HEM 356 M2.6 Scales for Measuring Disasters
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HEM 356 Emergency Management
M2.6 Scales for Measuring Disasters
Due Date: 5 Nov. 2023
In order to understand the relative impact of an event, you need to understand how
hazards and disasters are measured. There is a degree of relativity involved in
making this assessment, so understanding the scales and their meaning is very
important. Discuss these various scales and the identification of trends related to
disasters.
Respond to the following:
What are the general purposes of the disaster scales presented in Chapter
2 of your textbook?
Does research suggest there is an increasing or decreasing trend in
disasters, and specifically the severity of disasters? Support your answer.
Scale is a vital instrument in crisis management aimed at minimizing damage
done to affected communities. These scales are designed with one primary
objective in mind, which is to come up with a shared vocabulary that can be used in
communicating about the extent and seriousness of an incident. It is critical,
especially in cases involving several agencies and stakeholders that take part in the
response endeavor (Phillips et al., 2021). A common language makes
communication between responders easier and helps them work together well.
Lastly, disaster scales can contribute toward decision-making regarding disaster
preparedness and response planning of policies. An analysis of data collected during
old disasters will help policymakers figure out common characteristics of these
situations. These may involve looking for places like hotspots that are most likely to
experience specific kinds of disasters or coming up with new types of responses
that work in tandem with local populations and societies.
Research suggests that the occurrence of such severe natural disasters has
increased over the past few years. These factors include the phenomenon of global
warming, fast-growing population as well as high concentration in urban areas.
Indeed, specifically, climate change is thought to be one of the major contributors
to the growing intensity of catastrophes (
Natural Hazards, 2019)
. Increased heat
and altered weather may come along with a greater occurrence of these natural
disasters like hurricanes, floods, or wildfires. Disasters are becoming more severe,
causing more deaths and damage to property (One|Arch, 2013).
Nevertheless, different effects of natural disasters often depend on other various
things. One can also mention prepared and organized communities that have good
readiness and response plans that might help curtail the damage associated with
disasters. Also, the efficiency of the rehabilitation process helps considerably reduce
the size of the resultant calamity. Therefore, communities and responders should be
proactive regarding preparation for disasters since this will result in a reduction of
their impacts on the affected populations to ensure safety and good health
conditions.
Reference:
Flooding is subject of international conference in July (
2013)
- One|Arch.
Newsarchive.arch.tamu.edu.
https://newsarchive.arch.tamu.edu/news/2013/10/9/flooding-international-
conference/
Natural Hazards
. (2019) Usgs.gov.
https://www.usgs.gov/mission-
areas/natural-hazards
Phillips, B. D., Neal, D. M., & Webb, G. R. (2021). Introduction to Emergency
Management and Disaster Science. Routledge. Introduction to Emergency
Management and Disaster Science
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