Tsunami: Dec. 26, 2004 Lessons for Public Health Mark Oberle MD, MPH [email protected] .

Tsunami: Dec. 26, 2004Lessons for Public Health

Mark Oberle MD, MPH

[email protected]://faculty.washington.edu/moberle/Tsunami

Surviving a Tsunami

http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1187/http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1187/

Second wave recedes from pool area

Victims got splints and bandages in the lobby

Buses and boats blocked streets

Cars and steel slammed into buildings

Cars and debris filled pools and rooms

Rescue efforts

Rescuers hopped on debris to get between flooded buildings, while smaller waves crashed into1st floor

Water receding at our hotel

Tourists and Thais waited for next tsunami on the hillsides

Hourly panics => stampedes from beach

The search for the missing

Identifying remains, December 2004

(Photo: Mark Simmerman)

Processing remains, December 2004

(Photo: Mark Simmerman)

Thailand casualty data, 4 January 2005

(Photo: Mark Simmerman)

Public Health Concerns

• Preparedness planning

• Treatment of acute injuries

• Food, shelter, safe water

• Person-to-person transmission– e.g., measles

• Vector borne disease: malaria, dengue (?)

• Rehabilitation medicine

• Mental health services

Post-tsunami illnesses

Source: MMWR January 28, 2005 / 54(03):61-64.

Lessons for all of us

• Tsunami warning signs

• Who are the first responders?

• Family Disaster Plan*

• Communications

* For more information on family disaster plans:

http://www.doh.wa.gov/phepr/handbook/family.htm

Technology

Large Tsunamis in Last 50 years

• Chile, 1960: 9.5

• Prince William Sound, Alaska, 1964: 9.2

• Indonesia, 2004: 9.0 – 9.3

• Andreanof Islands, Alaska, 1957: 9.1

World Population Growth

© 2 0 0 3 P o p u l a t i o n R e f e r e n c e B u r e a u

A . D .2 0 0 0

A . D .1 0 0 0

A . D .1

1 0 0 0B . C .

2 0 0 0B . C .

3 0 0 0B . C .

4 0 0 0B . C .

5 0 0 0B . C .

6 0 0 0B . C .

7 0 0 0B . C .

1 + m i l l i o n y e a r s

8

7

6

5

2

1

4

3

O l dS t o n e

A g e N e w S t o n e A g eB r o n z e

A g eI r o nA g e

M i d d l eA g e s

M o d e r nA g e

B l a c k D e a t h — T h e P l a g u e

9

1 0

1 1

1 2

A . D .3 0 0 0

A . D .4 0 0 0

A . D .5 0 0 0

1 8 0 01 9 0 0

1 9 5 0

1 9 7 5

2 0 0 0

2 1 0 0

F u t u r e

B i l l i o n s

W o r l d P o p u l a t i o n G r o w t h T h r o u g h H i s t o r y

S o u r c e : P o p u l a t i o n R e f e r e n c e B u r e a u ; a n d U n i t e d N a t i o n s , W o r l d P o p u l a t i o n P r o j e c t i o n s t o 2 1 0 0 ( 1 9 9 8 ) .

Questions

Tsunami: Dec. 26, 2004Lessons for Public Health

Mark Oberle MD, MPH

[email protected]://faculty.washington.edu/moberle/Tsunami