Natural Hazards and Disaster Management

Biography

Biography: Sudha S Arlikatti

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: The floods of 2017 in South Asian countries including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Phillipines and Indonesia are evidence that flood hazards are a serious threat to millions worldwide, claiming approximately 20,000 lives annually. Specifically, expanding our understanding of flash flood warning systems is extremely important because these are unexpected events and increasing due to the climate change phenomena. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: This study used variables from the Protective Action Decision Model to guide data collection about 316 survivors’ immediate responses to the 2013 flash floods in the hilly State of Uttarakhand in North India. Findings: Results show that official warnings from the police or government agencies and the media were nonexistent in the first days of the disaster. Over half the respondents were at home and their first source of warning were environmental cues like hours of heavy incessant rains, hearing the violent sounds and seeing the river flowing with debris; followed by watching their neighbors and friends evacuate. Less than a sixth of the respondents received face-to-face warnings from other villagers and a few received text messages from family members in the highlands. Surprisingly, very few villagers were injured or lost family members. A majority of the fatalities were tourists from outside the State, there on a pilgrimage. Conclusions and significance: Despite lack of prior flash flood hazard experience, heavy damage to homes and villages, and no official warning messages with details of what to do-- evacuate uphill or downhill, shelter in place, basic survival items to carry and how much of it, information on availability of relief aid services etc., an overwhelming majority evacuated within the first four hours of receiving cues and survived. While most warning and risk communication literature focuses on what government agencies can and need to do, this study demonstrates that community members' traditional knowledge of the terrain, understanding of environmental cues and integration into improvised peer warning networks determined their immediate behavioral responses and ultimate survival and recovery. Recommendations are made on how to integrate these informal networks into government initiated early warning systems.