DM 105

D ISASTER P REPAREDNESS AND P REVENTION

L ECTURE 5 (J ANUARY 2021
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A LL THE LECTURE MATERIALS WAS TAKEN FROM

VARIOUS SOURCES SUCH AS BOOKS , RESEARCH PAPERS ,
NATIONAL AND INT ’ L REPORTS , ONLINE LECTURE ETC .
T HE PRESENTER IS ACKNOWLEDGED
ANONYMOUSLY ALL THE SOURCES .
N ATURAL H AZARD SPECIFIC PREPAREDNESS
 Thunderstorm
Thunderstorm, a violent short-lived weather disturbance that is almost always
associated with lightning, thunder, dense clouds, heavy rain or hail, and strong gusty
winds.
• Thunderstorms arise when layers of warm, moist air rise in a large, swift updraft to
cooler regions of the atmosphere.
• There the moisture contained in the updraft condenses to form towering
cumulonimbus clouds and, eventually, precipitation.
• Columns of cooled air then sink earthward, striking the ground with strong
downdrafts and horizontal winds.
• At the same time, electrical charges accumulate on cloud particles (water droplets
and ice). Lightning discharges occur when the accumulated electric charge becomes
sufficiently large. Lightning heats the air it passes through so intensely and quickly
that shock waves are produced; these shock waves are heard as claps and rolls of
thunder.
• On occasion, severe thunderstorms are accompanied by swirling vortices of air that
become concentrated and powerful enough to form tornadoes.
 Thunderstorm
All thunderstorms are dangerous. Every thunderstorm produces lightning. Although
most lightning victims survive, people struck by lightning often report a variety of long-
term, debilitating symptoms.
Other associated dangers of thunderstorms include strtornadoes, ong winds, hail, and
flash flooding. Flash flooding is responsible for more fatalities—more than 140
annually—than any other thunderstorm-associated hazard.
Dry thunderstorms that do not produce rain that reaches the ground are most
prevalent in the western United States. Falling raindrops evaporate, but
lightning can still reach the ground and can start wildfires.
 Facts about thunderstorms
o They may occur singly, in clusters, or in lines.
o Some of the most severe occur when a single thunderstorm affects one location for
an extended time.
o Thunderstorms typically produce heavy rain for a brief period, anywhere from 30
minutes to an hour.
o Warm, humid conditions are highly favorable for thunderstorm development.
o About 10 percent of thunderstorms are classified as severe—one that produces hail
at least three-quarters of an inch in diameter, has winds of 58 miles per hour or
higher, or produces a tornado.
 Facts about lightning
o Lightning’s unpredictability increases the risk to individuals and property.
o Lightning often strikes outside of heavy rain and may occur as far as 10 miles away
from any rainfall.
o “Heat lightning” is actually lightning from a thunderstorm too far away for thunder
to be heard. However, the storm may be moving in your direction!
o Most lightning deaths and injuries occur when people are caught outdoors in the
summer months during the afternoon and evening.
o Your chances of being struck by lightning are estimated to be 1 in 600,000, but could
be reduced even further by following safety precautions.
o Lightning strike victims carry no electrical charge and should be attended to
immediately.
 Protective Measures Before Thunderstorms and Lightning
You should do the following:
 Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or
damage during a severe thunderstorm.
 Remember the 30/30 lightning safety rule: Go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you
cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after
hearing the last clap of thunder.
 Guidelines: what you should do if a thunderstorm is likely in your area:
1. Postpone outdoor activities.
2. Get inside a home, building, or hard top automobile (not a convertible). Although
you may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a vehicle
than outside.
3. Remember, rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide NO protection from
lightning. However, the steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased
protection if you are not touching metal.
4. Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage.
5. Shutter windows and secure outside doors. If shutters are not available, close
window blinds, shades, or curtains.
 Guidelines: what you should do if a thunderstorm is likely in your area
(cont.):
6. Avoid showering or bathing. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct
electricity.
7. Use a corded telephone only for emergencies. Cordless and cellular telephones are
safe to use.
8. Unplug appliances and other electrical items such as computers and turn off air
conditioners. Power surges from lightning can cause serious damage.
9. Use your battery-operated Weather Radio for updates from local officials.
Guidelines: what you should do if a thunderstorm is likely in your area
(cont.):
Protective Measures: During a Thunderstorm
 Lightning: Indoor Safety Tips
Even though your home is a safe shelter during a lightning storm, you may still be at
risk. About one-third of lightning-strike injuries occur indoors. Here are some tips to
keep safe and reduce your risk of being struck by lightning while indoors.
• Avoid water Do NOT bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any other contact with
water during a thunderstorm because lightning can travel through a building’s
plumbing.
• Avoid electronic equipment Do NOT use your computers, laptops, game systems,
washers, dryers, stoves, or anything connected to an electrical outlet. Lightning can
travel through electrical systems, radio and television reception systems, and any
metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
 Lightning: Indoor Safety Tips (cont.)
• Avoid corded phones Corded phones are NOT safe to use during a
thunderstorm. Do NOT use them. However, it is safe to use cordless or
cellular phones during a storm.
• Avoid windows, doors, porches, and concrete Do NOT lie on concrete
floors during a thunderstorm. Also, avoid leaning on concrete walls.
Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or
flooring.
 Lightning: Outdoor Safety Tips
The best defense is to avoid lightning. Here are some outdoor safety tips that can help
you avoid being struck:
Do
1. Be aware: Check the weather forecast before participating in outdoor activities. If
the forecast calls for thunderstorms, postpone your trip or activity, or make sure
adequate safe shelter is readily available.
2. Go indoors: Remember the phrase, "When thunder roars, go indoors." Find a safe,
enclosed shelter when you hear thunder. Safe shelters include homes, offices,
shopping centers, and hard-top vehicles with the windows rolled up.
 Lightning: Outdoor Safety Tips
3. Crouch close to the ground and Separate: If you are caught in an open area,
crouch down in a ball-like position (feet and knees together) with your head tucked
and hands over your ears so that you are down low with minimal contact with the
ground. Do NOT lie down. Lightning causes electric currents along the top of the
ground that can be deadly over 100 feet away. Crouching down is the best
combination of being low and touching the ground as little as possible.
4. Separate: If you are in a group during a thunderstorm, separate from each other.
This will reduce the number of injuries if lightning strikes the ground.
 Lightning: Outdoor Safety Tips
Don't !
X Stay in open vehicles, structures, and spaces: During a thunderstorm, avoid open
vehicles such as convertibles, motorcycles, and golf carts. Be sure to avoid open
structures such as porches, gazebos, baseball dugouts, and sports arenas. And stay
away from open spaces such as golf courses, parks, playgrounds, ponds, lakes,
swimming pools, and beaches.
X Stay near tall structures: Do NOT lie on concrete floors during a thunderstorm. Also,
avoid leaning on concrete walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars
in concrete walls or flooring.
 Lightning: Information for Organized Sporting Events
Lightning is the most frequent weather hazard affecting athletic events, such as
baseball, football, swimming, skiing, track and field, soccer, and lacrosse. Lightning can
strike and injure both players and spectators in outdoor stadiums during an organized
sporting event.
Precautions:
• Remain calm.
• Listen for instructions from stadium personnel.
• Move to the designated safe shelters, away from metal poles and the open field.
These shelters should be determined before the event if a chance of a storm exists.
• Wait for an all-clear signal, which should occur approximately 30 minutes after you
hear the last clap of thunder.
 Lightning: Lightning: Information for Outdoor Recreation
Precautions during outdoor recreation
• Check the forecast.
• Thunderstorms with lightning in the mountains occur most often during the
summer months in the late afternoon or evening.
• When thunder roars, go indoors. The beginning and the end of a storm are the most
dangerous times. Even if you see blue sky, you may still be in danger.
• Do not carry metal. Do not carry any metal objects (e.g., skis, ski-poles, antennas,
ice-axes). Metal does not attract electricity, but it is a good conductor. Your chances
of a direct hit are higher when you are carrying a conductor above shoulder level.
• Avoid metal. Avoid metal objects. You are more likely to be burned if you are in
contact with metal when you are struck by lightning.
 Lightning: Information for Outdoor Recreation (cont.)
Remember these six safety tips when you are hiking or climbing during a storm
1. Separate from other members of the group to reduce the number of people
injured by ground currents and side flashes between persons.
2. Find refuge immediately, and do not continue to hike or climb for at least 30
minutes after a storm.
3. Lightning Stay away from water and wet items (including 3. fences and poles)
because they can conduct electricity.
4. If you are in the mountains, stay away from ridges, summits, single trees, power
lines, and ski lifts.
 Lightning: Lightning: Information for Outdoor Recreation (cont.)
5. If you are in the forest, stay near lower trees.
6. If you are caught in an open area, Do NOT lie down. Lightning causes electric
currents along the top of the ground that can be deadly over 100 feet away.
Running may help reduce the threat from ground current as it limits the time both
feet are on the ground at any one time.
Did You Know?
The best place for shelter during a storm is inside a structure with four walls and a roof
or an enclosed vehicle. Small, open shelters and tents do not provide protection. Large
caves and valleys are protective. Small caves, overhangs, and wet stream beds are
likely to be more dangerous than open areas because water conducts electricity and
electricity can jump gaps between rocks.
 Lightning: Information for Water Activities
 Before leaving for any water activity such as a boating trip, check the weather
forecast so you know what to expect during the day. If the forecast is for
thunderstorms, plan your trip for another day.
 If you are out in the open water and a thunderstorm rolls in, return to shore
immediately to find safe shelter.
 If you are unable to return to shore, boats with cabins offer some protection. When
inside the cabin during a lightning storm, stay away from all metal and electrical
components, including the radio, unless it is an emergency.
 If caught in a storm in a small boat with no cabin, drop anchor and get as low as
possible.
 Lightning: Information for Workers
Lightning strikes occur most often in those who work outside or engage in outdoor
recreational activities. The following occupations have the highest risk:
1. Construction and building maintenance
2. Farming and field labor
3. Logging
4. Explosives handling or storage
5. Heavy equipment operation
6. Pipefitting or plumbing
7. Telecommunications field repair
8. Power utility field repair
 Lightning: Information for Workers (cont.)
Steps to Protect Yourself
 Check the forecast: Know the daily weather forecast so you are prepared and know
what weather to expect during the day.
 Watch for signs: Pay attention to early weather signs of potential lightning strikes
such as high winds, dark clouds, or distant thunder or lightning. When these occur,
do not start any activity that you cannot quickly stop.
 Follow the program: Know your company’s lightning safety warning program, if it
has one. These programs should include access to a safe location and danger
warnings that can be issued in time for everyone to get to the safe location.
 Lightning: Information for Workers (cont.)
Steps to Protect Yourself (cont.)
 Assess the threat: Although no place outside is safe during a storm, you can
minimize your risk by assessing the lightning threat early and taking appropriate
actions. For example, if you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you.
Stop what you are doing and seek safety in a building or metal-topped vehicle with
the windows up.
 Avoid tall structures: Avoid anything tall or high, including rooftops, scaffolding,
utility poles, ladders, trees, and large equipment such as bulldozers, cranes, and
tractors.
 Avoid conductive materials: Do NOT touch materials or surfaces that conduct
electricity, including metal scaffolding, metal equipment, utility lines, water, water
pipes, or plumbing.
 Stay away from explosives: If you are in an area with explosives, leave immediately.
 You should check when you attempt to give aid to a victim of lightning
1. Assess The Situation: Safety is a priority. Be aware of the continuing lightning
danger to both the victim and rescuer. If the area where the victim is located is
high risk (e.g., an isolated tree or open field), the victim and rescuer could both be
in danger. If necessary, move the victim to a safer location. It is unusual for a victim
who survives a strike to have any major broken bones that would cause paralysis or
major bleeding complications unless the person suffered a fall or was thrown a
long distance. Therefore, it may be safe to move the victim to minimize possible
further exposure to lightning.
2. Pulse: If the victim has a pulse and is breathing, look for other possible injuries.
Check for burns where the lightning entered and left the body. Also be alert for
nervous system damage, broken bones, and loss of hearing and eyesight.
 Lightning: First Aid Recommendations
3. Respond: Lightning often causes a heart attack. Check to see if the victim is
breathing and has a heartbeat. The best place to check for a pulse is the carotid
artery which is found on your neck directly below your jaw, as shown in the picture.

4. Resuscitate: If the victim is not breathing, immediately begin mouth-to-mouth

resuscitation. If the victim does not have a pulse, start cardiac compressions as well
(CPR). Continue resuscitation efforts until help arrives. If the area is cold and wet,
putting a protective layer between the victim and the ground may help decrease
hypothermia (abnormally low body temperature).
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Lightning may also cause other injuries such as burns, shock,
and sometimes blunt trauma. Treat each of these injuries with basic first aid until help
arrives. Do not move victims who are bleeding or appear to have broken bones.
 Recognize Landslide Warning Signs
1) Changes occur in your landscape such as patterns of storm-water drainage on
slopes (especially the places where runoff water converges) land movement, small
slides, flows, or progressively leaning trees.
2) Doors or windows stick or jam for the first time.
3) New cracks appear in plaster, tile, brick, or foundations.
4) Outside walls, walks, or stairs begin pulling away from the building.
5) Slowly developing, widening cracks appear on the ground or on paved areas such
as streets or driveways.
6) Underground utility lines break.
7) Bulging ground appears at the base of a slope.
 Recognize Landslide Warning Signs (cont..)
8) Water breaks through the ground surface in new locations.
9) Fences, retaining walls, utility poles, or trees tilt or move.
10) A faint rumbling sound that increases in volume is noticeable as the landslide
nears.
11) The ground slopes downward in one direction and may begin shifting in that
direction under your feet.
12) Unusual sounds, such as trees cracking or boulders knocking together, might
indicate moving debris.
13) Collapsed pavement, mud, fallen rocks, and other indications of possible debris
flow can be seen when driving (embankments along roadsides are particularly
susceptible to landslides).
 Before a Landslide or Debris Flow
The following are steps you can take to protect yourself from the effects of a landslide
or debris flow:
1. Do not build near steep slopes, close to mountain edges, near drainage ways, or
natural erosion valleys.
2. Get a ground assessment of your property.
3. Consult an appropriate professional expert for advice on corrective measures.
4. Minimize home hazards by having flexible pipe fittings installed to avoid gas or
water leaks, as flexible fittings are more resistant to breakage (only the gas
company or professionals should install gas fittings).
 During a Landslide or Debris Flow
1. Move away from the path of a landslide or debris flow as quickly as possible.
2. Curl into a tight ball and protect your head if escape is not possible.

After a Landslide or Debris Flow

1. Stay away from the slide area. There may be danger of additional slides.
2. Check for injured and trapped persons near the slide, without entering the direct
slide area. Direct rescuers to their locations.
3. Watch for associated dangers such as broken electrical, water, gas, and sewage
lines and damaged roadways and railways.
 After a Landslide or Debris Flow (cont.)
4. Replant damaged ground as soon as possible since erosion caused by loss of
ground cover can lead to flash flooding and additional landslides in the near future.
5. Seek advice from a geotechnical expert for evaluating landslide hazards or
designing corrective techniques to reduce landslide risk.
6. Follow the instructions for returning home in Part 5.
T HANKS TO ALL