INSIGHTS ON DISASTER RESILIENCE FROM 2009’S

“DISASTER LABORATORIES”

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of

North Carolina, USA

2009’S DISASTER LABORATORIES

FROM WILDFIRES TO HURRICANES, CYCLONES AND TYPHOONS, TO

EARTHQUAKES AND TSUNAMIS, TO FLOODS AND LANDSLIDES, TO VOLCANIC

ERUPTIONS AND WINTER STORMS

MAIN IDEA

Each disaster provides deeper insights on: 1) Protection, 2) Preparedness, 3)

Early Warning, 4) Emergency Response, and 5) Recovery and Reconstruction

YOURYOUR

COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

YOURYOUR

COMMUNITYCOMMUNITYDATA BASES DATA BASES AND INFORMATIONAND INFORMATIONDATA BASES DATA BASES AND INFORMATIONAND INFORMATION

HAZARDS: GROUND SHAKING GROUND FAILURE SURFACE FAULTING TECTONIC DEFORMATION TSUNAMI RUN UP AFTERSHOCKS

•HAZARDS•INVENTORY•VULNERABILITY•LOCATION

RISK ASSESSMENTRISK ASSESSMENT

RISK

ACCEPTABLE RISK

UNACCEPTABLE RISK

GOAL: DISASTER GOAL: DISASTER RESILIENCERESILIENCE

•PROTECTION•PEPAREDNESS•EARLY WARNING•EMERGENCY RESPONSE•RECOVERY/RECONSTRUCT.

FIVE PILLARS OF FIVE PILLARS OF RESILIENCERESILIENCE

2009’S DISASTER LABORATORIES2009’S DISASTER LABORATORIES2009’S DISASTER LABORATORIES2009’S DISASTER LABORATORIES

CYCLONE HAMISH

EARTHQUAKES: ITALY, CHINA, INDONESIA, AM.SAMOA

FLOODS: TAIWAN, ENGLAND,, USA, TURKEY

TROPICAL STORMS , HURRI-CANES, AND TYPHOONS

WILDFIRES : AUSTRALIA, GREECE, AND CALIFORNIA

ERUPTION OF VOLCANO MAYON

CATALYSTS FOR CHANGECATALYSTS FOR CHANGE

NEW KNOWLEDGE FOR NEW KNOWLEDGE FOR BECOMING DISASTER BECOMING DISASTER RESILIENCTRESILIENCT

NEW KNOWLEDGE FOR NEW KNOWLEDGE FOR BECOMING DISASTER BECOMING DISASTER RESILIENCTRESILIENCT

TSUNAMI IN AMERICAN SAMOA

QUICK REVIEWS

WILDFIRE: AUSTRALIA; FEB 9-11

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA

WINDS EXACERBATE WILDFIRES: SANTA BARBARA, CA; MAY 5-10

“MONSTER WILDFIRE” NEAR LOS ANGELES,

CALIFORNIA

• COVERING 190 SQUARE MILES AND GROWING RAPIDLY• NOT CONTAINED UNTIL SEPT 15th

August 28 – September 15, 2009

WILDFIRES NEAR LOS ANGELES, CA

WILDFIRES NEAR ATHENS, GREECE

WILDFIRES NEAR ATHENS: AUGUST 22, 2009

MAIN INSIGHTS FROM 2009’S WILDFIRES

• EARLY WARNING PROVIDES TIME TO EVACUATE PEOPLE OUT OF HARM’S WAY AND PRE-POSITION ASSETS

• POST-WILDFIRES SLOPES ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO MUDFLOWS IN SUBSEQUENT RAIN STORMS

• REGIONAL COOPERATION SPEEDS RESPONSE AND AIDS RECOVERY

CYCLONE HAMISH:MARCH 8-10

CYCLONE HAMISH: OIL SPILL IMPACTS AUSTRALIAN BEACHES

MORAKOT’S PATH: AUGUST 7-10

MORAKOT-TRIGGERED LANDSLIDE BURIES TAIWAN VILLAGE, AUG 10

PHILIPPINES HIT BY KETSANA, PARMA, MIRINAE: SEPT- NOV

KETSANA: QUESON CITY

KETSANA: PHILIPPINES; SEPT 23-30

KETSANA: CAINTA RIZAL

PARMA: PHILIPPINES; OCT 9

PARMA: MUDFLOWS; OCT 12

MIRINAE: NOV 2

HURRICANE IDA, LAST OF 2009 SEASON: NOV 5

MAIN INSIGHTS FROM 2009’S SEVERE WINDSTORMS

• EARLY WARNING AND EVACUATION ARE VITAL FOR SAVING LIVES

• MUDFLOWS HINDER RESPONSE

• OIL SPILLS COMPLICATE RESPONSE

• BUILDINGS WITHOUT WIND ENGINEERING LOSE ROOFS

• WIND INSURANCE SPREADS RISK

FLOODS: RED RIVER & FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA: MARCH 28-30

CHIATUNG, TAIWAN: FLOODING; AUGUST 9

FLASH FLOODS NEAR ISTHANBUL: SEPTEMBER 9

FLASH FLOODS NEAR ISTHANBUL, TURKEY: SEPT 9

FLOODS IN CUMBRIA, ENGLAND

FLOODS: CUMBRIA; UK; NOV 29-30

MAIN INSIGHTS FROM 2009’S FLOODS

• MONITORING, EARLY WARNING, EVACUATION, AND WETLANDS, SANDBAGS, LEVEES, AND DAMS ARE VITAL FOR SAVING LIVES AND PROTECTING PROPERTY.

• BEING PREPARED INCLUDES SELF-INSURANCE AND ANTICIPATING THE POSSIBILITY OF WATER-BORNE DISEASES

L'AQUILA PLUS 26 TOWNS AND VILLAGES DEVASTATED

L'AQUILA: LOCATED IN OLD LAKE BED

YUNNAN, CHINA EARTHQUAKE:

YUNNAN, CHINA: JULY 9

TWO LARGE EARTHQUAKES STRIKE WEST SUMATRA AND

JAMBI, INDONESIA WHILE IT IS STILL RECOVERING FROM THE

2004 TSUNAMI DISASTER

DECEMBER 26, 2004 –- M9.0

SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 — M7.6 OCTOBER 1, 2009 — M6.6

INDONESIA: SEPT 30 - OCT 1

PADANG, INDONESIA

PADANG, INDONESIA: FIRE

QUAKE-TRIGGERED LANDSLIDE: PADANG PARIAMAN, INDONESIA

MAIN INSIGHTS FROM 2009’S EARTHQUAKES

• BUILDINGS COLLAPSED, INFRA-STRUCTURE LOST FUNCTION, AND PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE WERE SITED IN OLD LAKE BEDS OR WERE NOT PROTECTED BY MODERN BUILDING CODES AND LIFELINE STANDARDS.

• LANDSLIDES HINDERED EMERGENCY RESPONSE

AMERICAN SAMOA TSUNAMI: SEPT 29

TSUNAMI: PAGO PAGO, ANERICAN SAMOA; SEPT 29

MAIN INSIGHTS FROM THE TSUNAMI

• EARLY WARNING OF A POSSIBLE TSUNAMI AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE IS VITAL FOR RAPID VERTICAL EVACUATION TO SAVE LIVES.

• DEBRIS CAN TRAVEL GREAT DISTANCES IN THE OCEAN AND AFFECT OTHER COUNTRIES

MOUNT MAYON: THE PHILIPPINES; DEC 16

33,000 EVACUATED AS MOUNT MAYON ERUPTS: DEC 18

MAIN INSIGHTS FROM VOLCANO MAYON

• EARLY WARNING PROVIDES A BASIS FOR EVACUATING THE PEOPLE IN HARM’S WAY

• BE PREPARED TO RESPOND TO ALL OF THE POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS OF AN ERUPTION.

• BEING UN-PREPARED BECAUSE OF INACTIVITY IS NOT AN OPTION.

WINTER STORM: DEC 18 - 20

WINTER STORM: 2/3 M; DEC 18