Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Definitions
WHO defines Disaster as "any occurrence that
causes
damage,
ecological
an
extraordinary
disaster
is
an
overwhelming
ecological
produces
conditions
whereby
the
Disaster Management
The magnitude of the effects of the event will be
viewed differently.
disasters.
Example
earthquakes,
(e.g.
volcanic
eruption,
earthquake,
or
Disaster Management
vulnerability".[2] A natural hazard will hence never
result
in
natural
disaster
in
areas
without
CYCLONES
What is a Cyclone?
Disaster Management
Cyclones are huge revolving storms caused by winds
blowing around a central area of low atmospheric
pressure. In the northern hemisphere, cyclones are
called hurricanes or typhoons and their winds blow
in
an
anti-clockwise
circle.
In
the
southern
Disaster Management
Cyclones develop over warm seas near the Equator.
Air heated by the sun rises very swiftly, which
creates areas of very
low pressure. As the
warm
air
rises,
it
which
Disaster Management
30 km from the storm's centre. Winds around the
eye can reach speeds of up to 200 km/h, and a fully
developed cyclone pumps out about two million
tonnes of air per second. This results in more rain
being released in a day than falls in a year in a city
like London.
When and where do Cyclones occur?
Cyclones begin in tropical regions, such as northern
Australia, South-East Asia and many Pacific islands.
They sometimes drift into the temperate coastal
areas, threatening more heavily populated regions
to the South. Northern Australia has about four or
five
tropical
cyclones
every
year
during
the
Disaster Management
Disaster Management
The trigger for most Atlantic hurricanes is an
easterly wave, a band of low pressure moving
westwards, which may
have
begun
as
an
African thunderstorm.
Vigorous thunderstorms
and high winds combine
to create a cluster of
thunderstorms which can become the seedling for a
tropical storm.
Typhoons in the Far East and Cyclones in the Indian
Ocean often develop from a thunderstorm in the
equatorial trough. During the hurricane season, the
Carioles effect of the Earth's rotation starts the
winds in the thunderstorm spinning in a circular
motion.
Disaster Management
Disaster Management
Why do Cyclones occur?
Cyclone Danger:
Cyclones create several dangers for people living
around tropical areas. The most destructive force of
a cyclone comes from the fierce winds. These winds
are strong enough to easily topple fences, sheds,
10
Disaster Management
A cyclone typically churns up the sea, causing giant
waves and surges of water known as storm surges.
The water of a storm surge rushes inland with
deadly power, flooding low-lying coastal areas. The
rains from cyclones are also heavy enough to cause
serious flooding, especially along river areas.
Long after a cyclone has passed, road and rail
transport can still be blocked by floodwaters. Safe
lighting of homes and proper refrigeration of food
may be impossible because of failing power supplies.
Water
often
becomes
contaminated
from
dead
11
Disaster Management
Major Cyclones, Hurricanes and Typhoons
Year
1900
1906
Area of
Death toll
Cyclone
Galveston,
(est.)
Texas, USA
Society and
Cook Islands
10 000 - 12 000
10 000
1963
Bangladesh
15 000
1964 (May)
Bangladesh
35 000
1965 (Jun)
Bangladesh
15 000
1970
1977
1985
1991
Caribbean
coast
1 000 000
Honduras
100 000
South-eastern
15 000 - 100
India
000
Bangladesh
139 000
12
Disaster Management
EARTHQUAKES
What causes Earthquakes?
on
the
Earth's
surface.
Sometimes
13
Disaster Management
crust bend and break. This causes shock waves to
travel
on
the
earth's
surface,
resulting
in
widespread destruction.
Plate Tectonics
Scientists believe
that the earth is
made up of four
main layers. The
14
Disaster Management
outermost layer being the crust, then the mantle,
the outer core and at the centre of the earth the
inner core.
The crust is made up of hard rock, mainly granite.
The mantle is mainly molten lava on which the crust
is floating. The core is mostly iron, with the outer
core being liquid and the inner being solid. The
mantle
is
continually
moving;
this
is
called
convection.
It is also believed that the earth is divided into more
than a dozen plates, which are floating on the
mantle. This theory is called plate tectonics . The
plates often rub together, pull apart, collide or dive
under
one
another.
These
movements
cause
15
Disaster Management
Where do Earthquakes occur?
Earthquakes usually occur in places where two
plates meet, called faults. Earthquakes are mostly
generated deep within the earth's crust, when the
pressure between two plates is too great for them to
be held in place. The underground rocks then snap,
sending shock waves out in all directions. These are
called seismic waves. The underground origin of an
16
Disaster Management
earthquake originates on the surface is called the
epicenter.
Measuring Earthquakes:
The Mercalli Scale
The original scale for measuring the severity of
earthquakes
was
compiled
by
the
Italian
17
Disaster Management
Mercalli Scale relies on how much damage is caused
by an earthquake.
18
Disaster Management
Most people run outdoors. Damage to weakly
constructed buildings. Felt by people in moving
vehicles.
Considerable damage to most buildings. Heavy
furniture overturned. Some sand fluidized.
Even well-designed and sturdy buildings badly
damaged, moved from their foundations.Ground
cracks. Pipes break.
Most
masonry
destroyed.
Landslides
occur.
19
Disaster Management
San Andreas. Fault in San Francisco; have to meet
extremely strict building regulations.
Earthquake in Chile
An extract from the book 'Sweet Waters'
The famous earthquake of 1960 had stuck this part
20
Disaster Management
suffered severely. Everyone was very earthquakeconscious.
They were classed in two categories: the 'Tremblor'
or tremor, and the 'Terramoto' or earth render. They
seemed to be cumulative, for a slight on eevery six
weeks or so gave us confidence, but as we grew
wiser we became more alert than ever if the periods
21
Disaster Management
the locals who were frankly terrified of them, but as
soon as we realized what they were capapble of
doing,
we
treated
them
with
great
respect.
22
Disaster Management
which eyes were riveted on the movement of water
in a bowl of flowers, or pictures on a wall. Pause and
shake
continued,
reaching
climax
and
then
23
Disaster Management
To show what a lifetime in an earthquake country I
can do must tell of an aged relative of my uncle's
who had never left her bed in the house for more
than eighteen months. One afternoon a particularly
vicious quake arrived with far less build-up than
usual. The old lady, with several years of experience
behind her, leapt from her bed, vaulted through the
open window and headed the rush for open country
and safety. Only when it was all over did she
collapse and have to be carried back to bed.
TSUNAMIS
What is a Tsunami?
A tsunami is often misnamed a tidal wave, but in fact
a tsunami is not just one wave but usually a series of
seven or eight, that have nothing to do with the tide.
In the open ocean, tsunamis are only about one
metre high, but as they approach shallower waters
and the shore, they grow to heights as high as
eighty-five meters.
24
Disaster Management
What causes a
Tsunami?
The
causes
most
of
common
tsunamis
are
mostly
undersea.
25
Disaster Management
Volcanoes that have been erupting continuously for
a long time have empty magma chambers. The roof
then collapses forming a crater somtimes upto one
kilometre in diameter. Water gushes into this crater
in a very short amount of time, causing a tsunami.
Earthquake
originated
tsunamis
occur
when
26
Disaster Management
Where do Tsunamis occur?
Most tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean as it is
located on a plate mostly made of water. The Pacific
Ocean is also surrounded by the Ring of Fire, a
highly active volcano and earthquake zone. The Ring
of Fire circles the ocean from Alaska down to the
west coasts of North and South America and up
along the east coast of Asia, taking in parts of China,
27
Disaster Management
Japan and Russia. Tsunamis can only occur in
coastal regions; islands are the main targets.
MAJOR TSUNAMIS
Death
Date
Origin
Effects
o
ll
June
7,
1692
Puerto
Rico Port
Trench,
Caribbean
Novembe Atlantic
r 1, 1755 Ocean
February Peru-Chile
20, 1835 Trench
August 8, Peru-Chile
1868
August
27, 1883
Trench
Krakatoa
Royal,
Jamaica
permanently
2 000
submerged
Lisbon destroyed
Concepcin,
60 000
Chile Not
destroyed
Known
Ships washed several
10 000
miles inland, Town of
15 000
Africa Destroyed
Devastation in East
36 000
Indies
28
Disaster Management
Swept the east coast of
June
15, Japan
1896
Trench
ft
(30.5
m)
at
27 122
Yoshihimama
9 000 houses and 8
March 3, Japan
1933
Sanriku
Trench
April
1, Aleutian
1946
Trench
May
22, South-
1960
March
district,
Honshu
Damage to Alaska and
Hawaii
Coinciding with a week
of
159
Hawaii
Severe
damage
to
August
struck,
23, 1976
3 000
Celebes Sea
Alicia,
devastating
Pagadian,
115
8 000
29
Disaster Management
30
Disaster Management
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books:
International Marketing
Magazines:
31
Disaster Management
Sci - Tech March3, 2005 subscription
DNA August 5, 2007 subscription
Articles:
The Times of India- August 31, 2007
Hindustan Times- January20, 2008
Websites:
www.google.com
www.tsunami.org
www.sci-techno.com
www.earthquikchilli.com
en.wikipedia.org
32