Introduction to Emergency Response

Introduction to emergency response 1
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Introduction to emergency response 2
Introduction to emergency response
Disaster concept involves unplanned activities which are likely to happen. Different
events qualify to be in disaster categories when they are calamitous and cause serious disruption
of community functionality. Disaster concept arises when events cause either human, material or
environmental losses whereby the communities of societies are unable to cope with the damage
caused (In Alani, In Tawfik, In Saeed, & In Anya, 2018). Although calamities are attributed to
natural calamities, they can also result from human origins. The concept of calamity is able to
combine the vulnerability of hazards and the inability to reduce the negative impacts of the
events. Therefore, in absence of incapability of handling the negative impacts, the disaster
concept will not exist.
Earthquakes are known to cause one of the major catastrophic disasters. The earthquakes
result from shaking of the earth, which comes from sudden release of energy from the earth’s
lithosphere and thus creating seismic waves. The earthquakes have different adverse
consequences which include loss of lives, properties, economic and social disruption among
others. The case study under consideration in this case is the Messina earthquake and tsunami
which was able to claim more than 200,000 lives in 1908. It was clear that the city was unable to
cope with the adverse consequences of the event happening. During the earthquake disaster,
about 91% of the structures in Messina destroyed. The surrounding regions were as well able to
experience key damages of the properties. The earthquake shook the ground for about 40 second
and the impact of the disaster was experienced at a radius of 300 kilometers (Pino, Piatanesi,
Valensise, Boschi, 2009). Vulnerability of hazards was clearly evident in this case. The tsunami
was able to increase the damage sweeping through the coastline. About half of the population in
Messina was lost and great buildings were destroyed even which had withstood previous