Landslide Risk Management Quiz

Cold Weather Preparedness

• Keep emergency kit (snow shovels, firewood, clothing)
• Listen to local radio for weather updates
• Stay indoors as much as possible
• Change wet clothing frequently to prevent heat loss
• Use proper ventilation with kerosene heaters or coal ovens to avoid toxic fumes
• Seek a designated public shelter if your home's power or heat fails
• Watch for frostbite symptoms (numbness, pale skin) on extremities
• Protect yourself using warm, layered clothing

Geological Hazards

• Geological hazard: adverse geologic condition causing property/life loss
• Rainfall-induced landslides: Prediction of rainfall is key;
• Consider slope and soil type;
• Additional rainfall worsens soil vulnerability; Satellite mapping is helpful;
• Landslides are a multi-factorial phenomenon
• Landslide factors: steep slopes, weakened slope materials, weakened rocks, overloading

Modes of Landslide Failures

• Falling
• Toppling
• Sliding
• Spreading
• Flowing

Mitigation Strategies for Landslides

• Avoid construction near unstable slopes
• Assess areas using hazard maps
• Know water drainage paths
• Plan emergency evacuation routes
• Prepare survival kits
• Create a family emergency response plan

Sinkholes

• Land subsidence due to processes under the surface
• Investigate geographic properties of land
• Ground weakening leads to structural damage
• Sinkholes caused by dissolution (water dissolving rock) or suffusion (sediments accumulating under cavities)
• Water and carbon dioxide create carbonic acid that dissolves carbonate bedrock
• Heavy rainfall and human activity (mining) exacerbate sinkhole formation

Sinkhole Measures

• Move away from sinkhole areas
• Leave affected homes with survival items
• Mark the area to prevent others from falling in.
• Communicate with experts and insurance companies
• Monitor sinkhole growth and nearby areas
• Avoid throwing debris, to protect groundwater

Hydrometeorological Hazards (Typhoons)

• Typhoons are a primary concern bringing cascading hydrometeorological hazards.
• Necessary understanding of their formation and dynamics.
• Typhoons form near the equator in warm ocean water (27°C).
• Warm air is lifted, creating a layer warmer than the surrounding air.
• Disturbances develop once warm air reaches 5 degrees latitude from the equator.
• Typhoons have 4 life stages: formative, immature, mature, decaying.

Heat Waves

• Period of excessively hot weather
• Can cause crop failure, deaths, power outages
• Heat wave criteria: daily maximum above normal temperatures by 5-9 degrees Celsius.
• Effects include skin cancer, heat stroke, dehydration, and sunburn
• Heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke are some heat related illnesses
• Important preparations for heatwaves include: covering windows, using air conditioning, drinking plenty of water, and checking on vulnerable people.

Cold Waves

• Cold wave: Rapid drop in temperature within a 24-hour period.
• Factors in cold wave severity: 5 degree Celsius deviation from normal for areas with less than 10 degrees.
• Effects of cold waves include damage to pipes, electricity outages, and problems for vulnerable people.
• Important preparations include ensuring your house is well-insulated and having emergency supplies on hand.