Natural disasters What is a natural disaster

Natural disasters

What is a natural disaster? A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard that affects the environment and leads to financial, environmental and/or human losses. A natural hazard is a threat of a natural occurring event that will have a negative effect on people or the environment. Many natural hazards are interrelated. For example, earthquake can cause tsunami and drought that can lead directly to famine. The costs of natural disasters – lives lost, homes destroyed, economies disrupted…But there is reason for hope. By understanding how and where these natural events occur, we can build and live safely on the Earth, and by providing real-time information about floods, earthquakes, and others hazards, we can respond effectively when disaster strikes. We should build stronger, safer communities that are resistant to natural disasters.

Every year different natural disasters happen in our planet. • • Earthquake Hurricane Tornado Volcano Flood Drought Tsunami

• • Blizzard Avalanche Hailstorm Whirlpool Heat Wave Landslide Fire Ice Storm

Group up the words in the box according to the columns: Land movement disasters Water disasters Weather disasters

They destroy cities and towns, injure people and animals.

An earthquake is a sudden shaking of the ground. It usually happens in Japan, China, India, the USA, Armenia, Portugal.

A hurricane is a very violent wind or storm. It usually happens in Japan, China, the Russian Federation, the Philippines.

A tornado is a very violent wind in the form of a funnel of air that spins at great speed. It usually happens in the USA.

A volcano is a mountain with a hole called a crater in the top. Sometimes lava and gases are thrown from the crater. It usually happens in Italy, Salvador, Hawaii, the Russian Federation.

Flood - a phase of the water regime of the river, which is repeated every year in these climates in the same season, characterized by the highest water content, high and long-term growth and a decline in water levels in the river, lake, reservoir. It usually happens in Italy, the USA.

Drought - often a long period of stable weather with high air temperatures and low rainfall, resulting in reduced soil moisture reserves and there is oppression and death of cultivated plants. It usually happens in the Russian Federation, Australia, Africa.

Tsunami - series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. It usually happens in Japan, Indonesia, Hawaii, the USA.

Blizzard - winter storm condition characterized by low temperatures, strong winds , and heavy blowing snow. It usually happens in Britain, Ukraine, the Russian Federation.

An avalanche - is a mass of snow, often mixed with ice and debris which travels down mountain sides, destroying all in its path. It usually happens in France, Italia, the USA.

A hailstorm - is a form of precipitation and is formed by rain and wind. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. It usually happens in France, German, the Russian Federation.

A whirlpool – is a swirling body of water usually produced by ocean tides. It usually happens in Japan, Scotland.

A heat wave - is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. It usually happens in Australia, India and the USA.

A landslide - is a downward movement of rock and soil debris that has become detached from the underlying slope. The material can move by falling, toppling, sliding, spreading and flowing. It usually happens in China, Central America.

Fire - is the term used for an uncontrolled fire fuelled by natural vegetation. It usually happens in the USA, Australia, the Russian Federation.

Ice storm - is caused by freezing rain. When falling rain comes into contact with a freezing cold surface the rain turns into ice on contact. The freezing rain covers everything in smooth ice which on surfaces such as roofs and roads is particularly dangerous.

The weight of the ice can break tree branches and can affect power and telephone lines. It usually happens in North America, Canada and the Russian Federation.