Disasters and Natural Hazards

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Tropical Cyclone

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Flood

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Earthquake

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INTENSITY I: Scarcely Perceptible –
Perceptible to people under favorable circumstances.
Delicately balanced objects are disturbed slightly.
Still water in containers oscillates slowly.

INTENSITY II : Slightly Felt -
Felt by few individuals at rest indoors.
Hanging objects swing slightly.
Still water in containers oscillates noticeably

Intensity III : Weak -
Felt by many people indoors especially in upper floors of buildings. Vibration is felt like one passing of a light truck.
Dizziness and nausea are experienced by some people.
Hanging objects swing moderately.
Still water in containers oscillates moderately.

INTENSITY IV : Moderately Strong –
‍Felt generally by people indoors and by some people outdoors. Light sleepers are awakened. Vibration is felt like the passing of a heavy truck.
Hanging objects swing considerably. Dinner plates, glasses, windows, and doors rattle. Floors and walls of wood-framed buildings creak. Standing motor cars may rock slightly.
Liquids in containers are slightly disturbed. Water in containers oscillates strongly.
Rumbling sound may sometimes be heard.

INTENSITY V : Strong -
‍Generally felt by most people indoors and outdoors. Many sleeping people are awakened. Some are frightened, some run outdoors. Strong shaking and rocking felt throughout building.
Hanging objects swing violently. Dining utensils clatter and clink; some are broken. Small, light, and unstable objects may fall or overturn.
Liquids spill from filled open containers. Standing vehicles rock noticeably. Shaking of leaves and twigs of trees are noticeable.

INTENSITY VI - Very Strong
Many people are frightened; many run outdoors. Some people lose their balance. Motorists experience a sensation of driving on flat tires.
Heavy objects or furniture move or may be shifted. Small church bells may ring. Wall plaster may crack. Very old or poorly built houses and man-made structures are slightly damaged, though wellbuilt structures are not affected.
Limited rockfalls and rolling boulders occur in hilly to mountainous areas and escarpments. Trees are noticeably shaken.

INTENSITY VII : Destructive
‍Most people are frightened and run outdoors. People find it difficult to stand in upper floors.
Heavy objects and furniture overturn or topple. Big church bells may ring. Old or poorly- built structures suffer considerable damage. Some well-built structures are slightly damaged. Some cracks may appear on dikes, fish ponds, road surface, or concrete hollow block walls.
Limited liquefaction, lateral spreading and landslides are observed. Trees are shaken strongly.

INTENSITY VIII : Very Destructive
People are panicky. People find it difficult to stand, even outdoors.
Many well-built buildings are considerably damaged. Concrete dikes and foundation of bridges are destroyed by ground settling or toppling. Railway tracks are bent or broken. Tombstones may be displaced, twisted or overturned. Utility posts, towers and monuments may tilt or topple. Water and sewer pipes may be bent, twisted or broken.
Liquefaction and lateral spreading cause man-made structures to sink, tilt, or topple. Numerous landslides and rockfalls occur in mountainous and hilly areas. Boulders are thrown out from their positions, particularly near the epicenter. Fissure- and fault-rupture may be observed. Trees are violently shaken. Water splashes or slops over dikes or banks of rivers.

INTENSITY IX : Devastating
People are forcibly thrown to the ground. Many cry and shake with fear.Most buildings are 15 totally damaged. Bridges and elevated concrete structures are toppled or destroyed. Numerous utility posts, towers, and monuments are tilted, toppled, or broken. Water sewer pipes are bent, twisted, or broken.Landslides and liquefaction with lateral spreadings and sandboils are widespread. The ground is distorted and undulates. Trees are shaken very violently, with some toppled or broken. Boulders are commonly thrown out. River water splashes violently or slops over dikes and banks.

INTENSITY X : Completely Devastating

Practically all man-made structures are destroyed.
Massive landslides and liquefaction, large scale subsidence and uplifting of land forms, and many ground fissures are observed. Changes in river courses and destructive seiches in large lakes occur. Many trees are toppled, broken and uprooted.

Source: PHIVOLCS

GROUND SHAKING
The destructive effects of earthquakes are due mainly to intense GROUND SHAKING or vibration. Because of severe ground shaking, low and tall buildings, towers, and posts may tilt, split, topple or collapse; road foundations, railroad tracks and bridges may break; water pipes and other utility installations may get dislocated; dams and similar structures may break and cause flooding; and other forms of mass movement may be generated.

GROUND RUPTURE
Many strong earthquakes originate along faults that break the earth‘s rigid crust. GROUND RUPTURE is a deformation on the ground that marks the intersection of the fault plane with the earth‘s surface. The most common manifestation is a long fissure extending from a few kilometers to tens of kilometers, although ground rupture may also occur as a series of discontinuous cracks, mounds, or depressions. 11 The length of ground rupture and the width of the zone of deformation generally increase with the magnitude and type of earthquake.

LIQUEFACTION
LIQUEFACTION is a process where particles of loosely consolidated and water-saturated deposits of fine sand are 10 rearranged into a more compact state. Water and sediments are squeezed out towards the surface in the form of water and sand fountaining (sand boiling), thus creating a condition resembling ‗quick sand‘. The consequent loss in volume and underlying support results in subsidence of the ground on top of the liquefying sandy layers and, with it, the sinking and/or tilting of any structures above it. Liquefaction prone areas may be found in beach zones, sand spits, sand bars, tombolos, wide coastal plains, deltaic plains, floodplains, abandoned river meanders, former lake beds, former or existing marshlands and swamplands, and in areas underlain by sandy lahar deposits.

LANDSLIDE
Landslides are a downward movement of slope materials either slowly or quickly. A landslide may be a rock fall, topple, slump, slide or debris flow. Intense ground shaking can trigger a landslide by loosening the cohesion that bonds the slope materials together, thereby making it easier for gravity to pull it downwards. Hilly and mountainous areas, escarpments, steep river banks, sea cliffs, and other steep slopes are prone to landsliding. The main effect of landsliding is burial.

TSUNAMI
Tsunamis are small to giant sea waves mostly generated by submarine earthquakes. Not all submarine earthquakes, however, can cause tsunamis to occur. Tsunamis can only occur when the earthquake is shallow -seated, and strong enough (about Magnitude 7) to displace parts of the seabed and disturb the mass of water over it. Other causes of tsunamis include submarine or coastal landslides, pyroclastic flows, large volume debris avalanches from submarine and partly submerged volcanoes, and caldera collapse.

Source: PHIVOLCS

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Volcanic Eruption

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Emergency Planning & Guidelines

Emergency Preparedness Keypoints. Be Informed, Make a Plan and Be Prepared

Planning for emergencies not only includes what you will do during emergencies but should also include proactive measures in preventing the occurrence of these emergencies on a personal and community level.

Now that you are familiar with disasters and already did a hazard assessment:

DISASTER SCENARIOS (WHAT TO EXPECT)

During disasters, you might have to rely on yourselves and survive on your own for several days. You may not have access to medical facilities, supplies for your daily needs could be limited. Knowing these things will help you plan and prepare for disasters.

Power Outage (Brownout)
Power lines could be damaged during disasters and might take several days for the electricity to be reinstated.
Limited water supply
During disasters water lines could get damaged and contaminated, making access to clean water difficult. Stock up plenty of water for several days and be mindful of the way you use stock water until everything comes back to normal. Look out for announcement of water rations.
No internet connection or phone signals.
Disasters can damage internet and telecommunication infrastructures and might take several days to be repaired. Communication might be difficult
Stores, LPG suppliers, Gas stations, and banks might be close, ATMs could be offline.
During disasters, demand for food and gas increases. Majority of stores, LPG suppliers and gas stations might be closed or the road leading to them might be unpassable. Access to cash, food, gas and other services during disasters could be difficult. Stock up early when there's disaster warnings.
Unpassable roads
Terrain could change during disasters. Landslides, ground fissures, toppled trees and power lines on the road, damaged bridges and tunnels could make roads and regular routes unpassable. Access to key facilities and rescue might be difficult.
Damage to Shelter
During disasters, strong winds can send roofs and branches flying, ground shaking can damage the structure of your house or its foundations.
Secondary Disasters
One disaster could lead to another. If there's a warning for typhoon, secondary disasters could be flooding and landslides. For earthquakes, aftershocks, landslides or tsunami could follow.
Injury
Many people get injured during disaster. Medical assistance might not be readily available. Learn first aid.

GUIDE QUESTIONS

To start your emergency plan, discuss and think about the questions below with your household or your team.

1. How will you receive information, alerts and warnings?
2. What is your plan for staying at home/work/school to take shelter?
3. What is your evacuation route?
4. What is your communication plan?
5. Is your emergency bag and first aid kit up to date?
6. How do you address each other's special needs?

Source: Ready.gov

Be informed: Hazards, alerts and warning signals

Make a plan: communication plan, reunification plan, financial plan for disasters and evacuation plan

Be Prepared: Learnn safety skills, repair damages and strengthen vulnerable areas, emergency go bag and practice drills.

PREPARE YOUR FAMILY

The family should prepare for the hazards that they might face. Follow the following guide in preparing the family.

BE INFORMED

Hazards
Identify the hazards in your area. You can check with hazard maps and with local officials or community leaders about additional info on hazards in your area.
Check Hazard Assessment for guidelines.
Alerts and Warning Signals
Familiarize yourself with warning signals on national and local levels. Example: Storm Signal No.1 (for national warning signal) and Sirens for Tsunami alerts in your local area.
Each community has their own ways of alerting its people, (some use bamboo or gongs, etc.) familiarize yourself so you can respond accordingly.
Evacuation Routes
Make sure everyone knows the location of evacuation centers for each hazard and the safe routes to get there.
Emergency Numbers
List important numbers and emergency numbers. Have it printed. Give copies to every member of the household.

MAKE A PLAN

Communication Plan
Create a family communication plan. Set up a plan on how you will communicate in different scenarios (no internet, no phone signals).
Reunification Plan
Create a family reunification and set a meet-up place in case the family gets separated.
Evacuation Plan
Create an evacuation plan. What to bring, what to do, and where to go.
Financial Plan
Create a plan to incorporate emergencies in your finances. Emergencies happen unexpectedly, preparing for it financially makes it easier for you to recover. For emergency fund, it is good to save 3 to 6 months' worth of monthly expenses. Example: If every month you spend 10K to sustain your lifestyle, you need to save at least 30K for emergency fund.
Download Disaster Ready Emergency Plan

BE PREPARED

Give Responsibilities
Give responsibilities to each member of the household. Make sure everyone knows what they need to do.
Repair and Reinforce your House
Inspect your house and repair any damages and vulnerable areas. Follow the building code during construction.
Emergency Bag
Prepare an emergency bag (go bag). Check Emergency Bag for guidelines
Coordinate with Community
Coordinate with neighbors and help each other.
Be Alert and Listen to News
Be alert when there's a hazard warning, be observant and listen to news and announcements from authorities.
Evacuate when Advised
Evacuate right away when advised by the authorities.

PREPARE WITH THE COMMUNITY

Local officials including school and workplace administrators can lead by well-planned activities aimed at building a ready community. The following guidelines can assist leaders in keeping communities safe and prepared:

Recruit or assign people with interest in building a safe community.
Know the hazards to the community and the tools that can be used to prepare for them.
Set goals and plan activities dedicated to these hazards.
Study the practices of other communities. Educate community members through videos and publications. Set up disaster preparedness and response drills.
Maintain community resilience and be vigilant especially when there are hazard threats and warnings. Monitor the situation, contact local authorities, and distribute safety and evacuation orders in a timely manner.

Considerations for PWDs

When making plans for the community, consider the additional needs of PWDs.

The specific needs of the PWD community:
The needs of PWD vary depending on their disability. For example, people with visual impairments may need special maps and instructions, while people with mobility impairments may need ramps and accessible toilets.
The availability of resources:
The availability of resources will also affect the type of modifications that can be made. For example, if there is no money available to build new shelters, then existing shelters may need to be modified to be accessible.
The willingness of the community to help:
The community can play a role in supporting PWD during disasters. For example, they can help to evacuate PWD to safety, or they can provide them with food and water.

Source: PIA ⁴

EVACUATING

When the family evacuates, it is necessary to prepare it to ensure the safety of the whole family. The following are tips for safe evacuation:

Make sure all the windows and doors of the house are closed.
Make sure no burning candles or stoves, plugged-in appliances, and open faucets are left.
Make sure the animals are safe. If you can't bring them with you, find a safe place for them or unchain them.
Bring only necessary items. Prepare your Emergency Bag (Go Bag) ahead.
Coordinate with authority and community leaders.
Evacuate early when advised. Don't wait until it becomes too risky to travel.
If you have to evacuate but there are other household members that are not home yet, communicate with them or leave a note for them. Refer to your family reunification and communication plan.

If traveling using your own vehicle:

Make sure the vehicle is in good condition before traveling.
Make sure documents and papers such as driver's license, registration and insurance certificates of the vehicle are complete.

If using public transport:

Avoid wearing expensive jewelry and carrying a lot of cash.
Just bring enough clothes and things so its easy to carry.
Be alert of pickpockets at the station and inside the vehicle.
If you noticed something suspicious like left luggage or a box, stay calm and inform the authorities immediately.
Go to designated Assistance or Information Desks if you need assistance or information.

Evacuation Centers

In the Philippines we don't have a lot of dedicated evacuation centers yet. Often schools, barangay hall, covered courts, churches, and multi-purpose halls serve as evacuation centers. If you can't find a dedicated one near you, try to look for these instead. Coordinate with your local authority.

Preparing with PWDs and People with Mobility Issues

"Once the disaster strikes, it will not discriminate against anyone."
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"Hindi porket PWD ka, hindi ka na pwedeng maghanda. Hindi pwedeng aasa na lang tayo (PWDs) sa mga kapwa natin when it comes to disaster preparedness. We should get involved and know the hazards to prepare for it."
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"Because we never know when a disaster or an emergency will happen, PWDs should always be on guard, take necessary safety and prevention measures and communicate with their network."
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- Joel Tangunan
‍Vice President of the Pangasinan Persons with Disability (PWD) Federation

Disaster affects everyone. But persons with disabilities are twice more likely to lose their lives or be injured than the general population during disasters. Making disaster preparedness much more critical. Here's a guide shared by Joel Tangunan to his fellow PWDs:

Learn to identify your risk map and hazards around you, both on health and situation. This includes knowing the types of disasters that are common in your area, as well as the specific risks that you face due to your disability. For example, if you are a wheelchair user, you will need to be aware of the availability of ramps and other accessible facilities in your area.
Evaluate your physical limitations and weaknesses. This will help you to develop a disaster preparedness plan that is realistic and achievable. For example, if you have difficulty walking, you may need to make arrangements for someone to help you evacuate in the event of a disaster.
Learn to adapt your evaluated physical limitations and weaknesses to your risk map and hazard around you. This means finding ways to mitigate the risks that you face due to your disability. For example, if you are blind, you may need to learn how to use a cane or guide dog to help you navigate your environment.
Start your network of disaster resilience with your own family and later expand it to your community. This will help you to get the support that you need in the event of a disaster. For example, you could develop a buddy system with a friend or neighbor who can help you to evacuate or to get to safety.
Have a regular dialogue with your immediate network about what to prepare with you as a part of the contingency and as one strong member of your network. This will help to ensure that everyone in your network is prepared for a disaster. For example, you could discuss what supplies you need to stockpile, or what first-aid skills you need to learn.
Create a regular drill with your family network's contingency plan and mitigation, including stockpiling, (if possible learning to produce your own food like vegetable plants), learning first-aid, portable or water filter systems, basic ham radio, and other necessary things to start working on your prepping. This will help you to practice your disaster preparedness plan and to identify any areas that need improvement.

Source: PIA ⁴

Preparing with Pets and Animals

Pets and animals are part of the family or livelihood. Consider them during disasters. If local authorities advise you to evacuate, that means your pets will evacuate too. If they are left behind, they could be lost, injured or die.

Evacuation Plan for Pets and Animals
Many facilities ad shelters do not allow pets inside. Plan ahead and look for a safe place for your pets and animals before disasters.
If evacuation is not possible, like for bigger animals you must decide if you will keep them sheltered unattended or untie them and turn them loose so they can save themselves.
Animal Identification
Ensure all animals have some sort of identification. Ex: Collar with ID tag. If it's possible include your contact information, in case they got lost.
Emergency Supplies when Travelling with Pets
Prepare for animal food, water, medicine, sanitation needs (to clean up after your pets), travel carrier/crate, familiar items to reduce their stress and a picture of you and your pet just in case they got lost and you need to find them with others.
Vaccinate
If you'll travel/evacuate, your animals could be exposed to new pathogens or be a carrier of contagious or deadly diseases so make sure they are vaccinated for their protection as well as other's safety.

Emergency Numbers

Family Emergency Communication Plan

Creating an Emergency Communication Plan is essential to ensure that everyone in your household can stay connected and informed during emergencies; especially if you get separated. Here are the steps to create an effective plan:

1. Collect Contact Information:
Write down phone numbers and email addresses for all household members, extended family, close friends and important offices (like hospitals, clinics, doctors, schools, service providers, workplace)
Include information for special needs, like for children, for elderly members, for PWD, pets and care givers.

2. Share the Plan
Create a physical copy of the contact information (print or handwritten) and distribute it to each household member. Make sure they have it with them all the time.
Have a copy at home and save it on your phones for easy access.

3. Update the information every now and then.

Download Emergency Plans & Numbers

Family Directory

Purpose: To be able to contact family members in case of emergencies. In case you are separated, you have no signal or your phone broke, you can use another phone and still call them or the places they frequent to look for them.

Personal Community Directory

Purpose: To be able to contact other people you can ask for help. It could be a relative outside the disaster area or friends who can help you rebuild or call emergency personnel for you. You can also include Care givers, Teachers and Doctors, Church and community leaders.