EARLY WARNING
Early
warning (EW) is “the provision of timely and effective information, through
identified institutions, that allows individuals exposed to hazard to take
action to avoid or reduce their risk and prepare for effective response.”, and
is the integration of four main elements, (from International Strategy for
Disaster Reduction (ISDR), United Nations (UN), 2006)
Risk Knowledge, Disseminating Information, Monitoring and Predicting, Response: Failure of any part of the system will imply failure of the whole system
TYPES OF DISASTERS
Disasters
are broadly divided into two types comprising natural and manmade
(technological) disasters. There is also other basis by which
disasters can be categorized which has been mentioned later in
this section.
NATURAL DISASTERS
Natural disasters occur as the result of action of the natural
forces and tend to be accepted as unfortunate, but inevitable. The natural
disasters result from forces of climate and geology. Natural disasters
are perhaps the most “unexpected” and costly overall in terms of loss of
human lives and resources. In the last few years, natural disasters have
claimed 100,000 lives costing above 140 billion US dollars. During
the 1980s, more than 700,000 people lost their lives as a direct result
of severe weather, including floods and droughts. Natural disasters can
be categorized as “acute” or “slow” in their onset Natural disasters
with acute onsets include events such as earthquake, flood, hurricane,
cyclone or typhoon, tornado, fire, tsunami or storm surge, avalanche,
volcanic eruption, extreme cold or blizzard, and heat wave. Natural
hazards with slow or gradual onset include drought, famine,
desertification, deforestation, and pest infestation.
ECONOMIC LOSSES DUE TO NATURAL DISASTERS 1960-2000
Natural disasters can have
significant economic and food security impacts, especially on the poorest
households. In the last three decades, there has been a clear increase in the
number of natural hazard events, the size of affected populations and the
extent of economic losses. Several million victims have suffered homelessness,
disaster induced ill health, severe economic losses and personal tragedies.
Direct economic losses increased five times in the 1990s and are mostly
concentrated in the developed countries.
FLOODS
Magnitude: Global statistics
show that floods are the most frequently recorded destructive events,
accounting for about 30% of the world’s disasters each year. The frequency of
floods is increasing faster than any type of
disaster.
IMPACT
Flood effects can be local, impacting
a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins and
multiple communities. Except for flash
floods, flooding causes few deaths. Widespread and long-lasting detrimental
effects include mass homelessness, disruption of communications and health care
systems, and heavy loss of business, livestock, crops, and grain, particularly
in densely populated, low lying areas like that of the Awash Valley
LIFE-THREATENING CHARACTERISTICS OF FLOODS:
Absence of
warning of a flood (either ‘official’ warning or warning derived from cues e.g.
heavy rain). High floodwater velocities (like in hilly or mountainous terrain
or where stream disgorge on to plains from upland areas; in river valleys with
steep gradients; in areas behind floods embankments or natural barriers which
may breach or overtop, below dams which may break). Rapid speed of flood onset
(like in areas when streams are ‘flashy’ i.e. rise and fall rapidly; these are
usually urban areas or arid rural areas where soil surface becomes compacted
and hard; or in areas where high floodwater.
MANAGEMENT/ PROTECTIVE MEASURES
Before a Flood,
you should:
• Avoid building in a floodplain
unless you elevate and reinforce your home.
• Elevate the furnace, water heater,
and electric panel if susceptible to flooding.
• Construct barriers (levees, beams,
floodwalls) to stop floodwater from entering the building.
• Learning swimming skill is helpful.
DURING A
FLOOD
If a flood is likely in your area, you should
Listen to the radio or television for
information.
• Be aware of streams, drainage
channels, canyons, and other areas known to flood suddenly. Flash floods can
occur in these areas with or without such typical warnings as rain clouds or
heavy rain.
If you must prepare to evacuate, you should do the
following:
• Do not walk through moving water.
Six inches of moving water can make you fall. If you have to walk in water,
walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to check the firmness of the
ground in front of you.
• Do not drive into flooded areas. If
flood-waters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground if
you can do so safely.
AFTER A
FLOOD:
The following are guidelines for the period following a
flood:
• Listen for news reports to learn
whether the community’s water supply is safe to drink.
• Be aware of areas where floodwaters
have receded. Roads may have weakened and could collapse under the weight of a
car.
• Return home only when authorities
indicate it is safe.
• Stay out of any building if it is surrounded by
floodwaters
TSUNAMIS:
Tsunamis (pronounced soo-ná-mees),
also known as seismic sea waves (mistakenly called “tidal waves”), are a series
of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance such as an earthquake,
landslide, volcanic eruption, or meteorite. A tsunami can move hundreds of
miles per hour in the open ocean and smash into land with waves as high as 100
feet or more.
PROTECTIVE
MEASURES
Guidelines
for what you should do if a tsunami is likely in your area:
• Turn on your radio to learn if
there is a tsunami warning
• Move inland to higher ground
immediately and stay there.
• If
there is noticeable recession in water away from the shoreline this is nature's
tsunami warning and it should be heeded. You should move away immediately
Guidelines for the period
following a tsunami:
• Stay away from flooded and damaged
areas until officials say it is safe to return.
• Stay away from debris in the water;
it may pose a safety hazard to boats and people.
EARTHQUAKES
Earthquakes are sudden slippages or movements in a
portion of the earth's crust accompanied by a series of vibrations. Aftershocks
of similar or lesser intensity can follow the main quake
Before an Earthquake:
• Repair defective electrical wiring, leaky gas
cylinders, and inflexible utility connections.
• Anchor overhead lighting fixtures.
• Resistant to breakage.
• Hold earthquake drills with your family
members: Drop,cover&holdon
DURING AN EARTHQUAKE:
minimize
your movements during an earthquake to a few steps to a nearby safe place. Stay
indoors until the shaking has stopped and you are sure exiting is safe.
If you are indoor:
• Take cover under a sturdy desk, table, or bench or
against an inside wall, and hold on. If there isn’t a table or desk near you,
cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the
building.• Stay in bed - if you are there when the earthquake
strikes - hold on and protect your head with a pillow, unless you are under a
heavy light fixture that could fall. In that case, move to the nearest safe
place.
.• DO NOT use elevators.
If you are
Outdoors:
• Move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility
wires.
If you are In a moving vehicle:
• Stop as quickly as safety permits and stay in the
vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses, and utility
wires.
• Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped,
watching for road and bridge damage.
If you
are trapped under debris:
• Do not light a match. Do not move
about or kick up dust.
• Cover your mouth with a
handkerchief or clothing.
DISASTER PLAN
This usually involves four phases :
1. Prevention
2. Preparedness
3. Response
4. Recovery
The following guide to producing a disaster plan outlines
recommended action in all four phases, but
prevention is the best protection against disaster,
natural or man-made.
PREVENTION
Identify and minimize the risks posed by the building,
its equipment and fittings, and the natural hazards of the area.
• Carry out a building inspection and alter factors which
constitute a potential hazard.
• Establish routine housekeeping and maintenance measures
to withstand disaster in buildings and surrounding areas.
• Install automatic fire detection and extinguishing
systems, and water-sensing alarms.
.• Protect computers and data through provision of
uninterrupted power supply.
• Have comprehensive insurance for the library or
archives, its contents, the cost of salvage
operations, and potential replacement, re-binding and
restoration of damaged materials.
PREPAREDNESS
Getting ready to cope.
• Develop a written preparedness,
response and recovery plan.
• Keep the plan up-to-date, and test
it.
• Keep together supplies and
equipment required in a disaster and maintain them.
• Prepare and keep an up-to-date set
of documentation including :
·
List of names, addresses and home telephone numbers of
trained conservators with experience in salvaging water-damaged materials,
resource organisations, and other facilities able to offer support in the event
of a disaster.
·
List of disaster
control services, in-house supplies and equipment, and in any central
store,including locations and names of contacts with home telephone numbers
·
List of suppliers
of services and sources of additional equipment and supplies, including names
of contacts and home telephone numbers.
·
Copies of insurance policies.
.• Distribute the plan and
documentation to appropriate locations on- and off-site.
RESPONSE
When disaster strikes.
• Follow established emergency
procedures for raising the alarm, evacuating personnel and making the disaster
site safe
• Contact the leader of the disaster
response team to direct and brief the trained salvage personnel
• When permission is given to re-enter
the site, make a preliminary assessment of the extent of the damage, and the
equipment, supplies and services required..
• Transport water-damaged items to
the nearest available freezing facility.
RECOVERY
Getting back to normal.
• Establish a programme to restore
both the disaster site and the damaged materials to a stable and
usable condition.
• Determine priorities for
restoration work and seek the advice of a conservator as to the best
methods and options, and obtain cost
estimates.
• Contact insurers.
• Clean and rehabilitate the disaster
site.
• Replace treated material in the
refurbished site.
• Analyse the disaster and improve
the plan in the light of experience.
·
Take advantage of educational sessions, particularly
disaster planning workshops and preparedness exercises.Seek expert advice and
help from the preservation offices of national and large research libraries
SAFETY MEASURES TO BE TAKEN TO MINIMIZE THE LOSS OF
DISASTER:
·
Notify a neighbor, friend or the local
authorities of your new address.
·
Turn off power,
water and gas and take your mobile phone.
·
Pack warm
clothing, essential medication, valuables and sentimental items in waterproof
bags, to be taken with your emergency kit.
·
Move furniture,
clothing and valuables onto beds, tables (electrical items highest).
·
Lock your home
and take recommended evacuation routes for your area.
·
Don't drive
through flooded ground.
·
Stay tuned to
local radio for updated advice.
·
in flood water
until checked for safety.
·
Before the
cyclone season, check with your local council if your home has been built to
cyclone standards.
·
In case of a
storm warning or other flooding, know your nearest safe high ground and the
safest access route to it.
·
Prepare an
emergency kit to take with you and keep a list of emergency numbers on display.
·
When a cyclone
watch is issued, fill your car's fuel tank. Ensure that your family members
know which is the strongest part of your house.
·
Listen
continuously to your local radio/TV for further warnings.
·
Stay indoors
(unless you are asked to evacuate) in the strongest part of the building, i.e.
cellar, internal hallway or bathroom. Keep evacuation and emergency kits with
you.
·
Protect yourself
with mattresses, rugs or blankets under a strong table or bench if the building
starts to break up.
·
The previously
mentioned disaster kitfrom 72hours.org is a
must-have. Offered up by the City of San Francisco, the 72hours guide can help
you prepare for any type of disaster, and has special tips if you have
children, are disabled, are a senior citizen, have pets, and more.
- Understand the
difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning. A tornado
watch means the conditions are right for a tornado to develop. A tornado
warning means one has been sighted and you should seek shelter
immediately.P
·
Give your home an earthquake checkup.
Check for hazards, fasten shelves to wall studs, and store breakables and
poisons in cabinets that latch shut so they won't fall out and onto someone in
an earthquake. Make any structural repairs to the walls or foundation that are
necessary.
·
Practice drills
with your family (or coworkers.) Know where
the utility shut-off switches are in the house, and time yourself getting from
your bedroom out of the house to a safe location. Time yourself doing the same
again, but shutting off utilities and grabbing your go bag, documents
·
After an
earthquake has passed, don't immediately assume the danger is gone. In some
cases, damaged structures can fall well after the shaking has stopped, or there
may be other hazards in or around your home or office to deal with
·
If you're
trapped under debris, make as much noise as possible so emergency services can
get to you. Tap on pipes, whistle, shout—just make sure not to inhale dust or
debris that may be around you. Cover your mouth with clothing to filter out
some of the dust
·
Once you're
safe, administer first aid to those who need it, and listen to the
radio—preferably emergency broadcasts—for more information. Be prepared to move
to higher ground if you live on the coast and the earthquake may have triggered
a tsunami. If you think your home is damaged, call the appropriate service provider
to inspect it properly
·
During: Monitor
Emergency Radio, Be Ready to Move Quickly
·
If you're
driving, do not pass through standing water, or water where you cannot see the
bottom. Six inches of
water will reach the bottom of most cars, causing control issues. If that water
gets into the engine, your car will stall. Six inches is all it takes. A foot
is enough to float a car or truck. Two feet will carry almost any vehicle off,
including SUVs. Don't be deceived by what looks like a little water either—the
road underneath may have washed away, making it deeper than it appears,
especially at night. Don't risk your vehicle or your life. Pull over, drive
around, or get out and get to higher ground’s
·
If there is any
possibility of a flash flood, or you think a tsunami is imminent get to higher
ground immediately. Don't wait
for instructions or an official warning—just get your go-bag, important
documents, family members, and go as soon as possible. "Trust your
instincts and take action," Dr. Bradley explains. If an actual flood
warning has been issued, do the same and evacuate for higher ground
immediately. Make sure you know the difference between watch’s
Home fires are deadly, killing thousands
every year in the United States alone—and they're almost always preventable.
Still, while prevention is key, it's what you do in the middle of a fire that
may save your life. Unlike other disasters that give you warning and time to
get away, a fire isn't nearly as forgiving. Here's how to prepare, and what to
do.
·
Make sure you can open windows, screens,
security bars, and doors. You and everyone in your household should be
comfortable opening security bars on windows, screen doors, anything that might
slow down your egress from a burning building’s
·
Make sure you have smoke alarms installed and
you change their batteries regularly. Dual-sensor smoke detectors are best, as
they feature both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors. If they're wired
to the power in your home, that's best, but they should also have battery
backups
·
Keep household fire
extinguishers handy.
If the fire is serious, do not try putting it out yourself. A household
extinguisher can help keep a small fire from spreading, or help you clear a
path to a safe area, but they're not for heroics. I like to keep one in my
bedroom and another in the kitchen in my apartment.
·
·
Get to the nearest exit immediately. If there's smoke in the
air, get as low as possible where you may be able to breathe and feel your way
out. If there's smoke blocking your door, open the window. Before opening any
door, feel the doorknob and the door body. If it's warm or there's smoke coming
in from the other side, don't open the door—there may be a raging fire on the
other side. Use your second exit, even if it's a window. If you have to open a
door, open it slowly and be ready to shut it if smoke comes
CONCLUSION:
Here
are the main information about the disasters and mainly preventive measures to
be followed must in our day life to reduce minimal loss of
INFRASTRUCTURE,COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORT……….
