Disaster Management

INTRODUCTION

Disaster management (or emergency management) is the

discipline of avoiding and dealing with both natural and man-made

disasters. It involves preparedness, response and recovery plans made in

order to lessen the impact of disasters.

Preparedness training may be done by private citizens, as by the

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the United States.

All aspects of disaster management deal with the processes used to

protect populations or organizations from the consequences of disasters,

wars and acts of terrorism. This can be seen through government

publications such as the National Strategy for Homeland Security which

detail how individuals and varying levels of government respond during

the different phases of a disaster.

Emergency management can be further defined as “the discipline

and profession of applying science, technology, planning and

management to deal with extreme events that can injure or kill large

numbers of people, do extensive damage to property, and disrupt

community life” (Drabek, 1991a, p. xvii).

An ‘emergency’ is ‘an unplanned event that can cause deaths or

significant injuries to employees, customers or the public; or that can shut

down your business, disrupt operations,may cause physical or

environmental damage, or threaten the facility’s financial standing or

public image’ (FEMA, 1993).

Emergency events can include terrorist attacks, industrial sabotage,

fire, natural disasters (such as earthquakes, severe weather, etc.), public

disorder, industrial accident, communications failure and loss, or

corruption of critical information. Some examples of catastrophic

incidents are:

1. The 1995 Kobe, Japan, earthquake, which killed more than 6000

people and left another 30,000 injured.

2. The 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake, which resulted in

approximately $33 billion in damages.

These individual events are significant enough, but the losses are

even more dramatic when accumulated over time. Between 1989 and

1999, the average natural disaster loss in the US was $1 billion each

week.

Disaster management does not necessarily avert or eliminate the

threats themselves, although the study and prediction of the threats are an

important part of the field. The basic levels of emergency management

also include the various kinds of search and rescue activity.

EMERGENCY PLANNING IDEALS

‘Emergency planning should aim where possible to prevent

emergencies occurring, and when they do occur, good planning should

reduce, control or mitigate the effects of the emergency. It is the

systematic and ongoing process which should evolve as lessons are learnt

and circumstances change’ (Office, 2013).

‘Emergency planning should be viewed as part of a cycle of

activities beginning with establishing a risk profile to help determine

what should be the priorities for developing plans and ending with review

and revision, which then restarts the whole cycle’ (Office, 2013). The

cyclical process is common to many risk management disciplines, such as

Business Continuity and Security Risk Management, as set out below:

Recognition or identification of risks

Ranking or evaluation of risks

o Responding to significant risks

o Tolerate

o Treat

o Transfer

o Terminate

Resourcing controls

Reaction Planning

Reporting & monitoring risk performance

Reviewing the Risk Management framework

There are a number of guidelines, or publications in respect of

Emergency Planning, published by various professional organisations

such as ASIS, FEMA and the Emergency Planning College. There are

very few Emergency Management specific standards (CWA 15931-

1:2009 Disaster and emergency management). Emergency Management

as a discipline tends to fall under business resilience standards

(ISO/PAS22399:2007 Societal security - Guideline for incident

preparedness and operational continuity management).

In order to avoid, or reduce significant losses to a business, it is

essential that emergency managers identify, anticipate and implement

processes to respond to critical risks, in order to reduce the probability of

their occurrence, or the magnitude and duration of impact. It is essential

for them to not only have controls in place to handle the emergency, but

they should also have plans to ensure Business Continuity of critical

operations post-incident.

It is essential for an organisation to include procedures for

determining whether an emergency situation has occurred and at what

point an emergency management plan should be activated.

Implementation ideals

The implementation of an emergency plan involves much more

than just its preparation. It must be regularly maintained, in a structured

and methodical manner, to ensure it remains up to date and fit for purpose

in the event of an emergency. Emergency managers will generally follow

a common process to anticipate, assess, prevent, prepare, respond and

recover from an incident.

Pre-incident training and testing

Emergency management plans and procedures should include the

identification of appropriately trained member/s of staff responsible for

decision-making, perhaps in consultation with others, when an emergency

has occurred. Training plans should not only consider internal people

who have a role in the emergency plans, but it should also ensure

contractors and civil protection partners are involved. The plans

themselves should explicitly identify the nature and frequency of training

and testing required.

An organisation should regularly test the effectiveness of their

emergency plans by carrying out test exercises, ensuring all key staff

involved in the planning, or response. It may be necessary for multiple

organisations to develop a joint emergency plan, with a formal set of

instructions to govern them all, in order for a successful combined

response. An example would be for the occupants of a multi-let building,

within a business estate. Not only will a coordinated response be

necessary for the multi-let building, it might also involve the other

buildings within the estate and emergency service.

Communicating and assessing incidents.

One of the most important stages of any emergency management

plan is recognised to be the communication of an incident.

Miscommunication can easily result in events escalating unnecessarily.

The method and content of communication should always be carefully

considered. Pre-planning of communications is critical and can be created

in advance for the threats identified in the risk assessment.

Once an emergency has been identified a comprehensive

assessment should be undertaken to evaluate the level of crisis and the

financial implications, or impact. Following assessment, the appropriate

plan or response to be activated will depend on the specific pre-set

criteria within the emergency plan. The risk treatment steps necessary

should be prioritised to ensure critical functions are operational as soon as

possible.

Phases And Personal Activities

Prevention

Prevention was recently added to the phases of emergency

management. It focuses on preventing the human hazard, primarily from

potential natural disasters or terrorist (both physical and biological)

attacks. Preventive measures are taken on both the domestic and

international levels. These are activities designed to provide permanent

protection from disasters. Not all disasters,like particularly natural

disasters, can be prevented, but the risk of loss of life and injury can be

mitigated with good evacuation plans, environmental planning and design

standards. In January 2005, 168 Governments adopted a 10-year global

plan for natural disaster risk reduction called the Hyogo Framework. It

offers guiding principles, priorities for action, and practical means for

achieving disaster resilience for vulnerable communities.

Mitigation

Personal mitigation is a key to national preparedness. Individuals

and families train to avoid unnecessary risks. This includes an assessment

of possible risks to personal/family health and to personal property. For

instance, in a flood plain, home owners might not be aware of a property

being exposed to a hazard until trouble strikes. Specialists can be hired to

conduct risk identification and assessment surveys. Professionals in risk

management typically recommend that residents hold insurance to protect

them against consequences of hazards.

In earthquake prone areas, people might also make structural

changes such as the installation of an Earthquake Valve to instantly shut

off the natural gas supply, seismic retrofits of property, and the securing

of items inside a building to enhance household seismic safety. The latter

may include the mounting of furniture, refrigerators, water heaters and

breakables to the walls, and the addition of cabinet latches.

In flood prone areas, houses can be built on poles/stilts. In areas

prone to prolonged electricity black-outs installation of a generator would

be an example of an optimal structural mitigation measure. The

construction of storm cellars and fallout shelters are further examples of

personal mitigative actions.

Mitigation involves Structural and Non-structural measures taken

to limit the impact of disasters. Structural mitigation are actions that

change the characteristics of a building or its surrounding, examples

include shelters, window shutters, clearing forest around the house. Non-

structural mitigation on personal level mainly takes the form of insurance

or simply moving house to a safer area.

Preparedness

Airport emergency preparedness exercise.

Personal preparedness focuses on preparing equipment and

procedures for use when a disaster occurs, i.e., planning. Preparedness

measures can take many forms including the construction of shelters,

implementation of an emergency communication system, installation of

warning devices, creation of back-up life-line services (e.g., power,

water, sewage), and rehearsing evacuation plans. Being properly prepared

can save time, money and lives. Planning for all different types of events,

at all magnitudes in at utmost importance. Proper planning is instrumental

during times of chaos to make situations less stressful. With proper

planning duties will be pre-assigned to different agencies, therefore when

disaster does occur responders can jump right into action.

Two simple measures can help prepare the individual for sitting out

the event or evacuating, as necessary. For evacuation, a disaster supplies

kit may be prepared and for sheltering purposes a stockpile of supplies

may be created. The preparation of a survival kit such as a "72-hour kit",

is often advocated by authorities. These kits may include food, medicine,

flashlights, candles and money. Also, putting valuable items in safe area

is also recommended.

Response

The response phase of an emergency may commence with Search

and Rescue but in all cases the focus will quickly turn to fulfilling the

basic humanitarian needs of the affected population. This assistance may

be provided by national or international agencies and organizations.

Effective coordination of disaster assistance is often crucial, particularly

when many organizations respond and local emergency management

agency (LEMA) capacity has been exceeded by the demand or

diminished by the disaster itself. The National Response Framework is a

United States government publication that explains responsibilities and

expectations of government officials at the local, state, federal, and tribal

levels. It provides guidance on Emergency Support Functions which may

be integrated in whole or parts to aid in the response and recovery

process.

On a personal level the response can take the shape either of a shelter in

place or an evacuation. In a shelter-in-place scenario, a family would be

prepared to fend for themselves in their home for many days without any

form of outside support. In an evacuation, a family leaves the area by

automobile or other mode of transportation, taking with them the

maximum amount of supplies they can carry, possibly including a tent for

shelter. If mechanical transportation is not available, evacuation on foot

would ideally include carrying at least three days of supplies and rain-

tight bedding, a tarpaulin and a bedroll of blankets being the minimum.

Donations are often sought during this period, especially for large

disasters that overwhelm local capacity. Due to efficiencies of scale,

money is often the most cost-effective donation if fraud is avoided.

Money is also the most flexible, and if goods are sourced locally then

transportation is minimized and the local economy is boosted. Donors

often prefer to send gifts in kind, which can be helpful if well matched to

real needs. However, due to poor communication some donations are

poorly matched to needs, are sent to the wrong places, or are simply more

appropriate for a thrift store than disaster relief. These items can end up

imposing more of a burden while real needs go unmet, and can also flood

local markets and economically hurt local producers. One innovation by

Occupy Sandy volunteers is to use a sort of gift registry for disasters;

families and businesses impacted by the storm make specific requests,

which remote donors can purchase directly via a web site.

Medical considerations will vary greatly based on the type of

disaster and secondary effects. Survivors may sustain a multitude of

injuries to include lacerations, burns, near drowning, or crush syndrome.

Recovery

The recovery phase starts after the immediate threat to human life

has subsided. The immediate goal of the recovery phase is to bring the

affected area back to some degree of normalcy.

During reconstruction it is recommended to consider the location or

construction material of the property.

The most extreme home confinement scenarios include war,

famine and severe epidemics and may last a year or more. Then recovery

will take place inside the home. Planners for these events usually buy

bulk foods and appropriate storage and preparation equipment, and eat

the food as part of normal life. A simple balanced diet can be constructed

from vitamin pills, whole-meal wheat, beans, dried milk, corn, and

cooking oil.[1] One should add vegetables, fruits, spices and meats, both

prepared and fresh-gardened, when possible.

Climate-resilient reconstruction

With increasing numbers of extreme weather events related to

climate change, planners are embracing developments that help avoid

destruction from similar future events when reconstructing infrastructure.

The monsoon floods of 2010 damaged or destroyed 1.9 million houses in

Pakistan. Around 2,000 people died and more than 20 million people

were affected by the flooding, more than one tenth of the population,

from the Himalayan mountains to the Arabian Sea. The Punjab

government subsequently constructed 22 'disaster-resilient' model

villages, comprising 1885 single-storey homes, together with schools and

health centres. The Climate & Development Knowledge Network was

engaged to advise on how to make the new infrastructure resilient to

extreme weather events occurring in the future. The idea was that the

villages should provide 'triple wins' of limiting greenhouse gas emissions,

promoting development and building resilience to climatic events. Now

inhabited, the model villages incorporate biogas plants, solar energy

systems, livestock sheds, covered sewerage, brick-paved streets, parks,

play areas, markets and community centres.[2]

Natural Disasters In India 2013

September 2013

September 25: 40,000 evacuated amid Gujarat flooding

Around 40,000 people have been evacuated and moved to safe place

following heavy flooding in Gujarat

September 17: Lightning in Odisha, India

Lightning strikes in Odisha, India have claimed lives of at least 11

people and injured 15 others.

September 14: Hail storm in Chennai

3rd time in 5 years!

September 3: Recent landslide in Sikkim

Recent landslide in Sikkim has claimed lives of five people including

four of a single family.

August 2013

August 22: Odisha flood kills 2, displaces 1,000

Flash floods in Odisha, India have claimed lives of two people and

displaced about 1,000 others, The Times Of India reported.

August 16: Heavy rain in J&K claims 2

House collapse due to heavy rains in Indian state of Jammu and

Kashmir has claimed lives of at least two women.

August 15: Jammu and Kashmir floods

Jammu and Kashmir floods have claimed lives of at least ten people

including four children.

August 14: Uttar Pradesh lightning strikes

Five women were killed after being struck by lightning in separate

incidents in Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

August 5: Landslide in Kerala

Landslide triggered by heavy downpour in Kerala, India has claimed

lives of at least nine people.

August 5: Maharashtra Flooding

Recent floods in Chandrapur district in Maharashtra, India have

claimed lives of at least 20 people.

August 2: Earthquake shakes Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana

M 5.4 moderate earthquake shakes Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and

Haryana region of Northern India today.

August 1: Uttarakhand landslide disaster

Landslide in Uttarakhand, India has claimed lives of at least nine

people.

July 2013

July 18: Floods in AP, UP claims 9

Heavy rain and floods have claimed lives of at least nine people and

displaced thousands of people in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh

regions of India.

July 12: Flooded river in Bihar engulfs 9 kids

Flooded tributary of the Kosi river in Bihar, India has claimed lives of

10 people including nine kids.

July 12: Flash floods in Odisha and Hyderabad

Flash floods in Odisha and Hyderabad state of India have claimed

lives of at least three people and left two missing.

July 12: Landslide in Nainital, India

Landslide in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, India has claimed lives

of six people.

July 10: Mumbai landslide claims 2

Landslide at Antop Hill in Mumbai, India has claimed lives of at least

two people and critically injured one other.

July 8: Tripura earthquake shakes Bangladesh

Tremor was felt in several parts of northeast India and Bangladesh.

July 4: Karnataka floods claim lives of 6

Flash floods in Karnataka has claimed lives of six people.

July 4: Assam flooding claims 1, washes 300 villages

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall

in the next three-four days in Assam.

July 3: Major landslide near Goa check post

A major landslide has hit Anmod Ghat along Goa-Karnataka road.

June 2013

June 24: Flash flood in Odisha

Heavy rainfall has caused flash flood in Odisha's Kalahandi district

affecting nearly 15,000 people, Revenue and Disaster Management

Department official said.

June 19: Kedarnath floods 2013

Massive flooding and mudslides at Kedarnath Temple has claimed

lives of at least 50 people.

June 18: Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand flood 2013

Heavy rainfall has caused devastating floods and landslides across

North India, especially in the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal

Pradesh.

June 16: Landslides hit parts of India, delays Nilgiri Mountain Rail

Service

Several landslide disasters have hit Himachal and Maharashtra region

of India delaying Nilgiri Mountain Rail service.

June 13: Landslide in Uttarakhand

Around 15,000 tourists were stranded along Rishikesh-Gangotri

National Highway, following a landslide in Uttarkashi district of

Uttarakhand, India, a disaster management official said. 

June 12: Assam heat wave

Assam heat wave kills 6, highest temperature in 33 years.

June 12: Landslide en route Vaishno Devi

Landslide triggered by heavy rainfall en route Mata Vaishno Devi,

India has claimed life of one woman pilgrim.

June 11: J&K flash floods

Flash floods in Udhampur and Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir

region of India have claimed life of at least one people.

June 5: Bihar lightning strikes

Lightning strikes in Bihar, India have claimed lives of at least 27

people including women and children, Disaster Management

Department said.

May 2013

May 26: Landslide in Kashmir, India

Heavy rainfall caused flooding and landslide in Srinagar and other

parts of Kashmir valley.

May 21: Heat wave in Odisha, India

Intense heat has claimed lives of at least three people in Odisha, India.

May 13: Cyclone 'Mahasen' effect in India

Cyclonic storm Mahasen causes heavy rains in Chennai, India; portion

of ceiling falls down in airport; 3 injured.

May 12: Hailstorm in India

Mild thunderstorm accompanied by hailstorm in Sheikhpura district of

India have claimed lives of at least three people.

May 11: Landslide in Mizoram, India

Thunderstorm and landslides in Mizoram, India have claimed lives of

10 people with seven reported missing.

May 9: Over 200 asbestos homes damaged in Mizoram, India

hailstorm

Hailstorms have damaged over 200 houses with tin- roofed and

asbestos walls in Mizoram, India.

May 9: Cyclonic storms in Tripura, India

Cyclonic storms in Tripura, India claim 7.

May 9: Cyclone Mahasen in Tamilnadu

It is predicted to bring heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu, India next week.

May 2: Cyclonic storm in Meghalaya

Cyclonic storm in Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills district in India has

claimed life of at least one person and injured 25 others.

May 1: Lightning in Assam, India

Lightning in Assam's Chirang district has injured nineteen people.

May 1: Strong earthquake in Kashmir today

Get update report on this Kashmir earthquake.

April 2013

April 27: Mudslide in Zojila, Kashmir

Mudslide in Zojila along Srinagar-Kargil Road has claimed lives of

one person.

April 18: Kolkata storm claims 3 lives

Storm in Kolkata, India has claimed lives of three people including a

three-year-old girl.

April 17: Hailstorms in Odisha, India

Hailstorms in Balasore area of Odisha have injured at least three

people.

April 16: Earthquake in Assam, India kills 1, injures 3

Earthquake triggered landslide in Assam which killed one and injured

3 others.

April 16: Avalanche in Kashmir, India

An avalanche in Kashmir, India has claimed lives of at least three

people.

April 15: Dust storm in Chhattisgarh, India

Dust storm in Chhattisgarh region of India has claimed lives of at least

six people.

April 11: Storm in Meghalaya

Cyclonic storm in Meghalaya, India has claimed lives of three people

and injured more than 50 others.

April 9: Landslide on Jammu-Srinagar highway

Landslide on Jammu-Srinagar highway in India has killed an officer

of an international company.

March 2013

March 30: Lightning strikes in Uttar Pradesh, India

Recent lightning strikes in Uttar Pradesh, India have claimed eight

lives.

March 30: Earthquake in Kutch, Gujarat

Magnitude 4.5 light earthquake in Gujarat today shook Bhuj city of

Kutch district in India.

March 27: Hailstorm in Assam, India

Hailstorm in Assam, India has injured six people.

March 24: Forest fire in Tamil Nadu, India

Forest fire in Udhagamandalam area of Tamil Nadu, India has

destroyed 10 acres of reserve forest

March 18: Severe thunderstorm and tornado in Odisha

At least twelve have been injured by severe thunderstorm and tornado

in Odisha, India.

March 17: Lightning strikes in Madhya Pradesh kills 10

At least twelve people have died in lightning strikes in Madhya

Pradesh, India.

March 13: Landslide in Jammu and Kashmir, India

Landslide in Kudpora Waghama, in Bijbehara area has killed a 15

years old girl.

March 12: Landslide in Uttarakhand, India

A landslide in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, India has killed 10

pilgrims.

March 6: Forest fire in Mumbai, India

A huge forest fire has affected the area of the Sanjay Gandhi National

Park and a part of Film City (Bollywood) in Mumbai.

March 2: Strong earthquake near Shillong, Meghalaya, India

M 5.5 earthquake shakes India-Bangladesh today, the U.S.

Geological Survey reported.

February 2013

February 25: Rains and thundershowers in Uttar Pradesh, India

Rains and thundershowers in Uttar Pradesh have killed two people.

February 6: Hailstorms in Madhya Pradesh, India

Hailstorms have killed one and damaged crops in 80 villages of

Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur of Madhya Pradesh, India.

February 6: Avalanche in Himachal Pradesh, India

Seven people have died in an avalanche disaster in Kafnu village,

Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, India.

February 3: Snow avalanche in Uttarakhand, India

Avalanche disaster in Dehradun district of India killed two people.

January 2013

January 31: Hailstorm in Andhra Pradesh, India

Hailstorm killed at least 9 people in Chevella, Moinabad and

Shankarpally area of India.

 January 22: Avalanche in Himachal Pradesh, India

Avalanche disaster in hamlet (Sangla valley) in Himachal Pradesh

killed 35 yaks.

January 19: Mudslide in Bangalore, India

Mudslide in VV Puram, Bangalore, India killed a construction

worker. 

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Phailin

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Phailin was the second-strongest

tropical cyclone ever to make landfall in India, behind only the 1999

Odisha cyclone. The system was first noted as a tropical depression on

October 4, 2013 within the Gulf of Thailand, to the west of Pnom Penh in

Cambodia. Over the next few days, it moved westwards within an area of

low to moderate vertical wind shear, before as it passed over the Malay

Peninsula, it moved out of the Western Pacific Basin on October 6. It

emerged into the Andaman Sea during the next day and moved west-

northwest into an improving environment for further development before

the system was named Phailin on October 9, after it had developed into a

cyclonic storm and passed over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands into

the Bay of Bengal.

During the next day Phailin intensified rapidly and became a very

severe cyclonic storm on October 10, equivalent to a category 1 hurricane

on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS). On October 11,

the system became equivalent to a category 5 hurricane on the SSHWS

before it started to weaken during the next day as it approached the Indian

state of Odisha. It made landfall later that day, near Gopalpur in Odisha

coast at around 2130 IST (1600 UTC). It subsequently weakened over

land as a result of frictional forces, before it was last noted on October 14,

as it degenerated into a well marked area of low pressure.

Officials from Odisha's state government said that around 12

million people may be affected. As part of the preparations, 600 buildings

were identified as cyclone shelters and people were evacuated from areas

near the coast, including Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Jagatsinghapur

districts in Odisha.[clarification needed][3] The cyclone prompted India's biggest

evacuation in 23 years with more than 550,000 people moved up from the

coastline in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to safer places.[4]

Meteorological history

Storm path

On October 4, the Japan Meteorological Agency started to monitor a

tropical depression that had developed in the Gulf of Thailand, about

400 km (250 mi) west of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.[5][6] Over the next

couple of days the system moved westward within an area of low to

moderate vertical wind shear before it passed over the Malay Peninsula

and moved out of the Western Pacific Basin on October 6.[7][8][9] The

system then subsequently emerged into the Andaman Sea during the next

day, before the India Meteorological Department (IMD) started to

monitor the system as Depression BOB 04 early on October 8.[10][11][12]

During that day the system moved towards the west-northwest into an

environment for more development before the IMD reported that the

system had become a deep depression early on October 9 as it intensified

and consolidated further.[12][13] The United States Joint Typhoon Warning

Center (JTWC) subsequently initiated advisories on the depression and

designated it as Tropical Cyclone 02B, before the system slightly

weakened, as it passed near to Mayabunder in the Andaman Islands and

moved into the Bay of Bengal.[14][15][16] After moving into the Bay of

Bengal, the system quickly reorganized as it moved along the southern

edge of a subtropical ridge of high pressure. The IMD reported that the

system had intensified into a cyclonic storm and named it Phailin.[16][17]

Animation of Phailin over the coast of Odisha

After it was named, Phailin rapidly intensified further, and became

equivalent to a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane

wind scale (SSHWS) early on October 10. After bands of atmospheric

convection had wrapped into the systems low level circulation center and

formed an eye feature.[18][19] Later that day the IMD reported that the

system had become a very severe cyclonic storm, before the JTWC

reported that Phailin had become equivalent to a category 4 hurricane on

the SSHWS, after it had rapidly intensified throughout that day.[20][21]

Early the next day the system underwent an eye-wall replacement cycle

and formed a new eye-wall which subsequently consolidated.[22] After the

new eye-wall had consolidated the system slightly intensified further,

with the JTWC reporting that the system had reached its peak intensity,

with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 260 km/h (160 mph) which made

it equivalent to a category 5 hurricane on the SSHWS.[23][24] Early on

October 12, the system started to weaken as it underwent a second eye-

wall replacement cycle, before Phailin's eye started rapidly to deteriorate

as it moved towards the Indian coast.[25][26] The system subsequently made

landfall later that day near Gopalpur in Odisha, at around 22:30 IST

(17:00 UTC) as a very severe cyclonic storm.[12] After the system made

landfall, the JTWC issued their final advisory on Phailin, before during

the next day the IMD reported that the system had weakened into a

cyclonic storm.[27][28]

Preparations and impact

Phailin in its second eyewall replacement cycle while nearing landfall on

12 October 2013.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

On October 8, the IMD warned the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

that squally to gale force wind speeds would be recorded over the islands

and surrounding sea areas during the next two days.[11] They also warned

that heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur over the islands while some

damage to thatched huts, power and communication lines was expected.[11] These warnings were continued until October 11, when the IMD noted

that no further adverse weather, would occur over the Andaman and

Nicobar Islands.[29] Within the islands the Directorate of Health Services

opened a Medical Camp in Rangat, while the Deputy Commissioner,

Police and Fire Services all ensured there were no casualties.[30] Between

October 8–10, rainfall totals of 734 mm (28.9 in) and 434 mm (17.1 in)

were recorded in Mayabunder and on the Long Island.

Andhra Pradesh

The Andhra Pradesh government and the Chief Minister met

representatives of the Army and Navy seeking their assistance if required.[34] Utility workers striking against the division of Andhra Pradesh called

off their strike partly in view of the cyclone threat to the coastal districts.

The state government ordered the evacuation of 64,000 people living in

low-lying areas.

The coastal districts of the state escaped the force of the cyclone.

However, Srikakulam district experienced heavy rains and gale-force

winds which uprooted tall trees and electric poles, shutting down power

to areas.[37] Throughout the state, one person was killed and damage

amounted to 500 million rupee (US$8.1 million).[38] A total of 134,426

people were evacuated in the wake of the storm.[39]

Odisha

Twenty-four hour rainfall forecast from Phailin.

In Odisha, the government issued a high alert to the districts of Balasore,

Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Cuttack,

Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and

Gajapati, and cancelled the Dusshera holidays of employees of all 30

districts of the state, asking them to ensure the safety of people. Food and

relief materials were stocked-up at storm shelters across the state.[40]

Distant storm warning signal was raised to two at the ports of Paradip and

Gopalpur of the state.[41] The Chief Minister of Odisha wrote to the Union

Defence Minister seeking support from defence personnel, particularly

the Air Force and Navy, for rescue and relief operations. [42] Odisha

government had made arrangements for over 1,000,560 food packets for

relief.[43] Indian Air Force helicopters were kept on standby in West

Bengal to move in for help at short notice. A total of 1,154,725 people

were evacuated in the wake of the storm and the following floods in the

state.

Heavy rainfall resulted in the death of a woman in Bhubaneswar

after a tall tree fell on her.[44] Gusty winds resulted in downing of trees

and powerlines.[45] It was also reported that due to high winds, seven other

people were killed in Odisha.[46] In a period of 24 hours ending on 13

October, Banki and Balimundali in Odisha received heavy rainfall of

381 mm and 305 mm respectively.

As the storm moved inland, wind speeds picked up from 100 km/h

(62 mph) to 200 km/h (120 mph) within 30 minutes. Brahmapur, the

closest city to the point of landfall suffered devastation triggered by gale

winds, with fallen trees, uprooted electric poles and broken walls in

various places of the city. However, there were no reports of damage to

property or life according to the city police. As of 18 October, 44 people

have been reported dead from Odisha.

Losses across Odisha amounted to 42.4 billion rupees (US$688 million).

Jharkhand

During October 13, heavy rain from the outer bands of Phailin

lashed Jharkhand. A rainfall total of 74.6 mm (2.94 in) was recorded at

Ranchi, while Jamshedpur recorded 52.4 mm (2.06 in), and Bokaro

recorded 58.4 mm (2.30 in).

Barring an early morning lightning strike at Simdradhao village in

Giridih district in which a person was killed, according to police, there

were no reports of rain-related casualty anywhere in the state. The

Disaster Management Department and the district administrations were

monitoring the situation.

Other Indian states

The areas of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and eastern parts of

Uttar Pradesh are likely to experience heavy rainfall and strong winds.

There is risk of trees falling and disruption of light or electricity poles.

However, the effect here will not be as severe as that in Odisha and

Andhra Pradesh.

A Merchant Ship MV Bingo was feared to have sunk in rough seas

off the coast of West Bengal due to Cyclone Phailin. The Crew of 20

were spotted in lifeboats by the Coast Guard and attempts are being made

to rescue them.

Nepal

October rain caused by Phailin cyclone in Panchkhal Valley

The eastern region of Nepal experienced heavy rainfall and winds while it

was lighter in the central and western part of the country. Rainfall began

in the eastern and mid-western region since early morning on 13 October

and began in the central regional too in the afternoon . The impact of the

cyclone continued until 15 October. Nepalese great festival Dashain was

affected by the October rain. It caused flood in Kosi and Gandaki rivers

in Nepal.

Man made DisasterAnthropogenic hazards or human-made hazards can result in

the form of a human-made disaster. In this case, anthropogenic means

threats having an element of human intent, negligence, or error; or

involving a failure of a human-made system. This is as opposed to natural

hazards that cause natural disasters. Either can result in huge losses of life

and property as well as damage to peoples' mental, physical and social

well-being.

Crime

Crime is a breach of the law for which some governing authority

(via the legal systems) can ultimately prescribe a conviction which will

carry some form of penalty, such as imprisonment or a fine. At least in

the view of the legislators, the criminal act will cause harm to other

people. Each legal jurisdiction may define crime differently. While every

crime violates the law, not every violation of the law counts as a crime:

for example, breaches of contract and of other private law may rank as

"offenses" or as "infractions". Modern societies generally regard crimes

as offenses against the public or the state, distinguished from torts

(offenses against private parties that can give rise to a civil cause of

action).

Arson

A building damaged by arson

Arson is the criminal intent of setting a fire with intent to cause damage.

The definition of arson was originally limited to setting fire to buildings,

but was later expanded to include other objects, such as bridges, vehicles,

and private property. Arson is the greatest recorded cause of fire. Some

human-induced fires are accidental: failing machinery such as a kitchen

stove is a major cause of accidental fires.

Civil disorder

Civil disorder is a broad term that is typically used by law

enforcement to describe forms of disturbance. Although civil disorder

does not necessarily escalate to a disaster in all cases, the event may

escalate into general chaos. Rioting has many causes, including large-

scale criminal conspiracy, socioeconomic factors (unemployment,

poverty), hostility between racial and ethnic groups and mass outrage

over perceived moral and legal transgressions. Examples of well-known

civil disorders and riots are the Poll Tax Riots in the United Kingdom in

1990; the 1992 Los Angeles riots in which 53 people died; the 2008

Greek riots after a 15-year-old boy was fatally shot by police; and the

2010 Thai political protests in Bangkok during which 91 people died.

Terrorism

September 11 attacks, which are in multiple categories of man

made disaster: terrorist attack, air disaster, arson, and structural collapse

Terrorism is a controversial term with varied definitions. One

definition means a violent action targeting civilians exclusively. Another

definition is the use or threatened use of violence for the purpose of

creating fear in order to achieve a political, religious, or ideological goal.

Under the second definition, the targets of terrorist acts can be anyone,

including civilians, government officials, military personnel, or people

serving the interests of governments.

Definitions of terrorism may also vary geographically. In Australia,

the Security Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Act 2002, defines

terrorism as "an action to advance a political, religious or ideological

cause and with the intention of coercing the government or intimidating

the public", while the United States Department of State operationally

describes it as "premeditated, politically-motivated violence perpetrated

against non-combatant targets by sub national groups or clandestine

agents, usually intended to influence an audience".

War

War is a conflict between relatively large groups of people, which

involves physical force inflicted by the use of weapons. Warfare has

destroyed entire cultures, countries, economies and inflicted great

suffering on humanity. Other terms for war can include armed conflict,

hostilities, and police action. Acts of war are normally excluded from

insurance contracts and sometimes from disaster planning.

Technological hazards

Industrial hazards

Industrial disasters occur in a commercial context, such as mining

accidents. They often have an environmental impact. The Bhopal disaster

is the world's worst industrial disaster to date, and the Chernobyl disaster

is regarded the worst nuclear accident in history. Hazards may have

longer-term and more dispersed effects, such as dioxin and DDT

poisoning.

Structural collapse

Structural collapses are often caused by engineering failures.

Bridge failures may be caused in several ways, such as under-design (as

in the Tay Bridge disaster), by corrosion attack (such as in the Silver

Bridge collapse), or by aerodynamic flutter of the deck (as in Galloping

Gertie, the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge). Failure of dams was not

infrequent during the Victorian era, such as the Dale Dyke dam failure in

Sheffield, England in the 1860s, causing the Great Sheffield Flood. Other

failures include balcony collapses or building collapses such as that of the

World Trade Center.

Power outage

A power outage is an interruption of normal sources of electrical

power. Short-term power outages (up to a few hours) are common and

have minor adverse effect, since most businesses and health facilities are

prepared to deal with them. Extended power outages, however, can

disrupt personal and business activities as well as medical and rescue

services, leading to business losses and medical emergencies. Extended

loss of power can lead to civil disorder, as in the New York City blackout

of 1977. Only very rarely do power outages escalate to disaster

proportions, however, they often accompany other types of disasters, such

as hurricanes and floods, which hampers relief efforts.

Electromagnetic pulses and voltage spikes from whatever cause

can also damage electricity infrastructure and electrical devices.

Recent notable power outages include the 2005 Java–Bali Blackout

which affected 100 million people, 2012 India blackouts which affected

600 million and the 2009 Brazil and Paraguay blackout which affected 60

million people.

Fire

An active flame front of the Zaca Fire

Bush fires, forest fires, and mine fires are generally started by

lightning, but also by human negligence or arson. They can burn

thousands of square kilometers. If a fire intensifies enough to produce its

own winds and "weather", it will form into a firestorm. A good example

of a mine fire is the one near Centralia, Pennsylvania. Started in 1962, it

ruined the town and continues to burn today. Some of the biggest city-

related fires are The Great Chicago Fire, The Peshtigo Fire (both of 1871)

and the Great Fire of London in 1666.

Casualties resulting from fires, regardless of their source or initial

cause, can be aggravated by inadequate emergency preparedness. Such

hazards as a lack of accessible emergency exits, poorly marked escape

routes, or improperly maintained fire extinguishers or sprinkler systems

may result in many more deaths and injuries than might occur with such

protections.

Hazardous materials

Radiation contamination

Chernobyl nuclear power plant

When nuclear weapons are detonated or nuclear containment

systems are otherwise compromised, airborne radioactive particles

(nuclear fallout) can scatter and irradiate large areas. Not only is it

deadly, but it also has a long-term effect on the next generation for those

who are contaminated. Ionizing radiation is hazardous to living things,

and in such a case much of the affected area could be unsafe for human

habitation. During World War II, United States troops dropped atomic

bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a result, the

radiation fallout contaminated the cities' water supplies, food sources, and

half of the populations of each city were stricken with disease. In the

Soviet Union, the Mayak industrial complex (otherwise known as

Chelyabinsk-40 or Chelyabinsk-65) exploded in 1957. The Kyshtym

disaster was kept secret for several decades. It is the third most serious

nuclear accident ever recorded. At least 22 villages were exposed to

radiation and resulted in at least 10,000 displaced persons. In 1992 the

former soviet union officially acknowledge the accident. Other Soviet

republics of Ukraine and Belarus suffered also when a reactor at the

Chernobyl nuclear power plant had a meltdown in 1986. To this day,

several small towns and the city of Chernobyl remain abandoned and

uninhabitable due to fallout.

Another nuclear power disaster that is ongoing is Fukushima Daiichi.

In the 1970s, a similar threat scared millions of Americans when a

failure occurred at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant in

Pennsylvania. However, the incident was resolved and the area

fortunately retained little contamination.

The Hanford Site is a decommissioned nuclear production complex

that produced plutonium for most of the 60,000 weapons in the U.S.

nuclear arsenal. There are environmental concerns about radioactivity

released from Hanford.

Two major plutonium fires in 1957 and 1969 at the Rocky Flats

Plant, located about 15 miles northwest of Denver was not publicly

reported until the 1970s.

A number of military accidents involving nuclear weapons have

also resulted in radioactive contamination, for example the 1966

Palomares B-52 crash and the 1968 Thule Air Base B-52 crash.

Conclusion

India’s geo-climatic conditions as well as its high degree of socio-

economic vulnerability, makes it one of the most disaster prone country

in the world. A disaster is an extreme disruption of the functioning of a

society that causes widespread human, material, or environmental losses

that exceed the ability of the affected society to cope with its own

resources. Disasters are sometimes classified according to whether they

are “natural” disasters, or “human-made” disasters. For example,

disasters caused by floods, droughts, tidal waves and earth tremors are

generally considered “natural disasters.” Disasters caused by chemical or

industrial accidents, environmental pollution, transport accidents and

political unrest are classified as “human-made” or “humaninduced”

disasters since they are the direct result of human action.

A more modern and social understanding of disasters, however,

views this distinction as artificial since most disasters result from the

action or inaction of people and their social and economic structures. This

happens by people living in ways that degrade their environment,

developing and over populating urban centres, or creating and

perpetuating social and economic systems. Communities and population

settled in areas susceptible to the impact of a raging river or the violent

tremors of the earth are placed in situations of high vulnerability because

of their socio-economic conditions. This is compounded by every aspect

of nature being subject to seasonal, annual and sudden fluctuations and

also due to the unpredictability of the timing, frequency and magnitude of

occurrence of the disasters.

Bibliography