CHAP1.doc

I. Disaster Preparedness

Chapter I

Disaster Preparedness

In this chapter you will learn aboutC

C              Disasters and disaster workers:  What defines a disaster, and who makes up the disaster workforce.

C              Disaster threats:  Characteristics of various types of disasters and the potential for occurrence in your area.

C              Impact on the infrastructure:  The potential effect of disasters on transportation, electrical service, telephone communication, fuel and water supplies, and emergency services.

C              Structural and nonstructural hazards:  Potentially hazardous conditions in various types of structures and their contents during a disaster.

C              Safety precautions during a disaster:  What to do if you are inside, outside, or driving a vehicle.

C              Individual and worksite preparedness:  How you can prepare in advance to reduce structural and nonstructural hazards and survive the initial period after a disaster.

C              Community preparedness:  How a community can prepare in advance to respond in a disaster situation.

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CERT Training:  Participant Handbook              Page I-2

I. Disaster Preparedness

              Disasters And Disaster Workers

What Is A Disaster?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, a disaster isC

              Any event that overwhelms existing resources to deal with the event.

Disasters may be natural or caused by human actions, may occur in any season of the year, and may cover a limited or a wide-ranging geographic area.  The following are some examples of the wide range of events that may reach disaster proportions:

$              Earthquake

$              Hurricane

$              Tornado

$              Blizzard

$              Flood

$              Act of terrorism (e.g., bombing)

$              Civil disturbance (e.g., riot)

$              Hazardous materials incident

What Is A Disaster? (Continued)

Whatever the cause, disasters have several key elements in common:

$              The event is relatively unexpected, with little or no prior warning or opportunity to prepare.

$              Available personnel and emergency services may not be available during the initial stages of a disaster because of demands for their services.

$              Lives, health, and the environment are endangered.

Who Are “Disaster Workers”?

A variety of services, agencies, and programs work together to provide emergency services and disaster assistance to local residents after a disaster event.  However, these service providers cannot be everywhere at once, and initial needs may be greater than they can handle immediately with available resources.  During these initial hours after a disaster, when damage is heavy or widespread and emergency services are stretched thin, many people are called upon to provide assistance to those around them. 

Individuals and families help themselves.  Neighbors help neighbors.  Coworkers help each other.  Able-bodied people turn out to offer their services to the emergency services workers.  Volunteers play an extremely important role in reducing the death, injury, and damage in the period immediately after a disaster.  They bring a wide variety of skills and experience to the task, and through teamwork can help build a vital network that links all parts of the disaster area.  (See Figure I-1 on page I-5.)

Who Are “Disaster Workers”? (Continued)

Figure I-1.  Disaster Workers

              Disaster Threats

The potential threat of different types of disasters varies across the United States.  This section provides overviews of the following types of disasters:

$              Earthquakes

$              Hurricanes And Coastal Storms

$              Tornadoes

$              Floods

$              Hazardous Materials Accidents

You may wish to highlight key parts that relate especially to your area, as outlined by your instructor.

              Earthquakes

Introduction

Earthquakes are a shaking or trembling of the earth, caused by underground volcanic forces or by breaking and shifting of rock beneath the surface.  Although the area of greatest earthquake risk is the west coast, where tectonic activity occurs along the San Andreas fault, other areas of the United States are also at risk of earthquakes.  For example, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri are located along major faults.  The map in Figure I-2 on page I-9 shows locations of moderate or greater earthquakes throughout the U.S.

Earthquake Classifications

Earthquakes are classified as small, moderate, major, or great based on the Richter scale (a measure of energy released during the quake).  The Richter scale has a logarithmic base, so each increment on the scale is multiplied by a factor that is 10 times larger than the previous factor.  (For example, an earthquake of magnitude 8.6 would not be twice as violent as one of 4.3, but rather would be 10,000 times worse.)  Although there are other methods of determining earthquake intensity and magnitude, the Richter scale is the most widely used method today.  Earthquake classifications based on Richter scale magnitudes are shown in the table below.

              Table I-1.  Earthquake Classifications

Earthquake Prediction

Although it is still impossible to predict earthquakes accurately, scientists have been able to derive some probabilities about future earthquakes in the United States, including:

$              Areas along the west coast are at risk for earthquakes every day.

$              Major earthquakes appear to occur in cycles of between 50 and 275 years.

$              It is likely that a major earthquake will hit California and perhaps other parts of the U.S. in the next decade or two.

Earthquake Prediction (Continued)

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              Figure I-2.  Sites Of Moderate Or Greater Earthquakes

              Hurricanes And Coastal Storms

Introduction

Hurricanes are violent areas of low pressure forming in the tropical Atlantic Ocean from June to November.  (Similar Western Pacific Ocean storms are called typhoons.)  Hurricanes have winds of 75 miles per hour or more and are accompanied by torrential rains andCalong coastal regionsCa storm surge.  Although coastal storms may have hurricane-force winds and may cause similar kinds and amounts of damage, they are not classified as hurricanes because they do not originate in the tropics.  Together, hurricanes and coastal storms cause billions of dollars in damage annually in the United States.

Hurricane Classifications

Hurricane strength is classified using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Damage Potential Scale.  This scale correlates hurricane strength to barometric pressure, windspeed, and storm surge as shown in the table below.