Disaster Management

Definitions
WHO defines Disaster as "any occurrence that
causes

damage,

ecological

disruption, loss of human life,

deterioration of health and health
services, on a scale sufficient to
warrant

an

extraordinary

response from outside the affected community or

area?"
.Disasters can be defined in different ways.
A

disaster

is

an

overwhelming

ecological

disruption occurring on a scale sufficient to

require outside assistance.
A disaster is an event located in time and space
which

produces

conditions

whereby

the

continuity of structure and process of social

units becomes problematic.
It is an event or series of events which seriously
disrupts normal activities

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The magnitude of the effects of the event will be
viewed differently.

Disasters are classified in various ways.

Natural

disasters.

Example

earthquakes,

floods, landslides, etc.

Man made disasters. Example war, bomb
blasts, chemical leaks, etc.
A natural disaster is the consequence of a natural
hazard

(e.g.

volcanic

eruption,

earthquake,

or

landslide) which affects human activities. Human

vulnerability, exacerbated by the lack of planning or
lack of appropriate emergency management, leads
to financial, environmental or human losses. The
resulting loss depends on the capacity of the
population to support or resist the disaster, their
resilience.[1] This understanding is concentrated in
the formulation: "disasters occur when hazards meet

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vulnerability".[2] A natural hazard will hence never
result

in

natural

disaster

in

areas

without

vulnerability, e.g. strong earthquakes in uninhabited

areas. The term natural has consequently been
disputed because the events simply are not hazards
or disasters without human involvement.
CYCLONES
EARTHQUAKES
TSUNAMIS

CYCLONES
What is a Cyclone?

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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

hemisphere, these tropical storms are known as

cyclones, whose winds blow in a clockwise circle.

How do Cyclones occur?

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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

becomes loaded with

moisture

which

condenses into massive thunderclouds. Cool air

rushes in to fill the void that is left, but because of
the constant turning of the Earth on its axis, the air
is bent inwards and then spirals upwards with great
force. The swirling winds rotate faster and faster,
forming a huge circle which can be up to 2,000 km
across. At the centre of the storm is a calm,
cloudless area called the eye, where there is no rain,
and the winds are fairly light.
As the cyclone builds up it begins to move. It is
sustained by a steady flow of warm, moist air. The
strongest winds and heaviest rains are found in the
towering clouds which merge into a wall about 20-

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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

summertime wet season. For a cyclone to develop,

the sea surface must have a temperature of at least
26C.

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Why do Cyclones occur?

When warm air rises from the seas and condenses
into clouds, massive amounts of heat are released.
The result of this mixture of heat and moisture is
often a collection of thunderstorms, from which a
tropical storm can develop.

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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.

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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,

trees, power poles and caravans, while hurling

helpless people through the air. Many people are
killed when the cyclone's winds cause buildings to
collapse and houses to completely blow away.

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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

animals or rotting food, and people are threatened

with diseases like gastroenteritis.

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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

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EARTHQUAKES
What causes Earthquakes?

Earthquakes are caused when tension is released

from the rocks in the Earth's crust and upper
mantle. This tension is due to friction between what
scientists believe are large 'plates' floating on
magma

on

the

Earth's

surface.

Sometimes

earthquakes happen when the rocks in the earth's

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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

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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

earthquakes and also volcanoes.

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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

earthquake is called the focus. The point at which an

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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

Seismologist, Guiseppe Mercalli, in1902. It has gone

through a number of revisions since then. The

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Mercalli Scale relies on how much damage is caused
by an earthquake.

Currently it runs as follows:

Only felt by instruments.
Felt by people at rest, especially on upper
floors. Suspended objects may swing.
Felt indoors. Vibrations like passing traffic.
Many people feel it indoors, a few outdoors.
Crockery and windows rattle. Standing cars
rock. Some sleepers awake.
Felt by nearly everyone. Tall objects rock.
Plaster cracks.
Most people run outdoors. Damage to weakly
constructed buildings. Felt by people in moving
vehicles.

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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.

Water slops from reservoirs and lakes. Railway

lines bend.
Few structures remain upright. Bridges fall.
Extensive fissures in the ground. Underground
pipes totally out of action.
Prediction and Warning
Earthquakes cannot be predicted although areas
most at risk can be identified. The buildings in these
areas then can be modified to withstand earthquake
shocks. For example, buildings constructed near the

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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

of Chile with devestating force killing thousands of

people in Santiago, some fifty miles away, and
turning the city into a mass of rubble. On the farm
no lives had been lost, but buildings and houses

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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

between them extended to some months.

We experienced our first one shortly after our arrival
; our feelings were not unlike those we were to enjoy
later in air raids during Hitlers war. To begin with.
full of fools' confidence, we rather looked down on

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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.

Familiarity bred no contempt whatever, and our ears

would prick to listen to that first unmistakable

sound.
In this part of Chile earthquakes were progressive in
their action. First a rapidly approaching rumble like
the sound of a half-loaded heavy lorry bounding
along a rough road ; then a slight shake followed by
a pause. Another big shake would follow; during

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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

subsiding at the same tempo, during which everyone

sat in a sprinting position ready to make for the
safety of open country in a split second of time.
Once and once only did I actually see an earthquake,
when Marie and I were riding through a dried-off
field, bare of grass. I had dismounted to fix a spur
and as I knelt to adjust it I heard that ominous
rumble, and looking towards the sound, at that lowlevel I saw a wave coming at me across the field,
just as one travels over the surface of the sea. About
one foot in height, it advanced and passed me at
great speed, throwing me off balance, while both
horses stood with their legs slayed out like milking
stools to keep their feet. It was a most alarming
experience, I was very frightened indeed. I am very
glad I never saw another one ; I can feel my hair
rising as I write of it.

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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.

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What causes a
Tsunami?
The
causes

most
of

common

tsunamis

are

volcanoes, earthquakes and

earthslides

mostly

undersea.

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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

portions of the Earth's crust on either side of a fault

jolt past each other. For a tsunami to occur however,
there must be some kind of vertical movement along
the fault. This vertical movement must be capable of
displacing huge amounts of water, thus causing
waves.
Tsunamis can also be caused by land sliding in to the
sea with such great force that it creates a wave.
Similar to the effect of throwing a pebble into a
puddle of water.

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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,

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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

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Swept the east coast of
June

15, Japan

1896

Trench

Japan, with waves of

100

ft

(30.5

m)

at

27 122

Yoshihimama
9 000 houses and 8
March 3, Japan

000 ships destroyed in

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

earthquakes. 1 500 (61

central Chile Damage to Chile and in Hawaii)

Anchorage,

Hawaii
Severe

damage

to

27, 1964 Alaska

south coast of Alaska

South-west Philippines

August

struck,

23, 1976

3 000

Celebes Sea

Alicia,

devastating
Pagadian,

115

8 000

Cotabato and Davao

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Prediction and Warning

In the open ocean tsunamis are almost undetectable.
However a tsunami warning now operates in the
Pacific. This system monitors sea movements and
can be used to map the path of tsunamis and
estimate the rate of approach. The authorities then
notify the public and evacuations are undertaken.
One such warning saved many lives in Honolulu in
1952 when an approaching tsunami was detected.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books:
International Marketing
Magazines:

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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

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