WRITTEN REPORT IN

DISASTER READINESS
AND RISK
REDUCTION
Submitted To:
Regin Punzalan

Submitted By:
Group 5
Members:
Rapaniza
Javien
Estigoy
Garing
Sentones
Diel
 HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL HAZARD

What is Hydrometeorology?
Hydrometeorology is the study of the transfer of water and energy between the
earth’s surface and lower atmosphere. It involves studying tropical depressions, super-
typhoons, droughts, desertification, and other phenomenon.

What is hazard?
Any source that can cause harm or damage to humans, property or the environment.

Hydrometeorological hazards
Process or phenomenon of atmospheric, hydrological or oceanographic nature that may
cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and
services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.

Different Hydrometeorological Hazards

Lightning -this occurs during thunderstorms or electrical storms. It is a bolt of electricity
often blue-white, caused by extreme heat.
During typhoon Yolanda in 2013, one person was recorded to have been struck and killed
by lightning. Amidst Typhoon Glenda in 2014, two people in Batangas province were hit
and killed by lightning while feeding their cows in open field.

Hail –this form of precipitation comes in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice, which
is caused by thunderclouds. A hailstone is mostly made of water turned to ice, ranging from
a fifth of an inch to sixth inches in a diameter. Hailstones fall from thunder clouds and
cumulonimbus clouds. Hail forms in the mid-latitudes in the interior of continents, while in
the tropical zone, it tends to fall in areas of high elevation such as n top of mountain ranges.
In the Philippines, hailstones are a common occurrence, according to PAGASA small
hailstones have fallen even in Rizal Province and Quezon City during thunderstorm.

Tornado –is a violently rotating funnel-shaped cloud which descends from thundercloud
to the ground. This hydrometeorological hazard has the highest wind speed generated by
the rotating column of air, which travels unpredictably and may occur over land or water.
Tornadoes are formed by colliding differences in temperature and humidity.
Tornadoes have caused significant damage and are not unusual in the Philippines. An
average of 12 to 24 tornadoes hit the country each year according to PAGASA. In the recent
years, tornadoes have wrought damage in New Manila, Cebu, Pamapanga, and
Maguindanao, destroying billboards, electrical transformers, schools, houses, and
agricultural crops such as corn, as well as causing power outages in affected towns.

Strong winds –are brought by tropical cyclones and also be experienced at the onset of
tornadoes. Wind speed depends on the strength of the cyclone or tornado. It can be as fast
as 486 k/h, the fastest wind reported, at an altitude of 100 feet, recorded by a mobile
Doppler radar at Oklahoma City, US.

Flood –refers to the large amount of water covering a land area which is often dry.
Flooding is the result of water overflowing from natural bodies of water, such as rivers or
lakes, or from man-made structures, such as dams and reservoirs, due to the high amount
of rainfall.
According to UNESCO, floods cause the most fatalities and property damage compared to
other sudden-onset hazards, affecting hundreds of millions of people annually worldwide.
Aside from drowning, electrocution due to power lines hitting the water, and getting hit by
heavy debris during flooding causing death, floods can disrupt water purification and
sewage systems and cause toxic water sites to overflow.

Flash flood –generally happen six hours from the onset of its immediate cause. Heavy
rain or sudden release of water from dams can cause flash floods. . Flash floods are usually
characterized by raging torrents after heavy rains that rip through river beds, urban
streets, or mountain canyons sweeping everything before them.

Storm Surge –refers to the rising waters above normal water level in coastal areas,
caused by low pressure weather systems, such as tropical cyclones. Rising water comes in
the form of large waves and may be several meters high. A storm surge, caused by strong
typhoon or thunderstorm, is different from tsunamis, which are large waves caused by
earthquake, or the movement of tectonic plate underwater. While a storm surge refers to
the water level excluding the high tide, a storm tide refers to the height of the storm surge,
combined with the height of the tide.
For people living along the coast, storm surges are one of the major threats to life and
property. Battering waves have resulted in loss of lives and extensive damage to
infrastructure in many storm surge events. It also causes the erosion of beaches and dunes,
demolition of roads, bridges, house, and business-even building foundations are rocked by
incoming waves as waves hit the shore one after the other, with only short intervals
between and moving inland at alarming speed.

Wind Shear –Refers to the sudden change in wind speed and direction over a short
distance in the atmosphere. Vertical wind shear is the sharp change in wind speed and
direction, while horizontal wind shear is the difference in wind speed and direction,
including temperature and humidity, between adjacent points, at the same altitude.
Wind shear pose as a threat mostly to airplanes, causing numerous passenger air craft
accidents and deaths. Turbulence, encountered by airplanes mid-flight, is due to wind
shears.

Snowmelt (snow run-off) –in hydrometeorology, snowmelt is the water produced by

melting snow and ice, often triggered by rainfall or warning weather. It can also refer to the
period after winter, during which water, or surface runoff is produced by melting snow.
Snowmelt can cause flooding, excessive rainfall on melting snow can cause flash flood and
trigger landslide and debris flow.

Desertification –the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result
of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

Sand Storms (dust storms) –these occur in dry or arid regions, such as in the deserts
of the middle-east and China. When strong winds of a cold front blow on loose particles of
sand without any moisture, it can vibrate and spiral upward to sweep across urban areas
and continue for days. The dust can be lifted to as high as 20, 000 feet in the air, obscuring
vision and reducing visibility to zero.
This can pose as a danger to moving vehicles and people, especially when sand storms
occur with little warning. Constant exposure to sand storms can lead to health hazards such
as respiratory ailments.

Heat wave –is the excessively hot and humid weather which occurs in a certain area over
a prolonged period of time. The high temperature in a heat wave is defined as hotter than
the usual temperature in an area.
Heat wave is different from drought, as drought occurs over a long period of time, and
defined as having little to no precipitation. Meanwhile, although a heat wave occurs, there
may not necessarily be a drought, however, a heat wave may also occur when there is
drought.
Heat waves can cause health problem to people which may lead to death, like hypothermia.
It can also trigger forest fires and bush fire, which can result to damage amounting to
billions of dollars as it spread to residential structures and other public infrastructures.
Things to do for each Hydrometeorological hazard

Lightning
 Seek safe shelter
 Stay away from corded phones
 Stay away from windows and doors
 Avoid anything connected to plumbing, electrical wires, or any metal structure
 Unplug all electrical equipment before the lightning storm occurs
Hail
 Seek safe shelter
 Check the roof of your house
 Avoid going outdoors
 Stay away from doors and windows
Tornado and strong winds
 Seek safe shelter
 Stay indoors
 Know your home’s vulnerability to strong wind
 If in an open area, move away from the tornado
Flood, flash flood, snowmelt and storm surge
 Prepare an emergency supply kit
 Get a copy and study the accurate and most up-to-date flood hazard and storm
surge maps
 Reside in a more elevated area
 Evacuate if located in a vulnerable area
 Store important and critical documents in a waterproof container
 Make a family disaster plan
Wind shear
 Listen to the warning of the pilot and flight stewards
Desertification
 Water management
 Reforestation
Sandstorm
 Stay indoors
 Prepare a mask and goggles
 Get to high ground
  Close all the windows and doors and cover the holes that may let the wind
enter your house
 Do not move your vehicle if you are inside one

Heat wave
 Be aware of the latest heat advisory from media
 Stay in the coolest possible place
 Dress in lightweight, light-coloured clothing
 Avoid too much exposure to the sun
 Drink water often

7 that needs to be improved to Reduce Vulnerability and Prepare for

Disaster
1. Knowledge
Know the hazards in your area, know your vulnerabilities, and know your risk. Know how
to find information about the weather and how to protect yourself, family, and property
from potential threats. Signing up for Weather Alerts or download other smartphone apps
that can provide you with information you may need. The majority of these apps are free
and can be downloaded ahead of time for you to use when needed.
Know about the potential risks to your property. For example, do you live in a flood zone?
Here is an article about the National Flood Insurance Program and the maps used to
determine rates.
Know how to take immediate actions around your home to help minimize a disaster if
something begins to occur. For example, make sure everyone in your household
knows how to shut off utilities in an emergency.
2. Integration
A widespread and strong social network can be very helpful to you during and after a
disaster. Help yourself before a disaster by identifying those you plan to communicate with
during a disaster.
Communicate with your neighbors. Do they have disaster plans? What are they? Do they
plan to evacuate in the event of a disaster? Make an agreement to share information with
each other in the event of a disaster. After a disaster your neighbors may be a key resource
as you begin the recovery process.
Communicate with your family. Create a family disaster plan. Where will you go if you need
to evacuate? Who is in charge of doing what in an emergency? Select an out of state person
all the members of your family can contact if you get separated and cannot reach each
other. Be sure everyone knows how to contact the out of state person.
Social media is a great, free tool that you can use. Several platforms (for example, Facebook
and Twitter) are available. Here is an article with tips on how to use social media during a
disaster.
3. Trust
Get to know those community officials responsible for things such as announcing
mandatory evacuations. Do these officials have a good track record for announcing
evacuations in a timely manner? Before disasters, identify trusted local media sources that
you know you can count on to provide valuable information in the event of an emergency.
Consider following your local emergency management agency on social media sites.
4. Subsistence
Gather the items that you and your family need to carry you through a disaster. This is an
area where many of the preparedness check lists, or “go-kits” as they are often called can
increase your preparedness. It is traditional to have enough food and water for each
member of your household to last 3 days. If possible keep a small stockpile of
medication that your household will need. Recommendations for go-kits from the Red
Cross can be found here and a video from ready.gov. Having a go-kit in your car or office is
also a good idea.
5. Mobility
Do you have access to transportation in the event of evacuation (sheltering in your local
area or distant evacuation)? Does your family have a working vehicle? Do you have access
and money for fuel? If you don’t have a personal vehicle, do you have family, friends, or
neighbors that you can evacuate with? Have you made a plan with them? Are you
dependent on public transportation? Do you know your community’s policy on public
transportation in the event of a disaster? Click here for more information on evacuation
planning.
Mobility may also include things like the freedom to leave work if needed or the ability to
pick up kids from school in the event of an emergency. Making plans for how you can
accomplish these things before a disaster happens will better prepare you to take action
when needed.
6. Impact Avoidance
Impact avoidance is often referred to as mitigation and includes taking actions to reduce or
eliminate risks of impact during a disaster. This can include activities such as putting in
levees or dykes on your property, raising your home, securing heavy furniture to the wall,
buying flood insurance, and more.
7. Adaptability
You probably have areas of your work and home life that will not change regardless of your
preparedness level. They are not easily adaptable. For example, your work may require you
to be in an office every day, making evacuation more difficult than it would be for someone
who can work remotely. Recognizing where you and your family are not able to easily
adapt, is the first step in thinking of alternate ways to address them in a disaster situation.