Disasters
:Presented By
Assist.Prof.Dr. Eman Ali
Sheha
Assistant professor of
Family & Community Health
Nursing
Faculty of Nursing-
Damietta University
2024-2025
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO’S)
Define the disaster and disaster victims.
Identify the classification of disasters.
List the effect of disaster.
Identify the factors contributing to disasters.
Determine the characteristic of disasters.
Differentiate between the phase of disaster.
Discuss the disaster management and aims.
Differentiate between the disaster management stages.
Illustrate the impact of disaster in the community.
Explain the role of community health nurse.
Introduction
A disaster is a serious problem occurring over a short or
long period of time.
Disaster are crises that causes widespread human,
material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds
the ability of the affected community or society to
prevent or control.
Developing countries suffer the greatest costs when a
disaster hits.
Definition of Disaster
Is any natural or man-made event that causes a level of destruction or
emotional trauma exceeding the abilities of those affected to respond
without community assistance.
Casualties can be classified as a direct victim, indirect victim.
N.B. Some disasters e.g. a house fire, may affect only a few persons, while
others e.g. a hurricane, can impact thousands.
Types of Disaster Victims
• A direct victim: is an individual who is immediately affected by the
event. e.g floods, bomb, fire. These people may:
- Dead - Health adverse effects
- Have physical injuries. - Loss of shelter and food.
- Psychological injuries. - Forced to leave their homes (displaced).
• Indirect victim: may be a family member or friend of the victim or a
first responder.
A special categories of direct victims
• Displaced person: are those that have to evacuate their home, school, or
business as result of a disaster.
• Refugee: are a group of people who have fled their home or even their
country as a result of famine, drought, natural disaster, war, or civil unrest.
Classification of Disasters
• Natural disaster.
• Man-made disasters.
• Man-made disasters. • Natural disaster.
Terrorism Avalanches
Explosions. bombings Drought. wildfires
Fires Earthquakes
Toxic or hazardous spills Floods
Mass transit accidents Hurricanes
Pollution Volcanic eruptions
wars
Effect of Disaster
Cause major problem on health of population.
Hinder socioeconomic development of notion through
drainage of its financial resources to repair damage.
Collaboration of health system & public health to act
in disaster situation.
Costly in term of live loss, injury, economic loss and
psychological stress.
Factors Contributing to Disasters
1- Host factors: -
The host is a human being experience the disaster.
Host factors that contribute to the likelihood of experiencing disaster as
age, general health, mobility, psychological & socioeconomic factors.
2- Agent factors: -
(Causative agent of disaster): The agent is natural or technologic element
causing the disaster.
3- Environmental factors: -
That could potentially contribute to or mitigate a disaster: -
Community level of preparedness.
Presence of industries that produce chemicals or radiation.
Average amount of snow fall or rainfall.
Presence of flood prone rivers
Characteristic of Disasters
Characteristics have been used to describe disasters :
1. Frequency .
2. Predictability.
3. Preventability .
4. Imminence.
5. Scope and number of casualties.
6. Intensity .
Frequency
Refers to how often a disaster occurs.
Some disasters occurs relatively often in certain parts of the
world.
• For example : terrorist activities
Predictability
Relates to the ability to tell when and if a disaster event will
occur.
Some disasters can be predictable such as floods, hurricanes.
Some disasters may not be predictable at all such as fires,
industrial explosions .
Preventability
Refers to action taken to avoid a disaster.
Some disaster : hurricanes and earthquakes are not preventable,
whereas others can be easily controlled …. For example:
Flooding can be controlled or prevented through construction of
dams .
Imminence
Imminence the speed of onset an impending disaster, and relates
to the extent of forewarning possible and the anticipated duration
of the incident.
Weather forecasters can tell when a hurricane may be developing.
Some disastrous incidents such as wildfire, explosion, and
terrorist attacks have no warning time .
Scope and Number of Casualties
The scope of a disaster indicates the range of its
effect.
The scope is described in terms of the geographical
area involved and in terms of the number of
individuals affected, injured, or killed.
From a health care perspective, the location, type,
and timing of the types of injuries and illnesses that
might occur.
Intensity
Intensity is the characteristic describing the level of
destruction and devastation of the disaster event .
Phase of Disaster
1- Pre impact: -
Before disaster includes periods of threats and warning.
May not occur at all disasters.
2- Impact phase: -
During and immediately after disaster.
Assessment of the extent of losses.
Identification of remaining resources.
Planning for use of resources rescuer victims.
3- Post impact phase: -
Remedy and recovery period and may last for years.
4- Rehabilitation:
Restoration of pre-disaster condition.
Disaster Management
Is a process of effectively preparing for and responding to
disasters.
It involves strategically organizing resources to lessen the
harm that disasters cause.
Aims of Disaster Management
Reduce, or avoid the potential losses from hazards.
Assure appropriate assistance to victims of disaster.
Achieve rapid and effective recovery.
Disaster Management Stages
1- Prevention Phase (Mitigation)
The first stage of disaster management occurs before a disaster occurs
• The preventive measures includes:
1. Identify community risk factors.
2. Educate public about probabilities & kinds of potential disaster & develop
safety regulations.
3. Develop programs to prevent disaster from occurring.
4. Program or strategies to mitigate the effect of disaster that can not be
prevented as earthquakes, volcano, ...
• Communication with public is essential in controlling the spread of cases
and in reducing costs .
2- Preparedness Phase
• This phase includes planning, training, and educational
activities for events that cannot be mitigated
• This phase includes plans for: -
1. Communication, evacuation, rescuer & victim care.
2. Plan for acquisition of equipment, supplies, medicine,
food, clean water, blanket, shelter.
3. Putting alarm system.
4. Training emergency personnel.
N.B. Disaster preparedness occurs locally, regionally, and
nationally.
3-Response Phase
Begin immediately after the onset of disaster event
& plan implement immediately to minimize injuries.
Activities in this phase: -
Rescuer, transportation and treatment of victims at
local hospitals.
Recovery, identification, refrigeration of bodies so
notification of families.
Supportive can including food, water, shelter for
victims and relief workers.
Notification to relatives.
4- Recovery Phase
The recovery stage begins when the danger from the
disaster has passed and helping victims through :
Repair, rebuild or relocate damaged homes, and
business.
Restore health and economic vitality to the
community.
Psychological recovery for victims and relief
workers.
Impact of Disaster in the Community
Individual impact
• The impact can often be felt physically, mentally and emotionally.
• Natural disasters cause destruction of property, loss of financial
resources, and personal injury or illness.
After experiencing a natural disaster, many individuals develop severe
post-traumatic stress disorders or withdraw into states of depression.
Community impact
• Many local communities lose
• Loss of economic resources
• Recovery becomes difficult, if not almost impossible
Role of Community Health Nurse
1- Primary prevention:
Community awareness and preparation.
Every person is prepared physically & emotionally and knows what to do, where to
go at home, work, school in community.
Provision of program to reduce hazards and monitor for risks factors.
2- Secondary prevention:
Provide immediate and effective response.
Provide early detection and treatment through search, rescue, and triage of
victims and assessment of the destruction and devastation of the
area involved.
3- Tertiary prevention: -
Is focuses on recovery and the rehabilitation after the disaster
happened of the community.
Reduce degree of disability.
Refer for rehabilitation services.
