El Salvador: Hazard Identification Tool - Hurricane IDA, 9 Nov 2009

Objective

The objective of the Hazard Identification Tool (HIT) is to alert the United Nations Disaster Assessment (UNDAC) and other emergency responders as well as the UN Country Team to potential secondary risks after a natural disaster posed by large infrastructure and industrial facilities containing hazardous materials located in the affected area. This information can be shared with competent local and national authorities as appropriate. Any actual secondary risk should be addressed at the earliest possible stage.

Methodology of the HIT

The methodology of the HIT is based on the Flash Environmental Assessment Tool (FEAT), a rapid assessment methodology to identify the most acute hazards to human health and the environment after natural disasters. The HIT is compiled based on research using publicly available information sources and provides a list of "big and obvious" facilities and objects that may pose a risk to human health and life, as well as the natural environment. The list includes indications of the substances that are expected to be present in these facilities, as well as the hazard types associated with these substances and related estimated impact types. Wherever the (expected) location of a facility could be identified, this information has been filled into the first column of the HIT. If the facility is expected to be present, but no location could be identified, this has been indicated. Whenever the location field has been left blank, it is not expected that these facilities are present in the country.

Event

The passage of Hurricane IDA has brought heavy rains to El Salvador in 5 departments, provoking several mudslides and flash floods. Some 50 people are reported dead (130 according to the media). Around 7,000 people have been evacuated and more than 200 houses have been damaged. President Funes has declared a State of Emergency.

The Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit

The Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit is the United Nations mechanism to mobilize and coordinate the international response to environmental emergencies caused by natural disaster, technological accidents and complex emergencies.