Flooding occurs somewhere in the world approximately 10,000 times every day as the consequences of a locale having more water than the local water cycle can process within its physical limits. Floods occur as the result of: extreme levels of , precipitation in thunderstorms, tropical storms, typhoons, hurricanes, and cyclones; in storm surges, and in tsunami wave run up. We continue to operate with a flawed premise: Knowledge from flood disasters, which occur in association with great subduction zone earthquakes in the Pacific and Indian oceans and are very well understood, therefore flood disaster resilience should be accomplished relatively easily by vulnerable countries. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is, floods are not annual events; they are also complex, so most nations, whether impacted or not, usually are slow to adopt and implement policies based on science and recent catastrophic events making flood disaster resilience a very elusive goal to achieve. What have we learned from recent past floods to increase survivability? First of all, the timing of anticipatory actions is vital. People who know: 1) what to expect (e.g., strong ground motion, soil effects, flood wave run up, ground failure), where and when floods have historically happened, and 3) what they should (and should not) do to prepare for them, will survive. Secondly, timely, realistic disaster scenarios save lives. The people who have timely, realistic, advance information that facilitates reduction of vulnerabilities, and hence the risks associated with strong ground shaking, flood wave run up, and ground failure will survive. Thirdly, Emergency preparedness and response. The “Uncontrollable and Unthinkable” events will always hinder the timing of emergency response operations, especially the search and rescue operations that are limited to “the golden 48 hours.” The local community’s capacity for emergency health care (i,e., coping with damaged hospitals and medical facilities, lack of clean drinking water, food, and medicine, and high levels of morbidity and mortality) is vital for survival. And finally, earthquake engineer building save lives. Buildings engineered to withstand the risks from an earthquake’s strong ground shaking and ground failure that cause damage, collapse, and loss of function, is vital for protecting occupants and users from death and injury. Presentation courtesy of Dr. Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction

1. FLOODS PART II. THE GLOBAL
DISASTER LABORATORY MODEL. AN
INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK FOR
GLOBAL DISASTER RESILIENCE

2. FLOODING
• Flooding occurs somewhere in
the world approximately 10,000
times every day as the
consequences of a locale
having more water than the
local water cycle can process
within its physical limits.

3. FLOODS
• Floods occur as the result of:
extreme levels of precipitation
in thunderstorms, tropical
storms, typhoons, hurricanes,
and cyclones; after a storm
surge, and after tsunami wave
run up.

4. LOSS OF FUNCTION OF
STRUCTURES IN FLOODPLAIN
FLOODS
INUNDATION
INTERACTION WITH
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
STRUCTURAL/CONTENTS
DAMAGE FROM WATER
WATER BORNE DISEASES
(HEALTH PROBLEMS)
EROSION AND MUDFLOWS
CONTAMINATION OF GROUND
WATER
CAUSES
OF RISK
FLOOD
DISASTER
LABORATORIES

5. FLOODING ALSO
TRIGGERS LANDSLIDES
THAT CAN ALSO CAUSE A
DISASTER
(see part 9)

6. ONE OF WORLD’S FLOOD MOST
NOTABLE DISASTER
LABORATORIES:
THE YANGTZE RIVER DRAINAGE
BASIN, CHINA
PAST 2,100 YEARS

7. FLOODING: YANGTZE RIVER
• Historical records indicate
that in 2,100 years, between
the early Han Dynasty and
late Qing Dynasty, the
Yangzte flooded 214 times,
an average of once every 10
years.

8. YANGTZE RIVER

9. CHINA’S FLOOD LABOR-
ATORY: THE YANGTZE RIVER
• The Yangtze River, with over 700
tributaries, is the longest river in Asia
and the third longest in the World.
• Its headwaters are situated at an
elevation of 16,000 feet in the Kunlun
Mountains, and its mouth is 3,720 miles
away in the East China Sea, north of
Shanghai.

10. FLOOD DISASTER
LABORATORY:
PAKISTAN
2010

11. ONE-FIFTH OF PAKISTAN
FLOODED: JULY 29

12. HURRICANE DEAN
WAS A FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORY
FROM THE CARIBBEAN TO THE GULF OF
MEXICO
2007
FROM A CATEGORY 2-3 STORM ON 17
AUGUST 2007 TO A CATEGORY 4 STORM ON
18 AUGUST 2007 TO A CATEGORY 5 STORM
ON 20 AUGUST

13. HURRICANE DEAN: CATEGORY
2 STORM ON AUGUST 16

14. PROJECTED STORM TRACK:
AUGUST 17

15. HURRICANE DEAN: A CATEGORY
2-3 STORM ON AUGUST 17
• The eye of hurricane Dean, the first of
the North Atlantic season, passed
between the Caribbean islands: St.
Lucia and Martinique, on Friday,
August 17.
• The two islands, less than 80 km (50
mi) apart were, were struck with storm
surge, heavy rain, and winds of 165 -
200 km per hour (100 - 125 mi per hour).

16. IMPACTS ON MARTINIQUE
• In Martinique, Hurricane Dean flooded many
locales and ripped roofs from houses and
buildings.
• 100 percent of Martinique’s banana crop and 70
percent of the sugar cane crop were destroyed.
• Trees were downed.
• Electrical power was knocked out.
• Airport were closed.
• Tourists in coastal hotels were evacuated.
• $270 million damage to infrastructure

17. FORT DE FRANCE,
MARTINIQUE: WIND AND RAIN

18. FORT DE FRANCE, MARTINIQUE

19. FORT DE FRANCE,
MARTINIQUE:BOAT SINKING

20. FORT DE FRANCE,
MARTINIQUE: FLOODING

21. FORT DE FRANCE,
MARTINIQUE: FLOODING

22. FORT DE FRANCE,
MARTINIQUE: FLOODING

23. JAMAICA: STORM SURGE
DESTROYED HOUSE

24. FLOODING DAMAGE IN
JAMAICA

25. FLOODING DAMAGE IN PORT
AU PRINCE: JAMAICA

26. FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND
DEBRIS IN KINGSTON, JAMAICA

27. FLOODING IN CHETUMAL,
MEXICO ON AUGUST 21

28. FLOODING:BACALAR, MEXICO
ON AUGUST 21

29. LIMONES, MX. MAYAN COMMUNITY,
FLOODED: AUGUST 22-23

30. TYPHOONS KETSANA,
PARMA, AND MIRINAE WERE
FLOOD DISASTER
LABORATORIES IN THE
PHILIPPINES
2007

31. PHILIPPINES HIT BY KETSANA,
PARMA, MIRINAE: SEPT- NOV

32. KETSANA FLOODS QUESON
CITY

33. KETSANA FLOODING IN
PHILIPPINES; SEPT 23-30

34. KETSANA FLOODS CAINTA
RIZAL

35. PARMA FLOODS THE
PHILIPPINES; OCT 9

36. PARMA’S RAIN AND FLOODING
TRIGGERS MUDFLOWS; OCT 12

37. MIRINAE FLOODING: NOV 2

38. TWO OF MANY FLASH
FLOOD DISASTER
LABORATORIES:
ISTHANBUL,TURKEY
2007
SAN BERNARDINO, CA
AUGUST 3, 2014

39. FLASH FLOODS NEAR
ISTHANBUL, TURKEY: SEPT 9

40. FLASH FLOOD DISASTER
LABORATORY: AUG. 3, 2014

41. FLASH FLOOD DISASTER
LABORATORY: AUG. 3, 2014
• After a torrential rain storm on Sunday
in southern California’s San
Bernardino Mountains, flash floods
triggered thick debris flows
• The 5 m (15 ft) debris flows cut off
access to two towns: Oak Glen, and
Forest Falls.

42. FLASH FLOOD TRIGGERS
DEBRIS FLOWS: AUG. 3, 2014

43. THE TSUNAMI WAVE RUN UP
ON AMERICAN SAMOA WAS A
FLOOD DISASTER
LABORATORY
2007

44. AMERICAN SAMOA
TSUNAMI: SEPT 29

45. The M7.7 earthquake generated a
near-source tsunami with 3 m (10 ft)
waves that struck within 5 minutes
after the quake---so quickly that the
regional tsunami warning system
that was improved after the
December 26, 2004 tsunami
disaster, was ineffective..

46. TSUNAMI WAVE RUN UP IN
MENTAWAI ISLAND

47. PAGO PAGO, ANERICAN SAMOA
AFTER THE TSUNAMI; SEPT 29

48. LESSON: THE KNOWLEDGE AND TIMING
OF ANTICIPATORY ACTIONS IS VITAL
• The people who know: 1) what to
expect (e.g., inundation from
extreme precipitation, storm surge,
tsunami wave run up), 2) where and
when impacts will happen, and 3)
what they should (and should not)
do to prepare for them will survive.

49. LESSON: TIMELY, REALISTIC
DISASTER SCENARIOS SAVE LIVES
• The people who have timely,
realistic, advance information that
facilitates reduction of
vulnerabilities, and hence the risks
associated with floods will survive.

50. LESSON: EMERGENCY RESPONSE
SAVES LIVES
• The timing of emergency response
operations, especially the search
and rescue operations that are
limited to “the golden 48 hours,” will
increase the likelihood of survival.

51. LESSON: EMERGENCY MEDICAL
PREPAREDNESS SAVES LIVES
• The local community’s capacity for
emergency health care (i.e., coping
with damaged hospitals and medical
facilities, lack of clean drinking water,
food, and medicine to treat water
borne diseases, and high mor-
bidity/mortality is vital for survival.

52. LESSON: ENGINEERED
INFRASTRUCTURE SAVE LIVES
• Infrastructure engineered to
withstand the risks from floods (e.g.,
inundation, foundation scour,
damage, failure, and loss of
function), is vital for survival.

53. WE CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITH
A FLAWED PREMISE:
KNOWLEDGE FROM FLOOD
DISASTERS, WHICH OCCUR EVERY
DAY SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD IN
ASSOCIATION WITH RAIN, SEVERE
WINDSTORMS, AND TSUNAMIS,
IS ENOUGH TO MAKE ANY NATION
ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO
FACILITATE DISASTER RESILIENCE

54. FACT: GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION IN
THE FLOOD PLAIN OF RIVERS AND
ALONG COASTAL AREAS IS
EXTENSIVE; THE ASSOCIATED
POLITICAL CONTROVERSY CAUSES
MOST NATIONS TO BE SLOW TO
ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES
FOR FLOOD DISASTER RESILIENCE

55. YOUR
COMMUNITY
DATA BASES
AND INFORMATION
HAZARDS:
GROUND SHAKING
GROUND FAILURE
SURFACE FAULTING
TECTONIC DEFORMATION
TSUNAMI RUN UP
AFTERSHOCKS
•MONITORING
•SCENARIO MAPS
•INVENTORY
•VULNERABILITY
•LOCATION
RISK
ACCEPTABLE RISK
UNACCEPTABLE RISK
BOOKS OF
KNOWLEDGE
•PREPAREDNESS
•PROTECTION
•/EARLY WARNING
•EM RESPONSE
•RECOSTRUCTION AND
RECOVERY
FLOODI DISASTER
RESILIENCE

56. PILLARS OF FLOOD DISASTER
RESILIENCE
Anticipatory Preparedness
Adoption and Implementation of urban plans
Realistic Flood Disaster Scenarios
Timely Emergency Response (including
Emergency Medical Services)
Cost-Effective Reconstruction & Recovery

57. THE CHALLENGE:
POLICY CHANGES: CREATE, ADJUST, AND
REALIGN PROGRAMS, PARTNERS AND
PEOPLE UNTIL YOU HAVE CREATED THE
KINDS OF TURNING POINTS NEEDED FOR
MOVING TOWARDS FLOOD DISASTER
RESILIENCE

58. AN UNDER-UTILIZED GLOBAL
STRATEGY
To Create Turning Points for
Flood Disaster Resilience
 USING EDUCATIONAL SURGES CONTAINING
THE PAST AND PRESENT LESSONS TO FOSTER
AND ACCELERATE POLICY CHANGES

59. MOVING TOWARDS THE MUST-
HAPPEN GLOBAL STRATEGY
To Achieve Flood Disaster
Resilience
INTEGRATION OF SCIENTIFIC AND
TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS WITH POLITICAL
SOLUTIONS IN EVERY NATION FOR
REALISTIC POLICIES ON PREPAREDNESS,
PROTECTION, EARLY WARNING, DISASTER
SCENARIOS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE,
RECONSTRUCTION, AND RECOVERY