and another type of emergency that has to do with population
vulnerability concerns technological disasters such as those of a Chemical or Radiological or Nuclear in
nature. E.g. Bhopal Gas Tragedy and Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
These examples demonstrate that major and complex emergencies are closely linked to anarchic
population growth, leading to unplanned population settlement, environmental degradation and poverty.
The lack of minimum health services and basic health education are aggravating factors which could
make a disaster out of an emergency and a complex emergency out of social tension.
TYPES
EARTHQUAKES
Definition and Measurement
"An earthquake is a sudden motion or trembling of the ground produced by the abrupt displacement of
rock masses".
Most earthquakes result from the movement of one rock mass past another in response to tectonic forces.
The focus is the point where the earthquake's motion starts,
The epicenter is the point on the earth's surface that is directly above the focus.
Earthquake Magnitude is a measure of the strength of an earthquake as calculated from records of the
event made on a calibrated seismograph.
In 1935, Charles Richter first defined local magnitude, and the Richter scale is commonly used today to
describe an
earthquake's magnitude.
Earthquake Intensity.
In contrast, earthquake intensity is a measure of the effects of an earthquake at a particular place. It is
determined from observations of the earthquake's effects on people, structures and the earth's surface.
Among the many existing scales, the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale of 12 degrees, symbolized as
MM, is frequently used
Earthquake Hazards
Earthquake hazards can be categorized as either direct hazards or indirect hazards.
Direct Hazards
Ground shaking;
Differential ground settlement;
Soil liquefaction;
Immediate landslides or mud slides, ground lurching
and avalanches;
Permanent ground displacement along faults;
Floods from tidal waves, Sea Surges & Tsunamis
Indirect Hazards
Dam failures;
Pollution from damage to industrial plants;
Delayed landslides.
Most of the damage due to earthquakes is the result of strong ground shaking. For large magnitude events,
trembling has been
felt over more than 5 million sq. km.
Site Risks
Some common site risks are:
(I) Slope Risks - Slope instability, triggered by strong shaking may cause landslides. Rocks or boulders
can roll considerable distances.
(ii) Natural Dams - Landslides in irregular topographic areas may create natural dams which may
collapse when they are filled.
This can lead to potentially catastrophic avalanches after strong seismic shaking.
(iii) Volcanic Activity - Earthquakes may be associated with potential volcanic activity and may
occasionally be considered as precursory phenomena.
Explosive eruptions are normally followed by ash falls and/or pyroclastic flows, volcanic lava or mud
flows, and volcanic gases.
CYCLONE.
The term "cyclone" refers to all classes of storms with low atmospheric pressure at the centre, are formed
when an organized system of revolving winds, clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, anti-clockwise in
the Northern Hemisphere, develops over tropical waters.
Cyclones are classified on the basis of the average speed of the wind near the centre of the system as
follows:
Wind Speed
Classification
Up to 61 km/hr
Tropical Depression
61 km/hr - 115 km/hr
Tropical Storm
Greater than 115 km/hr
Hurricane
Hurricane.
A hurricane is a low pressure, large scale weather system which derives its energy from the latent heat of
condensation of water vapor over warm tropical seas. A mature hurricane may have a diameter ranging
from 150 to 1000 km with sustained wind speeds often exceeding 180 km/hr near the centre with still
higher gusts.
A unique feature of a hurricane is the Eye. The eye provides a convenient frame of reference for the
system, and can be tracked with radar, aircraft or satellite.
Classification
The Saffir/Simpson scale is often used to categorize hurricanes based on their wind speed and damage
potential. Five categories of hurricanes are recognized:
Minimal, Moderate, Extensive, Extreme & Catastrophic
The destructive potential of a hurricane is significant due to the high wind speeds, accompanying
torrential rains which produce
flooding, and storm surges along the coastline
TSUNAMIS
Tsunamis are Ocean Waves produced by Earth Quakes or Underwater land slides.
The word is Japanese and means Harbor Waves
Tsunami is actually a series of waves that can travel at speeds from 400-600 mph in the open ocean. As
the waves approach the coast, their speed decreases, but their amplitude increases.
Unusual wave heights of 10-20 ft high can be very destructive and cause many deaths and injuries.
Most deaths caused by Tsunamis are because of Drowning.
Associated risks include
Flooding
Hepatitis-A, Hepatitis-E
Typhoid Fever
The immediate effects include blast effects, heat effects, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effects and
radiation effects.
The short term effects include problems connected with water supply, sanitation, food, dispersal of
excreta, wastes and dead bodies, break down of vector control measures and outbreak of infections.
Radioactive contamination of water and food are major concerns. The affected area creates a lot of
other problems for the survivors and the rescue teams.
Major problem among survivors is of bone marrow depression resulting in leucopenia, which
increases their susceptibility to infections.
Long term effects; the knowledge about the long-term effects is still incomplete. Some well known
effects include radiation injuries due to radiation fallout, suppression of body immunity, chronic
infection and other associated illnesses.
Persistent radiation hazards will lead to prolonged contamination of water supply, increased ultraviolet
radiation, climatic and ecological disturbances, psychological disturbances and genetic abnormalities.
PREVENTION OF DISASTERS
Existing knowledge that might reduce the undesirable effects of disasters is often not applied.
Hurricane/Tornado/ Cyclone warning systems
Strict procedural code followed to prevent Nuclear, Toxicological and Chemical disasters
Early warning systems, and Disaster preparedness which will help to minimize morbidity, mortality
and economic loss