DISASTER NURSING (MIDTERM)

Disasters region. The Flint Water Crisis exposed over

Serious disruptions to the functioning of a community 100,000 people to lead in the USA. Many
that exceed its capacity to cope using its own resources. children experienced brain damage as a result.
Disasters can be caused by natural, man-made and
technological hazards, as well as various factors that 4. Transport Disasters
influence the exposure and vulnerability of a community. Transport disasters include air, rail, road, and
water vehicle accidents. These accidents are
Types of Disasters often too small to be considered disasters.
1. Natural disasters However, there have been many situations
2. Man-made disasters  where transport accidents led to mass fatalities.
3. Hybrid disasters Often, these accidents are a byproduct of a
natural disaster, such as foggy conditions or icy
Natural Disasters roads.
1. Geophysical (e.g. Earthquakes, Landslides,
Tsunamis and Volcanic Activity) 5. Mining Accidents
2. Hydrological (e.g. Avalanches and Floods) While mining has gotten safer, accidents still
3. Climatological (e.g. Extreme Temperatures, occur. Miners may get trapped in collapsed
Drought and Wildfires) mining tunnels, poisonous gas leaks, dust
4. Meteorological (e.g. Cyclones and Storms/Wave explosions, and many other dangers.
Surges) The largest non-nuclear explosion disaster
occurred recently. In 2020, improperly stored
Man-Made Disasters nitrate stored exploded at the Port of Beirut.
Man-made disasters can be intentional or accidental, but More than 200 people died, and 6,000 people
they are always caused by human actions or neglect. were injured.

6. Nuclear and Radiation Accidents

1. Technological Disasters: Examples include industrial The Chernobyl accident is considered the worst
accidents like chemical spills, transportation nuclear disaster in history. An explosion and fire
accidents, and mining accidents. occurred due to poorly-trained staff using unsafe
2. Social Disasters: Examples include warfare, practices. Massive amounts of radioactive
genocide, civil unrest, hyperinflation, and terrorism. material were released into the air.
3. Environmental Disasters: Examples include Approximately 350,000 people had to be
deforestation and climate change. resettled, and the entire area contained.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Grid Failure
1. Chemical Spill People can be left without power for heating,
The Bhopal disaster in 1984 is considered the cooling, or life-saving medical devices when the
worst chemical spill in history. Forty-five tons of grid fails. Road accidents are also more likely on
the chemical methyl isocyanate leaked from an dark streets without working traffic signals. The
insecticide plant owned by Union Carbide. 2021 Texas grid outage is one of the recent
Thousands of people were killed immediately largest and most notorious grid failures.
from exposure to the gas, and panic ensued as However, large-scale grid outages are commo
people attempted to flee. An estimated 15,000 to
20,000 people died and many more suffered 8.Oil spills
long-term health complications. Oil spills don’t usually cause direct human death
but can have a massive environmental toll.
2. Structural Collapse The largest accidental oil spill in history is the
Outside of the developing world, structural 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
collapse disasters are rare. However, they still Approximately 134 million gallons of oil were
do happen. The recent collapse of the Surfside released and coated the Gulf Coast.
Condominium in Florida shows that these However, the largest oil spill was not an
disasters can and do occur: 98 people died accident. In 1990, during their retreat from
when the 12-story tower collapsed. Kuwait, Saddam Hussein ordered Iraqi troops to
release oil into Kuwait’s Sea Island terminal. It’s
3. Drinking Water Contamination estimated that 380 to 520 million gallons of oil
The most significant case of drinking water were intentionally spilled.
contamination occurred in Bangladesh. The
water sources were contaminated with arsenic, 9. Warfare
poisoning upwards of 100 million people in the
 DISASTER NURSING (MIDTERM)

In the history of the United States, there have warfare for resources. Climate change also
only been 15 years during which the country intensifies natural disasters like drought,
was not at war. Since WWII ended (the war to wildfires, and hurricanes.
“end all wars”), there have been at least 285 16. Deforestation
armed conflicts. Deforestation is not always considered a
disaster in its own right. However, deforestation
10. Genocide can cause other disasters like landslides,
The UN defines genocide as “acts committed mudslides, and flooding. Deforestation also
with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a causes habitat loss and increases global
national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” warming.
Some of the most recent genocides include:
o Rohingya genocide 17. Pollution
o Yazidis genocide by ISIS Pollution isn’t usually considered a natural
o Darfur genocide disaster but has a very high death toll. Some
o Effacer le tableau in the Democratic reports say pollution kills more people yearly
Republic of the Congo than war, natural disasters, and hunger.
Pollution also has a massive economic cost.
11. Civil Unrest
Civil unrest disasters can include riots, strikes,
and acts of mass disobedience. Throughout US Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Risk
history, there have been many incidences of civil Management
unrest, including many which resulted in The policy objective of anticipating and reducing risk is
massive property damage and death. The 1991 called disaster risk reduction (DRR). Although often used
LA riots were one of the worst in US history: 53 interchangeably with DRR, disaster risk management
people were killed, and thousands were injured. (DRM) can be thought of as the implementation of DRR,
since it describes the actions that aim to achieve the
12. Hyperinflation objective of reducing risk.
Hyperinflation occurs when people lose faith in
their currency, and it loses value. During the Disaster risk is an indicator of poor development, so
hyperinflation in Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the reducing disaster risk requires integrating DRR policy
currency lost value so quickly that people used and DRM practice into sustainable development goals.
their worthless money as wallpaper.

13. Terrorism Disaster Risk Reduction

Terrorism has many definitions but is generally  The reduction and management of condition of
used to instill fear in the population. There are hazards, exposure and vulnerability that can
many forms of terrorism. These include: prevent losses and alleviate the impacts of
o Mass shootings disasters.
o Bioterrorism  Identifying and reducing the underlying drivers of
o Hostage-taking risk, which are particularly related to poor
o Hijacking economic and urban development choices and
o Bomb attacks practice, degradation of the environment,
poverty and inequality and climate change which
o Cyberattacks
create and exacerbate conditions of hazard,
o Biological weapons exposure and vulnerability.
 Addressing these underlying risk drivers will
14. Panic, Overcrowding, and Stampedes reduce disaster risk, lessen the impacts of
The combination of panic and overcrowding can climate change and, consequently, maintain the
lead to stampedes. Numerous stampede events sustainability of development.
have risen to the status of man-made disasters.
 Is an integral part of sustainable development,
For example, 100 people died in the Station
involves every part of society, government, non-
nightclub in Rhode Island when a fire broke out,
governmental organizations and the professional
and people rushed to leave the building.
and private sector.
 Requires a people-centred and multi-sector
15. Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect
approach, building resilience to multiple,
Climate change is considered the “biggest
cascading and interacting hazards and creating
threat” to modern humanity. If climate change
a culture of prevention and resilience
goals are not met, researchers predict the
widespread displacement of people, famine, and
Disaster Risk Management
 DISASTER NURSING (MIDTERM)

 Avoids the construction of new risks  the formulation of the National Disaster Risk
 Address pre-existing risks  Management Framework.
 Share and spread risk to prevent disaster losses  Covers the formulation, development and
being absorbed by other development outcomes implementation of the National Disaster Risk
and creating additional poverty Management Plan (NDRMP) 
 Includes disaster preparedness and response  A master plan that will provide the strategies,
activities. organization, tasks of concerned agencies and
 Integrated within development planning and local government units, and other guidelines in
practice dealing with disasters or emergencies. 
 Approaches need to address the different layers  A coherent, integrated, efficient, and responsive
of risk (from intensive to extensive risk), disaster risk management at all levels.
underlying risk drivers, as well as be tailored to  Promotes the development of capacities in
local contexts disaster management at the individual,
 No ‘one-size fits all’ approach to DRM, but there organization, and institutional levels. 
exist a number of approaches and frameworks  Calls for the mainstreaming of disaster risk
reduction in physical and land-use planning,
Activities in Disaster Risk and Management budget, infrastructure, education, health,
environment, housing, and other sectors.
1. Prevention  Recognizes local risk patterns and trends and
Activities and measures to avoid existing and new decentralization of resources and
disaster risks (often less costly than disaster relief and responsibilities.
response). For instance, relocating exposed people and  Encourages the participation of NGOs, private
assets away from a hazard area. sectors, community-based organizations, and
community members in disaster management. 
2. Mitigation  It inhibits the full participation of the Local
The lessening or limitation of the adverse impacts of Government Units (LGUs) and communities in
hazards and related disasters. For instance, constructing governance. 
flood defences, planting trees to stabilize slopes and  'Response-oriented' or 'reactive.' Evidenced by
implementing strict land use and building construction the widespread emphasis on post-disaster relief
codes. and short-term preparedness, such as
forecasting and evacuation, rather than on
3. Transfer mitigation and post- disaster support for
The process of formally or informally shifting the financial economic recovery.
consequences of particular risks from one party to  The Act mandates the establishment of a
another whereby a household, community, enterprise or Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
state authority will obtain resources from the other party Office (DRRMO) in every province, city and
after a disaster occurs, in exchange for ongoing or municipality, and a Barangay Disaster Risk
compensatory social or financial benefits provided to that Reduction and Management Committee
other party. For instance, insurance. (BDRRMC) in every barangay.
 Provides for the calamity fund to be used in
4. Preparedness support of disaster risk reduction or mitigation,
The knowledge and capacities of governments, prevention, and preparedness activities for the
professional response and recovery organizations, potential occurrence of disasters and not just for
communities and individuals to effectively anticipate, response, relief, and rehabilitation efforts.
respond to, and recover from the impacts of likely,
imminent or current hazard events or conditions. For
instance, installing early warning systems, identifying
evacuation routes and preparing emergency supplies.

RA 10121:  Disaster Risk Reduction and

Management in the Philippines
 A shift in the policy environment and the way the
country deals with disasters from mere response
to preparedness. 
 Provides a comprehensive, all-hazard, multi-
sectoral, inter-agency, and community-based
approach to disaster risk management through