Learn about Natural Disasters

1. Natural Disasters

2. What is a Natural
Disaster?A natural disaster is any naturally occurring event, which causes
great damage or loss of life. Natural disasters are events that
result from forces of nature such as tornadoes, floods,
earthquakes or fire.

3. Natural disasters are a common
occurrence in almost every part of
the world. Each region of the world
may be prone to one or more
particular types of natural
disasters. Natural disasters usually
leave people without food and
shelter making it important to have
some basic facts about them to be
prepared for any emergencies.

4. Knowing how to respond to natural
disasters is very important for
survival purposes. However, it is
essential to understand that you
have to identify the natural
disasters affecting your region
before learning how to prepare for
them. Below we will look at some
of the common natural disasters
known to man.

5. Also referred to as typhoons, tropical
storms or cyclones, depending on which
part of the word they occur, hurricanes
are intense tropical storms
characterized by strong winds and
heavy rain. It is interesting to note that
the eye of the hurricane is characterized
by calm weather while the winds
surrounding the eye are the strongest.
Hurricanes

6. Hurricanes in the southern hemisphere normally have winds
moving in the clockwise direction while those in the northern
hemisphere move in the opposite direction - counterclockwise.

7. A flood can be simply described as the
submerging of normally dry land under a
body of water. Flooding events normally
occur slowly as the ground is saturated
with water that is unable to drain away
fast enough, or in a short while as
evidenced by flash floods. Flash floods
normally occur along river basins and are
as a result of the river channel being
unable to hold onrushing water.
Floods

8. Tornadoes
Tornadoes are formed by a rapidly
spinning tube of air that comes into
contact with both the ground and a
cloud. Tornadoes can be invisible but
are mostly made visible since the
tube of air also carries a large
amount of condensed moisture. A
majority of the 1200 annual
tornadoes, which occur in the US,
occur in an area known as the
tornado valley.

9. Earthquakes come about as a result of the
shifting of tectonic plates under the surface of
the earth. As these plates move, built up
energy is released upwards to the surface of
the earth where extensive damage and loss of
life is highly probable. If the epicenter of an
earthquake were to occur under the surface of
the ocean as has been the case in a number of
recent occurrences, the result is tsunamis i.e.
a high wave of water rapidly advancing
outwards from the epicenter.
Earthquakes

10. Wildfire is a term used to refer to forest
fires. Forest fires can be of any height
and size depending on the vegetation
and location they occur. Every year
between 50,000 and 100,000 wildfires
occur all over the world. Some of the
causes of wildfires include human
carelessness such as improper disposal
of lit cigarettes and natural causes as
well.
Wildfire

11. In Conclusion
There are many different types of natural
disasters, and you never know exactly
when one will strike. You can stay
prepared for natural disasters by storing
drinking water, canned food, batteries and
first aid supplies in your home and car.

12. True or False
The majority of natural disasters are weather related.
TRUE. Weather conditions such as storms and
droughts cause many natural disasters.
A tornado is a sudden release of energy from the Earth’s
crust.
TRUE. A volcanic eruption is a naturally occurring
event that causes damage to property and human
lives.
Volcanic eruptions are considered natural disasters.
FALSE. An earthquake is caused by seismic waves
as energy is released from the Earth’s crust.

13. Talk About It…
What steps can you take to prepare your family for a
natural disaster?
A drought is a type of natural disaster. What other
type of natural disaster might be triggered as a result
from a long drought?
Natural disasters are often referred to as acts of
nature or acts of God. Why do you think people call
them this?

14. The End