COR JESU COLLEGE

BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Sacred Heart Avenue, Digos City

MODULE FOR
DISASTER READINESS AND
RISK REDUCTION
(STEM)

Prepared by:

MR. JOHN PAUL A. REPONTE

____ ___________
Name of Student

_________________________
Year and Section
WEEK 4: Storm Surge, Floods, El Niño and La Niña

TOPIC 1: STORM SURGE

Objectives:
1. Describe the characteristics of storm surge;
2. Identify the mechanism of storm surge formation; and
3. Identify the safety measures of storm surge (before, during, and after).

Lesson Content:

BASIC CONCEPT OF STORM SURGE

Storm surge is the abnormal rise in seawater

level during a storm, measured as the height of the
water above the normal predicted astronomical tide.
The surge is caused primarily by a storm’s winds
pushing water onshore. The amplitude of the storm
surge at any given location depends on the orientation
of the coast line with the storm track; the intensity,
size, and speed of the storm; and the local bathymetry
(NOAA).

Main Idea: Storm surge is the rising of seawater to

the coast above the normal sea level due to weather
phenomena such as atmospheric pressures. Figure 1: Water Level Differences for Storm Surge and Normal Tides

Mechanism of Storm Surge

 Go Online: Click the link below to understand more about Storm Surge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW7Q58gWJY8 (What is a Storm Surge?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sp5RoEJ8Yo (Actual Video of Surge in Phil.)

Safety Tips (Before, During, and After Typhoon)

Before
1. Stay tuned-in to local TV and radio for public. Announcements and updates of a
certain weather condition that may result to occurrence of a storm surge.
2. Know the risk zones in the area. Plan for an evacuation and relocation.
3. Stay off the beach area when there is a weather disturbance.
4. Be familiar with the escape routes going to the to the evacuation center or higher
grounds.
5. Participate on flood drills
6. Prepare a survival kit which contains your basic necessities like clean drinking water,
foods, first-aid kit, flashlights, and lighters.
7. Prepare a floating device.
8. Put your gadgets in a zip lock bag and secure your documents in a safe place.
9. Do pre-emptive evacuation if you are in a risk area.

During
1. Keep calm and alert.
2. Stay away from coastal areas.
3. Stay away from high areas prone to landslides.
4. Shutdown the power supply.
5. If caught in a storm surge, hold on to large tree trunks and boulders to protect you
from the water force and floating debris.

After
1. Never eat food that came in contact with water from food and avoid drinking from it.
2. After the flood due to the storm surge subside, check the damages on properties and if
your family is complete.
3. Stay away from power and telephone cables that were broken.
4. Stay away from collapsed structures because there might be falling debris.
5. Check if your house is safe from collapsing
6. Check if your house is safe from collapsing before you move back in with your
family.
7. Immediately clean all debris and mud.
8. Stay tuned-in to local televisions and radio for updates and instructions

Activity/Assessment

Performance Task: Assume that you are the head of the MDRRMC in your municipality. The
municipality is composed of 15 barangays and 8 of them are located in the coastal regions.
Propose a systematic flow of evacuation plan involving the participation of LGU’s, barangay
officials, Rescue officials, residents and etc. Note: Present your answer in a flow chart form. 30
Points
TOPIC 2: FLOOD

Objectives:
1. Identify the primary types and causes of flooding;
2. Familiarize the immediate and long-term effects of flooding; and
3. Identify the safety measures of flood (before, during, and after).

Lesson Content:

BASIC CONCEPT OF FLOOD

It is an excess of water (or mud) on land that is

normally dry and happens in a situation when the
inundation is caused by high flow or overflow of water in
an established watercourse such as a river, stream, or
drainage ditch; or ponding of water at or near the point
where the rain fell, (UNISDR).

Main Idea: Flooding is an overflowing of water onto

land that is normally dry. Floods can happen during heavy
rains, when ocean waves come on shore, when snow
Figure 2: Flooding in Urban Areas
melts too fast, or when dams or levees break

Major Causes of Flood

1. Intense rainfall when the river is flowing full

2. Excessive rainfall in river catchments or concentration of runoff from the tributaries and
river carrying flows in excess of their capacities
3. Typhoon and very intense rainfall when the El Nino effect is on a decline
4. Synchronization of flood peaks in the main rivers or their tributaries
5. Landslides leading to obstruction of flow and change in the rivers course
6. Poor natural drainage system
7. Backing water in tributaries at their confluence with the main river

Types of Floods

1. Flash Floods
• Type of flood that occurs within six hours due to heavy rainfall with
thunderstorms, tropical cyclones or during passage of cold weather fronts.
2. River Floods
• These are caused by precipitation over a large catchment’s area, melting of snow
or both.
3. Coastal Floods
• Associated with cyclonic activities like hurricane or typhoons generating a
catastrophic flood from rainwater which often aggravate wind-induced storm and
water surges along the cost.
4. Urban floods
• Type of flood due to urbanization program by which agricultural fields are
converted into roads or buildings.
5. Ice Jam
• Floating ice can accumulate at a natural or man-made obstruction and stop the
flow of water, thereby causing floods.
6. Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)
• Flood due to sudden discharge of water and debris from once frozen lake.
• Global warming leads to ice melting in lakes
 Figure 5: Coastal Flood
Figure 4: River Flood
Figure 3: Flash Flood

Figure7: Ice Jam Figure 8: Glacial Lake Outburst Flood

Figure 6: Urban Flood

Go Online: Click the link below to understand more about Flood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iglV_6m1mLM (Color Coded Rainfall Warning)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDwjqJLLLC8 (When it Rains, It Floods)

Safety Tips (Before, During, and After Flooding)

Before
1. Keep turning into news on TV and radio. Listen carefully for the latest updates and
instructions about the hazard that may causes flooding such as thunderstorms, and
tropical cyclones.
2. Know the frequency of flood in your local. How fast and high is the usual flooding in
the previous incidents of flooding.
3. Know where the flood warning system such as flood makers in your area.
4. Know the flood early warning system of your locality.
5. Know the evacuation plan of your area. Where is the pick-up place, the means of
transportation, who is the center of command, and where is the evacuation area.
6. When there is a heavy rain for a long period, it may cause flooding and you must be
prepared from any possible flooding that is to happen. Put your cellphones and
gadgets inside a zip lock plastic bag to prevent them from being wet.
7. Prepare your survival kit. You can make your own floating device by using empty
plastic containers tied together. You can also prepare a go-bag containing flashlight,
 lighter or matchbox, canned foods, water, extra clothes, and first aid in plastics. You
also have to keep extra batteries and transistor radio for news updates.
8. Fully charge your phones and keep it loaded for communication.

During
1. Keep calm and alert.
2. Stay update to news and public announcements.
3. Don’t attempt to swim across flowing streams and flooded areas.
4. Watch out for snakes in the flood. Snakes and crocodiles are sometimes in floods too.
5. Drink and eat only clean or at least boiled water and never eat foods that were already
got in contact with flood water.
6. Stay away from cut electricity and telephone cables.
7. Listen only to the credible people when getting information and updates.

After
1. Report broken cable, water, and gas lines.
2. If the appliances were submerged in flood water, don’t plug it at once to prevent
damages. Let it dry and call for an electrician for repair.
3. Avoid going to the affected areas.
4. Start tuned-in to local televisions and radio.
5. Return home only if the area is already safe for going back home. The authorities will
tell if the area is already safe or still not.

Activity/Assessment

Identification: Identify the factors that cause flooding in both urban and rural areas. Write the
answers in the box and provide brief descriptions or explanations. 5 points each

FACTORS THAT RESULTS FLOODING

1st Factor: PROLONGED RAINFALL

Prolonged rainfall could be one of the results to flooding.

Soil becomes saturated after prolonged rainfall. This leads to an increase

in surface run-off as rainfall can no longer infiltrate the soil. This leads
to more water entering the river channel increasing the likelihood of
flooding.

2nd Factor: HEAVY RAINFALL

Heavy rainfall can result in water arriving too quickly to infiltrate the
soil. This increases surface run-off, leading water to reach the river
channel quicker, resulting in a greater risk of flooding.

3rd Factor: BUILDINGS

Human causes also leads to flooding, which is Constructing buildings

and surrounding roads and paths creates impermeable surfaces which
increase surface run-off. Drains also increase the flow of water into
surrounding rivers, increasing the flood risk.

4th Factor: DEFORESTATION

Vegetation, including trees, intercept rainfall, slowing its movement.
Some of this water is stored before evaporation returns moisture to
the atmosphere. Trees also absorb water from the soil allowing
greater infiltration into the soil, reducing surface run-off. When
vegetation is removed, infiltration and interception reduce and
surface
TOPIC 3: EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑA run-off increases. This leads to a greater risk of flooding as
more water reaches the river channel.
Objectives:
1. Identify the causes and effects of ENSO;
2. Describe El Niño and La Niña and its short and long-term effects; and
3. Identify El Niño and La Niña event adaptation strategies for different sectors of
society.

Lesson Content:

BASIC CONCEPT OF EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑA

El Niño and La Niña are opposite phases of what is known as the El Niño-Southern
Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. The ENSO cycle is a scientific term that describes the fluctuations
in temperature between the ocean and atmosphere in the east-central Equatorial Pacific
(approximately between the International Date Line and 120 degrees West).

La Niña is sometimes referred to as the cold phase of ENSO and El Niño as the warm
phase of ENSO. These deviations from normal surface temperatures can have large-scale
impacts not only on ocean processes, but also on global weather and climate (NOAA).

El Niño

El Niño means The Little Boy, or Christ

Child in Spanish. El Niño was originally recognized
by fishermen off the coast of South America in the
1600s, with the appearance of unusually warm
water in the Pacific Ocean. The name was chosen
based on the time of year (around December)
during which these warm waters events tended to
occur.

The term El Niño refers to the large-scale

ocean-atmosphere climate interaction linked to a Figure 9: Drought in Cotabato Rice Fields
periodic warming in sea surface temperatures
across the central and east-central Equatorial Pacific.

Typical El Niño effects are likely to develop over North America during the
upcoming winter season. Those include warmer-than-average temperatures over western
and central Canada, and over the western and northern United States. Wetter-than-
average conditions are likely over portions of the U.S. Gulf Coast and Florida, while
drier-than-average conditions can be expected in the Ohio Valley and the Pacific
Northwest. The presence of El Niño can significantly influence weather patterns, ocean
conditions, and marine fisheries across large portions of the globe for an extended period
of time.

La Niña

La Niña means The Little Girl in

Spanish. La Niña is also sometimes called El
Viejo, anti-El Niño, or simply "a cold event."

La Niña episodes represent periods of

below-average sea surface temperatures
across the east-central Equatorial Pacific.
Global climate La Niña impacts tend to be
opposite those of El Niño impacts. In the
tropics, ocean temperature variations in La
Niña also tend to be opposite those of El Figure 10: Effects of La Niña
Niño.

During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the
 Southeast and cooler than normal in the Northwest.

Go Online: Click the link below to understand more about El Niño and La Niña
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzat16LMtQk (Understanding ENSO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifGOjSTwbM8&t=108s (El Nino/La Nina

Effects of El Niño in World Climate

• Flooding
• Torrential downpours
• Warm weather
• Drought
• Mild winter (northeast regions)
• Fewer hurricanes

Types of Drought

1. Meteorological Drought
• It is defined as the deficiency of precipitation from expected or normal levels
over an extended period of time.
2. Hydrological Drought
• Best define as deficiencies in surface and subsurface water supplies leading to
a lack of water for normal and specific needs.
3. Agricultural Drought
• Usually triggered by meteorological and hydrological droughts, it occurs
when the soil moisture and rainfall are inadequate during the crop growing
season causing extreme crop stress and wilting.

Essential Question: Who declares if there is El Niño?

Answer: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the

United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related
geophysical sciences. It is the United Nation’s authoritative voice on the state and
behavior of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it
produces and the resulting distribution of water resources.

…with the coordination of

PAGASA also gathers information from the US National Oceanic Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) and its funded agencies like the Climate Prediction Center
(CPC). The NOAA, CPC, and the International Research Institute regularly provide
information on the development of ENSO event, we follow their announcement. The US
has observing stations over the Nino region, so they monitor these oceanic areas in real
time.

Effects of La Niña

• Increased rainfall
• Catastrophic flood
• Some areas are drier than normal condition
• Increased commercial fishing
• Damage of agricultural fields/areas

Ways how to prepare during La Niña

1. Check if You are in a High Risk Area

If your property is near a body of water that can overflow or if your area has
experienced flooding in the past then you may be at risk.
2. Clean and Clear
 All gutters and drains need to be cleaned and cleared to ensure that water can
easily drain away.
3. Prevent Blockages
Storm-water drains can easily become blocked with debris during flooding.
4. Fix any weak points
Any cracks or holes where water can enter your property should be fixed and
sealed with water resistant material.
5. Protect Stock
For retailers especially, make sure that any stock or spare items that could be
damaged by flooding are stored out of harms way.
6. Anchor
Items that cannot be stored above water levels and can float or be easily moved
should be anchored down to prevent damage during La Niña.
7. Check Sprinklers
Electric short circuits due to water damage can cause fires on your property or
premises. Ensure that your automatic sprinkler system is in working order and
that all valves and pumps are located above the expected water level.

Activity/Assessment

Performance Task: During El Niño, the main problem of the community is shortage of water
supply. A lot of activities in everyday living depends on water like in a simple household chore
to irrigation and agriculture to some extent. Assume that you are part of the PAGASA’s technical
committee whose job is to manage the supply of water. Propose different tips on how to
conserve water during El Niño. 10 tips of Conserving Water

 Take Shorter Showers

 Recycle Shower Water. Try to put a bucket under the showerhead when you shower to
collect water instead of letting it go down the drain.

 Use the Old Pail and Bucket when using showers to limit the water consumption.
 
 Check your Plumbing for Leaks

 Collect Rainwater
 
 Fill your Sink with Water instead of using the water directly from the faucet when
washing dishes. 

 Shut the Water and Use a Glass when Brushing

 Wash Large Batches of Clothes at a Time

 Use a Pail of Water to Wash your Car instead of using running water from a hose

 Water your Lawn only when Necessary

Performance Task: Propose 10 safety tips in dealing with La Niña. Present your answers in a
graphic organizer. 20 points