Understanding the physical impacts of natural hazards

Question 1

Disaster effects

Answer 1

• Total damage and losses
• Damage - monetary value of assets
• Losses - goods and services (onset to recovery)
• Damage generally > losses

Question 2

Disaster impacts

Answer 2

• Outcome of total effects of disaster on post disaster environments (physical, economic, social…)

Question 3

Impact assessment at community level

Answer 3

1 – Informing decision making at the local level
2 – Target specific areas of communities
3 – Previous assessments form a basis for projection of likely future impacts
(Lindell and Prater, 2003)

Question 4

The world bank considers disaster effects to be

Answer 4

A combination of total damage and total loss caused by an extreme event (Government of Bangladesh, 2008).

Question 5

Impacts of a disaster are

Answer 5

The outcomes of the total effects of disaster on the post-disaster physical, economic, social , health and other environments (Paul, 2011)

Question 6

Damage is defined as

Answer 6

the monetary value of fully or partially destroyed physical assets (Paul, 2011)

Question 7

DLNA

Answer 7

In the aftermath os a major disaster, governments of affected countries generally request the world bank and other organisations to participate in damage, loss and needs assessments (DLNA) (Paul, 2011)

Question 8

EM-DAT

Answer 8

the Centre for Research on the epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) have developed the Emergency events database (EM-DAT) which records disasters and deaths arising from disasters

Question 9

Developing countries accounted for how many deaths due to disasters

Answer 9

They accounted for 90% of the deaths caused by natural disasters during the 2000-2009 decade (IFRC and RCS, 2010)

Question 10

Disaster mortality within a country

Answer 10

Borden and Cutter (2008) reported that the areas of the US more prone to deaths from natural disasters in the period 1970-2004 are the South and Intermountain West.

Question 11

Magnitude does not determined total number of deaths

Answer 11

Cyclone Sidr category IV storm killed 3406 people in Bangladesh in 2007. Despite being similar severity, Sidr claimed fewer lives than Cyclone Gorky which struck in 1991 killing 140,000 people (Paul, 2009)

Question 12

Deaths caused by disasters are not only depend on physical characteristics but also a function of

Answer 12

The complex social, economic, demographic, political and cultural values (Paul, 2011)

Question 13

Gender more likely to die from disasters

Answer 13

Fothergill (1998), in a synthesis of over 100 people on natural disasters, concluded that women are more likely to die from natural disasters, than are men.

Question 14

Direct impacts are

Answer 14

Those caused by the physical contact of the extreme natural event with humans and/or with property (Paul, 2011)

Question 15

First order impacts

Answer 15

Include deaths, injuries caused by directly having physical contact between humans and the event (Paul, 2011)

Question 16

Indirect impacts

Answer 16

Those caused by the consequences of physical contact of disasters with people and/or their property (Paul, 2011)

Question 17

Second order impacts are

Answer 17

Less easily connected to the event and may manifest much later (Smith, 1992)

Question 18

Tangible impacts are

Answer 18

Those that cannot be measured in monetary terms (Paul, 2011)

Question 19

Intangible impacts are

Answer 19

Those either that cannot be expressed in financial term or for which monetary estimates are considered undesirable and unacceptable, such as loss of human life (Tohin and Matiz, 1997)

Question 20

Hurricane Katrina Social impacts

Answer 20

Students from impacted areas had to attend schools located in non impacted areas. Many of these students seem to have lost their ability to concentrate on assignments and manifested symptoms of depression (Picou and Marshall, 2007)

Question 21

Suicide rate in US after floods

Answer 21

Krug et al (1998) concluded that suicide rates in the US increased in the four years after floods by 13.8%, in 2 years after hurricanes by 31% and by 62.9% in the first year after earthquakes

Question 22

Damage to infrastrucure can lead to

Answer 22

Facilities such as hospitals and medical clinics being damaged meaning a lack of proper medical attention which prolongs suffering and increases probability of death (Paul et al, 2011)

Question 23

Damage to roads and building can lead to

Answer 23

serious delays in the provision of emergency and regular medical supplies and personnel for treating injuries (Kini et al, 2002)

Question 24

Reconstruction positives

Answer 24

Reconstruction following a disaster decreases, to a degree, future hazard risk by destroying weak and old buildings, strengthening new ones and rebuilding in hazard prone areas (Paul, 2011)

Question 25

Reconstruction phase - Parker et al (1997)

Answer 25

The reconstruction phase presents a host of new opportunities for governments, communities and individuals to avoid re-indulging the condition that led to disaster in the first place.

Question 26

Economy of Florida following hurricane Charley

Answer 26

Economists expected that the 2004 Hurricane Charley would boost the economy of Florida in the next few years as the rebuilding after effect added workers to an already bustled area.

Question 27

Barsotti et al (2010) undertook

Answer 27

A quantitative hazard assessment to determine the potential impacts of volcanic tephra fall on human health and infrastructure in the vicinity of Mt Etna

Question 28

Barsotti et al (201o) used

Answer 28

VOL-CALPUFF numerical model to explore the dynamics of long lasting weak plume eruptions and their effects on surrounding regions

Question 29

Barsotti et al (2010) found

Answer 29

Results show how the lows and infrastructure are more significantly exposed to ash-related hazards than those on the west side in accordance with wind stats

Question 30

Biass et al (2013) undertook

Answer 30

GIS based methodology to produce qualitative to semi qualitative risk assessments for tephra fallout around explosive volcanoes designed to operate with datasets of variable precision and resolution depending on data avilability

Question 31

Biass et al (2013) Results

Answer 31

Show that an eruption of moderate magntiude (VEI 4) would result in the possible collapse of around 9000 homes in two parishes located close to the volcano (Catopaxi volcano)

Question 32

Gislason et al (2011) undertook

Answer 32

Using nanotechnologies, custom designed for studying natural materials, explored the physical and chemical nature of ash deposited when meltwater from Eyjafjallajokull mixed with hot magma, to see if the health and safety concerns were justified

Question 33

Gislason et al (2011) found that

Answer 33

the particles of explosive ash that reached Europe were especially sharp and abrasive.

Question 34

Baxter et al (2005) investigated

Answer 34

The impacts on buildings of 3 pyroclastic surges that struck three separate villages on 25 June, 21 September and 26 December 1997 during the course of the andesitic dome building following the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat

Question 35

Baxter et al (2005) characteristics of the PDC

Answer 35

Lateral loading and directionality of the current, the impacts corresponded to the dynamic pressure of the PDC, with a relatively slow rate of rise and without the peak overpressure or a shock front associated with explosive blast; and the entrainment of missiles and ground materials which greatly added to the destructiveness of the PDC.

Question 36

Baxter et al (2005) vulnerability of buildings

Answer 36

lay in the openings, mainly windows, which allowed the current to enter the building envelope and in the flammable contents, as well as lack of resistance to the intense heat and dynamic pressure of some building

Question 37

Baxter et al (2005) main hazard characteristics were consistent with

Answer 37

Those described by other authors studying Pelee (1902) and St Helens (1980)

Question 38

Saucedo et al (2005) eruption of Colima volcano consisted of

Answer 38

Three eruptive phases that produced a complex sequence of tephra fall, pyroclastic surges and pyroclastic flows

Question 39

Saucedo et al (2005) reconstruction of flows

Answer 39

In order to reconstruct the paths, velocities, and extents of the pyroclastic dlows, a series of computer simulations were conducted using the program FLOW3D. These areas were traced according to the degree of hazard and pyroclastic flow type recurrence through time.

Question 40

Saucedo et al (2005) found

Answer 40

Today, an eruption of the same magnitude as 1913 would affect about 15,000 inhabitants of small villages, ranches and towns located within 15km south of the volcano.

Question 41

Harris et al (2011) produced

Answer 41

using a lava flow emplacement model and a satellite-based land cover classification, a map to allow assessment of the type and quantity of natural, agricultural and urban land cover at risk from lava flow invasion. 
First producing lava flow contours and then these contours are projected onto a land classification map to assess type and amount of each land cover class falling within each contour.

Question 42

Harris et al (2011) found

Answer 42

that the maps are designed to provide a quick lookup capability to assess the type of land at risk - from our first vent zone case we find a total area of around 680km squared at risk.

Question 43

Papanthanassiou and Valkaniotis (2009) - region studied

Answer 43

Town of Edessa, which is characterized as a low seismicity zone due to few moderate events of M

Question 44

Papanthanassiou and Valkaniotis (2009) - aim

Answer 44

Evaluate site amplification due to geological conditions and to assess the liquefaction hazard.

Question 45

Papanthanassiou and Valkaniotis (2009) - methods

Answer 45

1-D site response analyses performed with data collected from borings with standard penetration tests. After this the liquefaction potential of the subsoil layers was evaluated initially estimating the liquefaction potential index of the soil columns using parameters provided by SPT.

Question 46

Papanthanassiou and Valkaniotis (2009) - results

Answer 46

Liquefaction induced ground disruptions are likely to occur at the center of the city, only when the amplified values of acceleration are taken into account to the computation of liquefaction potential