Severity analysis

Overview

The purpose of the severity estimate ranking is to provide an overview of where impact may have occurred. This estimate can help guide initial assessment processes.

Determining the areas of an emergency with the most severe impact can be an extremely valuable exercise if the information team undertakes this response immediately after the disaster. This initial estimate is only valuable for the first few days of emergency before major assessments have been completed.

The Prioritization Ranking replaces this product as soon as additional more detailed data is available. The resulting products should be used to guide responders' questions, investigations and targeted assessments in the first days of the emergency.

Process

1. Determine appropriate datasets for the composite indicator (population density, poverty incidence, population affected, distance to a typhoon, storm surge height, etc.).

2. Determine appropriate graphics, matrixes, and maps to create from the data.

Resources

Severity Estimate Ranking - Tools

• Sudden Onset Disaster Impact Severity Estimate Index

• Severity Estimate Index - XLS Tool

• Recommended Indicators for Onset Disaster Severity and Impact Estimate Index

• Living version of the Severity Estimate Ranking Tool for Philippines (2013)

Examples

• Nepal: Severity Index (July 2015)

• Nepal: Disaster Severity Estimation Index (April 2015)

• Philippines: Typhoon Yolanda - Severity Ranking (November 2013)

Guidance

• Humanitarian Needs Comparison Tool Guidance