DRRM: WEEK 3

Hazard

is a threatening event, or probability of occurrence of a potentially damaging phenomenon within a given time period and area.

Natural Hazards

are naturally occurring physical phenomena caused either by rapid or slow onset events which can be geographical, hydrological, climatological, biological.

Technological or man-made hazards

are events that are caused by humans and occur in or close to human settlements.

Epidemic

is an unusual increase in the number of cases of an infectious disease which already exists in a certain region or population.

Avian Flu (Avian Influenza)

is a viral infection primarily affecting birds (chickens, ducks, geese etc., both domestic and migratory species), but also sometimes other species such as pigs and tigers.

Cholera

is mainly spread by drinking water contaminated by feces. The fatality rate for severe, untreated cases is 50%; when treated, this drops to 1%.

Dengue Fever

or breakbone fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever are transmitted by “day biter” mosquito.

Ebola and Marburg

Two distinct viral diseases with similar symptoms. Both have high fatality rate (up to 90% for Ebola) and are extremely contagious – transmission is through contact with all body fluids and organs, use of contaminated needles and syringes, and the aerosol route.

Malaria

 is transmitted by the bite of the anopheles mosquito, a dusk to dawn biter.

Measles

This is highly communicable viral infection that can result in a very high mortality rate, especially among children and under nourished population.

Meningococcal Meningitis

is an acute bacterial disease. It chiefly affects children and young adults, especially those in crowded living conditions. Transmitted by direct contact with nose and throat discharges.

Yellow Fever

a deadly and fast-spreading mosquito borne virus occurring only in parts of Africa and South America. The disease is highly communicable.

HIV/AIDS – Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

 is an infection that attacks the body’s immune system.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

 is the most advanced stage of the disease.

Tuberculosis (TB)

is the single most deadly infectious disease and kills 2 million people each year. It is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs. - is caused by a type of bacteria. It spreads through the air when infected people cough, sneeze or spit.

Earthquakes

are the result of forces deep within the earth’s interior. They strike with no early warning and aftershocks may be as strong as a new earthquake.

It usually happen along a fault plate, the border between plates.

Modified Mercalli Scale and Rossi-Forel Scale

- and the - - measure the amount of shaking at the particular location. The intensity of earthquake will vary depending in where you are.

Sometimes earthquake are referred to by the maximum intensity they produce.

Richter Magnitude Scale and Moment Magnitude Scale

measures the size of the earthquake at its source. So, they do not depend on where the measurement is made. 

Landslide

is a movement of soil or rock controlled by the gravity and the speed of the movement usually ranges between slow and rapid, but not very slow.

Tsunami or “Wave in the port”

in Japanese is a series of waves caused by a rapid displacement of a body of water (ocean, lake). The triggers of a - can be: earthquakes volcanic eruptions, mass movements, meteorite impacts or underwater explosion.  

Volcanic Eruptions

happen when lava and gas are discharged from a volcanic vent. It often cause volcanic ash landslide called Lahar.

Glowing Avalanche

the most dangerous type of volcanic eruption

Drought

defined as a deficiency of rainfall over an extended period – a season, a year or several years – relative to the statistical multi-year average for the region.

Desertification

Process by which habitable lands become gradually more arid and less capable of sustaining vegetation, eventually turning into desert.

Food Shortages

• abnormal reduction in crop yield.

Drought-induced food shortages

• many people in particular will experience insufficient balance of nutrients for well-being.

Famine

• catastrophic food shortage affecting large number of people that may lead to widespread death, disease, and displacement.

Epidemic

Water shortages, which force people to used unsafe water, favor the spread of water-borne diseases.

Population Displacement

food-security problems may prompt people to move to other areas.

Heat Wave

 is a prolonged period of excessively hot and sometimes also humid temperature.

Cold wave

can be both a prolonged period of excessively cold weather, and the sudden  invasion of very cold air over a large area. 

Wildfire and Urban Fires

describes an uncontrolled burning fire, usually in wild lands, which can cause damage to forestry, agriculture, infrastructure, and buildings.

General Floods

can be predicted in advance, except in the case of flash flood. The impact of floodings can include destruction of housing, crops, cattle, and people. 

Floods

• pose specific challenges for emergency response as sometimes vast areas of land are covered with water.

Flash Floods

•  are sudden and extreme volume of water that flow rapidly and cause inundation.

Dam Collapse or Earth Dams

are more likely to collapse when excessive rainfall fills the reservoir to overflowing.

Landslide/Mudslide

downhill sliding or falling movement of dry soil and rock.

Tropical Storms, Cyclones, Hurricanes, and Typhoons

although named differently, describe the same disaster types. These disaster types refer to a large scale closed circulation system in the atmosphere which combines low pressure and strong winds.

Winter Storm

comes along with high wind speeds, gusts, thunderstorms, rain, and often storm surges

Severe Storm Thunderstorm

• a severe storm  usually comes along with high winds, heavy precipitation (rain, sleet, hail), thunder and lightning.

Hail Storm

• is a type of storm that is characterized by hail as a dominant part of precipitation. The size of the hailstone can vary between pea size (6mm) and soft ball (112mm) size and therefore cause considerable damage.

Lightning

• is an atmospheric discharge of electricity, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions and dust storms.

Tornadoes

• are rotating columns of air (vortex) that emerge out of the base of a cumulonimbus cloud and have contact to the earth’s surface.

Local Windstorm

• refers to a strong winds caused by regional atmospheric phenomena which are typical for a certain area. These can be katabatic winds, foehn winds etc.

Sandstorm or Dust Storm

• typically  occurs in arid or semi-arid regions if high wind speeds caused the transportation of small particles like sand or fine clastic sediment by saltation and/or suspension.

Snowstorm

• refers to a storm, usually in winter season, where large amounts of snow fall. If it’s a severe snowstorm that meets certain criteria, such as strong winds, blowing snow, and low or falling temperatures, it’s called blizzard.

Tidal Wave / Storm Surge

• is the rise of the water level in the sea, an estuary or lake as result of a strong wind driving the sea water towards the coast.

Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)

• occurs when a lake-dammed by a glacier or a terminal moraine-fails. The outburst can be triggered by erosion, a critical water pressure, a mass movement, an earthquake, or cryoseism.

Accident Release

• occurring during the production, transportation, or handling of hazardous chemical substances.

Explosions

• disaster will only be classified as explosions when the explosions is the actual disaster. If the explosion is the cause of another disaster, the event will be classified as the resulting disaster.

Chemical Explosions

• violent destruction caused by explosion of combustible material, nearly always of chemical origin.

Nuclear Explosions / Radiation

• accidental release of radiation occurring in civil facilities, exceeding the internationally established safety levels.

Mine Explosions

• accidents which occur when natural gas or coal dust reacts with the air.

Pollution

• degradation of one or more aspects in the environment by the noxious industrial, chemical, or biological wastes, from debris or man-made products and from mismanagement of natural and environmental resources.

Acid Rain

• a washout of excessive concentration of acid compounds in the atmosphere, resulting from chemical pollutants such as sulfur and nitrogen compounds. When deposited, this increases the acidity of the soil and water causing agricultural and ecological damage.

Chemical Pollution

• a sudden pollution of water or air near industrial areas, leading to internal body disorders with permanent damage of the skin.

Atmosphere Pollution

contamination of the atmosphere by the large quantities of gases, solids and radiation produced by the burning of natural and artificial fuels, chemicals and other industrial processes and nuclear explosions