LEARNING FROM GLOBAL DISASTER LABORATORIES

PART 7A: FLOODS

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna,

Virginia, USA 

FLOODING

• Flooding occurs somewhere in the world approximately 10,000 times every day as the consequences of a locale having more water than the local water cycle can process within its physical limits.

FLOODS

• Floods occur as the result of: extreme levels of precipitation in thunderstorms, tropical storms, typhoons, hurricanes, and cyclones; in storm surges, and in tsunami wave run up.

FLOODING ALSO TRIGGERS LANDSLIDES

THAT CAN ALSO CAUSE A DISASTER (see part 9)

LOSS OF FUNCTION OF STRUCTURES IN FLOODPLAIN

FLOODS

INUNDATION

INTERACTION WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

STRUCTURAL/CONTENTS DAMAGE FROM WATER

WATER BORNE DISEASES (HEALTH PROBLEMS)

EROSION AND MUDFLOWS

CONTAMINATION OF GROUND WATER

CAUSES OF RISK

FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORIES

“FLOOD LABORATORY”:SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH; 1983

• Unusual flood waters from the annual Spring runoff were diverted down Main Street

MIDWEST USA FLOOD LABORATORY: JUNE-AUGUST 1993

• THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN COVERS 1.25 MILLION SQUARE MILES

• IT COLLECTS WATER FROM 40 PERCENT OF THE UNITED STATES

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS: GREAT FLOOD OF 1993

The Great Flood of 1993 was the most costly and devas-tating flood in modern history in the United States.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA FLOOD LABORATORY: JUNE 13, 2008

INUNDATION

INUNDATION: ST LOUIS, MO; JUNE 20, 2008

.

• Inundated towns, cities, homes, schools, businesses, and farms,• lost crops and long-term loss of productivity of farm land,• loss of function of roads and bridges

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS (continued)

• loss of function of bridges and utility systems

• Thirty-eight thousand evacuees• Regional business interruption• loss of tourism

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS (continued)

• long-term clean-up (removal of debris, sewage, garbage, and 10-million sandbags)

• Drying out of houses and businesses and their contents,

• Rebuilding of houses and levees.

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS (continued)

• Disposal of damaged home systems (e.g., refrigerators),

• Restoration of water quality in wells and municipal water systems

• Restoration of functions of schools and universities.

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS (continued)

• Restoration of millions of acres of prime farm land.

• Rebuilding of cities such as Cedar Rapids, Iowa (estimates reach at least $1 billion).

• Restoration of millions of acres of prime farm land.• Rebuilding of cities such as Cedar Rapids, Iowa (estimates reach at least $1 billion).

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

• After weeks of flooding in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Wisconsin, the region faced billions of dollars in losses and a long recovery period.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS

FLOOD LABORATORY IN CHINA

Guangdong, Sichuan,Ghizhou, and Fujian Provinces impacted

May 27-June 15, 2008

“FLOOD LABORATORY” IN CHINA

Guangdong, Sichuan,Ghizhou, and Fujian Provinces impacted

JUNE 15, 2008

FLOODING IN SOUTHERN CHINA

Runoff after several weeks of rain pushed the Xijiang and Beijiang Rivers over their banks in southern China, displacing more than 1.27 million people.

FLOODING: GUIZHOU PROVINCE; MAY 27

FUJIAN RIVER: JUNE 6

FLOODING: GUANGDONG PROVINCE; JUNE 15

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

The impacts: 57 dead, tens of thousands of collapsed homes, damaged crops across more than 2.12 million acres, and $1.5 billion or more in economic losses.

NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND MINNESOTA

FLOOD LABORATORY

MARCH - APRIL 2009

REASONS FOR FLOODING:

The flooding was triggered by: 1) A long, snowy and icy winter, followed by 2) An earlier than normal, rapid Spring melt and runoff.

REMEMBERING RECORD FLOODS IN NORTHWEST

ENGLAND

(WITH SEVERE FLOOD WARNINGS IN SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND)

NOVEMBER 19-21, 2009

LOCATION OF CUMBRIA, ENGLAND

AERIAL VIEW OF COLLAPSED BRIDGE: CUMBRIA AREA

COLLAPSED BRIDGE: CUMBRIA AREA

FLOODING: CUMBRIA AREA

FLOODING: CUMBRIA AREA

FLOODING: COCKERMOUTH

FLOODING: CUMBRIA AREA

FLOODING: CUMBRIA AREA

FLOODING: CUMBRIA AREA

RESCUE: CUMBRIA AREA

RESCUE: CUMBRIA AREA

RESCUE: CUMBRIA AREA

LESSON: THE KNOWLEDGE AND TIMING OF ANTICIPATORY ACTIONS IS VITAL

• The people who know: 1) what to expect (e.g., inundation from extreme precipitation, storm surge, tsunami wave run up), 2) where and when impacts will happen, and 3) what they should (and should not) do to prepare for them will survive.

LESSON: TIMELY, REALISTIC DISASTER SCENARIOS SAVE LIVES

• The people who have timely, realistic, advance information that facilitates reduction of vulnerabilities, and hence the risks associated with floods will survive.

LESSON: EMERGENCY RESPONSE SAVES LIVES

• The timing of emergency response operations, especially the search and rescue operations that are limited to “the golden 48 hours,” will increase the likelihood of survival.

LESSON: EMERGENCY MEDICAL PREPAREDNESS SAVES LIVES

• The local community’s capacity for emergency health care (i,e., coping with damaged hospitals and medical facilities, lack of clean drinking water, food, and medicine to treat water borne diseases, and high levels of morbidity and mortality) is vital for survival.

LESSON: ENGINEERED INFRASTRUCTURE SAVE LIVES

• Infrastructure engineered to withstand the risks from floods (e.g., damage, failure, and loss of function), is vital for survival.

WE CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITH A FLAWED PREMISE:

KNOWLEDGE FROM FLOOD DISASTERS, WHICH OCCUR EVERY

DAY SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD IN ASSOCIATION WITH RAIN, SEVERE

WINDSTORMS, AND TSUNAMIS, IS ENOUGH TO MAKE ANY NATION

ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO FACILITATE DISASTER RESILIENCE

FACT: GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION IN THE FLOOD PLAIN OF RIVERS AND

ALONG COASTAL AREAS IS EXTENSIVE; THE ASSOCIATED

POLITICAL CONTROVERSY CAUSES MOST NATIONS TO BE SLOW TO

ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES FOR FLOOD DISASTER RESILIENCE

YOUR YOUR

COMMUNITYCOMMUNITYDATA BASES DATA BASES AND INFORMATIONAND INFORMATION

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

•MONITORING•SCENARIO MAPS•INVENTORY•VULNERABILITY•LOCATION

RISK

ACCEPTABLE RISK

UNACCEPTABLE RISK

BOOKS OF KNOWLEDGE BOOKS OF KNOWLEDGE

•PREPAREDNESS•PROTECTION•/EARLY WARNING•EM RESPONSE•RECOSTRUCTION AND RECOVERY

FLOODI DISASTER FLOODI DISASTER RESILIENCERESILIENCE

PILLARS OF FLOOD DISASTER RESILIENCE

Anticipatory PreparednessAdoption and Implementation of urban plans

Realistic Flood Disaster ScenariosTimely Emergency Response (including

Emergency Medical Services)Cost-Effective Reconstruction & Recovery

THE CHALLENGE:

POLICY CHANGES: CREATE, ADJUST, AND REALIGN PROGRAMS, PARTNERS AND PEOPLE UNTIL YOU HAVE CREATED THE KINDS OF TURNING POINTS NEEDED FOR MOVING TOWARDS FLOOD DISASTER RESILIENCE

AN UNDER-UTILIZED GLOBAL STRATEGY

To Create Turning Points for Flood Disaster Resilience

USING EDUCATIONAL SURGES CONTAINING THE PAST AND PRESENT LESSONS TO FOSTER

AND ACCELERATE POLICY CHANGES

MOVING TOWARDS THE MUST-HAPPEN GLOBAL STRATEGY

To Achieve Flood Disaster Resilience

INTEGRATION OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS WITH POLITICAL

SOLUTIONS IN EVERY NATION FOR REALISTIC POLICIES ON PREPAREDNESS, PROTECTION, EARLY WARNING, DISASTER

SCENARIOS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, RECONSTRUCTION, AND RECOVERY