Disaster Readiness and
 Flood
Risk Reduction
Lesson 1: Disaster and Disaster Risk
What is the Ring of Fire?
Circum-Pacific Belt
The Ring of Fire, also referred to as the
Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the
Pacific Ocean characterized by active
volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. The
majority of Earth’s volcanoes and
earthquakes take palace along the Ring of
Fire.
 450 active and dormant volcanoes
 75% of Earth’s volcanoes
 Recorded 99% of the deadliest
earthquakes
What is Disaster?
 Disaster is a sudden calamitous
occurrence that causes great harm injury
and destruction and devastation to life
and property
 It disrupts the usual course of life
causing both physical and emotional
stress
 An intense feeling of helplessness and
hopelessness
Disruption
 There is a break or interruption or
problem in an otherwise normal flow of
life for people or community
Serious Disruption
 Large scale damage
 Widespred
 The affected community don’t have the
ability to manage on their own
Two Elements Are Often At Risk During
Disaster
a. The People
 Injury
 There is a threat to life
 Diseases
 Emotional and mental instability
 Death
b. The Property
 Uncountable damage to property
 Loss of assets
 Social and economic disruptions
 Environmental destruction
Classification of Disaster
Natural Disasters
A natural disaster is a major adverse event
resulting from natural processes of the Earth.
 Hurricanes
 Volcanic Eruptions
 Tornadoes
 Tsunamis
 Earthquake
 Storms
Man-Made Disasters
Man-made disasters are the result of man’s
negligence, errors, or intention.
3 Categories of Man-Made Disasters
1. Technological or Industrial Disasters
 This includes infrastructure collapse,
leaks of hazardous materials,
accidental explosions or utility
failures
 And these happen due to unregulated
industrialization and inadequate
safety standards
2. Transportation Disasters
 This includes crash or collision of
any road, rail, water, aviation and
space transportation resulting to loss
of life and major damage to
properties
3. Social Disasters
 Or disasters induced entirely by
human
 Examples are war and terrorism,
social unrest and any economic
activities that might push people in
the state of need
People Are Displaced from Their Homes
 Lack of personal safety
 Lack of access of adequate basic
needs
Basic Needs affected by disaster:
 Food
 Health Services
 Shelter
 Water
How Does Disaster Risk Come About?
Disaster Risk refers to the potential disaster
losses in lives, health status, livelihoods,
assets and services which could occur in a
community or society over some specified
future time period
Potential Disaster Losses
 Product of possible damage caused by a
hazard
 Combination of the probability of an
event and its negative consequences

Hazard
Hazard is potentially damaging physical
event, phenomenon, or huma activity that
may cause the loss of life or injury, property
damage, social and economic disruption or
environmental damage.
Vulnerability
Vulnerability is defined as the
characteristics and circumstances of a
community, system or resource that make it
susceptible to the damaging effects of a
hazard.
Exposure
Exposure refers to the degree to which a
community is likely to experience hazard
events of different magnitude.
Capacity (In the Context of DRRM)
Capacity is the capability and coping ability
of schools, households, and communities to
manage when disaster hits.
Reduction of the level of vulnerability and
exposure is possible by keeping people and
property as distant as possible from hazards.
Disaster Risk Factors
Disaster Risk Factors are variables that
either worsen or lessen the effects of
hazards, affecting the degree or scope of a
disaster.
1. Physical Factors – tangible objects
infrastructure
 Availability of fire exits
 Sturdiness of the building
 Presence or absence of objects that
can harm you or help you
2. Psychological Factors – include state of
mental capacity and health
 Are we dealing with babies?
 Are we dealing with kids?
 Are we dealing with adults?
3. Socio-Cultural Factors
 Religion
 Social status
 Traditions
 Perception by society
4. Economic Factors
 Assets and liabilities
 Income
 Social and economic class
5. Political Factors
 Government structure
 Diplomatic issues
 Local government units
6. Biological Factors
 Flora and fauna in the environment
 Health issues
 Injuries
 Diseases
NOTE: Disaster is an event that has
happened already
NOTE: Disaster Risk is an event that has
potential to occur
Lesson 2: Risk Factors Underlying
Disasters
Risk Factors
Risk Factors are processes or conditions,
often development-related, that influence the
level of disaster risk by increasing levels of
exposure and vulnerability or reducing
capacity
Risk Factors Underlying Disaster
1. Severity of Exposure
 Make an emergency kit which
measure those who experience
disaster first-hand which has the
highest risk of developing future
mental problems, followed by those
in contact with the victims such as
rescue workers and the lowest risk are
those most distant like those who
have awareness of the disaster only
through news.
2. Gender and Family
 The female gender suffers more
adverse effects. This worsens when
children are present at home.
Marital relationships are placed
under strain.
3. Age
 Adults in the age range of 40-60 are
more stressed after disasters but in
general, children exhibit more stress
after disasters than adults do
4. Economic Status of County
 Evidence indicates that sever mental
problems resulting from disasters
are more prevalent in developing
countries like the Philippines
Factors Which Underlie Disasters
1. Climate Change – can increase disaster
risk in a variety of ways – by altering the
frequency and intensity of hazards events,
affecting vulnerability to hazards, and
changing exposure patterns
2. Environmental Degradation – changes to
the environment can influence the frequency
and intensity of hazards, as well as our
exposure and vulnerability to these hazards
3. Globalized Economic Development – it
results in an increased polarization between
the rich and poor on a global scale.
Currently increasing the exposure of assets
in hazard prone areas, globalized economic
development provides an opportunity to
build resilience if effectively managed
4. Poverty and Inequality – impoverished
people are more likely to live in hazard-
exposed areas and are less able to invest in
risk-reducing measures
5. Poorly Planned and Managed Urban
Development – a new wave of urbanization
is unfolding in hazard-exposed countries and
with it, new opportunities for resilient
investment emerge
6. Weak Governance – weak governance
zones are investment environment in which
public sector actors are unable or unwilling
to assume their roles and responsibilities in
protecting rights, providing basic services
and public services
7. Geographical Location – the Philippines
is one of the most vulnerable countries in the
world to natural disasters. The country’s
location makes it vulnerable to storms that
cause flooding, mudslides, and typhons
Lesson 3: Disasters and Its Effects
What is the Difference Between Hazard
and Disaster?
Hazard – dangerous situation or event that
carries a threat
Disaster – event that harms human and
society
The Human Effect of Natural and Man-
Made Disasters
1. Displaced Populations – are people who
have had to leave their homes as a result of a
natural, technological or deliberate event.
2. Health Risks – aside from the obvious
immediate danger that natural disasters
present, the secondary effect can be just as
damaging.
3. Food Scarcity – the aftermath of natural
disasters affects the food supplies. Thousand
of people around the word are hungry
because of destroyed crops and loss of
agricultural supplies, whether it happens
suddenly in a storm or gradually in a
drought.
4. Emotional Aftershocks – natural disasters
can be particularly traumatic for young
children. Left untreated, children suffering
from PTSD can be prone to lasting
psychological damage and emotional
distress
Ways on How to Plan Ahead of a Disaster
1. Check for hazards at home
2. Identify safe place indoors and outdoors
3. Educate yourself and family members
4. Have disaster kits/supplies on hand
5. Develop on emergency communication
plan
6. Help your community get ready
7. Practice the disaster preparedness cycle
Lesson 4: Disasters from Different
Perspectives
The Different Perspectives of Disaster
1. Physical Perspective
Calamities are phenomena that cause great
physical damage in a community
infrastructure, its people and their properties,
e.g. houses and environmental sources of
living. These cited effects of a disaster can
be easily measured and the most common
Effects of Physical Disasters
 Injuries
 Physical disabilities or illness
 Sanitation
 Damage in infrastructure
2. Psychological Perspective
Disasters are mostly unpredictable, which
leave the victims in a state of shock. They
tend to deny the loss and try to escape from
reality. Being in a denial state makes the
victims more vulnerable to stress, anxiety,
and other different maladaptive reactions
Effects of Psychological Disasters
 distress hopelessness
 intrusion/avoidance
 guilt feeling
 hatred/revenge
 lack of trust
 dependence
 insecurities
 grief/withdrawn
 isolation
3. Socio-Cultural Perspective
Filipinos are generally known as “matiisin”,
resourceful, helpful, optimistic, and
prayerful. The culture of “malalampasan din
natin ‘to.” belief and “bahala na and Diyos”
syndrome give hope to most Filipino in the
midst of a disaster
Effects of Socio-Cultural Disasters
 change in individual roles
 disruption of social relationships and
personal connection
4. Economic Perspective
Disasters affect the economic condition of a
community because they reduce local and
international trade. It can also partially or
totally paralyze a country’s transportation
system, just like what happened in the
COVID19 pandemic. Implementation of a
partial and total shut down of local business
operations result to a lot of people losing
means of living
Effects of Economic Disasters
 loss of life
 unemployment
 loss of property
 loss of household articles
 loss of crops
 loss of public infrastructure
5. Political Perspective
Natural disasters are commonly thought to
be less politically argumentative than armed
conflicts, yet a closer look shows that both
the effects of a natural disaster and the
resulting distribution of humanitarian aid are
profoundly linked to politics
Since agencies of government have a
significant role to play in directing disaster
preparedness, prevention and recovery.
Social systems establish vulnerability to
natural disasters and governments are often
considered to be responsible for the disaster
effects.
Effects of Political Disasters
People who have trust in political institution
will assess the government’s risk
assessments as credible and accept their
hazard policies (Johnson 1999)
6. Biological Perspective
The disturbing effects caused by a prevalent
kind of disease or virus in an epidemic or
pandemic level is known as biological
disaster.
(a) Epidemic Level: Biological disaster
affects large numbers of people within a
given community or area. Ex: Dengue.
(b) Pandemic Level: Biological disaster
affects a much large region, sometime
spanning entire continents or the globe
Effects of Biological Disasters
 loss of lives
 public demobilization
 negative economic effect
 unemployment
 hunger
Lesson 5: Vulnerability
What is Vulnerability?
“The characteristics and circumstances of a
community, system or asset that make it
susceptible to the damaging effects of a
disasters." – UNDRR
Tendency to acquire consequences once a
disaster came
Vulnerability
 It is a state of being at risk.
 With all the identified hazard at home,
there is a possibility that some family
members might be susceptible or prone
to the accident due to the presence of
hazard
RA 10121 also knows as the Philippine
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Act of 2010 define the vulnerability as the
characteristics and circumstances of a
community, system, or resource that make it
susceptible to the damaging effects of a
hazard. Also, a situation specific. A hazard
specific
 Vulnerability is also situation specific.
This means that if a specific province is
prone to earthquake, it does not mean
that all localities on that province is
vulnerable to it
 The vulnerability of different towns or
cities or even provinces differ in the way
they prepare for the hazard and the
amount and type of resources they have
in order to prevent and manage it
 To lessen vulnerability means to make
the community prepared and ready for
the possible damaging effect of the
hazard. This further means that make the
community less vulnerable, it must be
resilient
 So, to develop resiliency at home, you
should first identify the hazards and
prepared all the time for the possible
outcome and respond immediately
Lesson 6: Vulnerabilities in Disaster
Factor Affecting Vulnerability One’s
Community:
1. Population Density Near a Hazard Event
 Population differs from population
density
 Population refers to the number of
individuals inhabiting in a particular
space at the same time. If people are
well distributed, there is lesser effect
of disaster.
 Population density refers to the
number in individual living in an
area in relation to the size of an area.
 The primary consideration is not the
population size but the population
density
2. Capacity and Efficiency to Reduce
Disaster Risk
Community is less vulnerable has the
capacity to reduce disaster risk because;
 it can provide accessibility and
availability of services facilities
during and after disaster.
 it has the ability to anticipate, adapt,
and respond to possible disaster
Lesson 7: Vulnerabilities of Different
Elements Exposed to Hazards
What Is Vulnerability (Kahinaan)?
 The characteristics and circumstances of
a community, system, or asset that make
it susceptible to the damaging effects of
a hazard
 As indicated by UNISDR, “there are
many aspects of vulnerability arising
from various physical, social, economic,
and environmental factors”
 With zero vulnerability, even super
typhoon hitting a highly populated area,
does not translate into a disaster
Reasons Why Certain Sectors of Society
Are More Vulnerable to Disasters Than
Others
A. Demographic factors
 Populaton density
 Age of population
 Distribution of population
B. Socio-Economic factors
 Wealth
 Education
 Nature of society
 Understanding of the area
C. Community Preparedness
 Building codes
 Scientific monitoring and early
warning systems
 Communication networks
 Emergency planning
D. Dealing with after effects
 Insurance cover
 Emergency personnel
 Aid Request
Types of Vulnerability
1. Physical Vulnerability – population
density, remoteness of settlement and
housing
2. Social Vulnerability – inability of people,
organizations and societies to withstand
adverse impacts to hazards due to
characteristics inherent social interactions,
institutions and cultural values
3. Economic Vulnerability – the level of
vulnerability is highly dependent upon the
economic status of individuals, communities
and nations
4. Environmental Vulnerability – natural
resource depletion and resource degradation
Philippine Vulnerabilities to Natural
Disasters
 The Philippines lies in the typhoon belt
(average of 20 typhoons/year)
 Our rugged nature of landscape
(vulnerable to landslide, mudflows, etc.)
 It is an archipelagic country with many
small islands
 Many of our areas are also at/below sea
level (vulnerable to flooding &
inundation)
 One of the longest shorelines in the
world at 32,400km (vulnerable to storm
surges)
 Still a primarily agricultural and fishing
economy
 Poor institutional and social capacity to
manage, respond, and recover from
natural hazard
 High risk in terms of country’s ability to
manage and mitigate the impacts of
natural hazards due to “entrenched
corruption and high levels of poverty”
(Rappler, 2014)
 At risk to volcanic eruptions (active
volcanoes), earthquakes (several fault
lines and floods (denuded mountains)
Lesson 8: Effects of Hazard, Exposure
and Vulnerability to Disaster Risks
Basic Concept of Hazard
 One important key to safety is
understanding a particular incident or
phenomenon that may affect people’s
life
 An ordinary incident or natural
phenomenon may turn into a hazard
once it become active and poses harm or
danger to life property
Definition of Hazards
“Hazards are those elements of physical
environment, harmful to man and caused by
forces extraneous to him.”
(Burton et al., 1978)
Standards Australia (2000) defines a hazard
as: A source of potential harm or situation
with a potential to cause loss
 A harmful condition, substance, human
behavior or condition that can cause loss
of life, injury or other health effects,
harm to property, loss of livelihood and
services, social and economic disruption
or damage to the environment.
 Most hazards are “dormant or potential”,
with only a theoretical risk or harm.
However, once a hazard becomes
“active”, it can create an emergency.
 A hazardous situation that has come to
pass is called an incident
 Hazard and possibility interact together
to create risk
Definition of Exposure
The presence of elements at risk or chance
of being harmed from a natural or man-made
hazard event. Elements include the
individuals, households or communities,
properties, buildings and structures,
agricultural commodities, livelihoods, and
public facilities, infrastructures and
environmental assets present in an area that
are subject to potential damage or even
losses
Definition of Vulnerability
Means the characteristics and circumstances
of a community, system, or asset, that make
it susceptible to the damaging effects of a
hazard and inability of a community to
prevent, mitigate, prepare for and respond to
hazardous events
Definition of Risk
Implies the probability of possible adverse
effects. This results from the interaction of
social and environmental systems, from the
combination of physical danger, and
exposed item vulnerabilities
Definition of Disaster
A serious disruption to the functioning of a
community or society which causes
widespread human, material, economic or
environmental losses that exceed the
capacity of the community or society
concerned to cope with the use of their own
resources. It results from the mix of hazards,
risk conditions and inadequate capability or
measures.
Risk Model
 Risk refers to the possibility or chance of
loss, harm or danger
 Model means a systematic description of
a phenomenon or abstract process
 Risk model is systematic flow or
illustration of the possible harm or
danger may happen within the specific
area
Therefore, the elements at risk are:
1. Those threatened by a harmful event; and
2. Those are within the exposed area
R=HxExV
General Classification of Elements at
Risk
1. Physical Elements – Buildings: urban land
use, construction types, building height,
building age, total floor space, replacement
costs
2. Essential Facilities – Emergency shelters,
schools, hospitals, fire brigades, police
3. Transportation Facilities – Roads, railway,
metro, public transportation systems, harbor
facilities, airport facilities
4. Life Lines – water supply, electricity
supply, gas supply, telecommunications,
mobile telephone network, sewage system
5. Population – density of population,
distribution in space, distribution in time,
age distribution, gender distribution,
handicapped, income distribution
6. Socio-Economic Aspects – organization
of population, governance, community
organization, government support, socio-
economic levels, cultural heritage and
traditions
7. Economic Activities – spatial distribution
of economic activities, input-output table,
dependency, redundancy, unemployment,
economic production in various sectors
8. Environmental Elements – ecosystems,
protected areas, natural parks,
environmentally sensitive areas, forests,
wetlands, aquifers, flora, fauna, biodiversity
Disaster Mitigation Measures
Eliminate or reduce the impacts and risks of
hazards by means of proactive measures
taken before an emergency or disaster takes
place
Mitigation
Is the action of reducing something’s
severity, seriousness or painfulness
Lesson 9: Hazard and Its Types
What is a Hazard?
Hazard is any source of potential damage,
harm, or adverse health effects on something
or someone
3 Classifications of Hazard
1. Natural Hazard
 is an event that arises from natural
processes in the environment
Ex: earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides,
volcanic eruptions and floods
Did you Know?
 According to the PAGASA, more
tropical cyclones (TCs) are entering
the Philippine Area of Responsibility
(PAR) than anywhere else in the
world? With an average of 20 TCs in
this region per year, with about 8 or
9 of them crossing the Philippines.
The peak of the typhoon season is
July through October when nearly
70% of all typhoons develop
2. Quasi-Natural Hazard
 arises through the interaction of natural
processes and human activities.
 from the word "quasi" which means
“partly” or almost.
Ex: pollution, desertification, smog and fog
Did you Know?
 Bangladesh is the most polluted
country in the world according to the
2020 report of IQAir.
 Philippines ranked 70th on the list
3. Technological/Man-Made Hazard
 is caused by human errors or human
activities
Ex: accidental release of chemicals, toxic
and pesticides; nuclear radiations, factory
explosions, fires, and chemical spills
Hazard Signs and Symbols
Hazard Signs and Symbols - are designed to
become recognizable to anyone as a signal
word like "danger" or "warning"
Natural Hazard Signs and Symbols
1. Tsunami – typically located near the sea
where a tsunami might occur after a strong
earthquake
2. Earthquake - signages can be found in
places near fault lines where the damage is
more dangerous.
3. Erupting Volcano - signages can be  Explosives
located near an active volcano. They serve  Self-Reactives
as a precaution for people or visitors that are  Organic Peroxides
near the area.

Other Natural Hazard Signs and Symbols 4. Skull and Crossbones

 Fatal or toxic
 Acute toxicity

Quasi-Natural Hazard Signs and Symbols

1. Aquatic Toxicity – this means that
chemicals or other poisonous substances is
released into the water or body of water
which causes it to be dangerous not only to
marine lives, but also to animals and humans

2. Air Toxicity – this means that fine solid

particles and other dangerous air substances
are spread-out to the air which causes it to
affect or destroy our respiratory systems

Technological/Man-Made Hazard Signs

and Symbols

1. Flame
 Flammable
 Self-Heating
 Emits Flammable
Gas Lesson 10: Hazard: Its Impact,
 Pyrophoric Identification and Risk Assessment
Hazard
2. Health Hazard It is defined as a condition or a set of
 Reproductive circumstances that present a potential for
toxicity harm.
 Respiratory Two Broad Categories:
sensitizer  Health Hazard (Can Cause Occupational
 Target organ Illnesses)
toxicity  Safety Hazard (Can Cause Physical
 Aspiration toxicity Harm or Injuries)
What are the Different Impacts of
Hazards?
3. Exploding Bomb
One way to classify hazard impacts is by
means of general impact themes namely:
 Danger to life which includes physical
and psychological harm and diseases
 Denial of access like energy, water,
communication and transport access
 Damage to the physical environment like
buildings and land
Types of Hazard Impacts
1. Physical Impact
 Physical injuries (bone fracture, wounds,
bruises)
 Destruction and loss of vital
infrastructure like transportation system,
roads, bridges, power lines and
communication lines.
 Wide spread destruction of housing and
buildings
2. Psychological Impact
 Grief and psychological illness
 Marital conflict
 Depression due to loss of loved ones and
properties
 Chronic anxiety
3. Socio-Cultural Impact
 Displacement of population
 Loss of cultural identity
 Forced of adoption of new sets of culture
 Ethnic conflicts
4. Economic Impact
 Loss of job due to displacement
 Loss of harvest and livestock
 Loss of farms, fish cages and other
source of food
 Loss of money and other valuables
5. Environmental Impact
 Loss of forest due to forest fires
 Loss of fresh water due to salination
 Disturbance of biodiversity
 Loss of natural rivers
6. Biological Impact
 Epidemic to people, flora and fauna
 Chronic and permanent illness caused by
biological agents
 Proliferation of different viral disease
Identification of Hazards and Risk
Assessment
Hazard Identification is the process of
determining all physical and nonphysical
agents in the workplace or specific
environment
Risk Assessment is a way to determine
which hazards and risks should be
prioritized by taking into consideration the
probability and severity of impact
Steps in Hazard Identification and Risk
Assessment
1. Identify Hazards
 Observation - use your senses of sight,
hearing, smell and touch - combined
with knowledge and experience.
 Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) -
obtain them from manufacturers and
suppliers. It gives information on
possible harm from hazardous
substances and precautions that need to
be taken.
 Hazard and risk surveys - interview
other people about their safety concerns
as far as the workplace is concerned.
Utmost consideration should be given to
children or visitors who could be at risk.
 Discussion groups - are useful for
identifying hazards and recommending
solutions.
 Safety audits – a committee must be
assigned to periodically check safety in
the area
2. Assess the risk
Once a hazard has been identified, the
likelihood and possible severity of injury or
harm will need to be assessed before
determining the best way to minimize the
risk. High-risk hazards need to be addressed
more urgently than low- risk ones.
3. Make the changes
Once risks are assessed, the next step is to
make decision for some necessary changes.
These changes include removing the hazard
and replacing it with something less
hazardous, engineering modifications like
installation of exhausts, safety barriers and
safety exits, modification of procedures, etc.
4. Checking the changes made
To make sure risk has been minimized, and a
further hazard has not been created, the new
safety measures may need to be carefully
tested before work begins again. It is
essential that these changes made are
monitored and checked. It must be
monitored if the changes done are being
followed consistently and if these changes
contribute to the improvement of safety
management in the workplace
 Lesson 11: Earthquake Hazards and
Risk Reduction Methods
Earthquake Concepts
 An earthquake is the vibration of Earth
produced by the rapid release of energy
within the lithosphere.
 The energy released by an earthquake
travel in all directions from the focus in
the form of seismic waves
 Earthquakes are caused by slippage
along a break in the lithosphere, called a
fault.
Moment-Resisting Frames
 The movement that occurs along faults
during earthquakes is a major factor in
changing Earth’s surface.
 Forces inside Earth slowly deform the
rock that makes up Earth’s crust, causing
rock to bend.
 Elastic rebound is the tendency for the
deformed rock along a fault to spring
back after an earthquake
 An aftershock is an earthquake that
occurs sometime soon after a major
earthquake
 A seismograph is a device used to record
the motion of the ground during an
earthquake What are Earthquake Hazards?
Shear Walls refer to earthquake agents which have the
potential to cause harm to vulnerable targets
which can either be humans, animals or even
your environment
The effects of an earthquake can be
classified as:
Primary - are permanent features an
earthquake can bring out. Examples include
fault scarps, surface ruptures, and offsets of
natural or human-constructed objects
Secondary - happen when ground
movement results to other types of
destruction. Examples include landslides,
tsunami, liquefaction and fire
Horizontal Frames
Four Earthquake Hazards Which are
Considered as Secondary Effects of an
Earthquake:
1. Landslides - Seismic vibration is a
common triggering mechanism for
landslides. Landslides can have particularly
devastating effects like floods, blocking of
rivers, death, and damage to land and natural
resources
2. Tsunami - Is a huge sea wave triggered by
a violent displacement of the ocean floor.
Underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions
or landslides can cause tsunami. As it
approaches a shallow coastline, its speed
decreased, but the height of the tsunami
increases drastically, bringing so much
damage to nearby communities
3. Liquefaction - It is caused by vibration or
saturation with water which causes the soil
to decrease in density. This poses danger for
it leads to unstable structures of buildings
due to ground subsidence
4. Fires – Earthquakes cause fires. Even
moderate ground shaking can break gas and
electrical lines, sever fuel lines, and overturn
stoves
Most Commonly Used Methods of
Reducing Earthquake Risks
a. Effective Recording and Interpretation of
Ground Motion - This can be done by
effective instrumentation in order to
determine the location, strength and
frequency of earthquakes. This assists in
providing alerts and warnings especially to
high-risk or vulnerable areas for preparation
and emergency response.
b. Constructing Seismic Hazard Maps - A
seismic hazard map shows the potential
hazards in a given area. In many regions in
our country, seismic expectancy maps or
hazard maps are now available for planning
purposes
c. Developing Resistant Structures -
Resistant structures are able to withstand
collapse by redistributing forces caused by
seismic waves through shear walls.
Developing engineered structural designs
that are able to resist the forces generated by
seismic waves can be achieved either by
following building codes based on hazard
maps or by appropriate methods of analysis
Lesson 12: Natural Signs of
Impending Tsunami
What are the Natural Signs of an
Impending Tsunami?
1. Feel an Earthquake – Severe ground
shaking from local earthquakes may cause
tsunamis. However, an earthquake may not
be felt if the event is far away
2. See Ocean Water Disappear from Beach,
Bay, River – Water may recede from the
coast, exposing the ocean floor, reefs and
fish before returning as a fast-moving wall
of water (tsunami). This is called
“drawback”. Drawback can exceed hundreds
of meters exposing normally submerged
areas
3. Hear an Unusual Roaring Sound-
abnormal Ocean activity, a wall of water,
and an approaching tsunami can create a
loud “roaring” sound similar to that of a
train or jet aircraft
What Should You Do When a Tsunami
Threatens?
a. Preparations before a tsunami:
 Learn about the risk of a tsunami – some
at-risk communities have maps with
evacuation zones and routes
 Learn the signs of an impending tsunami
– locally-generated tsunami can arrive in
minutes, so it is important to recognize
the natural signs – “shake, drop, and
roar”
 Community evacuation plan – know and
practice community evacuation plans
and map out your routes from coming
from your house, work and other areas
 Educate your family – create a family
emergency plan with all your family
members
b. During the event of a Tsunami:
 protect yourself first from an earthquake
if you are in a tsunami area – do the
Duck, Cover, and Hold. Tsunamis
generated in distant locations will
generally give people enough time to
move to higher ground
 Observe the warning signs and take
prompt action – if there is a warning,
either from the officials or a natural sign,
move immediately to a safe place as high
and as far from the inland as possible
 Do not enter the danger zone – if you are
outside the tsunami hazard zone and a
warning has been issued, stay where you
are unless officials tell you otherwise
 Heed the authorities’ advice – if you are
in school and a tsunami warning has
been issued, follow the advice of
teachers and other school personnel
 Always follow the evacuation
instructions – if you are at home and
hear there is a tsunami warning, you
should make sure your entire family is
 aware of the warning. Move in an
orderly, calm and safe manner to the
evacuation site or to any safe place
outside your evacuation zone
 Do not stay in low-lying coastal areas –
high, multi-story, 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
 Stay away from all low-lying coastal
areas – offshore reefs and shallow areas
may help break the force of tsunami
waves, but large and dangerous waves
can still be threat to coastal residents in
these areas
 Do not return to ports – tsunamis are
imperceptible and can cause rapid
changes in water level and unpredictable
dangerous currents in harbors and ports
 Get in touch with the harbor authority –
contact the harbor authority before
returning to port to verify that conditions
in the harbor are safe for navigation and
berthing
Lesson 13: Effects of Different
Earthquake Hazards
Potential Earthquake Hazards
Ground Shaking
caused by rapid vibration of the ground. It is
produced by passing of seismic waves
beneath the structure that generate sudden
slip on the fault. Ground shaking can
damage, fall or collapse building or structure
resulted by shaking of grounds. Group
Shaking is measured in terms of the
following:
a. velocity
b. acceleration
c. frequency
d. duration
a. Ground Rupture/Ground Displacement –
is deformation on the ground that marks the
intersection of the fault with the earth’s
surface. Ruptures occur along zones of
weakness, such as pre-existing faults or
fractures
Characteristics of Ground Rupture
1. Length – It depends on the
magnitude of an earthquake.
Earthquake with 6.5 magnitudes
and above will result to larger
rupture
2. Width – the deformation along the
length of ground rupture also
largely depends on the type of
faulting
Two types of Ground Ruptures
1. Vertical Displacement – occurs when one
side of the ground goes up or down or both
sides move with one side going up and the
other going down
2. Horizontal Displacement – happens when
there is lateral movement from side to side;
one side goes to left or right or both moves
sideways in different directions
Liquefaction
Is a transformation of the behavior of a body of
sediments or soil form to liquid form. It is a
process caused by water pressure which makes
soil more compact. It decreases the ground’s
ability to support structures
Tsunami
Is a series of waves caused by an earthquake
under the sea. Wave’s height could be greater
than 5 meters. It is also known as tidal waves.
Tsunami can cause flooding, coastal erosion;
drowning of people and damage to properties
Earthquake-Induced Landslide
Is down slope movements of rocks and other
debris commonly triggered by strong shaking. It
may include soil, debris, and/or rocks. It can
cause erosion, burial and blockage of road and
rivers
Earthquake-Induced Ground Subsidence
Is the sinking or settling of the ground surface
due to various causes, such as extraction of
ground water and natural gas, mining and
earthquakes
Interpret Earthquake Hazard Map
What Is A Hazard Map?
 A hazard map is a map that highlights areas
that are affected by or are vulnerable to a
particular hazard.
 They are typically created for natural
hazards, such as earthquakes, volcanoes,
landslides, flooding and tsunamis. Hazard
maps help prevent serious damage and
deaths
 Hazard maps provide important information
to help people understand the risks of natural
hazards and to help mitigate disasters.
Hazard maps indicate the extent of expected
risk areas, and can be combined with
disaster management information such as
evacuation sites, evacuation routes, and so
forth
Seismic Design Categories
Is an indicator of how much attention must
be paid to the seismic design and
construction of a building.
The following table describe the hazard
level associated with each SDC and the
associated levels of shaking:
How to Read and Interpret an
Earthquake Hazard Map?
7 Components of A Map
1. Compass Rose – give you proper direction.
Also called “orientation”
2. Title – it tells what the map is about
3. Symbols – pictures instead of symbols
4. Legend/Key – explains the meaning of
symbols and colour
5. Colour – highlights the important information
to help interpre maps
6. Scale – shows the proportion of map to real
life
7. Grid Reference – intersecting lines to help
locate specific places on the maps. Also called
“border”