Natural Disaster :: Earthquakes, Tornados, Flood

Debris is scattered for miles, houses are destroyed, trees are bent, and vehicles have been thrown. This would be an aftermath of a natural disaster. Natural disasters come in many forms such as earthquakes, tornados, floods, blizzards, fires, and volcanic eruptions, just to name a few. Every type of disaster is not subjected to one specific area. This means that people in certain areas only have to prepare for those disasters that are likely to occur in their region. Throughout the world, natural hazards are a frequent occurrence. On a range of scales they create disaster, destruction and deaths of people. â€Å"A natural process only becomes a natural hazard when the risk of human loss is presented.† (Page 2) An earthquake is â€Å"a sudden shake of the Earth's crust caused by the tectonic plates colliding.† (Page 2) The vibrations may vary in magnitude. â€Å"The underground point of origin of the earthquake is called the focus. The point directly above the focus on the surface is called the epicenter.†(Page 3) Earthquakes by themselves rarely kill people or wildlife. â€Å"It is usually the secondary events that they trigger, such as building collapse, fires, tsunamis and volcanoes, that are actually the human disaster.† (Page 5) Earthquakes may last only a few seconds or may continue for up to several minutes. They can occur at any time of the day or night and at any time of the year. â€Å"They are caused by stress that builds up over time as blocks of crust attempt to move but are held in place by friction along a fault.†(Page 8) â€Å"When the pressure becomes stronger than the friction holding them together, adjoining blocks of crust can suddenly sl ip, rupturing the fault and creating an earthquake.†(Page 10) Volcanoes can cause widespread destruction through several ways. â€Å"The effects include the volcanic eruption itself that may cause harm following the explosion of the volcano or the fall of rock. Second, lava may be produced during the eruption of a volcano. As it leaves the volcano the lava destroys any buildings and plants it encounters. Third, volcanic ash generally meaning the cooled ash - may form a cloud, and settle thickly in nearby locations.†(Page 14) The main killer of humans in the immediate surroundings of a volcanic eruption is the â€Å"pyroclastic flows, which consist of a cloud of hot volcanic ash which builds up in the air above the volcano and rushes down the slopes when the eruption no longer supports the lifting of the gases.