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Types of flood, differentiate each type

MINOR FLOODING

- Inundation may or may not be due to overbanking


- When there is no bank overflow, flooding is simply due to the accumulation
of excessive surface run-off in low lying flat areas
- Floodwaters are usually confined to the flood plain of the river along the
channel, on random low-lying areas and depressions in the terrain
- Floodwater is usually shallow and there may not be a perceptible flow

MAJOR FLOODING

- Flooding is caused by the overflowing of rivers and lakes; by serious breaks


in dikes, levees, dams, and other protective structures; by uncontrollable
releases of impounded water in reservoirs and by the accumulation of
excessive runoff
- Floodwaters cover a wide contiguous area and spread rapidly to adjoining
areas of relatively lower elevation
- Flooding is relatively deep in most parts of the stricken areas
- There is a highly perceptible current as the flood spreads to other areas

2. Cause and effect of flood

Natural

1. Meteorological Events
 an intense and prolonged rainfall spells
 unusually high coastal and estuarine waters due to storm surges,
seiches, etc.

2. Seismic Activities

 tsunamis (seismic sea waves)


 sinking of land due to earthquakes reduces the elevation of land areas
 uplifting of lake and riverbeds from seismic causes sometime results in
the overflowing of these bodies of water

3. Astronomically-Influenced Phenomena

 high tides coinciding with the occurrence of heavy rainfall

Artificial

1. Blasting
 causes landslides in the slopes of hills and mountains which may
result in the unintentional damming of rivers and streams
2. Construction of temporary dams
 produces an impediment to the flow of a river or stream which then
results in an overflow

3.Failure of hydraulic and other control structures

 accidents like the breaking of a dike result in the entry of an


enormous quantity of water in a protected area

4. Mismanagement of hydraulic structures


 may necessitate an untimely and sudden release of large amounts of
excess water

5. Denudation of forest and watershed areas

 alter the ecological system in a river basin will have an impact on the
hydrology of the catchment

3. What are the counter mitigations of flood damage


- A "Flood Advisory" is a warning that states the imminence of a flood
situation. Thus, it also contains suggested necessary actions that may have
to be taken by the residents and the community in the threatened basin, An
advisory is issued when the hydrological situation deteriorates further. It is
also issued when condition is definitely improving but caution is still
necessary.
A "Flood Warning" is issued when a flooding situation is a definite reality at
least 24 hours before actual flooding occurs. This category is maintained in
succeeding bulletins as long as the affected areas are inundated and the
attendant dangers are present. Aside from the forecast, a warning states the
necessary precautionary measures and actions residents as well as the
affected community must take.

Flood bulletins are specifically directed to the public. They are intended to
apprise the people in the threatened area of the present situation and of the
expected development. It suggests the appropriate actions the community
may have to take to prevent or mitigate the disastrous effects of a flood.

As in any kind of disaster, the best countermeasures for flood damage


prevention and mitigation those which are community efforts.

Floods cannot be prevented. To a large extent, however, they can be


controlled effectively. By this is meant keeping the river from overflowing.
There are a number of ways of accomplishing this before and during a flood:

A. Increasing the flow capacity of a river by cleaning the channel of debris,


by dredging, by straightening of channels, etc.;

B. Construction of dikes and levees; and

C. Sandbagging during floods.

Individually and collectively, people in a flood-stricken area must take


precautionary measures to ensure personnel safety and health:

A. People, particularly children, should avoid wading in floodwaters.

B. Where houses are expected to be flooded, people should move to higher


places.

C. Electrically operated appliances should be transferred to upper story of


buildings.

D. When electrical fines and outlets will be submerged in floodwater; power


should be switched off.

E. Flood damage mitigation and protection is a concern not only during the
disaster.

4. What is cascading effect?


- Floods are among the most destructive calamities man has to cope with.
Even the most minor flooding poses some inconveniences. A really big flood
can result in millions even billions of pesos of damages to roads and
bridges, buildings and other economic infrastructure, in the loss of
agricultural crops and livestock, loss of productivity in industry, commerce
and trade. To this is added the incalculable loss of human lives directly
attributable to floods as well as the hardship and attendant socioeconomic
problems of forced human displacement and the emotional impact on those
affected by floods. Aside from the direct damages brought by a flood there
are also those cascading effects which follow in the wake of the calamity.
Among the immediate problems caused by flood are the lack of basic
utilities and essential necessities, particularly, food and potable water.
Flood also disrupts the sanitary regime in a community. This almost always
results in the contamination of the water supply. Thus, in a flood-stricken
area an epidemic of gastro-intestinal diseases frequently breaks out.
Respiratory ailments due to exposure are also quite common.

5. Protective measures when warned of flood


 Watch for rapidly rising flood waters.
 Listen to your radio for emergency instructions.
 If you find it necessary to evacuate, move to a safe area before access is cut
off by flood waters.
 Store drinking water in containers, water service may be interrupted.
 Move household belongings to upper levels.
 Get livestock to higher ground.
 Turn-off electricity at the main switch in the building before evacuating and
also lock your house

6. Protective measures after the flood


 Re-enter the dwellings with caution using flashlights, not lanterns or
torchers. Flammables may be inside.
 Be alert for fire hazards like broken wires.
 Do not eat food and drink water until they have been checked for flood water
contamination. inside.
 Report broken utility lines (electricity, water, gas and telephone) to
appropriate agencies authorities.
 Do not turn on the main switch or use appliances and other equipment until
they have been checked by a competent electrician.
 Consult health authorities for immunization requirements.
 Do not go in disaster areas. Your presence might hamper rescue and other
emergency operations.

7. Things one can do to mitigate flood


 Regulate cutting of trees.
 Report illegal loggers and kaingeniros.
 Report illegal construction of fishponds and other establishments in
waterways,
 Do not throw garbage in esteros and rivers.
 Help clean the neighborhood.
 Support community activities intended to lessen the occurrence of floods.
 Avoid throwing anything like plastic wrappers anywhere which may clog or
block the drainage system.
 Socio-economic impact of flood

8. Flood safety rules before the flood


 Find out how often your location is likely to be flooded.
 Know the flood warning system in your community and be sure your family
knows it.
 Keep informed of daily weather condition.
 Designate an evacuation area for the family and livestock.
 Assign family members' instructions and responsibilities according to an
evacuation plan.
 Keep a stock of food which requires little cooking and refrigeration; electric
power may be interrupted Keep a transistorized radio and flashlight with
spare batteries, emergency cooking equipment, candies, matches
 Store supplies and other household effects above expected flood water level.
Securely anchor weak dwellings and items.

9. Flood safety rules during the flood


 Avoid areas subject to sudden flooding.
 Do not attempt to cross rivers of flowing streams where water is above the
knee.
 Beware of water-covered roads and bridges.
 Avoid unnecessary exposure to the elements.
 Do not go swimming or boating in swollen rivers.
 Eat only well-cooked food. Protect leftovers against contamination.
 Drink clean or preferably boiled water ONLY.

10. Differentiate landslide and mudslide


- In simple terms, a landslide is a massive movement of rock, soil, debris, or
earth material downwards along a hill or slope due to the force of gravity.
The movement may be flowing, spreading, falling, toppling, sliding and so
on. This can be dry debris movement or water saturated (muddy) earth
material. A mudslide (also known as mudflows or mudslides) on the other
hand, is a fast-moving landslide usually along a channel or canal. When
they occur, they may cover a very small area- uphill to downhill or may
travel over several miles from the source. Depending on the volume and
speed, it can wipe out anything in its path such as houses, cars, trees, and
electricity poles. Landslides occur everywhere, although some places are
more prone to it than others.

11. How do landslides form?


- Whenever there is a natural disturbance or instability in a piece of land on
a hill, slope, mountain, or generally upland area, there is a potential of a
landslide. This is because the earth material of the hill or mountain is held
in place by the natural bonding of the material and the gravity acting on it.
This means that, when the earth material loses its bonding, either through
weathering, erosion, or too much water in the bedrock, the weight of the
overlying rock will give way and gravity will pull the earth downhill.
12. Causes of landslides

Landslides are caused by these three main events.

1. Slopes saturated by water:


- Intense rainfall and snowmelt and seepage often leave land surfaces
saturated. Flooding results and water overflowing its channels often wipe
out land surfaces to cause mudflows.

2. Seismic activity:
- Earth tremors, earthquakes and natural seismic activity that cause the
earth to rumble or shake (vibrations) can weaken the bonding of bed rock
and expose the earth to landslides.
 Volcanic activity: Lava fram eruptions has the potential of melting snow
at here high rates. A combination of melted snow, debris, volcanic ash,
and soils flowing rapidly along a slope can result in catastrophic
landslides.
 Geological: Weathered rock, sheared, fissured, or jointed rock material
are known causes of landslides. Contrasting earth material and low
adhesiveness of the rock also cause landslides. This is so because
cohesive rock material often holds itself in place and are less prone to
weathering and movement.
 Morphological: All forms of erosion such as fluvial, water, wave, glacial
along a slope may cause landslides and other types of flows. Deposition
from erosion may also cause buildup of earth material (or debris) at
places which may eventually give way in the form of landslides.
Weathering is also a major cause of landslides. It is a powerful process
of weakening debris and earth material of the surface of the slope.

3. Human:
- Activities such as mining, construction, farming, deforestation, irrigation,
reservoirs and dams, and the like, all contribute to exposing the surface of
the earth and causing landslides. For example, in many mining
communities along slopes, tunnels and deep wells are dug into the ground
and often left unfilled. With time, air and water get in and may result in the
earth giving way. Such activities also expose lands to weathering and
massive erosion which all end up causing some types of landslides.

13. What is flood advisory?


- General Flood Advisory (GFA)) A General Flood Advisory is simplified flood
bulletin issued for non-telemetered river basins whenever there is a
significant amount of rainfall recorded based on past/current observation
and the forecast rainfall from the numerical weather prediction models,
satellite based information and estimates from radar. It is issued to the
public on a regional basis through NDRRMC at 7:00am and 7:00pm.

14.What is telemetered water basin?


- River Basins with fully automatic data transmission equipped with a
telecommunication system.

15.What is flood bulletin?


- Flood forecast issued by the respective river basin centers like Pampanga,
Agno, Bicol, Cagayan and Cagayan De Oro, prepared twice daily during
flood watch. Water level is monitored based on the assessment levels (Alert,
Alarm and Critical) which means 40%, 60% and 100% of the river is full
respectively.

16.Types of landslide
- The types of landslides are usually differentiated by the nature of its
movement and earth material involved. Slides may be translational or
rotational. In a translational slide, the earth mass is largely in place after It
slides downhill on a plane preface. In a rotational slide, the movement of
the earth material is rotational in nature. It is also known as Slump. In a
topple, the earth mass rotates forward about a pivot. The result is usually a
tilt without collapse. It is usually cause by cracks or fracture in the
bedrocks.
 Fall- These are usually influenced by gravity after large rocks or boulders
are detached from their parent rock. They usually fall along steep slopes or
cliffs.
 Flow- Flows come in many types, such as Debris flow, Debris avalanche
 Topple- Mudflow, Creep and Earth flow Debris flow involves the rapid
downhill movement of loose earth material usually with water. Debris
Avalanche is similar to
 Debris Flow- Debris Flow but has a more rapid flow. In an earth flow, the
earth material is finer and is washed away leaving a depression bowl at the
head.
 Creep- Mudslides are made up of fine silt, sand and clay material saturated
with water and flowing very rapidly. Creeps are slower in nature and can be
evident when electric poles and roads bend slightly.
 Torrent- These are a very sporadic discharge of water and debris, often
along low-lying channels between highlands, landslide prone areas.

17.Places and locations prone to landslide

Places and location that may be prone to landslides include the following:

Location: Slopes, the bottom of slopes and canyons are examples of locations
that may be prone to landslides and mudflows, Southern California, for
example, has many steep slopes and weak rocks, making that areas a great
location for landslides. Regions with more seismic activity or earth movements
are also locations that may be prone to landslides. Seismic activity causes
disturbances in the land and breaks up the bedrock. Areas with high rainfall
amounts and slopes are also great conditions for landslides.

Human activity: Human activities such as mining, building, and road


constructions have often exposed the land and slopes to landslides. When roads
are cut through hills, or tunnels are dug, or crops are farmed along slopes,
there is always the risk of landslides and mudflows. Wildfires and deforestation
also make a location prone to landslides.

18.What is the frequency of landslide?


- Anywhere that there has been a mudslide or landslide is an area that is
prone to it. Chances are, it will happen again, because the conditions for it
to happen may still be present.

19.Effects of landslide
- Landslides cause massive destruction in many ways such as:
 Loss of lives: Landslides and mudslides kill between 25 and 50 people
every year in the USA alone. Globally, it is believed that the number of
deaths is highly underestimated. In total, 2,620 fatal landslides were
recorded worldwide during the 2004 and 2010 period of the study,
causing a total of 32,322 recorded fatalities.
 Destruction of property: In 1980, Mount St Helens in Washington USA
erupted and causes a rock debris landslide believed to be the biggest in
history. The landslide traveled about 14 miles, wiping away highway
bridges buildings, and roads. It is known that the amount of debris in
this avalanche can fill 250 million dump trucks.
 Economic costs: Landslides bring huge costs to communities and cities
affected, by clean destroyed Infrastructure. In 2005 it cost the USA $3.5
billion in damage repair.
 Destruction natural environment: Debris flows usually uproot trees
and wipe out vegetation and wildlife in its pat.

20.Enumerate the protective measures before, during and after a landslide

Before a landslide or mudslide

- Be aware of your environment. If you travel or are on vacation somewhere,


look around and make sure you understand where the threat may be. Look
out for slopes and tricky landscapes. Contact your local authorities and tell
them about your observations. When you drive around hills or mountains,
keep your eyes and ears open for signs of debris falling. Plan
communications with your family so that you know where they are and
what you will do in an event of a landslide. Have an emergency kit in a safe
and reliable place? Talk to neighbors and discuss an escape plan. If
possible, evacuate before it happens.

During a landslide

- Landslides and mudslides happen very fast and there may be very little
time to act. Move away quickly from the path of the mudflow or landslide to
another location. Do not try to stay close and take photographs Landslide
debris move from uphill to downhill, therefore, avoid low-lying areas or
valleys. If there is a way to sound an alarm, do so.

Listen and look out for signs of further flows in that area, as the flowing
debris often knock against surrounding slopes and sets off new flows.

After a landslide

- Stay away from the location until the emergency workers and the experts
confirm that it is safe to go back Look out for loose wires, broken utility
lines, and hanging objects, as they may be hazards. Report them to your
rescue officials. Get in touch with emergency officials or listen to the radio
or TV on what to do.

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