The Application Modular Floating Pontoon to Support Floods Disaster Evacuation System in Heavy Populated Residential Area

During floods disaster in the heavy populated residential area, the lack of existing life saving appliances system such as rubber boat and wooden boat were not able to evacuate the disaster victims spontaneously in mass. The condition might be explained since the rubber boat and wooden boat have limited occupant capacity. Based on the conditions, the main objectives of the research are focused on the evaluation of the application of modular floating pontoon as multipurpose floating equipment to support floods disaster evacuation process. The investigation of the modular floating pontoon performance such as hydrostatics characteristics, the equilibrium condition and the intact stability was studied using strip theory and Krylov's method. Furthermore, the strength analysis of the modular floating pontoon structure was calculated using finite element method. The results show that the modular floating pontoon is reliable to support the evacuation process

Unmet Needs for Emergency Organizations During Disaster: Red Cross and Salvation Army Referrals in Texas During Katrina-Rita, 2005

The purpose of this study is to examine unmet needs for key emergency organizations - Red Cross and Salvation Army - in Texas during Katrina and Rita Hurricanes, 2005. Using Texas 2-1-1 data from 8/1/05 - 12/31/05 (N=635,983 calls), referrals to these organizations will be examined by location and disaster phase. This is the first time that "real time" disaster unmet needs of this geographic scope have been examined. The findings will help disaster organizations better understand unmet needs for their services at disaster sites and evacuation destinations. Results show that major metropolitan areas have high volume of need for access to Red Cross. Harris County stands out with three times greater needs for Red Cross support. After adjusting for urban/rural bias, metropolitan counties have expected number of Red Cross needs per 1,000 households. In adjusted findings, there is a striking focus of Red Cross unmet needs to the disaster area, especially Jasper County and surrounding area. For Salvation Army, the highest volume of unmet needs is in largest metropolitan counties as primary evacuation destinations. There is an exception of Lubbock County which had a local initiative for a non-disaster Salvation Army program. When adjusted by population size, disaster area and evacuation destinations have expected levels of unmet needs for Salvation Army. Taylor (Abilene) and Lubbock Counties had high demand for access to Salvation Army for local programs. Less densely populated areas surrounding location of Hurricane Rita landfall were at "high-risk". More densely populated areas are better able to absorb needs of evacuees, while less densely populated communities are "high-risk" for unmet needs. For future disaster management possible recommendations include long-term recovery supplies in less populated areas near disaster sites, distribution of supplies along evacuation routes, and recovery centers located in surrounding communities to help evacuees return home

学校施設の防災機能の向上のために 「避難所となる学校施設の防災機能に関する調査研究」報告書【英訳版】

Chapter 1 Condition of school facilities designated as emergency evacuation site.. ……………1　1. Necessity to enhance disaster prevention capability at school facilities……………1　2. Evacuation sites from a legal standpoint……………………………………………………………3Chapter 2 Current disaster prevention capabilities and conditions of the school facilities designated asevacuation sites………………………………4　1. Past issues regarding disaster prevention capabilities at school facilities during major disasters……………4　(1) Concerns with the safety of the facilities　(2) Concerns about necessary capabilities for evacuation facilities　(3) Concerns about how to operate the evacuation site　(4) Concerns about the prompt restart of educational activities in the schools2. Understanding the current condition of disaster prevention capability of school facilities and equipment ………………11　(1) Summary of the Inquiry survey　(2) Result of the survey on disaster prevention capability at school facilities　(3) Result of the survey on projecting and designing school facilities to support the community by serving as evacuation sitesChapter 3 Measures to enhance the disaster prevention capability at school facilities utilized as evacuation facilities ……………………………17　1. Basic concept ..……………17　2. Specific measures for the enhancement of disaster prevention capabilities at school facilities …18　(1) Ensuring of seismic resisting facilities　(2) Necessary functions and capabilities for an evacuation facility　(3) Establishing operational measures for evacuation facility　(4) Prompt restart of educational activities in the school　3. Promoting measures to enhance disaster prevention capability for school facilities ..………26　(1) Exploitation of various fiscal support systems　(2) Improvement of disaster prevention capabilities simultaneously with either the initial or expanding construction or large-scale rehabilitation　(3) Providing information of exemplary advanced project　(4) Understanding the condition of disaster prevention capabilitiesChapter 4 Example of a project that enhances disaster prevention capability that can also be used as an educational activity………………29　1. Example of a project for enhancing disaster prevention capabilities (Facility) ……………30　2. Example of a project for enhancing disaster prevention capabilities (Operation) …………38References　Part 1　 I School facilities utilized as evacuation sites for the Noto Peninsula Earthquake………43　II School facilities utilized as evacuation sites for the Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake ………………55Part 2 Reference materia

Katrina\u27s Animal Legacy: The PETS Act

This article discusses issues related to the federal Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 (PETS Act), which was signed into law in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Issues discussed in this article include: Various problems concerning animal evacuations and sheltering that Hurricane Katrina brought to light; Provisions of the PETS Act and related laws and policies which were developed in response to the tragedies brought about by Hurricane Katrina; and Strengths and weaknesses of the PETS Act and recommends next steps to improve implementation of the PETS Act