This document summarizes several types of natural disasters: Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust, causing shaking and vibration at the surface. While earthquakes rarely directly kill people, secondary events like building collapses and tsunamis can cause loss of life. Floods occur when an overflow of water submerges land, and tsunamis are huge waves caused by undersea earthquakes that can damage coastal areas. Drought is a prolonged period of unusually low rainfall that fails crops and reduces water availability. Tornadoes are violent rotating columns of air that touch both the ground and storm clouds.