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Disaster Management and Response

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Disaster Management and Response DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND RESPONSE: A LIFELINES STUDY FOR THE QUEENSTOWN LAKES DISTRICT A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Hazard and Disaster Management in the University of Canterbury by Hamish D. Keith University of Canterbury 2008 ABSTRACT The Queenstown Lakes District is vulnerable to a number of natural hazards. These include earthquakes, mass movements, meteorological hazards and flooding. Many of the hazards that threaten the district have the potential to cause loss of life or injury and all of them have the potential to cause severe damage to homes, businesses and other infrastructure. Infrastructure and services that support life and business in the community, and that are used everyday are known as lifelines. Lifelines are generally taken for granted but are directly associated with the quality of life that we live. Lifelines include electricity, telecommunication, water supply, wastewater removal, transportation and emergency services. Following a major disaster the need for safe, effective and timely restoration of these lifeline systems is critical. This project analyses the vulnerability of lifelines with respect to natural hazards with the aim that it can be used to ensure that when a disaster occurs appropriate and efficient action is taken to minimise the impact. This thesis also attempts to raise awareness and understanding of the hazards that threaten the Queenstown Lakes District as well as emphasise the importance of lifelines and what‟s involved in their management. This will hopefully help readers understand the likely impacts of a disaster so that when one occurs they will not be completely caught unaware. This thesis will also hopefully entice the reader to better prepare for a disaster. Scenarios of each hazard were created based upon current scientific understanding and are used to illustrate more clearly the priorities that need to be addressed during the response and recovery phases of a disaster. - ii - TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. II TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................... III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. VII CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 8 1.1 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................. 8 1.2 DISASTER MANAGEMENT ....................................................................................................................... 10 1.3 LIFELINE STUDIES .................................................................................................................................... 11 1.4 PROJECT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................... 12 1.5 PROJECT METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................... 12 1.6 THESIS FORMAT ........................................................................................................................................ 14 CHAPTER TWO REGIONAL SETTING ........................................................................... 15 2.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 15 2.1.1 LAKE WAKATIPU .................................................................................................................................... 16 2.1.2 LAKE WANAKA AND HAWEA ................................................................................................................ 18 2.2 CLIMATE ..................................................................................................................................................... 20 2.3 TOURISM ..................................................................................................................................................... 20 2.4 GEOLOGICAL SETTING ............................................................................................................................ 21 2.4.1 FORMATION AND EVOLUTION ............................................................................................................ 21 2.4.2 LOCAL GEOLOGY ................................................................................................................................... 23 2.5 GEOMORPHOLOGY AND LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT ................................................................... 25 CHAPTER THREE HAZARDS OVERVIEW ......................................................................... 27 3.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 27 3.2 EARTHQUAKES .......................................................................................................................................... 28 3.2.1 TECTONIC SETTING ............................................................................................................................... 28 3.2.2 ALPINE FAULT EARTHQUAKE ............................................................................................................. 29 3.2.3 LOCAL FAULT EARTHQUAKE .............................................................................................................. 31 3.2.4 EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS ...................................................................................................................... 33 3.2.5 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS.................................................................................... 37 3.3 MASS MOVEMENTS .................................................................................................................................. 38 3.3.1 TERMINOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................... 38 3.3.2 ROCKFALLS ............................................................................................................................................ 39 3.3.3 LANDSLIDES ........................................................................................................................................... 39 3.3.4 AVALANCHES .......................................................................................................................................... 40 3.3.5 DEBRIS FLOWS ....................................................................................................................................... 40 3.3.6 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS.................................................................................... 41 3.4 METEOROLOGICAL .................................................................................................................................. 41 3.4.1 STRONG WINDS ...................................................................................................................................... 41 3.4.2 HEAVY RAIN ............................................................................................................................................ 43 3.4.3 SNOWSTORMS ......................................................................................................................................... 44 3.4.4 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS.................................................................................... 45 3.5 FLOODING ................................................................................................................................................... 45 3.5.1 LAKE FLOODING ................................................................................................................................... 45 3.5.2 RIVER AND STREAM FLOODING ......................................................................................................... 48 3.5.3 DAM FAILURE FLOODS ........................................................................................................................ 51 3.5.4 SEICHE EFFECTS ................................................................................................................................... 52 3.5.5 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS.................................................................................... 52 - iii - CHAPTER FOUR LIFELINES .......................................................................................... 53 4.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 53 4.2 ELECTRICITY ............................................................................................................................................. 55 4.2.1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................. 55 4.2.2 VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................. 56 4.2.3 ELECTRICITY MANAGEMENT..............................................................................................................
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