This document discusses how various natural disasters impact the environment. It provides statistics and descriptions of different types of natural disasters including earthquakes, hurricanes, lightning, fire, tsunamis, volcanoes, blizzards, floods, tornadoes, drought and heat waves. For each disaster, it summarizes some of the key ways they can negatively impact the environment such as destroying infrastructure, causing erosion, fires and flooding, releasing toxic gases, contaminating water supplies, and damaging habitats.

1. How Natural Disasters Impact the
Environment

2. Can you name some natural
disasters?
•Earthquakes
•Hurricanes
•Lightning
•Fire
•Tsunami
•Tornados
•Volcanoes
•Blizzards
•Floods
•Heat
•Drought

3. What You’ll Learn
During this PowerPoint you are going to about
11 natural disasters. You will see some
statistical information about how each
disaster impacts man. Afterwards, you’ll be a
researcher to learn how natural disasters
affect the environment.

4. Earthquake
A sudden movement of the earth's crust
caused by the release of stress collected
along faults or by volcanic activity
Earthquake Statistics http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/eqstats.html

5. Richter Earthquake
Magnitudes Effects
Less than
3.5
Generally not felt, but recorded.
3.5-5.4
Often felt, but rarely causes damage.
Under 6.0
At most slight damage to well-designed buildings.
Can cause major damage to poorly constructed
buildings over small regions.
6.1-6.9
Can be destructive in areas up to about 100
kilometers across where people live.
7.0-7.9
Major earthquake. Can cause serious damage
over larger areas.
8 or
greater
Great earthquake. Can cause serious damage in
areas several hundred kilometers across.

6. Frequency of Occurrence of
Earthquakes
Magnitude
Average Annually
8 and higher
1
7 - 7.9
17
6 - 6.9
134
5 - 5.9
1319
4 - 4.9
13,000
3 - 3.9
130,000
2 - 2.9
1,300,000
(estimated)
(estimated)
(estimated)

7. Hurricane
If winds reach 74 mph, then they are called:
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"hurricane" (the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast
Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific
Ocean east of 160E)
"typhoon" (the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of the
dateline)
"severe tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Pacific Ocean
west of 160E or Southeast Indian Ocean east of 90E)
"severe cyclonic storm" (the North Indian Ocean)
"tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Indian Ocean)
Hurricane Statistics http://www.mthurricane.com/Information.htm

8. Top 10 Deadliest Hurricanes
(Atlantic)
Rank
Hurricane Name
Year
Category
Deaths
1
Texas (Galveston)
1900
4
8000
2
FL (Lake Okeechobee)
1928
4
1836
3
Hurricane Katrina
2005
3
1500
4
Florida Keys
1919
4
600
5
New England
1938
3
600
6
Florida Keys (Labor Day)
1935
5
408
7
Audrey
1957
4
390
8
NE United States
1944
3
390
9
LA (Grand Isle)
1909
4
350
10
LA (New Orleans)
1915
4
275

9. Lightning
a brilliant electric spark discharge in the
atmosphere, occurring within a thundercloud,
between clouds, or between a cloud and the
ground
Lightning Statistics http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/fatalities.htm

10. Fire
a burning mass of material
Fire Statistics http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/statistics/

11. The Overall Fire
Picture - 2007
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There were 3,430 civilians that lost their lives as the result of
fire.
There were 17,675 civilian injuries that occurred as the
result of fire.
There were 118 firefighters killed while on duty.
Fire killed more Americans than all natural disasters
combined.
84 percent of all civilian fire deaths occurred in residences.
There were an estimated 1.6 million fires in 2007.
Direct property loss due to fires was estimated at $14.6
billion.
An estimated 32,500 intentionally set structure fires resulted
in 295 civilian deaths.
Intentionally set structure fires resulted in an estimated $733
million in property damage.

12. Tsunami
an unusually large sea wave produced by a
seaquake or undersea volcanic eruption
Tsunami Statistics http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/tsustats.pdf

13. Volcano
a vent in the earth's crust through which lava,
steam, ashes, etc., are expelled, either
continuously or at irregular intervals
Volcano Statistics
http://www.epicdisasters.com/index.php/site/comments/the_worlds_worst_volcanic_eruptions/

14. Blizzard
A violent snowstorm with winds blowing at a
minimum speed of 35 miles per hour and
visibility of less than one-quarter mile for
three hours
Top Blizzards in US
 http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0886098.html
 http://nsidc.org/snow/blizzard/storms.html

15. Flood
A temporary rise of the water level, as in a
river or lake or along a seacoast, resulting in
its spilling over and out of its natural or
artificial confines onto land that is normally
dry. Floods are usually caused by excessive
runoff from precipitation or snowmelt, or by
coastal storm surges or other tidal
phenomena.
Flood Statistics http://www.floodsafety.com/national/life/statistics.htm

16. Tornado
A violently rotating column of air extending
from a cumulonimbus cloud to the Earth,
ranging in width from a few meters to more
than a kilometer and whirling at speeds
between 40 and 316 mi per hour.
Tornado Statistics http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/monthly/newm.html

17. Drought
A long period of abnormally low rainfall,
especially one that adversely affects growing
or living conditions.
Statistical Information http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/drought/drght_alleve.html

18. Drought Facts
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The cost of losses due to drought in the United
States averages $6-8 billion every year, but range
as high as $39 billion for the three year drought of
1987-1989, which was the most costly natural
disaster documented in U.S. history.
The two major droughts of the 20th century, the
1930s Dust Bowl drought and the 1950s drought,
lasted five to seven years and covered large areas
of the continental U.S.

19. Heat Wave
an air mass of high temperature covering an
extended area and moving relatively slowly
 a period of abnormally hot and usually humid
temperatures
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Statistical Information http://www.preventionweb.net/english/hazards/statistics/?hid=63

20. Which disasters are the worst?
In the next two sides you will see the 10 'Worst'
Natural Disasters as decided by expert David
Crossley, Professor of Geophysics.

21. 10 'Worst' Natural Disasters
The October 8, 2005 magnitude 7.6
earthquake in Pakistan
 Hurricane Katrina
 Volcanic Eruption - Nevado del Ruiz
(Columbia) in 1985
 1976 earthquake magnitude 8 Tangshan
event in China
 Indonesia Volcanic Eruptions – Tambora
volcano of 1815 & Krakatoa explosion in
1883
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22. 10 'Worst' Natural Disasters
New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-12 in
southern Missouri
 1737 Calcutta, India typhoon
 Santorini volcanic explosion around 1500
B.C.
 major global paleoclimate event that
happened around 3000B.C.
 mass extinction during the CretaceousTertiary Stratigraphic Boundary, 65 million
years ago
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23. How Earthquakes Impact the
Environment
collapsing buildings
 property damage
 mud slides
 fires
 floods
 tsunamis
 loss of power
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24. How Hurricanes Impact the
Environment
erosion
 houses, buildings, and other structures
destroyed
 heavy flooding of inland areas
 tornadoes
 loss of power
 contaminated water supply
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25. How Lightning Impacts the
Environment
fire
 loss of power
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26. How Fire Impacts the
Environment
houses, buildings, and other structures
destroyed
 loss of habitat
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27. How Tsunamis Impact
the Environment
houses, buildings, and other structures
destroyed
 loss of power
 erosion
 fresh water contaminated
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28. How Volcanic Eruptions Impact the
Environment
houses, buildings, and other structures
destroyed
 fires
 toxic gases released into the atmosphere
 Carbon dioxide emitted from volcanoes adds
to the natural greenhouse effect.
 loss of habitat
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29. How Blizzards Impact the
Environment
flooding when snows melt
 trees fall
 power outages
 hypothermia
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30. How Flooding Impacts the
Environment
disease
 loss of habitat
 houses, buildings, and other structures
destroyed
 household wastes get into the water system
 power outages
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31. How Tornadoes Impacts the
Environment
Tornadoes could hit hazardous or toxic
materials which could carried by a
thunderstorm and then transported along
ways down stream.
 could transport certain types of small animals
and plants across the land
 destroys topsoil and crops
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32. How Drought Impacts the
Environment
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young trees die
dried up lakes and other water sources
loss of livestock and crops
People use more fuel during droughts.
losses or destruction of fish and wildlife habitat
lack of food and drinking water for wild animals
increase in disease in wild animals, because of reduced food and
water supplies
migration of wild animals, leading to a loss of wildlife in some
(drought-stricken) areas and too many wildlife in areas not
affected by drought
increased stress on endangered species
lower water levels in reservoirs, lakes, and ponds
loss of wetlands
more fires
wind and water erosion of soils, reduced soil quality
Information from http://drought.unl.edu/kids/impacts/affects.htm