Chapter 4:Disaster management

• Disaster: It is defined as “catastrophic situation in which the normal

pattern of life or ecosystem has been disrupted and extra-ordinary
interventions are required to save and preserve lives and or environment
(Ministry of Home Affairs 2011)
• The Indian scenario: The Indian subcontinent is highly vulnerable to
cyclones, droughts, earthquakes and floods. Avalanches, forest fire and
landslides occur frequently in the Himalayan region of northern India.
• About 60% of the landmass is
• prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million hectares is
prone to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone to cyclones and 68%
of the area is susceptible to drought.
• On an average, about 50 million people in the country are affected by one
or the other disaster every year, besides loss of property worth several
million
• At the national level-Ministry of Home
• Central Relief Commissioner(CRC) (Ministry of Home Affairs )-nodal officer
to coordinate relief operations for natural disasters Affairs
• CRC receives information relating to forecasting/warning of a natural
calamity from India Meteorological Department (IMD) or from Central
Water Commission of Ministry of Water Resources on continuing basis.
• Each State Government has relief manuals/codes which identify that role
of each officer in the State for managing the natural disasters
• The Government of India contributes 75% of the corpus of the Calamity
Relief Fund in each State. 25% is contributed to by the State.
• Tropical Cyclones are intense low pressure systems which develop over
• warm sea. They are capable of causing immense damage due to strong winds,
heavy rains and storm surges. The frequency of the TC in the Bay of Bengal is 4
to 5 times more
• Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is mandated to monitor and give
warnings regarding Tropical Cyclone (TC).
• Before the Cyclone season:
• Check the house; secure loose tiles and carry out repairs of doors and
windows
• Remove dead branches or dying trees close to the house; anchor removable
objects such as lumber piles, loose tin sheets, loose bricks, garbage cans, sign-
boards etc. which can fly in strong winds
• Keep some wooden boards ready so that glass windows can be boarded if
needed
• Keep a hurricane lantern filled with kerosene, battery operated torches and
enough dry cells
• Demolish condemned buildings
• Keep some extra batteries for transistors
• Keep some dry non-perishable food always ready for use in emergency
• Necessary actions
• The actions that need to be taken in the event of a cyclone threat can
broadly be divided into :
• Immediately before the cyclone season
• When cyclone alerts and warnings are communicated
• When evacuations are advised
• When the cyclone has crossed the coast
• When the Cyclone starts
• Listen to the radio (All India Radio stations give weather warnings).
• Keep monitoring the warnings. This will help you prepare for a cyclone
emergency.
• Pass the information to others.
• Ignore rumours and do not spread them; this will help to avoid panic
situations.
• Believe in the official information
• When a cyclone alert is on for your area continue normal working but stay
alert to the radio warnings.
• Stay alert for the next 24 hours as a cyclone alert means that the danger is
within 24 hours.
• When your area is under cyclone warning get away from low-lying beaches
or other low-lying areas close to the coast
• Leave early before your way to high ground or shelter gets flooded
• Do not delay and run the risk of being marooned
• If your house is securely built on high ground take shelter in the safe part of
the house. However, if asked to evacuate do not hesitate to leave the place.
• Board up glass windows or put storm shutters in place.
• Provide strong suitable support for outside doors.
• If you do not have wooden boards handy, paste paper strips on glasses to
prevent splinters. However, this may not avoid breaking windows.
• Get extra food, which can be eaten without cooking. Store extra drinking
water in suitably covered vessels.
• If you have to evacuate the house move your valuable articles to upper
floors to minimize flood damage.
• Ensure that your hurricane lantern, torches or other emergency lights are in
working condition and keep them handy.
• Small and loose things, which can fly in strong winds, should be stored
safely in a room.
• Be sure that a window and door can be opened only on the side opposite
to the one facing the wind.
• Make provision for children and adults requiring special diet.
• If the centre of the cyclone is passing directly over your house there will
be a lull in the wind and rain lasting for half an hour or so. During this time
do not go out; because immediately after that, very strong winds will blow
from the opposite direction.
• Switch off the electrical mains in your house.
• Remain calm.
• When Evacuation is instructed
• Pack essentials for yourself and your family to last a few days. These
should include medicines, special food for babies and children or elders.
• Head for the proper shelter or evacuation points indicated for your area.
• Do not worry about your property
• At the shelter follow instructions of the person in charge.
• Remain in the shelter until you are informed to leave
• Post-cyclone measures
• You should remain in the shelter until informed that you can return to
your home.
• You must get inoculated against diseases immediately.
• Strictly avoid any loose and dangling wires from lamp posts.
• If you have to drive, do drive carefully.
• Clear debris from your premises immediately.
• Report the correct losses to appropriate authorities.
• Earthquake
• An earthquake is a phenomenon that occurs without warning and involves violent
shaking of the ground and everything over it. It results from the release of
accumulated stress of the moving lithospheric or crustal plates. The earth's crust is
divided into seven major plates, that are about 50 miles thick, which move slowly
and continuously over the earth's interior and several minor plates. Earthquakes
are tectonic in origin; that is the moving plates are responsible for the occurrence
of violent shakes. The occurrence of an earthquake in a populated area may cause
numerous casualties and injuries as well as extensive damage to property.
• The Earthquake Risk in India
• India's increasing population and extensive unscientific constructions
mushrooming all over, including multistoried luxury apartments, huge factory
buildings, gigantic malls, supermarkets as well as warehouses and masonry
buildings keep - India at high risk. During the last 15 years, the country has
experienced 10 major earthquakes that have resulted in over 20,000 deaths. As
per the current seismic zone map of the country (IS 1893: 2002), over 59 per cent
of India’s land area is under threat of moderate to severe seismic hazard-; that
means it is prone to shaking of MSK Intensity VII and above (BMTPC, 2006). In fact,
the entire Himalayan belt is considered prone to great earthquakes of magnitude
exceeding 8.0-; and in a relatively short span of about 50 years, four such
earthquakes have occurred: 1897 Shillong (M8.7); 1905 Kangra (M8.0); 1934 Bihar-
Nepal (M8.3); and 1950 Assam-Tibet (M8.6). Scientific publications have warned of
the likelihood of the occurrence of very severe earthquakes in the Himalayan
region, which could adversely affect the lives of several million people in India.
• Do's & Dont's
• What to Do Before an Earthquake
• Repair deep plaster cracks in ceilings and foundations. Get expert
advice if there are signs of structural defects.
• Anchor overhead lighting fixtures to the ceiling.
• Follow BIS codes relevant to your area for building standards
• Fasten shelves securely to walls.
• Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves.
• Store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass, and china in low,
closed cabinets with latches.
• Hang heavy items such as pictures and mirrors away from beds,
settees, and anywhere that people sit.
• Brace overhead light and fan fixtures.
• Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These
are potential fire risks.
• Secure water heaters, LPG cylinders etc., by strapping them to the
walls or bolting to the floor.
• Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products securely in
closed cabinets with latches and on bottom shelves.
• Identify safe places indoors and outdoors.
– Under strong dining table, bed
– Against an inside wall
– Away from where glass could shatter around windows, mirrors, pictures,
or where heavy bookcases or other heavy furniture could fall over
– In the open, away from buildings, trees, telephone and electrical lines,
flyovers and bridges
• Know emergency telephone numbers (such as those of doctors, hospitals,
the police, etc)
• Educate yourself and family members
• Have a disaster emergency kit ready

Knife Cash and credit cards

Essential medicines Thick ropes and cords
Can opener. Sturdy shoes
Chlorine tablets or powdered
water purifiers
• Develop an emergency communication plan
• In case family members are separated from one another during an
earthquake (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and
children are at school), develop a plan for reuniting after the disaster.
• Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the 'family contact' after
the disaster; it is often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone in
the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact
person.
• Help your community get ready
• Publish a special section in your local newspaper with emergency
information on earthquakes. Localize the information by printing the
phone numbers of local emergency services offices and hospitals.
• Conduct week-long series on locating hazards in the home.
• Work with local emergency services and officials to prepare special
reports for people with mobility impairment on what to do during an
earthquake.
• Provide tips on conducting earthquake drills in the home.
• Interview representatives of the gas, electric, and water companies about
shutting off utilities.
• Work together in your community to apply your knowledge to building
codes, retrofitting programmes, hazard hunts, and neighborhood and
family emergency plans.
What to Do During an Earthquake
Stay as safe as possible during an earthquake. Be aware that some
earthquakes are actually foreshocks and a larger earthquake might
occur. Minimize your movements to a few steps that reach a nearby
safe place and stay indoors until the shaking has stopped and you
are sure exiting is safe.
• If indoors
• DROP to the ground; take COVER by getting under a sturdy table or other
piece of furniture; and HOLD ON until the shaking stops. If there is no a
table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your arms and
crouch in an inside corner of the building.
• Protect yourself by staying under the lintel of an inner door, in the corner
of a room, under a table or even under a bed.
• Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that
could fall, (such as lighting fixtures or furniture).
• Stay in bed if you are there when the earthquake strikes. Hold on and
protect your head with a pillow, unless you are under a heavy light fixture
that could fall. In that case, move to the nearest safe place.
• Use a doorway for shelter only if it is in close proximity to you and if you
know it is a strongly supported, load bearing doorway.
• Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has
shown that most injuries occur when people inside buildings attempt to
move to a different location inside the building or try to leave.
• Be aware that the electricity may go out or the sp rinkler systems or fire
alarms may turn on.
• If outdoors
• Do not move from where you are. However, move away from buildings,
trees, streetlights, and utility wires.
• If you are in open space, stay there until the shaking stops. The greatest
danger exists directly outside buildings; at exits; and alongside exterior
walls. Most earthquake-related casualties result from collapsing walls,
flying glass, and falling objects.
• If in a moving vehicle
• Stop as quickly as safety permits and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping
near or under buildings, trees, overpasses, and utility wires.
• Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped. Avoid roads,
bridges, or ramps that might have been damaged by the earthquake.
• If trapped under debris
• Do not light a match.
• Do not move about or kick up dust.
• Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing.
• Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can locate you. Use a whistle if one is
available. Shout only as a last resort. Shouting can cause you to inhale
dangerous amounts of dust.
 Floods

• Floods
• India is highly vulnerable to floods. Out of the total geographical area of
329 million hectares (mha), more than 40 mha is flood prone. Floods are a
recurrent phenomenon, which cause huge loss of lives and damage to
livelihood systems, property, infrastructure and public utilities. It is a cause
for concern that flood related damages show an increasing trend. The
average annual flood damage in the last 10 years period from 1996 to
2005 was Rs. 4745 crore as compared to Rs. 1805 crore, the corresponding
average for the previous 53 years. This can be attributed to many
reasons including a steep increase in population, rapid urbanization
growing developmental and economic activities in flood plains coupled
with global warming.
• An average every year, 75 lakh hectares of land is affected, 1600 lives are
lost and the damage caused to crops, houses and public utilities is Rs.1805
crores due to floods. The maximum number of lives (11,316) was lost in
the year 1977. The frequency of major floods is more than once in five
years.
• Do's & Dont's
• What to do before a flood
• To prepare for a flood, you should:
• Avoid building in flood prone areas unless you elevate and reinforce your home.
• Elevate the furnace, water heater, and electric panel if susceptible to flooding.
• Install "Check Valves" in sewer traps to prevent floodwater from backing up into
the drains of your home.
• Contact community officials to find out if they are planning to construct barriers
(levees, beams and floodwalls) to stop floodwater from entering the homes in
your area.
• Seal the walls in your basement with waterproofing compounds to avoid seepage.
• If a flood is likely to hit your area, you should:
• Listen to the radio or television for information.
• Be aware that flash flooding can occur. If there is any possibility of a flash flood,
move immediately to higher ground. Do not wait for instructions to move.
• Be aware of streams, drainage channels, canyons, and other areas known to flood
suddenly. Flash floods can occur in these areas with or without such typical
warnings as rain clouds or heavy rain.
•
• If you must prepare to evacuate, you should:
• Secure your home. If you have time, bring in outdoor furniture.
Move essential items to an upper floor.
• Turn off utilities at the main switches or valves if instructed to do
so. Disconnect electrical appliances. Do not touch electrical
equipment if you are wet or standing in water.
•
If you have to leave your home, remember these evacuation tips:
• Do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can
make you fall. If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is
not moving. Use a stick to check the firmness of the ground in front
of you.
• Do not drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your car,
abandon the car and move to higher ground if you can do so safely.
You and the vehicle can be quickly swept away.
 Landslide

• India has the highest mountain chain on earth, the Himalayas,

which are formed due to collision of Indian and Eurasian plate, the
northward movement of the Indian plate towards China causes
continuous stress on the rocks rendering them friable, weak and
prone to landslides and earthquakes. The slow motion of the Indian
crust, about 5 cm/year accumulates stress to which natural
disasters are attributed. Some landslides make unique, and
unparalleled catastrophes. Landslides and avalanches are among
the major hydro-geological hazards that affect large parts of India
besides the Himalayas, the Northeastern hill ranges, the Western
Ghats, the Nilgiris, the Eastern Ghats and the Vindhyans, in that
order, covering about 15 % of the landmass. The Himalayas alone
count for landslides of every fame, name and description- big and
small, quick and creeping, ancient and new. The Northeastern
region is badly affected by landslide problems of a bewildering
variety.
Landslides in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal as also those in Sikkim, Mizoram,
Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh pose chronic problems,
causing recurring economic losses worth billions of rupees. A different variety of
landslides, characterized by a lateritic cap, pose constant threat to the Western Ghats
in the South, along the steep slopes overlooking the Konkan coast besides Nilgiris,
which is highly landslide prone.
• Do's & Dont's
• We cannot stop disaster but minimize its impact by preparing ourselves better for
landslides. The Government of India has made plans to identify the areas where
landslides occur repeatedly. This is achieved through Landslide Hazard Zonation (LHZ)
maps which shows or demarcates areas by different colors. NDMA has published a
guideline on Landslides and Snow Avalanches as given on its website. Following are
the precautionary measures for landslides in the form of do's and dont's as given
below:

Do's
• Prepare tour to hilly region according to information given by weather department or
news channel.
• Move away from landslide path or downstream valleys quickly without wasting time.
• Keep drains clean,
• Inspect drains for - litter, leaves, plastic bags, rubble etc.
• Keep the weep holes open.
• Grow more trees that can hold the soil through roots,
• Identify areas of rock fall and subsidence of buildings, cracks that indicate landslides
and move to safer areas. Even muddy river waters indicate landslides upstream.
• Notice such signals and contact the nearest Tehsil or District Head Quarters.
• Ensure that toe of slope is not cut, remains protected, don't uproot trees unless re-
vegetation is planned.
• Listen for unusual sounds such as trees cracking or boulders knocking together.
• Stay alert, awake and active (3A's) during the impact or probability of impact.
• Locate and go to shelters,
• Try to stay with your family and companions.
• Check for injured and trapped persons.
• Mark path of tracking so that you can't be lost in middle of the forest.
• Know how to give signs or how to communicate during emergency time to flying
helicopters and rescue team.

• Don'ts
• Try to avoid construction and staying in vulnerable areas.
• Do not panic and loose energy by crying.
• Do not touch or walk over loose material and electrical wiring or pole.
• Do not built houses near steep slopes and near drainage path.
• Do not drink contaminated water directly from rivers, springs, wells but rain water
if collected directly without is fine.
• Do not move an injured person without rendering first aid unless the casualty is in
immediate danger.
 Tsunami

• The Earth's lithosphere is broken up into a bunch of discrete pieces, called

plates that move around the surface of the planet. There are seven or
eight major plates (depending on how they are defined) and many minor
plates. This motion is driven by the flow of the mantle rock beneath the
plates and by the forces plates exert at their boundaries where they touch
each other. Earthquakes happen when plates move with respect to each
other because of the friction and stress at the edges of plates prevents
them from slipping smoothly at their boundaries. When one plate is
forced to dive beneath another plate, there is no way to do it except with
some component of vertical motion creating tsunami (please see
figure) . The tsunami that occurred during 2004 Sumatra-Andaman
earthquake of Mw 9.3 was primarily caused by vertical displacement of
the seafloor, in response to slip on the inter-plate thrust fault. The
earthquake and resulting tsunami in the Indian Ocean affected many
countries in Southeast Asia and beyond, including Indonesia, Sri
Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Somalia, Myanmar,
Malaysia, Seychelles and others
• Do's & Dont's
• You should find out if your home, school, workplace, or other frequently
visited locations are in tsunami hazard areas along sea-shore.
• Know the height of your street above sea level and the distance of your
street from the coast or other high-risk waters. (Local administration may
put sign boards).
• Plan evacuation routes from your home, school, workplace, or any other
place you could be where tsunamis present a risk.
• If your children's school is in an identified inundation zone, find out what
the school evacuation plan is.
• Practice your evacuation routes.
• Use a Weather Radio or stay tuned to a local radio or television station to
keep informed of local watches and warnings.
• Talk to your insurance agent.Homeowners' policies may not cover flooding
from a tsunami. Ask the Insurance Agent about the benefits from Multi-
Hazard Insurance Schemes.
• Discuss tsunamis with your family.Everyone should know what to do in a
tsunami situation. Discussing tsunamis ahead of time will help reduce fear
and save precious time in an emergency. Review flood safety and
preparedness measures with your family.
•
• If you are in an area at risk from tsunamis
• You should find out if your home, school, workplace, or other frequently
visited locations are in tsunami hazard areas.
• Know the height of your street above sea level and the distance of your
street from the coast or other high-risk waters. (Local administration may
put sign boards). Also find out the height above sea level and the distance
from the coast of outbuildings that house animals, as well as pastures or
corrals.
• Plan evacuation routes from your home, school, workplace, or any other
place you could be where tsunamis present a risk. If possible, pick areas
(30 meters) above sea level or go as far as 3 kilometres inland, away from
the coastline. If you cannot get this high or far, go as high or far as you can.
Every meter inland or upward may make a difference. You should be able
to reach your safe location on foot within 15 minutes. After a disaster,
roads may become blocked or unusable. Be prepared to evacuate by foot
if necessary. Footpaths normally lead uphill and inland, while many roads
parallel coastlines. Follow posted tsunami evacuation routes; these will
lead to safety. Local emergency management officials can advise you on
the best route to safety and likely shelter locations.
• If your children's school is in an identified inundation zone, find out
what the school evacuation plan is. Find out if the plan requires you
to pick your children up from school or from another location.
Telephone lines during a tsunami watch or warning may be
overloaded and routes to and from schools may be jammed.
• Practice your evacuation routes. Familiarity may save your life. Be
able to follow your escape route at night and during inclement
weather. Practicing your plan makes the appropriate response more
of a reaction, requiring less thinking during an actual emergency
situation.
• Use a Weather Radio or stay tuned to a local radio or television
station to keep informed of local watches and warnings.
• Talk to your insurance agent.Homeowners' policies may not cover
flooding from a tsunami. Ask the Insurance Agent about the
benefits from Multi-Hazard Insurance Schemes.
• Discuss tsunamis with your family. Everyone should know what to
do in a tsunami situation. Discussing tsunamis ahead of time will
help reduce fear and save precious time in an emergency. Review
flood safety and preparedness measures with your family.
• If you are visiting an area at risk from tsunamis
• Check with the hotel or campground operators for tsunami evacuation
information and find out what the warning system is for tsunamis. It is
important to know designated escape routes before a warning is issued.
• One of the early warning signals of a tsunami is that the sea water recedes
several metres, exposing fish on shallow waters or on the beaches. If you
see the sea water receding, you must immediately leave the beach and go
to higher ground far away from the beach.
• Protect Your Property
• You should avoid building or living in buildings within 200 meters of the
high tide coastline.
• These areas are more likely to experience damage from tsunamis, strong
winds, or coastal storms.
• Make a list of items to bring inside in the event of a tsunami.
• A list will help you remember anything that can be swept away by tsunami
water.
• Elevate coastal homes.
• Most tsunami waves are less than 3 meters. Elevating your house
will help reduce damage to your property from most tsunamis.
• Take precautions to prevent flooding.
• Have an engineer check your home and advise about ways to make
it more resistant to tsunami water.
• There may be ways to divert waves away from your property.
Improperly built walls could make your situation worse. Consult
with a professional for advice.
• Ensure that any outbuildings, pastures, or corrals are protected in
the same way as your home. When installing or changing fence
lines, consider placing them in such a way that your animals are
able to move to higher ground in the event of a tsunami.
• What to Do if You Feel a Strong Coastal Earthquake
• If you feel an earthquake that lasts 20 seconds or longer when you are in a coastal
area, you should:
• Drop, cover, and hold on. You should first protect yourself from the earthquake
damages.
• When the shaking stops.
• Gather members of your household and move quickly to higher ground away from
the coast. A tsunami may be coming within minutes.
• Avoid downed power lines and stay away from damaged buildings and bridges
from which Heavy objects might fall during an aftershock.
• If you are on land
• Be aware of tsunami facts. This knowledge could save your life! Share this
knowledge with your relatives and friends. It could save their lives!
• If you are in school and you hear there is a tsunami warning,
• You should follow the advice of teachers and other school personnel.
• If you are at home and hear there is a tsunami warning.
• You should make sure your entire family is aware of the warning. Your family
should evacuate your house if you live in a tsunami evacuation zone. Move in an
orderly, calm and safe manner to the evacuation site or to any safe place outside
your evacuation zone. Follow the advice of local emergency and law enforcement
authorities.
• If you are at the beach or near the ocean and you feel the earth shake,
• Move immediately to higher ground, DO NOT wait for a tsunami warning to be
announced. Stay away from rivers and streams that lead to the ocean as you
would stay away from the beach and ocean if there is a tsunami. A regional
tsunami from a local earthquake could strike some areas before a tsunami warning
could be announced.
• Tsunamis generated in distant locations will generally give people enough time to
move to higher ground. For locally-generated tsunamis, where you might feel the
ground shake, you may only have a few minutes to move to higher ground.
• High, multi-storied, reinforced concrete hotels are located in many low-lying
coastal areas. The upper floors of these hotels can provide a safe place to find
refuge should there be a tsunami warning and you cannot move quickly inland to
higher ground.
• Homes and small buildings located in low-lying coastal areas are not designed to
withstand tsunami impacts. Do not stay in these structures should there be a
tsunami warning.

• Offshore reefs and shallow areas may help break the force of tsunami waves, but
large and dangerous wave can still be a threat to coastal residents in these areas.
• Staying away from all low-lying areas is the safest advice when there is a tsunami
warning.
• If you are on a boat,
• Since tsunami wave activity is imperceptible in the open ocean, do
not return to port if you are at sea and a tsunami warning has been
issued for your area. Tsunamis can cause rapid changes in water
level and unpredictable dangerous currents in harbours and ports.
• If there is time to move your boat or ship from port to deep water
(after a tsunami warning has been issued), you should weigh the
following considerations: Most large harbours and ports are under
the control of a harbor authority and/or a vessel traffic system.
These authorities direct operations during periods of increased
readiness (should a tsunami be expected), including the forced
movement of vessels if deemed necessary. Keep in contact with the
authorities should a forced movement of vessel be directed.
• Smaller ports may not be under the control of a harbor authority. If
you are aware there is a tsunami warning and you have time to
move your vessel to deep water, then you may want to do so in an
orderly manner, in consideration of other vessels.
• Owners of small boats may find it safest to leave their boat
at the pier and physically move to higher ground,
particularly in the event of a locally-generated tsunami.
• Concurrent severe weather conditions (rough seas outside
of safe harbor) could present a greater hazardous situation
to small boats, so physically moving yourself to higher
ground may be the only option.
• Damaging wave activity and unpredictable currents can
affect harbours for a period of time following the initial
tsunami impact on the coast. Contact the harbor authority
before returning to port making sure to verify that
conditions in the harbor are safe for navigation and
berthing.
• What to do after a Tsunami
• You should continue using a Weather Radio or staying tuned to a Coast Guard emergency
frequency station or a local radio or television station for updated emergency information.
• The Tsunami may have damaged roads, bridges, or other places that may be unsafe.
• Check yourself for injuries and get first aid if necessary before helping injured or trapped
persons.
• If someone needs to be rescued, call professionals with the right equipment to help.
• Help people who require special assistance— Infants, elderly people, those without
transportation, large families who may need additional help in an emergency situation,
people with disabilities, and the people who care for them.
• Avoid disaster areas.
• Your presence might hamper rescue and other emergency operations and put you at further
risk from the residual effects of floods, such as contaminated water, crumbled roads,
landslides, mudflows, and other hazards.
• Use the telephone only for emergency calls.Telephone lines are frequently overwhelmed in
disaster situations. They need to be clear for emergency calls to get through.
• Stay out of a building if water remains around it.Tsunami water, like floodwater, can
undermine foundations, causing buildings to sink, floors to crack, or walls to collapse.
• When re-entering buildings or homes, use extreme caution.Tsunami-driven floodwater may
have damaged buildings where you least expect it. Carefully watch every step you take.
• Wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and sturdy shoes.The most common injury
following a disaster is cut feet.
• Use battery-powered lanterns or flashlights when examining buildings.Battery-
powered lighting is the safest and easiest to use, and it does not present a fire
hazard for the user, occupants, or building. DO NOT USE CANDLES.
• Examine walls, floors, doors, staircases, and windows to make sure that the
building is not in danger of collapsing. Inspect foundations for cracks or other
damage. Cracks and damage to a foundation can render a building uninhabitable.
• Look for fire hazards.Under the earthquake action there may be broken or leaking
gas lines, and under the tsunami flooded electrical circuits, or submerged furnaces
or electrical appliances. Flammable or explosive materials may have come from
upstream. Fire is the most frequent hazard following floods.
• Check for gas leaks.If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a
window and get everyone outside quickly. Turn off the gas using the outside main
valve if you can, and call the gas company from a neighbour’s home. If you turn off
the gas for any reason, it must be turned back on by a professional.
• Look for electrical system damage. If you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or if
you smell burning insulation, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit
breaker. If you have to step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker, call an
electrician first for advice. Electrical equipment should be checked and dried
before being returned to service.
• Check for damage to sewage and water lines. If you suspect sewage
lines are damaged under the quake, avoid using the toilets and call
a plumber. If water pipes are damaged, contact the water company
and avoid using water from the tap. You can obtain safe water from
undamaged water heaters or by melting ice cubes that were made
before the tsunami hit. Turn off the main water valve before
draining water from these sources. Use tap water only if local
health officials advise it is safe.
• Watch out for wild animals, especially poisonous snakes that may
have come into buildings with the water. Use a stick to poke
through debris. Tsunami floodwater flushes snakes and animals out
of their homes.
• Watch for loose plaster, drywall, and ceilings that could fall.
• Take pictures of the damage, both of the building and its contents,
for insurance claims. Open the windows and doors to help dry the
building.
• Shovel mud before it solidifies.
• Check food supplies.
• Any food that has come in contact with floodwater may be contaminated
and should be thrown out.
• Expect aftershocks. If the earthquake is of large magnitude (magnitude 8
to 9+ on the Richter scale) and located nearby, some aftershocks could be
as large as magnitude 7+ and capable of generating another tsunami. The
number of aftershocks will decrease over the course of several days,
weeks, or months depending on how large the main shock was.
• Watch your animals closely. Keep all your animals under your direct
control. Hazardous materials abound in flooded areas. Your pets may be
able to escape from your home or through a broken fence. Pets may
become disoriented, particularly because flooding usually affects scent
markers that normally allow them to find their homes. The behaviour of
pets may change dramatically after any disruption, becoming aggressive or
defensive, so be aware of their well-being and take measures to protect
them from hazards, including displaced wild animals, and to ensure the
safety of other people and animals.