1) A natural disaster is defined as a natural hazard that causes significant financial and human losses through its impact on the environment. Examples include floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and epidemics. 2) Natural disasters occur when natural hazards intersect with vulnerabilities in human systems. Major causes are seismic activity, soil erosion, and the greenhouse effect. 3) Natural disasters can be categorized as either hydrometeorological, involving atmospheric/hydrological phenomena like floods and storms, or geological, involving earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides.