1
Q
How can hazards be categorized?
A
Natural hazards, technological hazards, and terrorist hazards
2
Q
Natural hazards exist in the natural environment of:
A
-hydrological, meteorological, seismic, geological, volcanic, mass movements
3
Q
What are the characteristics of floods?
A
- overabundance of water on normally dry land
- many factors may cause it
- most frequent and widespread hazard in the US
- measured according to elevation above standard water levels
4
Q
What are the characteristics of earthquakes?
A
- sudden and rapid shaking of earth’s surface
- caused by shifting of tectonic plates
- sudden, no-notice events
- occur every day in the US
- -most are not felt
- measured according to Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale and Richter Scale
5
Q
What are characteristics of hurricanes?
A
- cyclonic storms that occur in the Western Hemisphere
- -storms in the Pacific called cyclones
- begin as tropic waves and grow in intensity
- defined by low barometric pressure, closed circulation winds over warm water, and an absence of wind shear
- sustained winds of 74 mph or more
- seasonal: June 1- November 30
- Efffective tracking/warning possible
- Damage caused by high winds, flooding, storm surge
6
Q
What are characteristics of storm surges?
A
- masses of water pushed toward the shore by meteorological forces
- can coincide with high tide for especially devastating effects
- wind-driven turbulence can exacerbate the flooding effects
- storm surges can reach several dozen feet in height
7
Q
What are the characteristics of tornadoes?
A
- rapid vortex of air extending groundwork from a cloud
- -can reach 300 mph
- about 1200 per year in the US
- -common between March and August
- -occur between noon and midnight
- measured using the Fujita-Pearson Scale or the Enhanced Fujita Scale
- Tend to follow path of least resistance
- -People in valleys have greatest exposure to damage
- States with the greatest risk: TX,OK,AR,MO (Tornado Alley)
- Safe rooms are effective
8
Q
What are the 3 categories of wild fires?
A
- surface fires
- ground fires
- crown fires
9
Q
What are the characteristics of wild fires?
A
- air pollution
- risk to firefighters
- environmental affects
- property destruction
- made by severe drought conditions and buildup of fuel
- -fueled by natural vegetation
- occur in national forests/parks
10
Q
What are characteristics of interface/intermix fires?
A
- occur near wild
- threaten property
11
Q
What are the characteristics of firestorms?
A
- intense fires that are virtually impossible to extinguish
- usually burn until all fuel is exhausted
12
Q
What are the characteristics of prescribed fires and prescribed natural fires?
A
-fires that intentionally set or select natural fires that are allowed to burn to reduce available natural fuel
13
Q
What are mass movements and examples?
A
- horizatonal/vertical movement of physical matter
- ex: landslides, mudflows, lateral spreads, liquidifaction, rockfalls, avalanches, land subsidence, expansive soil
14
Q
What are characteristics of tsunamis?
A
- wave or series of waves generated by mass displacement of water
- most common cause is undersea earthquake
- -also can be caused by volcanic eruption or landslide
- greatest risk is to coastal land less than 50 ft above sea level
- can reach 100 ft high
- can travel 450 mph
15
Q
What are characteristics of volcanic eruptions?
A
- a break in the earth’s crust through which molten rock escapes
- gas pressure can cause violent, explosive eruptions
- ash can travel thousands of miles
- major threat are lahars
- -150K people live on old lahar deposits near Mt. Rainier
16
Q
What are characteristics of sever winter storms?
A
- occurs when extremely cold atmospheric conditions interact with high airborne moisture content
- called a “blizzard” when combined with high winds
- Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale used to measure severity of storms
- -takes in account size of area and population affected
17
Q
What are characteristics of droughts?
A
- prolonged shortage of available water
- primarily due to insufficient rain, or because of extremely high temperatures and low humidity
- drought different from other hazards
- -onset and conclusion difficult to measure
- -no accepted definition of what it is
- -effects less obvious and less spread out
18
Q
What are characteristics of extreme temperatures?
A
- major diversions in seasonal temperatures
- can cause injuries, fatalities, economic impacts
- heat waves killed thousands
- cold temperatures are especially devastating to livestock and agriculture, as well as damage to infrastructure
19
Q
What are characteristics of thunderstorms?
A
- meterological events that bring heavy rain, strong wind, hail, lightning, and tornadoes
- generated by atmospheric imbalance and turbulence
- classified severe:
- -winds over 58 mph
- -generates tornado
- -hail at least .75 inches in diameter
- lightning kills 75-100 per year
20
Q
What are characteristics of hail?
A
- frozen atmospheric water that falls to earth
- reach a size where they can no longer float
- causes $1billion in damages in US each year
- -crops/property
21
Q
What are characteristics of technological/man-made hazards?
A
- inevitable product of technological innovation and human development
- can occur after failure or damage to structures and systems
- tend to be less understood than natural hazards
- increasing each year
- most commonly related to: transportation, infrastructure, industry, and construction
22
Q
What are the characteristics of structural fires?
A
- can be triggered naturally
- lightning is the most common
- dont typically result in disasters, but cause 1000s of deaths each year and tax emergency services
23
Q
What are the characteristics of transportation accidents?
A
- transportation systems involve:
- -complex and expensive infrastructure
- -laws and policies by which the whole system is guided
- flaws/breakdowns can result in loss of life. injuries, property and environmental damage, and economic consequences
- systems and infrastructure considered a top terrorist target
24
Q
What are characteristics of infrastructure failures?
A
- primarily related to critical systems of utilities, services, and other assets
- may include loss of vital services, injury, death, property damage, or combo
- nations dependent on them
- blackouts cause $80 billion loses each year
25
What are the primary types of infrastructure failures?
- power
- telecommunications
- computer networks
- water/sewer
- gas distribution
26
What are the characteristics of dam failures?
- used for: flood control and water storage
- when they fail, potential for large-scale uncontrolled releases of stored water
- most often fail as result of maintenance neglect, overtopping, poor design, or structural damage caused by major event
- considered a critical terrorist risk
27
What are the characteristics of Hazardous Materials Incidents?
- releases of chemical substances that post a threat to people and the environment
- chemicals are prevalent in industries and products
- may be: explosive, flammable, corrosive, poisonous, radioactive
- typically from transportation accidents or accidents at production/storage facilities
28
What are the characteristics of nuclear accidents?
- radiation can cause immediate and lasting tissue damager to humans
- exposure results from:
- -accidental or intentional spill
- -containment breach
- -escape of gasses
- -an explosion
- material remains radioactive until it has shed all its ionizing particles
- greatest threat in US comes from accident or sabotage at a nuclear power plant
29
Terrorism and 4 main categories
- intentional hazards
- -means through which terrorists are able to carry out their attacks
- 4 categories:
1. chemical
2. biological
3. radiological/nuclear
4. explosive
30
Conventional Explosives and Secondary Devices: History and Reasons
- have existed for centuries
- Traditional and Improvised Explosive Devices
- -easy to obtain and use
- -can inflict massive amounts of destruction to property and can cause significant injuries and fatalities to humans
- can be used to disperse other agents
31
Explosive Devices
- uses physical destruction caused by the expansion of gases that results from the ignition of explosive material
- -pipe bombs
- -satchel charges
- -conventional munitions
32
Incendiary Devices
- relies on the ignition of fires to cause physical destruction
- -molotov cocktails
- -napalm
33
Delivery Systems
- Missie devices:
- -rocket
- -RPG
- -Mortar
- -Air-dropped bomb
- Vehicles
- Hand carried/placed
34
Detonation Mechanisms
- Timers
- Remotes
- -radio
- -cellphone
- Sensors
- light, air pressure, movement, magnetic, pressure
35
What is the most common used device?
- explosives
- -involve 70% of attacks
- easy to obtain
- easy to construct
- extremely effective terror-spreading device
- 5% proceeded by warning
36
History of chemical agents
- around for centuries
- used in WWI, WWII, Iran/Iraq War
- intended to kill, seriously injure, or incapacitate people through physiological effects
37
How can chemical agents enter the body?
- inhale
- ingest
- skin/eyes
38
What are the categories of chemical agents?
- nerve
- blister(vesicants)
- blood(cyanogen)
- choking(pulmonary)
- irritants(tear gas, pepper spray)
- incapacitating
39
Nerve Agents
- attack the nervous system by interfering with the proper functioning of neurotransmitters
- ingestion, respiration, contact
- believed to have been used by Saddam Hussein on March 16 1988 against the Kurdish village of Halabja
- -over 5000 villagers killed, mostly women and children
40
Blistering Agents
- chemical compounds that causes severe skin, eye and mucosal pain and irritation
- -burn skin and internal tissue areas upon contact
- sulfur mustards, nitrogen mustards, Lewisite
- used in WWI, WWII, Iran-Iraq War
41
Choking Agents
- designed to impede breathing
- chlorine gas, phosgene
- absorbed through the respiratory system
- used in: British during Crimean War, Union during US Civil War, (Germans, French and British) during WWI
42
Blood Agents
- chemical compounds carried by the blood for distribution through the body
- -toxic effect at the cellular level
- Zyklon B
- respiratory system
- used by Nazis
43
Delivery Agents
- areosol devices
- -liquid
- -solid (powder)
- -gas
- explosives
- breach of containers
- mixing with water or food supplies
- direct placement on target/victim
44
Recognizing chemical agents
- can be recognized immediately
- can be:
- -persistent(hour to weeks or longer)
- -non-persistent(10-15min)
- effects are fast and severe
- identification can be difficult
- without proper training, response can be difficult
45
History of biological agents
- natural or modified organism(bacteria or viruses) or the toxic by products generated by living organisms
- cause illness, injury, death in humans, livestock or plants
- dates back to early 14th century
- have been "weaponized" over the past 100 years
46
Recognizing biological agents
- can be dispersed overtly
- can be difficult to recognize
- -effects may take up to weeks to appear
- infected subject may be contagious
- recognition through:
- -identification of credible threat
- -discovery of weapons material
- -victim diagnosis
- can disrupt the economy or industry
- detection will most likely be made by public health personnel
- primary defense is recognition
- -best achieved through proper 1st responder and public health training
47
Biological Agents: Group A
- great potential for causing public health catastrophes
- may be easily spread over a large area
- -antrhax
- -smallpox
- -plague
- -botulism
- -tularemia
- -viral hemorrhagic fevers
48
Biological Agents: Group B
- low mortality rate
- may be easily spread over a large area:
- -salmonella
- -riein
- -Q fever
- -typhus
- -glanders
49
Biological Agents: Group C
- common pathogens that have potential for being engineered for terrorism or weapons purposes
- -hantavirus
- -tuberculosis
50
Attack indicators for biological agents
- stated threat
- unusual occurrence of dead/dying animals
- unusual casualties/illness
- -unusual illness for area
- -definite pattern of inconsistent with natural disease
- unusual liquid, spray, vapor, or powder
- -spraying
- -suspicious devices, packages, or letters
Homeland Security
flashcards
Decks in class (3)
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