1. HISTORIC “1,000 YEAR FLOOD” IN LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI March 12-14, 2016 Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, USA

2. PRELIMINARY REPORTS PRESIDENT OBAMA DECLARES LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI AS A DISASTER ZONE VERY FEW DEATHS SO FAR, BUT 5,000 OR MORE HOMES AND AN OIL FIELD UNDER WATER THOUSANDS EVACUATED; THOU- SANDS NEEDINIG TO BE RESCUED

4. URGENT SANDBAGGING

5. INTERSTATE 59 AND 10 THREATENED

6. LEARNING FROM GLOBAL DISASTER LABORATORIES FLOODS

7. FLOODING Flooding occurs somewhere in the world approximately 10,000 times every year as the consequences of a locale having more water than the local water cycle can process within its physical limits.

8. FLOODS Floods occur as the result of: extreme levels of, precipitation in thunderstorms, tropical storms, typhoons, hurricanes, and cyclones; in storm surges, and in tsunami wave run up.

9. FLOODING CAN TRIGGER LARGE LANDSLIDES, WHICH WILL EXACERBATE THE DISASTER

10. LOSS OF FUNCTION OF STRUCTURES IN FLOODPLAIN FLOODS INUNDATION INTERACTION WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS STRUCTURAL/CONTENTS DAMAGE FROM WATER WATER BORNE DISEASES (HEALTH PROBLEMS) EROSION AND MUDFLOWS CONTAMINATION OF GROUND WATER CAUSES OF RISK FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORIES

11. “FLOOD LABORATORY”:SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH; 1983 Unusual flood waters from the annual Spring runoff were diverted down Main Street

12. MIDWEST USA FLOOD LABORATORY: JUNE-AUGUST 1993 THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN COVERS 1.25 MILLION SQUARE MILES IT COLLECTS WATER FROM 40 PERCENT OF THE UNITED STATES THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN COVERS 1.25 MILLION SQUARE MILES IT COLLECTS WATER FROM 40 PERCENT OF THE UNITED STATES

14. SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS: GREAT FLOOD OF 1993 The Great Flood of 1993 was the most costly and devas- tating flood in modern history in the United States.

15. CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA FLOOD LABORATORY: JUNE 13, 2008

16. INUNDATION

17. INUNDATION: ST LOUIS, MO; JUNE 20, 2008.

18. Inundated towns, cities, homes, schools, businesses, and farms, lost crops and long-term loss of productivity of farm land, loss of function of roads and bridges SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

19. SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS (continued) loss of function of bridges and utility systems Thirty-eight thousand evacuees Regional business interruption loss of tourism

20. SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS (continued) long-term clean-up (removal of debris, sewage, garbage, and 10-million sandbags) Drying out of houses and businesses and their contents, Rebuilding of houses and levees.

21. SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS (continued) Disposal of damaged home systems (e.g., refrigerators), Restoration of water quality in wells and municipal water systems Restoration of functions of schools and universities.

22. SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS (continued) Restoration of millions of acres of prime farm land. Rebuilding of cities such as Cedar Rapids, Iowa (estimates reach at least $1 billion).

23. After weeks of flooding in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Wisconsin, the region faced billions of dollars in losses and a long recovery period. ECONOMIC IMPACTS

24. FLOOD LABORATORY IN CHINA Guangdong, Sichuan,Ghizhou, and Fujian Provinces impacted May 27-June 15, 2008

25. “FLOOD LABORATORY” IN CHINA Guangdong, Sichuan,Ghizhou, and Fujian Provinces impacted JUNE 15, 2008

27. FLOODING IN SOUTHERN CHINA Runoff after several weeks of rain pushed the Xijiang and Beijiang Rivers over their banks in southern China, displacing more than 1.27 million people.

28. FLOODING: GUIZHOU PROVINCE; MAY 27

29. FUJIAN RIVER: JUNE 6

30. FLOODING: GUANGDONG PROVINCE; JUNE 15

31. SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS The impacts: 57 dead, tens of thousands of collapsed homes, damaged crops across more than 2.12 million acres, and $1.5 billion or more in economic losses.

32. NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND MINNESOTA FLOOD LABORATORY MARCH - APRIL 2009

34. REASONS FOR FLOODING: The flooding was triggered by: 1) A long, snowy and icy winter, followed by 2) An earlier than normal, rapid Spring melt and runoff.

37. REMEMBERING RECORD FLOODS IN NORTHWEST ENGLAND (WITH SEVERE FLOOD WARNINGS IN SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND) NOVEMBER 19-21, 2009

38. LOCATION OF CUMBRIA, ENGLAND

39. AERIAL VIEW OF COLLAPSED BRIDGE: CUMBRIA AREA

40. COLLAPSED BRIDGE: CUMBRIA AREA

41. FLOODING: CUMBRIA AREA

43. FLOODING: COCKERMOUTH

44. FLOODING: CUMBRIA AREA

47. RESCUE: CUMBRIA AREA

50. LESSON: THE KNOWLEDGE AND TIMING OF ANTICIPATORY ACTIONS IS VITAL The people who know: 1) what to expect (e.g., inundation from extreme precipitation, storm surge, tsunami wave run up), 2) where and when impacts will happen, and 3) what they should (and should not) do to prepare for them will survive.

51. LESSON: TIMELY, REALISTIC DISASTER SCENARIOS SAVE LIVES The people who have timely, realistic, advance information that facilitates reduction of vulnerabilities, and hence the risks associated with floods will survive.

52. LESSON: EMERGENCY RESPONSE SAVES LIVES The timing of emergency response operations, especially the search and rescue operations that are limited to “the golden 48 hours,” will increase the likelihood of survival.

53. LESSON: EMERGENCY MEDICAL PREPAREDNESS SAVES LIVES The local community’s capacity for emergency health care (i,e., coping with damaged hospitals and medical facilities, lack of clean drinking water, food, and medicine to treat water borne diseases, and high levels of morbidity and mortality) is vital for survival.

54. LESSON: ENGINEERED INFRASTRUCTURE SAVE LIVES Infrastructure engineered to withstand the risks from floods (e.g., damage, failure, and loss of function), is vital for survival.

55. WE CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITH A FLAWED PREMISE: KNOWLEDGE FROM FLOOD DISASTERS, WHICH OCCUR EVERY DAY SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD IN ASSOCIATION WITH RAIN, SEVERE WINDSTORMS, AND TSUNAMIS, IS ENOUGH TO MAKE ANY NATION ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO FACILITATE DISASTER RESILIENCE

56. FACT: GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION IN THE FLOOD PLAIN OF RIVERS AND ALONG COASTAL AREAS IS EXTENSIVE; THE ASSOCIATED POLITICAL CONTROVERSY CAUSES MOST NATIONS TO BE SLOW TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES FOR FLOOD DISASTER RESILIENCE

57. YOURCOMMUNITYYOURCOMMUNITY DATA BASES AND INFORMATION HAZARDS: GROUND SHAKING GROUND FAILURE SURFACE FAULTING TECTONIC DEFORMATION TSUNAMI RUN UP AFTERSHOCKS MONITORING SCENARIO MAPS INVENTORY VULNERABILITY LOCATION RISK ACCEPTABLE RISK UNACCEPTABLE RISK BOOKS OF KNOWLEDGE PREPAREDNESS PROTECTION /EARLY WARNING EM RESPONSE RECOSTRUCTION AND RECOVERY FLOODI DISASTER RESILIENCE FLOODI DISASTER RESILIENCE

58. PILLARS OF FLOOD DISASTER RESILIENCE Anticipatory Preparedness Adoption and Implementation of urban plans Realistic Flood Disaster Scenarios Timely Emergency Response (including Emergency Medical Services) Cost-Effective Reconstruction & Recovery

59. THE CHALLENGE: POLICY CHANGES: CREATE, ADJUST, AND REALIGN PROGRAMS, PARTNERS AND PEOPLE UNTIL YOU HAVE CREATED THE KINDS OF TURNING POINTS NEEDED FOR MOVING TOWARDS FLOOD DISASTER RESILIENCE

60. AN UNDER-UTILIZED GLOBAL STRATEGY To Create Turning Points for Flood Disaster Resilience  USING EDUCATIONAL SURGES CONTAINING THE PAST AND PRESENT LESSONS TO FOSTER AND ACCELERATE POLICY CHANGES

61. MOVING TOWARDS THE MUST- HAPPEN GLOBAL STRATEGY To Achieve Flood Disaster Resilience  INTEGRATION OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS WITH POLITICAL SOLUTIONS IN EVERY NATION FOR REALISTIC POLICIES ON PREPAREDNESS, PROTECTION, EARLY WARNING, DISASTER SCENARIOS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, RECONSTRUCTION, AND RECOVERY