Disaster:
A serious disruption of the functioning of a society with
widespread human, material, or environmental losses which
can
exceed the ability of affected community or area to cope using
its own resources. "Natural" disasters involve
largely geological and climatic hazards. In human-made
disasters, the principal direct causes are identifiable
human actions.
Disaster Incident:
A natural or human-made event that can cause a disaster with
severe negative effects on human life, property, and
activities.
| Disaster Category |
Types |
| Sudden Onset |
Tsunami, Flood, Earthquake,
Hurricane, Wildfire, Volcanic Eruption, Landslide |
| Slow |
Drought, Famine, Environmental
Degradation, Desertification, Deforestation, Pest
Infestation |
| Industrial/Technological |
System Failure/Accident (wreck,
derailment),
Spillage, Explosion, Fire |
| Wars & Civil Strife |
Terrorism, Insurgency, Armed
Aggression |
| Epidemics,
Pandemics |
Water/Food-Borne Diseases,
Person-To-Person Diseases, Vector-Borne Diseases |
Vulnerability or Risk:
The measure of the negative cultural, social, economic, and
environmental factors and unsafe conditions that put people
at risk of a disaster when a hazard occurs. See Top
Disaster Risks on menu.
| Disaster
Size |
Description |
| Low (I) |
Affects 1-30 households, assistance
provided by local teams and churches. |
| Medium (II) |
Affect 50-200 households, involves
entire community or several communities with
district response. |
| High (III) |
Large area, usually eligible for
presidential declaration. Massive response by state
and federal agencies. |
| Catastrophic (IV) |
Large number of deaths or injuries,
extensive property damage, severe impact on national
security. |
|
Disaster Phases
|
Description
|
| Mitigation |
Actions taken
prior or after a disaster to identify risks, take
risk reduction activities such as zoning flood
plains for park land and wildlife habitat areas,
clearing debris from streams and rivers, modifying
or moving buildings, education, training, and
certification, communications systems, and
preparation activities |
| Preparation |
Activities designed to
plan for high risk disasters, minimize loss of life and damage,
plan for the
temporary removal of people and property from a
threatened location, facilitate timely and effective
rescue, relief, and recovery. |
| Disaster |
The time period during
which the disaster happens. It may be days, weeks,
or, in rare situations, months. |
| Emergency |
The time-frame when
extraordinary measures are taken to search and find
survivors; provide medical assistance; support human
needs of shelter, water, and food; and protect property. |
| Relief |
The operations for
cleanup of structures and roads, restoration
of communications and power, and removal and
disposal of debris. |
| Recovery |
Actions taken to
re-establish a community after a period of
rehabilitation subsequent to a disaster - including
construction of permanent housing, full restoration
of services, complete resumption of the pre-disaster
state. |
Disaster Management:
The policy and administrative decisions and operational
activities which pertain to the various stages of disaster
at all levels.
|
