REMEMBERING NINE OF THE WORST NATURAL DISASTERS (in terms of casualties) Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, USA Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, USA

DECEMBER 2004 EARTH- QUAKE/TSUNAMI: INDONESIA DEATH TOLL ESTIMATED AT 280,000.

THE GREAT SUMATRA EARTHQUAKE-INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI DISASTER DECEMBER 26, 2004 (A Sunday morning)

TSUNAMI TRAVERSES INDIAN OCEANI: 26 DECEMBER 2004

ABOUT ½ HOUR FOR TSUNAMI WAVES TO REACH BANDA ACHE; LONGER FOR OTHER LOCATIONS

THE FACTS THE TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED BY A SHALLOW, M 9.3 EARTHQUAKE LOCATED 260 KM (155 MI) FROM BANDA ACEH, SUMATRA

THE FACTS THE TSUNAMI WAVES HAD HEIGHTS OF 4 TO 10 M AND RUNUP OF 3.3 KM OR MORE ON THE COAST LINES OF 12 NATIONS

VITAL TECHNOLOGIES MISSING REAL-TIME MONITORING AND WARNING SYSTEMS WERE LACKING OR INEFFECTIVE

THE FACTS THE EXISTING TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM WAS LACKING OR INEFFECTIVE. RESULT: LITTLE OR NO VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL EVACUATION.

THE FACTS (Continued) AN ESTIMATED 280,000 PEOPLE WERE KILLED (120,000 IN INDONESIA) IN 12 COUNTRIES BORDERING THE INDIAN OCEAN

THE FACTS (Continued) THE MOST URGENT IMMEDIATE NEED WAS FOR FOOD, WATER, AND HEALTH CARE SERVICES. DISEASES APPROACHING AN EPIDEMIC, “A DISASTER AFTER THE DISASTER,” DID NOT HAPPEN.

DIMENSIONS OF THE TSUNAMI DISASTER MILLIONS DISPLACED AND HOMELESS LOSSES IN $ BILLIONS INTERNATIONAL DONORS CONTRIBUTED OVER $ 1 BILLION IN EFFORT COORDINATED BY THE UN, USA, INDIA, AUSTRALIA, & JAPAN.

TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM FOR INDIAN OCEAN REGION UNESCO, IN COOPERATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZTIONS, TOOK THE LEAD FOR DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING AN INPROVED TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION.

Fast Forward to 2015 GLOBAL GOAL: Implementing the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction From WCDRR

THE GLOBAL DISASTER LABORATORY MODEL AN INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK FOR GLOBAL TSUNAMI DISASTER RESILIENCE

THE FRAMEWORK: A COMPREHENSIVE, INTER- DISCIPLINARY DIALOGUE ON GLOBAL DISASTERS AND DISASTER RESILIENCE

THE GLOBAL GOAL FROM A VULNERABLE COMMUNTY TO A TSUNAMI DISASTER TO A TSUNAMI DISASTER RESILIENT COMMUNITY THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF “THE BEST POLICIES AND BEST PRACTICES” FOR DISASTER RESILIENCE

Tsunamis Are Associated with Subduction Zone Earthquakes M 7 or larger earthquakes that occur in oceanic subduction zones can cause:  Tsunamis

A TSUNAMI WAVE CAN REACH 10 M OR MORE IN HEIGHT A TSUNAMI WAVE CAN REACH 10 M OR MORE IN HEIGHT

TSUNAMI HAZARDS (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS) HIGH-VELOCITY, LONG-PERIOD WATER WAVES WAVE RUNUP FLOODING WAVE RETREAT SHORELINE EROSION

HIGH VELOCITY IMPACT OF INCOMING WAVES TSUNAMIS INLAND DISTANCE OF WAVE RUNUP VERTICAL HEIGHT OF WAVE RUNUP INADEQUATE RESISTANCE OF BUILDINGS FLOODING INADEQUATE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL EVACUATION PROXIMITY TO SOURCE OF TSUNAMI CAUSES OF DAMAGE “DISASTER LABORATORIES”

KNOWING WHERE, WHEN, AND WHY A TSUNAMI OCCURS IS A VITAL PART OF THE ART AND SCIENCE OF INTELLIGENT EVACUATION.

STATE-OF-ART MONITORING – TECHNOLOGIES AND WARNING SYSTEMS ARE ALSO VITAL.

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

AMERICAN SAMOA TSUNAMI: SEPT 29

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..

TSUNAMI WAVE RUN UP IN MENTAWAI ISLAND TSUNAMI WAVE RUN UP IN MENTAWAI ISLAND

PAGO PAGO, ANERICAN SAMOA AFTER THE TSUNAMI; SEPT 29

M9.0 TOHOKU EARTHQUAKE/TSUNAMI IMPACTS JAPAN WITH THE TSUNAMI WAVES REACHING PACIFIC RIM COUNTRIES 4TH LARGEST QUAKE EVER 3 – 40 M TSUNAMI WAVES 2:46 pm MARCH 11, 2011

Natural Phenomena that Cause Disasters Planet Earth’s Convergent Plate Motion Caused:  A M9 Subduction Zone Earthquake Offshore Japan

THE RESULT OF PLATE TECTONICS

OFFSHORE EPICENTER It took seconds for the P-and S- waves to reach Sendai, and minutes for the tsunami waves..

SUMMARY OF SOCIETAL IMPACTS Ground shaking lasted 300 seconds (compared with about seconds for the 1994 Northridge, CA or the 1995 Kobe, Japan quakes). Hundreds of aftershocks, many in the M6+ range and comparable in size with the damaging 1971 San Fernando CA quake, followed the main shock.

SUMMARY OF SOCIETAL IMPACTS The tsunami following within about 15 minutes, changing coast lines by almost 2 m and inundating land that will probably never be used again. The earthquake ground shaking and the tsunami wave run up together caused major damage in northern Japan. Simultaneously, wide spread fires burned out of control.

SUMMARY OF SOCIETAL IMPACTS The nuclear power plants in the region shut down automatically; an immediate evacuation of tens of thousands in km radii from the plant followed. Radiation levels were 1,000 times normal levels at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility.

SUMMARY OF SOCIETAL IMPACTS Four and one-half million left without electricity. One and one-half million without water. Metro, trains, and airport shut down.

FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR FACILITY HAD 3 FAILURES

SUMMARY OF SOCIETAL IMPACTS Four million left without electricity. Metro, trains, and airport shut down.

PASSENGERS STRANDED: SENDAI STATION

THE TSUNAMIGENIC SOURCE: 130 KM (80 MI) OFFSHORE The tsunami slammed the east coast of Japan, sweeping away boats, cars, homes and people, then racing across the Pacific at kph (500 to 800 mph) to arrive 5-7 hours later in Alaska and Hawaii and other parts of the West Coast of the USA, and 18 hours later along the coast of South America.

TSUNAMI WAVE PATH

TSUNAMI WAVES:NATON MYIAGI PREFECTURE

OARAI INUNDATED BY TSUNAMI

TSUNAMI WAVES: COAST OF NORTHERN JAPAN

TRASH FROM THE MARCH 2011 JAPANESE TSUNAMI UNEXPECTED CONSEQUENCES

1 1/3 YEAR AFTER THE MARCH 11, 2011 EARTHQUAKE- TSUNAMI DISASTER IN JAPAN THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO GROW

TSUNAMI TRASH DUMP IN JAPAN : MARCH 11, 2012

TRASH FROM MARCH 11, 2011 JAPANESE TSUNAMI : (US NAVY PHOTO)

WHAT HAPPENED? Immediately after the tsunami waves dissipated, heavy items sank to the ocean floor close to shore, But, at least 1.5m tons of debris were carried off by currents and began making the 4,500-mile journey across the Pacific

TSUNAMI DEBRIS REACHING HAWAII

A 70 FT FLOATING DOCK REACHES OREGON: JUNE 6

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

LESSON: TIMELY, REALISTIC DISASTER SCENARIOS SAVE LIVES The people who have timely, realistic, advance information that facilitates vertical and horizontal evacuation, and hence the risks associated with tsunamis, will survive.

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

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.

FACT: GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION ALONG COASTS SUSCEPTIBLE TO TSUNAMIS IS BOOMING; THE ASSOCIATED POLITICAL-ECONOMIC TENSION CAUSES MOST NATIONS TO BE SLOW TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES FOR TSUNAMI DISASTER RESILIENCE

YOURCOMMUNITYYOURCOMMUNITY 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 TSUNAMI DISASTER RESILIENCE TSUNAMI DISASTER RESILIENCE

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

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 TSUNAMI DISASTER RESILIENCE

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 THAT FOCUS ON BEST PRACTICES

MOVING TOWARDS THE MUST- HAPPEN GLOBAL STRATEGY To Achieve Tsunami 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