REMEMBERINGNINE OF THE WORST

NATURAL DISASTERS. Part 1. (in terms of casualties)

Walter Hays, Global Alliance Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, USA Vienna, Virginia, USA 

JULY 1931 CHINA FLOODS

• DEATH TOLL ESTIMATED AT 1,000,000 TO 4,000,000.

1935 YANGTZE RIVER FLOOD: CHINA

• DEATH TOLL ESTIMATED AT 145,000.

Fast Forward to 2015

GLOBAL GOAL: Implementing the Post-2015 Framework for

Disaster Risk Reduction From WCDRR

LEARNING FROM GLOBAL DISASTER LABORATORIES

PART 1: FLOODS

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; after a storm surge, and after tsunami wave run up.

LOSS OF FUNCTION OF STRUCTURES IN FLOODPLAIN

FLOODSFLOODS

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

CAUSES OF RISK

FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORIES

FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORIES

FLOODING ALSO TRIGGERS LANDSLIDES

THAT CAN ALSO CAUSE A DISASTER

ONE OF WORLD’S FLOOD MOST NOTABLE DISASTER

LABORATORIES: THE YANGTZE RIVER DRAINAGE

BASIN, CHINA

PAST 2,100 YEARS

FLOODING: YANGTZE RIVER

• Historical records indicate that in 2,100 years, between the early Han Dynasty and late Qing Dynasty, the Yangzte flooded 214 times, an average of once every 10 years.

YANGTZE RIVER

CHINA’S FLOOD LABOR-ATORY: THE YANGTZE RIVER

• The Yangtze River, with over 700 tributaries, is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the World.

• Its headwaters are situated at an elevation of 16,000 feet in the Kunlun Mountains, and its mouth is 3,720 miles away in the East China Sea, north of Shanghai.

FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORY:

PAKISTAN2010

ONE-FIFTH OF PAKISTAN FLOODED: JULY 29

HURRICANE DEANWAS A FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORYFROM THE CARIBBEAN TO THE GULF OF

MEXICO

2007

FROM A CATEGORY 2-3 STORM ON 17 AUGUST 2007 TO A CATEGORY 4 STORM ON 18 AUGUST 2007 TO A CATEGORY 5 STORM

ON 20 AUGUST

HURRICANE DEAN: CATEGORY 2 STORM ON AUGUST 16

PROJECTED STORM TRACK: AUGUST 17

HURRICANE DEAN: A CATEGORY 2-3 STORM ON AUGUST 17

• The eye of hurricane Dean, the first of the North Atlantic season, passed between the Caribbean islands: St. Lucia and Martinique, on Friday, August 17.

• The two islands, less than 80 km (50 mi) apart were, were struck with storm surge, heavy rain, and winds of 165 - 200 km per hour (100 - 125 mi per hour).

IMPACTS ON MARTINIQUE

• In Martinique, Hurricane Dean flooded many locales and ripped roofs from houses and buildings.

• 100 percent of Martinique’s banana crop and 70 percent of the sugar cane crop were destroyed.

• Trees were downed.• Electrical power was knocked out.• Airport were closed.• Tourists in coastal hotels were evacuated. • $270 million damage to infrastructure

FORT DE FRANCE, MARTINIQUE: WIND AND RAIN

FORT DE FRANCE, MARTINIQUE

FORT DE FRANCE, MARTINIQUE:BOAT SINKING

FORT DE FRANCE, MARTINIQUE: FLOODING

FORT DE FRANCE, MARTINIQUE: FLOODING

FORT DE FRANCE, MARTINIQUE: FLOODING

JAMAICA: STORM SURGE DESTROYED HOUSE

FLOODING DAMAGE IN JAMAICA

FLOODING DAMAGE IN PORT AU PRINCE: JAMAICA

FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND DEBRIS IN KINGSTON, JAMAICA

FLOODING IN CHETUMAL, MEXICO ON AUGUST 21

FLOODING:BACALAR, MEXICO ON AUGUST 21

LIMONES, MX. MAYAN COMMUNITY, FLOODED: AUGUST 22-23

TYPHOONS KETSANA, PARMA, AND MIRINAE WERE

FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORIES IN THE

PHILIPPINES2007

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

KETSANA FLOODS QUESON CITY

KETSANA FLOODING IN PHILIPPINES; SEPT 23-30

KETSANA FLOODS CAINTA RIZAL

PARMA FLOODS THE PHILIPPINES; OCT 9

PARMA’S RAIN AND FLOODING TRIGGERS MUDFLOWS; OCT 12

MIRINAE FLOODING: NOV 2

TWO OF MANY FLASH FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORIES:

ISTHANBUL,TURKEY2007

SAN BERNARDINO, CAAUGUST 3, 2014

FLASH FLOODS NEAR ISTHANBUL, TURKEY: SEPT 9

FLASH FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORY: AUG. 3, 2014

FLASH FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORY: AUG. 3, 2014

• After a torrential rain storm on Sunday in southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains, flash floods triggered thick debris flows

• The 5 m (15 ft) debris flows cut off access to two towns: Oak Glen, and Forest Falls.

FLASH FLOOD TRIGGERS DEBRIS FLOWS: AUG. 3, 2014

THE TSUNAMI WAVE RUN UP ON AMERICAN SAMOA WAS A

FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORY

2007

AMERICAN SAMOA TSUNAMI: SEPT 29

The M7.7 earthquake generated a near-source tsunami with 3 m (10 ft) waves that struck within 5 minutes

after the quake---so quickly that the regional tsunami warning system

that was improved after the December 26, 2004 tsunami disaster, was ineffective..

TSUNAMI WAVE RUN UP IN MENTAWAI ISLAND

TSUNAMI WAVE RUN UP IN MENTAWAI ISLAND

PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA AFTER THE TSUNAMI; SEPT 29

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 mor-bidity/mortality is vital for survival.

LESSON: ENGINEERED INFRASTRUCTURE SAVE LIVES

• Infrastructure engineered to withstand the risks from floods (e.g., inundation, foundation scour, 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

COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

YOUR YOUR

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

•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 Preparedness

Adoption and Implementation of urban plans

Realistic Flood Disaster Scenarios

Timely 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