ISDR: The `Stop Disasters’ Simulation Game

 

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Today marks the 4th anniversary of Japan’s Great earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 (see Four Years After Japan’s Great Earthquake & Tsunami), and while we understandably look back and mourn the losses of that day, we also need to be looking forward towards ways to reduce the impact of future disasters.

Because if there is one thing we can count on in life, it is that disasters (of all kinds) will continue to befall mankind.

 

It is for this reason that preparedness, and community resilience, are frequent topics in this blog.   As a former paramedic, I know how important `being ready’ can be, and I’m constantly looking for ways to instill that mindset in the community.

 

In Building Disaster Resilient Cities, which featured a guidebook called How to make cities more resilient: a handbook for local government leaders,  I wrote:

 

With the clustering of millions of people into relatively small areas, we’ve created a scores of `target-rich environments’ for natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and severe storms. 

The equation is pretty simple. More people in a small space = more potential casualties.

And the more densely populated a region is, the more economic impact a disaster will have as well.

 

In 2011, in UNDP: Supercities At Seismic Risk, we looked at the concerns that half of the world’s supercities  (urban areas with 2 million – 15 million inhabitants) are at risk of significant seismic activity, while in January of 2012 I blogged that a UN Agency Warns On Global Seismic Risks.

Just last week, in The Caribbean’s Hidden Tsunami Potential (Revisited), we looked at the geological and historical evidence for massive tidal waves in the Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean/Atlantic Ocean.

 

And in 2013, in  Dr. Lucy Jones: `Imagine America Without Los Angeles’, we looked at a presentation   at the  annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union,  that emphasized that should the `big one’ hit Southern California, we could literally `lose’ Los Angeles.

The `next big disaster’ could hit anytime, anywhere.  Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods . . . .

Finding ways to engage the younger generation in disaster planning, and preparedness has been a frequent topic of this blog (see NPM14: Disaster Preparedness For Kids  and  NPM13: Kids & Disaster Preparedness), but most of the efforts I’ve found have been geared towards the younger set (ages 5 to 10). 

 

So I am pleased to highlight computer simulation/game geared for teenagers, produced for the UNISDR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) that puts them in control of preparing a city for an expected disaster.

 

No, it’s not a new game . . . it’s been around for years.  But given today’s anniversary, today seems a good day to remind ourselves that preparedness, and community resilience, can save lives.

 

The player has five scenarios, with three levels of difficulty in each, to choose from.  Earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, wildfire, flood . . .  you choose

 

 

During a timed, and resource limited `setup period’ the player chooses what steps a community should take to prepare for an impending disaster.   Once completed, the disaster simulation runs, telling you just how well (or badly) your mitigation efforts fared.

 

 

From the game’s FAQ file:

 

Who can play the Stop Disasters game?
Anyone with internet access can download and play the Stop Disasters game from this web site. The game will not be 'downloadable' as an exe file on your hard drive. Instead it will load into a browser window.

Do I need a special computer?
No, any computer built within the last few years will be sufficient – Mac, PC or Linux based, with a screen resolution of 800x600 pixels.

You’ll need an up to date browser, with Flash Player version 7 or higher. You can download the latest Flash plugin from here:
http://www.adobe.com/go/getflash/

How long does it take?
Each scenario takes between 10 and 20 minutes to play, depending on the disaster you are trying to prevent and your skill level. There are five scenarios to play, and each can be played on easy, medium or hard difficulty levels.

What age do you need to be to play?
The core audience is 9-16 year old children, but anyone can play and enjoy the game, and everyone will learn more about preventing disasters.

How many players can play?
This is a single player game, but groups of children in a classroom environment can play collaboratively and discuss the best course of action to take. Additional learning material for students and teachers is available in the ‘Information’ section of this web site.

How many times can I play?
You can play as many times as you like – we will keep track of your highest scores and record them on the web site, so you can compete against everyone in the world!

However, just like natural hazards in real life some elements are random. There is no ‘perfect solution’ to each scenario and no ‘perfect score’, so every time you play things will be slightly different.

Can I play at school?
If your school allows access to this web site and the computer has the Flash plugin installed, then yes. We have created additional resources for teachers and encourage schools to play this game as a classroom exercise. Why not suggest it to your teacher at school?

 

Although most parents want to protect their kids from undo worry - when a disaster threatens, it threatens all of us – regardless of our age.  Helping kids to understand more about emergency preparedness and community resilience will help them cope (and perhaps, even help) in the event they, or their community, are caught up in a disaster.

Los Angeles Unveils Earthquake Retrofit & Resilience Plan

Resilient By Design PDF

 

 

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Last December, in Dr. Lucy Jones: `Imagine America Without Los Angeles’, we looked at a presentation given by noted seismologist Dr. Jones at the  annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (held  in San Francisco),  that emphasized that should the `big one’ hit Southern California, we could literally `lose’ Los Angeles.

 

Dr. Jones warned that the damage could be far greater, and last much longer, than most people believe.  While 99 out of 100 modern buildings might remain standing, the (often buried) infrastructure needed to provide water, electricity, internet connectivity, and natural gas – the lifeblood -  to the region could be devastated (see CBS News report).

 

Similarly, last year in California Quakes : Concrete Concerns, we looked at a report citing the vulnerability of more than 1,000 older concrete buildings in Los Angeles, many of which could collapse during a strong earthquake.

The authors (Rong-Gong Lin II, Rosanna Xia and Doug Smith) stated that the city has been aware of the dangers for decades, but has refused to require building owners to retrofit their properties for earthquake safety, despite the fact that the area is believed `overdue’ for a major earthquake.

 

While the timing of the next big quake in Southern California is unknown, in 2010 (see Revised Risk Of `The Big One’ Along San Andreas Fault) we looked at a study that suggested that Southern California may be more overdue for another major quake than previously thought.

 

The following year, in  Estimating The Economic Impact Of A San Andreas Quake, we looked at a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that endeavored to gauge the crippling impact that a highly feasible 7.8 magnitude Southern California earthquake would have on jobs and local businesses.

Download PDF file

A quake of this magnitude, they estimate, could affect  430,000 businesses and 4.5 million workers and deliver a devastating – and prolonged – blow to the local and national economy.

 

Yesterday the Mayor of Los Angeles, along with Dr. Lucy Jones, unveiled a 126 page plan called Resilient By Design that, among other things, seeks to address  four primary areas of seismic vulnerability

 

• Pre-1980 `non-ductile reinforced concrete’ buildings
• Pre-1980 `soft-first-story’ buildings
• Water system infrastructure (including impact on Firefighting capability)
• Telecommunications Infrastructure

 

In addition to finding a `quake-resilient’ way to deliver water to firefighters after an earthquake, and building a `solar-powered, city-wide WiFi network’ to keep the city connected after a disaster, the plan calls for major retrofits of thousands of existing vulnerable buildings to prevent their collapse.

 

Pre-1980 wooden soft-first story buildings retrofits would have to take place within five years while mandatory strengthening of hundreds of pre-1980 concrete buildings would have to happen within 30 years. While expensive, tax breaks would be offered to building owners to help ease the cost of reinforcing their structures.  

 

L.A. Mayor, Eric Garcetti, explains the sweeping plan in his Mayor’s blog, where he writes:

These action steps are designed to be best-in-class and achievable. This is not intended to simply be the latest “blue ribbon commission” report that sits on a shelf. It’s designed so that government, property owners, and commercial and residential tenants can come together to strengthen Los Angeles against a known and major threat to life, property, and our economy.

 

While admittedly a local story, Los Angeles isn’t the only major U.S. city  that lies in an active seismic zone; Memphis, St. Louis, Charleston, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Salt Lake City  . . . even New York City, all have varying degrees of seismic risks.  

Seismic Hazard Map – Credit USGS

While we can’t prevent natural disasters, we can prepare for them  You may not be able to do anything personally about the risks to local infrastructure, but you can ensure that you and your family have the supplies to survive for days (or better yet, a couple of weeks) if these vital services are cut or destroyed. 

 

Working to improve earthquake awareness, preparation, and safety is Shakeout.org, which promotes yearly earthquake drills and education around the country (see NPM13: A Whole Lotta Shakeouts Going On).  If you live in one of these seismically active areas, I would encourage you to take part in these yearly drills.

 

For more information on emergency preparedness, I would invite you  to visit:

FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm

READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/

AMERICAN RED CROSS http://www.redcross.org/

And some of my preparedness blogs, including:

When 72 Hours Isn’t Enough

The Gift Of Preparedness – 2014 Edition

In An Emergency, Who Has Your Back?