The systematic collection of information related to the frequency and impact of disasters provides an invaluable tool to governments and institutions in charge of funding planning and relief activities. However, there is a lack of international consensus regarding best practice for collecting data on natural disasters. Along with the complexity of collecting information in disasters due to the constraints of time, funding, and the complexity of the situation there also remains huge variability in definitions, methodology, sources, and data points collected.
In preparation for the ProVention Consortium's Global Risk Identification Program (GRIP) Workshop on the Compilation of Reliable Data on Natural Disaster Occurrence and Impact, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) have undertaken a review of existing available historical disaster databases. The databases profiled here represent only a fraction of the enormous effort that has taken place to better document the effects of natural and technological disasters. The content, presentation, and accessibility of international, national, regional, and event-specific disaster loss databases have been summarized. The objective is to provide as comprehensive a view as possible of the current disaster database landscape to better identify gaps in information and strengths in our individual interpretations.
Natural disasters were defined as follows; drought, earthquakes, epidemics, extreme temperatures, floods, insect infestation, slides, volcanoes, waves/surges, wildfires, windstorms, industrial accidents and transport accidents. Disaster types such as panic, accident, and structural were also included. Database which collect any or all of the above disaster types were included. Where possible attempts were made to ascertain the criteria for what constitutes a disaster however a database was not excluded if no definition was provided. Databases with restricted access, under construction, or under the domain of another organization are not listed here. As the aim was to identify historical databases searches were not limited to a specific time-period. Regrettably, searches were limited to English language databases.
Reviewed databases were restricted to those that systematically collected information relating to human and/or economic losses due to disaster. Hazard databases such as the National Climatic Data Center's (NCDC) drought database (http://www.orbit.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/emb/vci/current.html) which only provide reports of trends were excluded. Recycled versions of profiled databases (World Disasters Report of the IFRC) were excluded. Disaster databases such as ReliefWeb (http://www.reliefweb.net) were ultimately not included in the review because although ReliefWeb provides useful country profiles and links to disaster resources it does not appear to collect searchable disaster statistics relating to human and economic loss.
For ease of reference the reviews of databases have been broken up into categories; international, regional, national, subnational, disaster event, and country-level disaster databases. Although some databases conceivably span two categories, as is the case with national event-specific databases, for the most part the category into which each database belongs is clear.
Munich Reinsurance Company: NatCat
NatCat is a private international level disaster database maintained by Munich Reinsurance Company. NatCat collects information on natural disasters (excluding technological disasters) and entries cover a period from 79AD to the present (although only major events are recorded prior to 1980). There are over 20,000 entries in the database with approximately 800 new entries per year. Methodology and inclusion criteria are not made available online. Events are entered on a country and event level and recorded information includes number of people killed/injured/affected, economic losses, and scientific data such as wind speed, magnitude, and geocoding. Sources include national insurance agencies, Lloyds, press and media, UN agencies, NGOs, world weather services, clients and subsidiaries. Priority is given to clients and branches, and insurance industry reports. NatCat depends on calculating insured losses to provide detailed economic loss data. The database is partially accessible to the public although requires the most recent internet operating systems to view and more is available to clients. The publicly available information includes a short report searchable by country, time-period, or event type (limited to earthquake, flood, volcanic eruption, storm, other).
http://mrnathan.munichre.comSwiss Reinsurance Company: Sigma
Swiss Reinsurance Company maintains the Sigma database, a limited access global natural (excluding drought) and man-made disaster database. Events are recorded from 1970 to the present. There are approximately 7000 entries in the database with 300 new entries per year probably due to the more stringent inclusion criteria. Sigma requires at least one of the following for inclusion in the database; =20 deaths and/or, =50 injured and/or, =2000 homeless and/or, insured losses of >US$14 million (Marine), >US$28 million (Aviation), >US$35 million (all other losses), and/or total losses in excess of US$70 million. Disasters are recorded on an event entry basis and recorded information includes dead, missing, injured, and homeless along with detailed accounting of insured and uninsured damages. Sigma does not report "affected" nor does it clearly define the variables of dead and homeless. Sources of information include newspapers, Lloyds, primary insurance and reinsurance periodicals, internal reports, and online databases although no primary source is suggested. The database is not publicly accessible but Sigma does provide a yearly publication of "raw information" listing all disasters for the year available to clients.
http://www.swissre.comADRC: GLIDE
The Global Disaster Identifier Number (GLIDE) is a project initiated and maintained by the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) in collaboration with ISDR, CRED, UNDP, IFRC, FAO, World Bank, OFDA/USAID, LA Red, and OCHA/ReliefWeb. A GLIDE number is generated for all disaster events with the aim being that the number is then attached to all databases documenting the same disaster thereby linking the various information sources. The GLIDE database is searchable by date, disaster type, country, and GLIDE number. Information produced by a search includes date, duration of event, location, magnitude, information source used, and a description of the event which will include human and economic loss information where available.
http://www.glidenumber.netUniversity of Richmond: Disaster Database Project
The Disaster Database Project is an independent database created and maintained by Dr. Walter Green at the University of Richmond. International in scope and publicly accessible the database has 1552 recorded entries with the earliest dating to a volcanic eruption in Java in 2000BCE. The database dichotomizes disasters into natural disasters, conflict-based disasters, and human systems failures although definitions of the three are not readily available on the website. Inclusion criteria are listed on the website. The main sources of information are government reports, newspapers, and scholarly texts. The database collects information on location (including latitude and longitude where available), date and time (including end date and duration), class and intensity of event. Along with people missing, injured, and displaced the database attempts to collect information on animals killed, building destroyed, the area covered, and the cost of the disaster. The database disaggregates the disaster into phases; prodrome, development, impact, response, and recovery, giving a detailed description of the factors involved in each phase and a narrative of the event during the particular phase. The database is easily searchable by type of disaster, disaster class, year, location, or maidenhead grid.
http://learning.richmond.edu/disaster/index.cfmBASICS
The British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS), a U.K. based charity, maintains a database of natural and technological disasters. The database contains approximately 7500 records dating back to the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79AD. The database is searchable by two methods. By accessing the following URL http://www.basedn.freeserve.co.uk/ it is possible to search by type of disaster only. Information on disaster type, date, location, number of people dead/injured, and additional comments are listed although the completeness of the records varies between disasters. It is also possible to access the website via another URL on an associated webpage: http://www.basics.org.uk/data/searchPage.php. It is possible to search by date, country, and/or casualties or incident type freely entered. However, the information provided only includes the incident, the number dead, and the additional comments. There is no methodology provided to suggest sources of information or inclusion criteria.
http://www.basedn.freeserve.co.uk/http://www.basics.org.uk/data/searchPage.php
LaRED: DesInventar
The Network for Social Studies on Disaster Prevention in Latin America (LA Red) began developing the DesInventar methodology in 1994. DesInventar maintains approximately 16 national-level natural and technological disaster databases in Latin America. The databases are accessible through downloadable software on an individual national-level and they represent through their collection via the website regional coverage of Latin America. The databases represent over 44,000 disaster event entries spanning over 30 years although some of the databases maintain records further back. DesInventar collects standard variables of number killed, injured, and estimated economic costs, but also attempts to collect less easily quantifiable variables surrounding infrastructure damage as a means of detailing the social effects of disasters. Because of the national level of data collection DesInventar is able to collect detailed information of small and medium scale disasters which are often not represented in larger scale databases. DesInventar utilizes government agencies, NGOs, and research institutes for source data, but relies heavily on news media as a priority source.
http://www.desinventar.orgAsian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC)
The Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) maintains a database of Disaster Information for Member Countries, which provides information about natural disasters in Asia and Southeast Asia. Information is available in English and Japanese and the database is searchable by member country with entries beginning in 1998 and continuing to the present. Events are listed in chronological order and therefore easily searchable if an exact date of the event is known. Inclusion criteria are not listed on the website. Disaster entries include the GLIDE number, location of event, date/duration, number dead, and injured, evacuated, and material damages as reported by contributing sources. Sources include UN agencies (OCHA), Reuters and international news agencies (AFP, BBC, CNN), and NGOs (IFRC, Catholic Relief Services).
http://www.adrc.or.jp/disaster_information_aca.phpAustralia: Emergency Management Australia Disasters Database
The EMA Disasters Database (Emergency Management Australia) sponsored by the Australian government is the primary resource for all national level natural and technological disasters. Available in the public domain the database has recorded events from 1622 to the present and includes events in which any or all of the following occurred "= 3 or more dead, 20 injured or ill, and/or significant damage to property, infrastructure, agriculture or environment, or disruption to essential services, commerce, industry, or trauma or dislocation of the community at an estimated total cost of A$10,000,000 or more". Detailed information on the duration of the event, number of people killed, injured, affected, homeless, and evacuated along with an accounting of economic loss including insured loss is available. Location is limited to area and region and few maps were available. The database is searchable by region, zone, date, or through an advanced search by disaster effect (people killed, cost range). Although there is no indication of a primary source the database draws on information from government, the Insurance Council of Australia, emergency service agencies, research bodies, educational institutions, and press media.
http://www.ema.gov.au/ema/emaDisasters.nsfSt Lucia: St. Lucia Disaster Matrix
The government of St. Lucia through NEMO (National Emergency Management Organization) has developed the St. Lucia Disaster Matrix. Presented in spreadsheet format the matrix provides information on natural and technological disasters for St. Lucia. The database lists 55 entries spanning from 1780-2004 and includes information on the date of the event, the number killed, homeless, the cost of the event, and comments. Historical records of earthquakes prior to 1990 are included in the matrix however after 1990 earthquakes are recorded on separate spreadsheets, which although including geophysical information (latitude/longitude, depth) do not provide any human, or economic loss data. Information is provided by government, UNESCO/PAHO, academic institutions, and media. It does not appear that the database has been updated since November 2004. There are no links to contact information or an explanation of the methodology available online.
http://www.geocities.com/slunemo/disaster_matrix/history_index.htmlCanada: Canadian Disaster Database
The Canadian Disaster Database (CDD) is an ongoing effort by the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP) to record natural, technological, and conflict-related disasters that directly affect Canadian citizens. Although mainly a national database, there are entries for international incidents in which Canadian citizens were involved. The database contains 700+ entries beginning in 1900 and going until the present day. The database is searchable by location (province), disaster type, or time-frame. Information provided includes a description of the event, location, number dead, injured, evacuated, and economic losses. The database also provides references for the sources of information for loss estimates. Primary sources appear to be press media but information sources include government, provincial emergency management organizations, municipal government, Insurance Bureau of Canada, and NGOs along with occasional cross-referencing of EM-DAT for validation of findings. Inclusion criteria are made available on the website although more detailed methodology is not easily accessible.
http://www.psepc-sppcc.gc.ca/res/em/cdd/search-en.aspUnited States: SHELDUS
The Spatial Hazard Event and Losses Database for the United States(SHELDUS),created and maintained by the University of South Carolina, is a publicly accessibly national level (United States not including Puerto Rico, Guam, US territories) natural disaster database. The database has recorded over 400,000 events since 1960 disaggregated down to the county level. Although "prior 1995 only events that generated a total loss of $50,000 in damage" were recorded, "post 1995 all events represented in the NCDC Storm Data with a specific dollar amount" are entered into the database. Sources of information include NCDC's Storm Data Publication, NGDC Tsunami Event Database, and the Storm Prediction Center. The database is searchable by date of event, hazard type, or state/county affected. Information provided includes the beginning date, the event type, location (including FIPS code for spatial information), and number of fatalities/injured, property damage and crop damage cost estimates. It is possible to download the search results and the search metadata results. The database provides detailed georeferencing and maps of event locations useful for county-level disaster mitigation.
http://www.sheldus.orgStates: United States Storm and Hazard Database
The United States Storm and Hazard Database maintained by the US National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) records national level publicly accessible natural disaster information. Records are maintained from 1950 to the present and are updated monthly. Information is gathered from NOAA Storm Data, NWS (which draws information from county/state/federal management offices, law enforcement, skywarn spotters, NWS damage assessment, press media, insurance industry and general public), and Storm Prediction Center. The database is searchable by date of event, location, or event type although it is also possible to conduct a more detailed search by cost of damages, number of fatalities/injuries, and/or hail size/wind speed. Due to the enormity of the database, (there appear to be over 500,000 events entered and no explanation of inclusion criteria) searching for specific events requires a degree of precision. Information presented in each entry includes location (detailed to the zone), date/time, and type of event, magnitude, number of deaths /injured, property damage and crop damage.
http://www.gesource.ac.uk/hazards/usastorms.htmlUnited States: National Hazard Statistics
NOAA National Weather Service through the Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services provides a searchable database of national weather-related fatalities associated with a limited number of natural disasters. The website provides statistics on the following natural disasters; lightning, tornado, heat, cold, flood, wind, winter storm, tropical storm. Yearly summaries available from 1995-2004 for individual weather events include breakdowns of fatalities by state and by gender/age of deceased. US summaries and state summaries are available yearly from 1995-2004, include fatality information along with injured and an accounting of the cost of property damage and crop damage. Information is provided by NOAA's Storm Data report.
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hazstats.shtmlPhilippines: DSWD-dromic
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD) of the Government of the Philippines has developed a Disaster Response Operations Monitoring & Information Center (DROMIC). The records begin in January 2006 and cover the past three months. There is no readily available documentation to indicate history of the initiative or current methodology and there does not appear be an archive of past records. Sources of information appear to be the 15 DSWD field offices along with national seismology and geophysical services, NGOs, and media. The information provided includes date and time of event, type of event, location (down to the level of house address), affected areas and populations, casualties, injured a summary of the event and the assistance given, and a detailed cost of assistance. Events are chronologically entered so only searchable by date.
http://disaster.dswd.gov.ph/Philippines: NDCC Database
The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) through the Office of Civil Defense in the Philippines began compiling data for a national disaster database in 1990. Originally intended as a means of collecting information on destructive tropical cyclones, the database now collects data on natural and technological disasters. On the national level, the Office of Civil Defense provides data while on the local level the agencies involved include the Offices of Social Welfare, local planning development offices, and local emergency management offices. The database is intended as being publicly available however at the time of this publication it was unable to be accessed via the web
http://www.ndcc.gov.phSouth Africa: MANDISA Database
The Monitoring, Mapping, and Analysis of Disaster Incidents in South Africa (MANDISA) database is an approach undertaken by the Disaster Mitigation for Sustainable Livelihoods Program at the University of Cape Town (DiMP) to monitoring disasters and assess risk in the Cape Town Metro Area. The database currently maintains records of over 19,000 georeferenced incidents from 1990-2004 including floods, wildfires, and extreme wind events. The project aims to record "small" and "medium-sized" disasters. Currently the database relies on reports from fire services, disaster management agencies, and NGOs (South African Red Cross) along with news media. Variables collected include location, type of housing, severity, spatial and temporal analysis along with loss estimations. The database is not available publicly due to the size and sensitive nature of the data.
http://www.egs.uct.ac.za/dimpUNDP/NSET: Nepal
The National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET), an NGO in Nepal, has developed a disaster database in collaboration with UNDP based on the DesInventar methodology for disaster collection. The project was initiated in 2003 and contains 12436 records of natural disasters from 1970-2004. NSET will in the next month be updating the records to include entries up to 2006. Information is obtained from media sources as well as field records from NSET.
http://undp.desinventar.net/DesInventar/index.jspUNDP: Sri Lanka
In 2003 UNDP began developing a Sri Lankan disaster database which has since been split into two databases; the first reports natural disasters (6015 reports) and the second focuses on technological disasters (accidents etc). Data is presented for events dating from 1974-2005 and is in the process of being updated to 2006. The database was initially built from news media sources for the smaller scale disasters and official reports for the larger scale disasters. However the database has been widely accepted by the Disaster Management Agency of Sri Lanka and the information presented is now being validated by official agencies against their own data.
http://undp.desinventar.net/DesInventar/index.jspUNDP: Orissa
Technically a sub-national database, the initiative by UNDP to create and maintain a database in the northern state of Orissa in India is an attempt at capturing natural disasters within a region. Modeled after the DesInventar databases using the DesConsultar tool UNDP began in 2002 collecting historical records of disaster events dating from 1970 – 2001. There are currently 9212 events recorded. News media and government sources are used to provide source material and verify events.
http://undp.desinventar.net/DesInventar/index.jspUniversity of Gainesville: DesInventar Florida
The University of Florida at Gainesville as part of the ENSO Disaster Risk Management Project in Latin America has created the DesInventar Florida 1 and DesInventar Florida 2 databases. The first database provides information on natural disasters including drought, flood, hurricane, and tornado, while the second database maintains information specifically on forest fires and sinkholes. The databases maintain over 9000 records dating from 1970-2005 and are funded in part by the Department of Community Affairs. Currently the DesInventar Florida databases are not publicly available. The University of Florida is anticipating making the databases available soon.
Earthquake: USGS database
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) through the Earthquakes Hazard Program provides a publicly accessible database of international earthquake activity. The primary data source is the USGS National Earthquake Information Center with contributions from the World Data Center and news releases. Historical earthquakes are searchable by date (the earliest record is the 1692 earthquake in Jamaica), magnitude, or location (with map), and include anecdotal evidence of the event where available. The database is also searchable by "significant" earthquakes listed as earthquakes "with magnitude 6.5 or greater or ones that caused fatalities, injuries, or substantial damage" ( http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqarchives/significant/). Records date from 1977 to the present and include detailed geophysical referencing with latitude, longitude, depth, effect distances, detailed maps, and event summaries with news releases of damages and fatalities. Earthquakes occurring within the last 8-30 days are included regardless of magnitude and include the same detailed geophysical information as the more "significant" earthquakes. Accessing the "significant" earthquakes requires entering the URL directly into the browser and does not appear to be navigable through the website. Top 10 lists for earthquake variables in the US and worldwide are available but limited.
http://earthquake.usgs.govTechnological Disasters: UNEP/APELL
The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) provides a publicly accessible international technological disasters database prepared by APELL (Awareness and Preparation for Emergencies on a Local Level). Data are presented on 316 chemical events occurring between the years of 1970-1998 and include information on the origin of the accident, date/year, location, products involved, and the number of people dead/injured/evacuated. Inclusion criteria include any or all of the following; = 25 deaths, = 125 injured or more, = 10,000 evacuated or = 10,000 people deprived of water. The database is searchable by any of the variables listed above but no economic loss information is recorded. Sources of information include OECD, MHIDAS, BARPI, Sigma, press media, and industry but no indications as to primary source are given.
http://www.unepie.org/pc/apell/disasters/lists/disastercat.htmlFloods: DFO database
The Dartmouth Flood Observatory (DFO) maintains a publicly available “Global Active Archive of Large Flood Events” documenting flood events from 1985 to the present with events added immediately as they occur. Summary tables of all flood events and including information on location, rivers involved, beginning and end date where possible and duration, number of people killed/displaced, the cost and cause of damages, and detailed information about the area affected and magnitude of the flood provided. Government, academic institutions, and news media provide information along with satellite based sources. It is possible to download Excel tables of the yearly summary information along with related flood imagery. Satellite-based flood images are not provided for all events. It is not possible to search by event or region affected.
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/Archives/index.htmlFlood: Hydrological Information Center
The United States National Weather Service (NWS) provides a summary report on the number of flood fatalities and estimates of the economic costs of flood damage (total damages including insured and uninsured damages along with adjustments for inflation). Damage estimates cover a period from 1903 to 1999. Total fatalities per year are recorded from 1903 to 2002 with a break down of deaths per month from 1998 to 2002. The summary statistics are not searchable by event and give no indication to the number of events the statistics cover or their location.
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hic/flood_stats/index.htmlTsunami: NGDC
The National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) maintains the publicly accessible global Tsunami Event Database. The database contains over 2400 records of tsunami events dating from 2000BC to present day. Information relating to methodology is not easily accessible via the website making source data and inclusion criteria difficult to ascertain. The database is searchable by region, country, state, or date of incident but also on more sensitive parameters such as longitude and latitude and tsunami effects in human loss and economic effects. Information provided through the search includes date and time of incident, location including geophysical referencing, tsunami parameters (maximum water height etc), and tsunami effects including human fatalities and damages in US dollars.
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/tsu_db.shtmlIndustrial Accident: MARS
The Major Accident Reporting System (MARS) is a joint venture by the Member States of the European Union and the OECD submitted to the European Commission Joint Research Centre in Ispra (MAHB). The database maintains records of over 600 major industrial accidents from 1980 to the present. Information is entered in a “short form” when the initial incident takes place and then a “full report” is provided once the investigation of the accident is complete. The short form is searchable either through a descriptive drop-down query or by entering a free-text description. Although there are over 200 searchable headings the categories of variables include; date of incident, type of industry, accident type, substance type, immediate source of accident, suspected causes, immediate effects (dead, injured, ecological harm, material loss), emergency measures taken, and lessons learned. Location of accident is absent from the search. Although the database aims to be open access it is acknowledged that some information may be protected due to issues such as confidentiality and public security.
http://mahbsrv.jrc.it/mars/Default.htmlIndustrial Accident: MHIDAS
The Major Hazard Incident Data Service (MHIDAS) is a publicly available fee-based international database reporting on disasters involving hazardous materials. The service is maintained by AEA Technology, plc on behalf of the UK Health and Safety Executive. The database focuses on hazardous material accidents in the UK and the US, it offers worldwide coverage and includes detailed records of incidents in the past twenty years and significant events prior to that. Information collected includes the hazardous material involved, number of deaths/injuries/evacuations, and a summary of events. MHIDAS generates a quarterly report and maintains an information retrieval service.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/infoserv/mhidas.htmHurricane Mitch
COPECO (Comision Permanente de Contingencias) in Honduras and DCN (Defensa Civil de Nicaragua) maintain independent event specific disaster databases detailing the effects of Hurricane Mitch in 1998 through DesInventar. Both databases were initiated in 1998 and were last updated in December of that same year. There are 147 and 294 events listed in Nicaragua and Honduras respectively. No information was readily available to suggest sources of information.
http://www.desinventar.org/en/download/paso2.htmlEl Salvador and Peru Earthquakes
UNDP in Peru and COEN (National Emergency Commission) in Ecuador maintain databases related to independent earthquakes in the area in 2001. There are 176 and 306 entries in the Peru and El Salvador databases respectively. Sources of information for the database in El Salvador include government and news media although sources used in Peru are less clear.
http://www.desinventar.org/en/download/paso2.htmlIndian Ocean Tsunami
DesInventar maintains three separate national level disaster databases related to the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. UNDP in Indonesia, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning in the Maldives and the Division Secretariats in Sri Lanka, has created three databases detailing disaster effects spanning the period of 2004-2005 related to the tsunami. All three databases rely on government sources and official records for information not media sources but vary in completeness with 27, 205, and 497 entries in Indonesia, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka respectively.
http://undp.desinventar.net/DesInventar/index.jsp© 2006 CRED
