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MANAGEMENT
Introduction to Disasters
A disaster interrupts the functioning of a society. They have many forms from
natural to human intervention induced. A disaster affects natural life adversely
by killing thousands of people and other lives. It also destroys a wide range of
habitat and property.
• Fast kinds: include Flash floods which are much more dangerous and flow much
faster than regular floods. Result from tropical storms, dam failures or excessive rain
and snow.
Estuarine floods
Commonly caused by a combination of sea tidal surges caused by storm-force winds.
Coastal floods
• Caused by severe sea storms, or as a result of another hazard (e.g. tsunami or
hurricane).
Catastrophic floods
• Caused by a significant and unexpected event e.g. dam breakage, or as a result of
another hazard (e.g. earthquake or volcanic eruption).
Muddy floods
• A muddy flood is generated by run off on crop land.
Effects of Floods
The damage due to flood may vary with respect to the magnitude of the flood. Thus
we can classify the effects as:
Primary effects
• Physical damage - Can range anywhere from bridges, cars, buildings, sewer
systems, roadways, canals and any other type of structure.
• Casualties - People and livestock die due to drowning. It can also lead to
epidemics and diseases.
Secondary effects
• Water supplies - Contamination of water. Clean drinking water becomes scarce.
• Diseases - Unhygienic conditions. Spread of water-borne diseases
Crops and food supplies - Shortage of food crops can be caused due to loss of
entire harvest.
Trees - Non-tolerant species can die from suffocation
Tertiary/long-term effects
Economic -rebuilding costs, food shortage leading to price increase, temporary
decline in tourism etc.
Flood Control
Landslides and avalanches: Earthquakes, along with severe storms, volcanic activity,
coastal wave attack, and wildfires, can produce slope instability leading to landslides,
a major geological hazard.
Fires: Earthquakes can cause fires by damaging electrical power or gas lines.
Floods: Earthquakes may cause landslips to dam rivers, which then collapse and cause
floods.
Human impacts: Earthquakes may lead to disease, lack of basic necessities, loss of life,
higher insurance premiums, general property damage, road and bridge damage, and
collapse or destabilization (potentially leading to future collapse) of buildings.
Control of Earthquakes
In order to determine the likelihood of future seismic activity, geologists and
other scientists examine the rock of an area to determine if the rock
appears to be "strained". Studying the faults of an area to study the buildup
time it takes for the fault to build up stress sufficient for an earthquake also
serves as an effective prediction technique