High Tide Situation in Some Islands
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JOINT RAPID ASSESSMENT REPORT ON SEA SWELL AFFECTED AREAS CONDUCTED BY GOVERNMENTGOVERNMENT of the MALDIVESMALDIVES -– UNUN -- IFRCIFRC JOINT RAPID ASSESSME NT REPORT TIDAL SURGE19 May AFFECTED 2007 AREAS 19 May 2007 National Disaster Management Centre Male’ Republic of Maldives 1 FIG-01 MAP OF MALDIVES WITH THE AFFECTED ISLAND HAA ALIFU ATOLL HAA DHAALU ATOLL SH AVI YA N I ATOLL NOONU ATOLL RAA ATOLL LHAVIYANI ATOLL BAA ATOLL KAAFU ATOLL ALIFU ALIFU ATOLL SOUTH MALE’ ATOLL ALIFU DHAALU ATOLL VAAVU ATOLL FAAFU ATOLL MEEMU ATOLL DHAALU ATOLL THAA ATOLL LAAMU ATOLL Madaveli Hoadedhdhoo Nadallaa Rathafandhoo GAAFU ALIIFU ATOLL Fiyoari Fares-Maathoda GAAFU DHAALU ATOLL GAAFU DHAALU ATOLL GN AVI YA N I ATOLL SEENU ATOLL 2 The full report prepared by the Department of Meteorology is available on request from the Department of Meteorology, email: [email protected], or the National Disaster Management Centre. [email protected]. 3 Executive Summary On 15th May, and for four subsequent days, powerful swells hit many islands throughout the Maldives. According to the Department of Meteorology, the swells were generated by waves between 10 - 15 feet from a dissipated polar storm 3,500 miles south west of Maldives (near 50S, off the coast of South Africa). After generation, the waves traveled northeast for a few thousands kilometres and for a few days (the longest wavelengths travel the fastest) across the Indian Ocean. Following appeals from the southern island and atoll authorities in the Maldives archipelago, a Joint Rapid Assessment mission traveled to the most severely affected islands in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll on 19th May. The purpose of the mission was to observe, assess and analyse the damage and the needs of the people, immediate and long-term. Six sectors were assessed: infrastructure, health, water and sanitation, livelihood, environment, and emergency relief needs. However, due to time constraints, not every sector could be covered on each island. The islands visited were Fares-maathoda, Rathafandhoo, Nadalla, Madaveli and Fiyoari. Fortunately there were no fatalities but 1649 people were evacuated from their homes to community facilities, families and friends on the islands in the immediate aftermath. Main Findings • This climatic phenomenon occurs each year throughout the Maldives at this time of year. This year the high tides were higher than usual and the degree of flooding almost unprecedented. While there is no scientific evidence yet that the phenomenon is due to global warming there is evidence to suggest that it might be. • The five islands visited in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll were the most severely affected of all the 88 affected islands on 18 atolls. It was a challenge to obtain correct and consistent information on the disaster and relief measures needed, due in part to fear and sense of helplessness within the communities. 4 • It became immediately apparent that additional and more detailed assessments would be necessary after some time has elapsed for each major sector affected because the initial assessment was not able to observe and assess potential longer- term problems that are likely to stem from the flooding. • Observations on the five islands documented substantial flooding and erosion. Islands located closest to the western barrier reef are the most damaged. Structures on the western side of any given island have been more damaged than those on the eastern side. Erosion is most pronounced on the south west portions of the islands although erosion due to flooding and flooding drain-back is present on the western sides of the islands nearest the reef. Damage to the harbours and quay walls of the islands has also been observed. The maximum inundation measured was in excess of 5 feet on the island of Fares-maathoda and the minimum flooded island visited was about less than a foot. An inundation event coming from the west was reported on three of the islands visited. • Limited numbers of houses were randomly checked as this was a rapid assessment. All basic services have been impacted such as electricity, water and sewerage systems. A more in-depth evaluation of the sewerage systems need to be conducted by experts urgently. The ground water quality assessments show that the water has been contaminated in all the five islands. The total coliform count as well as the faecal coliform count is higher than the reference range of the guidelines. Although sewerage systems are working it is recommended to send expertise to conduct a more in-depth check of conditions and advice more fully if necessary. • A number of houses were observed to have been damaged by flooding. The coral based houses means that not all of the damage is apparent at this stage. Longer term consequences are likely to be structural damage to walls and floors; but more extensive damage caused by infiltration of saline water is likely to have weakened foundations, leading to the need for repair and reconstruction. • Immediate needs are for bedding: mattresses and some household items. 5 • The children and some elderly people were observed to be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. These are more widespread in Fares-maathoda; in Fiyori symptoms were limited to children in the affected households; in Nadalla and Rathafandhoo the children did not display such symptoms overtly. The affected adult population has varied reactions (indecision, anger, sadness) as is normally expected in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Foreign workers, mostly teachers and health workers, in both Fares-maathoda and Fiyoari are undergoing stress. • Socially, the communities’ participation has been good within and between communities. The American Red Cross trained volunteers from the school and many untrained volunteers from the community have been active with the island offices and the police teams in evacuating, putting sand bags, distributing food and water, and community clean up. The neighboring communities such as those from GDh. Gadhdhoo, GA. Nilandhoo and GA. Dhaandoo have been helping the affected communities. The government’s initiative of directing agencies to operate after the Tsunami in these islands, building capacity of the communities to respond to crisis, has been a definite success. 6 • Some schools in Fares-maathoda, Rathafandhoo were flooded. Some of the furniture was observed to be irreparably damaged by the floods. Schools were being cleaned and there was no disruption to children’s schooling. The school compound was flooded in Nadalla but there was only short-lived disruption to schooling. • There was no damage observed to any health infrastructure or disruption of services to the islands. The response of the Health taskforce had been well coordinated with the regional hospitals and the health facilities and the personnel had been actively engaged delivering their services in all the islands. Medication and hygiene supplies were insufficient. The mission carried some with them and other supplies were sent later. • It was evident from the observation from all the islands that livelihoods of the communities in the long term will be affected. The salt water intrusion has damaged crops and trees, visible immediately and it is foreseen that further damage will become apparent in the coming weeks. Home gardens and other means of livelihood such as fish processing are certain to require longer term recovery intervention. In Malé, Logistics and Service support section in NDMC is coordinating all the logistics and transport arrangements to affected islands. A forward coordinating center (FCC) has already been established at the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) at GDh. Kaadhedhoo. A team from MNDF is already operational in the FCC. Recommendations The most urgent need is for clean drinking and household water in most of the islands. Specifically, Fares-maathoda and Nadalla are in urgent need of community tanks that must be filled with clean water by mobile desalination units, from which islanders can draw their needs. A request for additional community tanks (3 for each of the two islands) has been made. Detailed assessments will determine further needs. 7 Other necessary interventions: School-based psychosocial support activities (recreational/psycho-educational/cultural) should be conducted. Psychological information to parents on post traumatic stress should be given. The medication supplies of already existing psychiatric cases needs to be re-checked and supplemented if necessary. Information on post-traumatic stress and self care techniques needs to be given to the adult population. Survey and data collection on cases requiring psychiatric intervention needs to be done after 4 weeks of the disaster. The assessment team foresees the need to conduct more in-depth sector-specific assessments within two to four weeks. This would allow for a better appreciation of longer-term damage to crops and livelihoods, property and people’s – particularly children’s - psychological status. Sector-specific monitoring of the evolution of the situation will be necessary for at least the next six months. The effect of prolonged soaking in salt water by some of the older, coral-built houses will need to be monitored over at least two years. Specifically, more in depth assessment will be necessary to investigate housing and infrastructure construction, vegetative cover, garbage disposal issues to plan for improvements in the interests of the overall realm of island conservation. Island Population Census Current estimated 2006 resident population1