The Feasibility of Applying the Disaster Severity Score: The Case of Spain

Abstract

Aim: Using the established scoring systems and databases, we aim to measure the disasters that occur within the Spanish national territory to evaluate both the scale and the database in real-world tests. Settings: Spain is one of the most affluent countries with ample resources to deal with emergency services. Given the size and varied geography of the country, it is faced with multiple situations, from geological, meteorological, climatological, industrial, technological and human. The latter three situations are mostly due to the development of the country, which also saw an increase in the illegal immigration to the southern shores during a period. Methods: The Disaster Severity Scale was used to evaluate the disasters that occurred in Spain. The quantifiers for the disasters were obtained from different websites and media sources and the incidence and changing scores of disasters that occurred over the last few years were determined and analyzed over the years available. Results and conclusions: The most obvious challenge is the lack of an updated dedicated database for disaster scoring which is compounded with accessing data from media websites. The Disaster Severity Score is responsive over time to changes in mortality and morbidity and damage to infrastructure, meaning that it can be changed by government intervention. The scale is not valid for natural disasters due to the large area involved in these incidents but is very relevant in terms of number of injured and dead.