This document discusses different types of natural and man-made disasters. It defines a disaster as a sudden misfortune that damages infrastructure and impairs functions. Disasters can be caused by natural hazards like earthquakes, floods and hurricanes, or by human-related incidents like fires, explosions and transportation accidents. The document then outlines various types of natural disasters including earthquakes, cyclones, floods, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, landslides, droughts and famines. It also discusses man-made disasters such as chemical spills, industrial accidents, terrorism, wars, epidemics and radiation exposure.

2.  Disaster caused by nature`s fury is not
uncommon in this planet, earth. In fact, scientist
believe that the birth of this planet Earth was the
result of explosion that occurred in the solar
system. From the immemorial, this planet had
witnessed numerous natural disasters. In the
past, man used to view these natural disasters as
the “acts of god”. Gradually science opened the
doors of knowledge and enabled man to
understand the mysterious occurrence of natural
disaster.

3.  A disaster is a sudden or great misfortune
whereby hospital and/or community facilities are
damaged and functions are impaired. Disaster
may be caused by fire, weather/climate (e. g,.
Earthquake, hurricane, tornado), explosion,
terrorist activity, radiation or chemical spills and
epidemics. Disaster also can be a result of
human error, which includes motor vehicle
crashes, plane crashes, collapsed buildings, or
similar occurrences. Disaster effect both the
young and old.

4.  D : Destruction
 I : Incidents
 S : Sufferings
 A : Administrative failure
 S : Sentiments
 T : Tragedies
 E : Eruption of communicable diseases
 R : Research program and its implementation

5.  TYPES OF DISASTERS :
 Natural disaster:
 Natural disasters, e,g. natural
calamities or climatic hazards, like
earthquake, flood, cyclone, drought,
famine, forest fire, dust storms,
sandstorms, landslides, avalanche,
volcanic eruptions.

6.  This include technical disasters like dam failure,
nuclear accidents, hazardous waste accidents, oil
spills and leakages, industrial accidents and due to
fire, social disasters like mass-migration, riots etc.
 Minor disasters involving approximately 25 victims
 Moderate disasters involving approximately 100
victims
 Major disasters involving more than 100 victims
 Catastrophic disaster when number of injured
patients reaches up to 1000 or more

7.  Water and climate related disaster
 Floods
 Tornadoes
 Cloud burst
 Snow avalanches
 Sea erosion
 Tsunami(Added).

8.  Landslides and mudflows
 Dam failures/ dam burst.
 Chemical and industrial disaster
 Nuclear disaster

9.  Forest fires
 Mine flooding
 Major building collapse
 Festival-related disaster
 Air, road and rail accidents
 Village fire

10.  Biologically disasters and epidemics
 Cattle epidemics.

12. Earthquake:
 An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or
temblor) is the result of a sudden release of
energy in the Earth`s crust that creates seismic
waves. Earthquakes are recorded with a
seismometer, also known as a seismograph. The
moment magnitude (or the related and mostly
imperceptible and magnitude 7 causing serious
damage over large areas. Intensity of shaking is
measured on the modified Mercalli scale.

14.  Most injuries are sustained during
impart and, thus, there is the
greatest need for emergency care
occurring in few hours, when
quality and severity of injuries is
overwhelmed, wealth facilities at
different levels must be adopted.

15.  Before entering a buildings: Observe
the construction of the buildings and
be careful for possible hazards, which
may occur from weak structure.
 When entering a damaged buildings:
Use a helmet, work in pairs, listen for
the possible sounds and keep calling.

16.  While moving inside a damaged
building: Do not ignite fire, keep
close to walls and do not pull
anything protecting out from the
collapsed structures.
 People affected need
psychological support as they
have lost their near and dear ones
and property also.

17.  Cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid
motion rotation in the same direction as the
earth. This is usually characterized by inward
spiralling winds that rotate counter-clockwise in
the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the
Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-
scale cyclonic circulations are centered on the
areas of low atmospheric pressure . The largest
–pressure systems are cold-core polar cyclones
and extratropical cyclones which lie on the
synoptic scale

18.  Warm core cyclones such as tropical
cyclones, mesocyclones, and polar lows lie
within the smaller mesoscale. Subtropical
cyclones are of intermediate size. Upper level
cyclones can exist without the presence of a
low surface, and can pinch off from the base
of the tropical upper tropospheric trough
during the summer months in the northern
hemisphere. Cyclones have also been seen
on other planets outside of the Earth, such as
Mars and Neptune.

20.  Warning should be given through
proper media.
 Research should be sent to safe areas.
 Proper treatment must be done or
injuries.

21.  Water is a forms of all life forms. Without water, no
life is sustainable. But when water is in the form of
floods, it takes away thousands of human and cattle
life. Bangladesh is a riverine country, where recurrent
flooding is both common and necessary. Every year
large areas are submitted during the monsoon season
and fertilized by deposit of fresh aluminium. The soil
is deposited by moving water. However, if water
remains stagnant for too long, these beneficial floods
become a major disaster. Most vulnerable things
which are affected due to floods are homes, buildings,
and huts made from biomass materials like bamboo
leaves.

23.  In floods, fractures, injuries, bruises,
drowning and various infections can occur:
 Tinned cans, barrels, tubes, etc. Must be
used for floating to prevent people from
drowning.
 Food, shelter and medical care facilities are
provided to the people fro drowning.

24.  A volcanic is an opening, or rupture,
in a planet`s surface or crust, which
allows hot magma, ash and gases to
escape from below the surface. The
word `volcano` is derived from the
name of Vulcano island of Silicy,
which, in turn, was named after
Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.

26.  A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire that occurs in the
countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such
as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, grass fire, hill fire,
peat fire, vegetation fire, and wildland fire may be
used to describe the same phenomenon depending
on the type of vegetation being burned. A wildfire
differs from other fires by its extensive size, the
speed at which it can spread out from its original
source, and its ability to change direction
unexpectedly and to jump gasp, such as roads, rivers
and fire breaks. Wildfires are characterized in terms
of the cause of ignition, their physical properties such
as speed of propagation, the combustible material
present, and the effect of weather on the fire

28.  These include wide range of ground movements
such as risk falls, deep failure of slopes and
shallow debris flows which can occur in
offshores, coastal and onshore environment.
The main causes are ground water pressure
acting to destabilize the slope, loss or absence
of vertical vegetative structure, soil nutrients
and erosion of toe of a slope by river or ocean
waves.

30.  Avoid landslide prone area
 Rescue team should be sent to
clear the roads
 Protect trapped people

31.  A drought is an extended period of
months of years when a region notes
deficiency in its water supply.

33.  A famine is a wide spread scarcity of
food that may apply to any faunal
species. This phenomenon is usually
accompanied by regional malnutrition,
starvation, epidemic and increased
mortality.

36.  Chemical emergency occurs when a
hazardous chemical has been released
and the release has potential for
harming people`s health

38.  Emission of radiation from radioactive
materials, for example, reactors,
radioactive substances (uranium) and
medical supplies(radium)

39.  Bioterrorism is terrorism by international
release or dissemination of biological
agents(bacteria, viruses or toxins); these may
be in a naturally-occurring or in a human-
modified form.

41.  A global disease outbreak.
 Influenza virus causes various
illnesses.
 Spread is from person to person.

42.  In all wars, the group experiencing the need to
dominate other groups are unable and unwilling to
accept or permit the possibility of a relationship of
fundamental equality to exist between the groups
who have opted for group violence( war ). The
aspect of domination that is a precipitating factor
in all wars, i. e. One group wishing to dominate
another, is also often a precipitating factor in
individual one-on-one violence outside of the
context of war, i.e. one individual wishing to
dominate another.

43.  Terrorism refers to only to those violent acts
which are intended to create fear(terror),are
perpetrated for an ideological goal (as
opposed to a lone attack), and deliberately
target or disregard the safety of non-
combatants. The word terrorism is politically
and emotionally charged and this greatly
compounds the difficulty of providing a
precise definition.

44.  By distinguishing terrorists from other types of
criminals and terrorism from other forms of
crime, we come to appreciate that terrorism is:
 Ineluctably political in aims and motives
 Violent or, equally important, threatens violence.
 Designed to have far-reaching psychological
repercussion beyond the immediate victim or
target.
 Conducted by an organization with an identifiable
chain of command or conspiratorial cell structure
 Perpetrated by a sub national group or non state
entity.

45.  Prevention of occurrence of the disaster must
be done to prevent not only the consequences
but also the occurrence of fire, explosion
crashes and sudden chemical and radiation
exposure.
 These include tighter regulation of chemical
plants and other hazardous facilities and
insistence that the chemicals plants may be
built away from the densely populated area.

46.  Appropriate engineering and
technological measures like building
codes, dam design containment of
toxic materials.
 Protection against human errors.
 The world has turned towards efforts
to stop arms race and prevent nuclear
war.

47.  Falling of buildings
 Earthquakes
 Floods
 Hurricanes
 Bomb blasts
 Tsunami
 Automobile accidents
 Epidemic outbreaks of diseases
 Draughts, etc.

48. These include:
 Bacteria and viruses that produce
contamination or infection after the primary
agent has caused injury or destruction.
 For example: A hurricane with rising water
can cause flooding and high winds. These are
primary agents.
 The secondary agents would include
damaged buildings and bacteria or viruses
that thrive as a result of the disaster.

49.  Age
 Immunization schedule
 Degree mobility
 Emotional stability

51.  Weather conditions, the
availability of the food, time when
the disaster occurs, the
availability of the water and the
functioning of utilities such as
electricity and telephone services.

52.  Influencing disaster outcome
includes leakage of stored
chemicals into the air, soil,
ground water or food supplies.

53.  These are those that occur or increase as a
result of contamination of water, improper
waste disposal, insect or rodent
proliferation, improper food storage or lack
of refrigeration due to interrupted electrical
services.
 Bioterrorism: Release of viruses, bacteria or
other agents caused by illness or death.

54.  These are those that contribute to the
individual social support systems.
Loss of family members, changes in
roles and the questioning of religious
beliefs are social factors to be
examined after a disaster

55.  Psychological factors are closely
related to agents, hosts, and
environmental conditions. The
nature and severity of the disaster
affect the psychological distress
experienced by the victims.

56.  Direct:
 It is different according to the geographical
area as well as type of disaster, e.g. direct
impact of flood will be different from the
direct impact of earthquake

57.  All natural disasters have more or less the
same indirect impact, i.e. loss of life, loss of
shelter, disruption of water and food and
communication, epidemics and psychological
illness.

59.  Some disasters give warning of
their approach. In this, certain
precautionary measures are
undertaken to handle the disaster
situation efficiently and
effectively.

60.  This is critical decision-making priod
when one`s activity is directed
towards the survival action.

61.  When disaster strikes, people may at
first be stunned. Then they begin to
realize the magnitude of the effects of
disaster such as injury, death
destruction etc.

62.  During this phase, one tries to find
out what has actually happened to
him. Victim may exhibit fear, anger,
sorrow, depression, anxiety and other
emotions.

63.  During this period the victim help
each other to cope and begin to help
with the rescue provide comfort to
others and to re-establish shelter and
other needs.

64.  The morale of victim usually picks up
during this period as they work
together with rescue personnel to get
the community back to its feet. This
phases is the longest post disaster
period when reconstruction takes
place.

65.  In this phase, the individual regain the
stability that they enjoyed prior to the
disaster. The time required for a
community to reach the state of
equilibrium depends upon the nature
and intensity of disaster and disaster
relief available

66.  The eight principles of disaster management
include:
 Preventing the occurrence
 Minimizing the number of casualties
 Preventing further casualties
 Rescuing the injured
 Providing first-aid
 Evacuating the injured
 Providing the definitive care
 Facilitating reconstruction/recovery

67.  Disaster response
 Disaster preparedness
 Disaster mitigation

68.  These three aspects of disaster management correspond
to different phases in the so-called “disaster cycle” as
shown in below:
 Disaster impact
 Mitigation
 Preparedness
 Reconstruction
 Rehabilitation
 Response

70. Ministries responsible for various categories of disasters
Disaster Nodal ministry
Natural disaster management (
other than drought)
Ministry of home affairs
Drought relief Ministry of agriculture
Air accidents Ministry of civil aviation
Railway accidents Ministry of railways
Chemical disasters Ministry of environment and
forest
Biological Disasters Ministry of health
Nuclear disasters Department of atomic energy

71.  The goal of disaster management is the
safety and sustainability of human lives.
 Safety is related to avoiding death and
injuries to human lives during a disaster.
 Sustainability is related to livelihood,
socioeconomic, cultural, environmental
and psychological aspects.

72.  For preparedness of disaster, a prompt,
collective, coordinated relief effort, in
which people and materials are proper
utilized.
 It is important to know the resources,
like District collector is responsible for
coordinating all disaster relief efforts. It
is important for community
representatives to seek the assistance
from Collector`s office staff.

73.  Coordination with NGO`s and voluntary agencies is
also required
 Self help is very important and must be relied upon to
maximum level.
 The provider should work along with others at all
stages of disaster. The provider`s role include :
 Acting as an advocate for populations who are
particularly vulnerable.

 Working as a disseminator of awareness and training,
i,e, Improving disaster preparedness through IEC(
Information, Education and Communication)
 Being a frontline responder, should the disaster strike
 Rendering first-aid and providing medical aids as a
nurse.

74.  Disaster mapping
 Help village leaders prepare a disaster
preparedness plan
 Help the community organize IEC
effort and train a voluntary village
disaster preparedness term
 Help in arranging medical and
emergency supplies

75.  The adaptation of professional
nursing knowledge, skills and attitude
in recognized and meeting the
nursing and medical needs of disaster
victims.

76.  D - Disseminate information on the prevention
and control of environmental hazards
 I - Interpret health laws and regulations
 S - Serve your self of self-survival
 A - Accept directions and take orders from an
organized authority
 S - Serve the best of the MOST
 T - Teach the meaning of warning signals
 E - Exercise leadership
 R - Refer to appropriate agencies

77.  DEALING WITH STRESS
 ESTABLISHING, AUTHORITY,COMMUNICATION
& TRANSPORTATION
 WARNING AND EVACUATING
 IMMEDIATE TREATMENT AND SUPPORT
 CARE OF BODIES AND NOTIFICATION OF
FAMILIES

80.  Triage means is the process of
determining the priority of
patient`s treatment based on
the severity of their ondition

84.  A disaster scene is one of the most challenging
environments in which the nurses have to practice.
There are other challenges such as hazardous
environment, miscommunication, lack of medical/
rescue equipment, lack of proper leadership,
inappropriate patient care and improved use of
personnel. These challenges can be met by
establishing the following three goals:
 To assure the safety of personnel
 To organize an effective disaster system
 To deliver appropriate patient care.

85. The emergency department nurse`s incharge is
responsible for the following::
 Making sure as many nursing personnel as possible
report for duty
 Assigning them to specific areas/rooms
 Instructing volunteers and ancillary personnel
 Providing breaks or periods of rest for triage nurse and
those working in resuscitation and minor treatment
areas
 Communicating the need for additional personnel to
whoever concerned
 Periodic checking of supplies

86.  The equipment should be sufficient at least for 50
victims and the things should be replaced after use
 When information of disaster is received, trolleys
should be arranged at the emergency gate to
receive the patients
 Extra servants should be posted at the gate to
transfer the patients to emergency

87.  Information should be sent to all concerned
personnel for supply of extra equipment
 Extra staff should be posted to emergency from
other areas
 Disaster cupboard should be kept open and
needed equipment should be checked
 Triage at the entry of the emergency according
to the condition of the patient

88.  The disaster preparedness program must be identify
each possible disaster and explain how to recognize
it; when it shall actually becomes a threat; and who is
to do what, when and how.
 Members of the team should come from all ranks of
the facility personnel
 A team should be formed to handle each and every
disaster that comes up as opposed to a separate team
for each type of disaster. Since most hospital facilities
are open 24 hours a day, three team should be
formed—one team for 8 hours shift

89.  Each should have some related knowledge and/or
experience in the various potential emergency
situations
 The members of the team would be fully trained to
handle all emergencies and would receive
additional compensation on an hourly basis to be
added to their base wages
 Education in emergency procedures, as in basic
safety, should start with the employee`s handbook
 Small and yet easily seen paste-on signs giving the
emergency telephone number should be attached
to every telephone

90.  To protect life by shelter program
 To save life and protect property
 To sustain survivals and repair essential activities (
food, water, sanitation, barial housing and
emergency)
 To achieve emergency operational capabilities by
assessing damage, providing emergency
treatment, training and education tests and
exercises)

91.  Short- term bewilderments in decision, fear
during impact phase
 Non ability of a disaster manual
 Insufficient medical/ nonmedical staff
 Less time foe clerical work
 Compliance with the disaster plan
 Communication difficulties
 Shortage of supplies and equipments

92.  Shock and anxiety among staff
 Worries about their own family
 Mode of arrivals of casualties
 Time limitation for documentation and charting
 Disruption of normal communication
 Influx of staff and unfamiliar situation
 Sudden increased demand of supplies and
equipment
 Lack of identification of victims

93.  Sensitive to the problem
 Understanding in nature
 Caring
 Emotional stability
 Supporting
 Strictness in responsibilities
 Leadership ability
 Teamwork efficiency ( technical skill and
judgement skill)