Activities :

List to collect information regarding Early Warning System practised for the following :

i. Cyclone at coastal district through radio, T.V and other information Technologies.

ii. Flood Warning

iii. Tsunami warning

(iv) Industrial areas

(i) A cyclone is the large scale air mass that rotates around a strong centre of low atmospheric pressure. The cyclone is characterized by inward spiralling winds that rotate about a zone of low pressure.

An early warning system that can be done before the occurrence of the cyclone

• Consider the building safe room

• Prepare with disaster supplies such as flashlights and extra batteries, candles, first aid kit, emergency dry fruits and drinking water etc.

• Clear loose and clogged rain gutters

• Preferably fit shutters, or at least metal screens, to all glass areas.

• Check that walls, eaves and roofs of the home are well secure.

• Check with your local council body that your home is built to cyclone standards.

• Keep a list of emergency phone numbers provided TV and radio channels.

• Ensure the members in the home which is the strongest part of the house.

When cyclone strikes

• Disconnect all electrical appliances. Listen to your battery radio for updates.

• Stay inside the shelter and in the strongest part of the home or building.

• If the building starts to break up start cover yourself with mattresses, rugs or blankets under a strong table or hold onto a solid fixture.

• If you are driving, stop – but be well away from the sea and clear the trees, power lines and streams. Stay in the vehicle.

After cyclone

• Don’t go outside until officially advised it is safe.

• Check for gas leaks. Don’t use electrical appliances if it is wet

• Listen to local radio for official warning and advice

• Beware of damaged power lines, bridges, buildings, trees and don’t enter flood waters

• Don’t make unnecessary telephone calls

• If you have to evacuate or did so earlier, don't return until it is advised. Use the recommended route and don't rush

(ii) A flood is an overflow of water on land which is usually dry. Sometimes a water resource (river, lake or pond) gets flushed with too much water. Unusually heavy rain sometimes causes floods. When there is too much water, it may overflow beyond its normal limits. This water then spreads over land, flooding it. Extreme flooding can also be caused by a tsunami or a large storm that causes a storm surge. Floods that happen quickly are called flash floods.

When a flood is imminent

• Listen to designated radio/TV emergency alert systems for emergency instructions.

• Secure/bring in outdoor furniture or other items that might float away and become a potential hazard.

• Move valuable items and papers/documents to upper floors.

During a flood

• Seek higher ground. Do not wait for instructions.

• Be aware of flash flood areas such as canals, streams, drainage channels.

• Be ready to evacuate.

• If instructed, turn off utilities at main switches and unplug appliances - do not touch electrical equipment if wet.

• If you must leave your home, do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet. Use a stick to test depth.

• Do not try to drive over a flooded road. If your car stalls, abandon it immediately and seek an alternate route.

After a flood

• Stay away from flood water - do not attempt to swim, walk or drive through the area

• Be aware of areas where water has receded. Roadways may have weakened and could collapse.

• Avoid downed power lines and muddy waters where power lines may have fallen.

• Do not drink tap water until advised by the Health Unit that the water is safe to drink.

• Once flood waters have receded you must not live in your home until the water supply has been declared safe for use, all flood-contaminated rooms have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, adequate toilet facilities are available, all electrical appliances and heating/cooling systems have been inspected, food, utensils and dishes have been examined, cleaned or disposed of, and floor drains and sumps have been cleaned and disinfected.

(iii) A tsunami, also known as a seismic sea wave, is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.

The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) established at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Sciences, (INCOIS - ESSO) Hyderabad, autonomous body under Ministry of Earth Sciences, is being upgraded continuously to provide tsunami advisories for the events occurring in the global oceans, though it has been recognized as one of the best systems in the world. The ITEWC encompasses a real-time seismic monitoring network of 17 broadband seismic stations to detect tsunamigenic earthquakes, a network of real-time sea-level sensors with 4 Bottom Pressure Recorders (BPR) in the open ocean and 25 tide gauge stations at different coastal locations monitor tsunamis and a 24 X 7 operational tsunami warning centre to provide timely advisories to vulnerable community. It also receives earthquake data from all other global networks to detect earthquakes of M>6.5. The state-of-the-art early warning centre at INCOIS - ESSO is operational since October 15, 2007, with all the necessary computational and communication infrastructure that enables reception of real-time data from seismic & sea-level sensors, analysis of the data, tsunami modeling, and dissemination of tsunami advisories guided by a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

A host of all available communication technology options have been employed for timely dissemination of advisories to various designated authorities to deal with effective emergency response actions as appropriate. The centre is capable of detecting tsunamigenic earthquakes occurring in the whole of Indian Ocean region as well as in the Global Oceans within 10 minutes of their occurrence and disseminates the advisories to the concerned authorities within 20 minutes through various modes of communication like email, fax, SMS, GTS and website. ITEWC also acts as one of the Regional Tsunami advisory Service Provider (RTSP) along with Australia & Indonesia for the Indian Ocean region. Currently, there are 1800 coastal forecast points covering coastal areas of the entire Indian Ocean region. The necessary actions have been initiated to upgrade the same for covering other coastal regions.

iv. Most industries and factories use harmful substances in their production which, when transported, stored and processed, may endanger human health and life. Experience from all over the world suggests that despite stringent regulations and great care in performing such activities, there is still a certain level of risk of leakage of such substances and environmental pollution. Therefore, the presence of harmful materials must be monitored continuously and all effective safety measures adopted after they exceed the legally permissible concentrations.

A minimum of two potentially dangerous concentration levels of hazardous substances are usually distinguished and monitored:

• Increased concentrations – the interval of concentrations of hazardous substances exceeding the standard values not yet endangering human health.

• Emergency concentrations – the interval of concentrations of hazardous substances exceeding the legally permissible values and seriously endangering human health.

The number of specific concentration levels of hazardous substances to be monitored can be even higher. It is given by the relevant laws, standards, or internal company regulations, and it also depends on types of hazardous material.