Natural Disasters
Name:_______________________
Natural Disasters
Geological Disasters:
A geological disaster is caused by movements and deformations of the
earth’s crust.
Meteorological Disasters:
Meteorological disasters are violent, sudden and destructive changes
to the environment that are related to, produced by, or affect the
earth’s atmosphere, especially the weather forming processes.
Biological Disasters:
Biological disasters stem from the occurrence of a natural phenomenon
involving plants, animals, or micro-organisms
List some types of natural disasters that can be classified into these
three types.
Geological
Meteorological
Biological
Hurricanes:
Definition: A huge storm that can be up to six hundred miles wide and
has wind speeds up to 200 miles per hour.
Location: Occurs in warm ocean water, around the Eastern Coast of
North America and the Gulf of Mexico. Typhoons also occur, in the
Pacific Ocean by Japan and China.
Seasonal Influences The Atlantic Hurricane Season is from June 1 to
November 30 and the Pacific Hurricane Season is May 15 to November
30.
Efforts to Minimize Damage
Bring in as much as you can from outside so it doesn’t get blown away.
Also, board up you windows to prevent flying debris from breaking
them. Coastal areas will put up huge cement walls called levy’s to help
hold back the storm water.
Historical Event
Hurricane Katrina, August 23-30, 2005, Category 5 Storm on Saffir
Simpson Scale, 174 mph winds, it killed 1833 people, in the top 5 for
deadliest hurricanes in the United States,
Dangers/What to do?
Have a safety plan on where to meet if you are separated you’re your
family. Have canned food and bottle water stored in your home. During
the storm listen to a battery operated radio. Turn off all utilities (gas).
Fill your car full of gas and if asked to evacuate, do so.
Tsunamis:
Definition: A series of huge waves that are most commonly formed
from an earthquake that has occurred on the ocean floor.
Location:
About ninety percent of tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean. The
tsunami mainly impacts coastal areas.
Seasonal Influences: Tsunamis can occur at any given time. Especially
since earthquakes are constantly occurring on Earth. Not all
earthquakes on the ocean floor create a tsunami.
Efforts to Minimize Damage
Governments now use alert buoys in the oceans that tracks wave height
and gives warning when a large wave passes by. Houses along the
coastline should be built off the ground and by made out of strong
building material like cement.
Historical Event
Sumatra, Indonesia, December 26, 2004, The wave was 50 meters tall.
This Tsunami killed around 230,000 people and did about
10,000,000,000 dollars in damage.
Dangers/What to do?
Have a survival kit and a family communication plan. Follow all
evacuation orders. Know if your house is above sea level. Never go to
the beach, before a tsunami hits the water level drops than it quickly
rises. Leave all possessions behind.
Flooding:
Definition:
Rivers and lakes have their water level rise to the point that it goes
over their banks and is often caused by days of heavy rain and/or
melting snow. Flash flooding is when an area can flood with a couple of
minutes to an hour.
Location:
Has the ability to occur along any river or lake that collects
surrounding runoff during heavy rains or melting snow. Larger rivers
that flood normally are more devastating because major cities often
build by major rivers.
Seasonal Influences:
Spring melting of snow and excessive rainfall during the spring time.
Flooding can occur at any time of the year, but certain places have a
monsoon season where they have heavy rain for weeks at a time.
Efforts to Minimize Damage:
Governments have restrictions on where a person can build a home.
Cities often have manmade reservoirs to help control excessive
amounts of water.
Historical Event (Huang He (Yellow) River, 1931 China)
August 1931, Over 34,000 square miles flooded (185 miles by 185
miles). 800,000 to 4,000,000 people died due to disease and famine.
Possibly the worst natural disaster in history.
Dangers/What to do?
Have a safety plan and an emergency kit that consists of food and
water. Elevate furnaces, water heaters and electrical devices in home
if you live near a flood plain. Water proof your basements by sealing
foundation and also have sump pumps that have back up sources of
energy in case power is lost. If flooding is predicted ahead of time,
building a sandbag wall will temporarily give relief until water level
recedes.
Drought:
Definition: A period of time (several months to years) in which an
area does not receive enough precipitation to keep water available for
easy consumption by humans and animals.
Location
Any location that has an extreme lack of precipitation to keep up with
demands for water.
Seasonal Influences
During the hot summer months of any given location. However some
drought are so extreme that even fall, winter and spring have limited
precipitation to give relief to an area and can lead to an area
experiencing years of drought conditions.
Efforts to Minimize Damage:
Governments will create dams and reservoirs to prevent running out of
water. The government might also issue watering bans on lawns, car
washes, and recreational swimming pools.
Historical Event (Dust Bowl, USA)
1934 to1937 in the central plains of the United States (Oklahoma,
Texas, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico). Lack of rain and the need to
feed the US soldiers during WW I led farmers tilling up all possible
land to grow wheat. Drought conditions crumbled the top soil in fields
so that it would be picked up by wind and blown hundreds of miles away.
These clouds would have their own lightning but without moisture.
Possibly the worst man influenced natural disaster of all time.
Dangers/What to do?
Conserve water by filling up containers for storage. Limit the time for
bathing, brushing teeth and other tasks that are not necessary every
day.
Volcanoes:
Definition: A mountain like feature that has molten rock stored
beneath the crust and with increased pressure the magma eventually
makes its way to the surface during an eruption.
Location
Volcanoes are associated with plate tectonics, so anywhere in the world
that has a plate boundary has the potential for volcanic activity
(Especially the Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean). Hot spots would be
the only exception.
Seasonal Influences
Seasonal changes do not affect volcanoes as plate movement is
dependent of the force of convection currents found within Earth's
crust.
Efforts to Minimize Damage:
Governments use seismographs to monitor volcanoes by tracking any
movement in the Earth's crust. Early detection is difficult and people
are at their own risk when living by a volcanic mountain.
Historical Event (Mt. St. Helens, Washington)
May 18th, 1980 Mt. St. Helens erupted causing 1.2billion dollars in
damage and killing 57 people. Volcanic ash from the eruptions was
carried across the United States and even across the Atlantic Ocean.
Dangers/What to do?
Volcano eruptions are hard to predict, best advice is to live in an area
that is free from nearby danger. If evacuation is ordered, leave area
and leave behind possessions.
Earthquakes:
Definition: The movement of Earth's crust due to stress built up in the
Earth's crust due to the movement of plate tectonics.
Location:
Commonly occurs along plate boundaries and faults that adjacent to a
plate boundary. Ring of Fire is a common area for earthquakes are
directly related to causing the eruption of volcanoes.
Seasonal Influences:
Seasonal changes do not affect earthquakes as plate movement is
dependent of the force of convection currents found within Earth's
crust.
Efforts to Minimize Damage:
Reinforce buildings with concrete and rebar or spring absorbers. Have
furniture, water heaters and other items strapped down. Don't have
items above your bed.
Historical Event (San Francisco Earthquake)
October 17, 1989 at 5:04 PM a 6.9 earthquake on the Richter Scale
shook the San Francisco and Oakland California and its surrounding
communities. 67 people were killed and the damage was over 5 billion
dollars. Some of the worst devastation came from double decker
highways collapsing on top of each other. Smashing cars like aluminum
cans.
Dangers/What to do?
Have a safety plan developed for a common meeting place. If possible
leave any building and get to an open area away from any structures. If
unable to leave building position yourself under a doorway or a table.
Practice drop, cover and hold. Be prepared for aftershocks once initial
shaking stops. Check for gas leaks once earthquake has stopped.
Landslides:
Definition: The movement of rock, dirt, boulders and pebbles down a
hillside. Often very small and insignificant, but can be as large as an
entire mountain side.
Location
Often occurs around mountain valleys and hills sides. Can occur around
any area that has significant change in elevation.
Seasonal Influences
Can occur any time of the year. Rain and flooding help increase the
chances of a landslide. Spring thawing and rain can add weight to soil
causing gravity to pull down the rock, dirt, and boulders.
Efforts to Minimize Damage
Government can restrict individuals from building on high risk slopes.
During torrential rainfall they will often issue a landslide warnings.
Historical Event (Vargas Venezuela Landslide/Mudslide 1999)
Over a period of 10 days in December, torrential rain weakened the
mountain sides to the point that a landslide was create. Over 190,000
people were evacuated and 10,000 to 30,000 people died. Poor land
development and week housing structures caused most of the deaths.
Dangers/What to do?
Have an emergency plan and survival kit. If building by a high risk area
makes sure to have buildings anchored to bed rock. Plant trees and
install retaining walls to help hold soil in place. Take warnings seriously
and move to safer ground.
Avalanches:
Definition: The mass movement of snow and other debri from a
mountain side. Avalanches can rush down a mountain side at hundreds
of miles per hour.
Location:
Commonly occur on snow covered mountains that experience earthquake
activity. Avalanches can also created by humans skiing/snowboarding
over loosely packed snowfields.
Seasonal Influences:
Can occur at any time of snow covered mountain peaks. Thawing of snow
or snow accumulation adds weight causing stress.
Efforts to Minimize Damage
Avalanches are very unpredictable because they are often triggered by
earthquakes. If a threat is present governments will sometimes us TNT
to create and avalanche to make the area safer. Boulders and other
structures can be built to help support snow packed area and prevent
them from collapsing.
Historical Event (Nepal Mt. Everest Avalanche April 27, 2015)
A major earthquake about 100 miles from Mount Everest started the
avalanched that buried a camp of hikers under snow and ice. Seventeen
hikers have been confirmed dead, with over sixty other being treated
for major injuries.
Dangers/What to do?
Hike, snowboard and ski in groups. Have rope and shovels for rescue
efforts. Suffocation and hyperthermia is the main cause of death.
Tornadoes:
Definition: A violent rotating column of air that end from a
thunderstorm to the ground.
Location
In the United States the Great Plains is often referred to as Tornado
Alley. The following states are part of Tornado Alley: Texas,
Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa,
Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Seasonal Influences Tornadoes can happen at any time of the day or
year; it just needs the right warm air mass to collide with a cold air
mass to produce a storm cloud. March through May is the peak time of
the year for tornadoes to occur in the United States.
Efforts to Minimize Damage
Have reinforced homes built that include a safe area to go in case of a
tornado. Storm shelters are common in Tornado Alley.
Historical Event Joplin Missouri Tornado May 22, 2011
Joplin, Missouri, May 22, 2011, left a ¾ mile wide path that was 13
miles long and killed 161 people.
Dangers/What to do?
Have a disaster plan and a common meeting place. Have enough food
and water for three days. Go the basement or lowest floor of you
home. Be in a room that is free of windows and glass. If you live in a
mobile home get out. If you are in a car get out and lie down in the
ditch. Watch out for downed power lines.
Forest Fires:
Definition: A natural disaster that is created by dry plant
material igniting and spreading to the surrounding area.
Location:
Warm climates that are prone to droughts. Wooded and grassy areas
that becomes extremely flammable because of the dry source of fuel
for a fire.
Seasonal Influences Common during dry summer seasons. Can occur at
any time, especially when an area is experiencing drought
Efforts to Minimize Damage
Take warning seriously and evacuate if needed. Have a hose the can
water down side of house to help prevent damage to the exterior of
the house.
Historical Event Rim Fire Sierra Nevada California 2013
Sierra Nevada, August 17, 2013, about 402 square miles of
land was destroyed over a period of three weeks. The cost of
preventing the disaster from spreading was $127.2 million
Dangers/What to do?
Have a common meeting place planned. Tell others where you are going
if you need to evacuate. Follow all evacuation orders and leave all
unnecessary possessions behind.