A natural catastrophe is any bad occurrence that occurs as a result of natural causes. That may appear to be a lot of technical languages. However, the lesson of the story is that any bad occurrence produced by natural processes (such as weather or geologic activity) might be classified as a natural catastrophe. Natural disasters usually result in the loss of life or property damage, however, there is no minimum damage threshold for something to be termed a natural catastrophe.
Indeed, because the intensity of a catastrophe frequently depends on the infrastructure in a specific region, categorizing disasters simply on their negative consequences is challenging. However, while natural disasters are (generally) naturally occurring, they are only considered a catastrophes if they have a detrimental impact on human life. Here are the types of natural disasters that occur.
Table of Contents
Types of Natural Disasters
Natural disasters are large unfavorable events caused by natural Earth phenomena, such as firestorms, dust storms, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, and other geologic processes. A natural catastrophe can involve loss of life or property damage, as well as economic harm, the severity of which is determined by the resilience of the affected people and the infrastructure available.
The distinction between natural, man-made, and man-accelerated is difficult to make in modern times, with human decisions such as construction, fire, resource management, and even climate change possibly having a part.
If an unfavorable occurrence happens in a region with no susceptible people, it will not be considered a catastrophe. An unfavorable occurrence in a susceptible location, such as Nepal after the 2015 earthquake, can have devastating repercussions and leave permanent damage that can take years to restore. The devastating effects influence the mental health of affected populations, frequently resulting in post-traumatic symptoms.
Collective processing can help sustain these heightened emotional experiences, leading to resilience and enhanced community participation.
Let us check the Types of Natural Disasters below.
1. Avalanche and landslides
A landslide is defined as an outward and downward slope movement of a variety of slope-forming elements such as rock, soil, man-made materials, or a mix of these. During World War I, an estimated 40,000 to 80,000 troops perished as a result of avalanches during the Austrian-Italian front’s alpine battle in the Alps. Artillery fire was responsible for several of the avalanches.
2. Earthquake
An earthquake occurs when there is a rapid release of energy in the Earth’s crust, which causes seismic waves. Earthquakes express themselves at the Earth’s surface as vibration, shaking, and, in certain cases, displacement of the ground. Slippage within geological faults causes earthquakes. The seismic focus is the subterranean place of the genesis of the earthquake. The epicenter is the point right above the focus on the surface.
Earthquakes rarely kill people or wildlife on their own; it is usually the secondary events that they cause, such as building collapse, fires, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions, that kill them. Many of these can be avoided by better construction, safety systems, early warning, and planning.
3. Sinkhole
When the earth becomes too weak to sustain the buildings constructed on it due to natural erosion, human mining, or subterranean excavation, the ground might collapse and form a sinkhole. For example, the 2010 Guatemala City sinkhole, which killed fifteen people, was caused by torrential rain from Tropical Storm Agatha being channeled into a pumice bedrock by leaking pipes, resulting in the abrupt collapse of the earth beneath a manufacturing building.
4. Volcanic eruptions
Volcanoes may inflict extensive devastation and tragedy in a variety of ways. The volcanic eruption itself is a risk, with the power of the explosion and falling boulders capable of causing injury. Lava can also be released during a volcano’s eruption; as it exits the volcano, the extreme heat can destroy buildings, plants, and animals.
Furthermore, volcanic ash can create a cloud (usually after cooling) and settle heavily in adjacent areas. When combined with water, this produces a concrete-like substance. Ash, in large enough amounts, may cause roofs to collapse under its weight.
5. Duststroms
A dust storm is a spread of dust in arid areas.
6. Floods
A flood is the temporary flooding of land that is normally dry with water. In the meaning of ‘flowing water,’ the term can also refer to the influx of tides. Flooding can occur when the volume of a body of water, such as a river or lake, rises above normal, allowing part of the water to leave its customary bounds.
While the size of a lake or other body of water varies with seasonal variations in precipitation and snowmelt, a flood is not considered substantial unless it floods territory utilized by humans, such as a village, city, or other populated region, highways, or large areas of farmland.
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7. Tsunami
A tsunami, also known as a seismic sea wave or tidal wave, is a sequence of waves in a body of water generated by the displacement of a huge volume of water, most commonly in the ocean or a big lake. Tsunamis can be generated by underwater earthquakes like the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, landslides like the one in Lituya Bay, Alaska in 1958, or volcanic eruptions like the historic eruption of Santorini. A tsunami struck Fukushima, Japan, on March 11, 2011, and swept over the Pacific Ocean.
8. Limnic eruptions
A limnic eruption, also known as a lake overturn, happens when a gas, often CO2, unexpectedly emerges from deep lake water, endangering wildlife, cattle, and humans. As the increasing gas displaces water, an eruption like this may produce tsunamis in the lake. Scientists believe that such an eruption may be triggered by landslides, explosions, or volcanic activity.
Only two limnic eruptions have been witnessed and reported yet. In Cameroon, a limnic eruption in Lake Monoun killed 37 adjacent inhabitants in 1984, while a far bigger eruption in nearby Lake Nyos killed between 1,700 and 1,800 people by asphyxiation in 1986.
9. Tropical cyclone
The terms typhoon, cyclone, cyclonic storm, and hurricane all refer to the same phenomenon: a tropical storm that originates over an ocean. It is distinguished by high winds, heavy rains, and thunderstorms. The location of the storm is the decisive factor in which word is chosen.
The name “hurricane” is used in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific; “typhoon” is used in the Northwest Pacific, and “cyclone” appears in the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean. The 1970 Bhola storm was the deadliest hurricane in history; the Great Hurricane of 1780, which destroyed Martinique, St. Eustatius, and Barbados, was the worst Atlantic hurricane.
10. Blizzards
Blizzards are extreme winter storms that feature heavy snow and high winds. A ground blizzard occurs when strong winds mix up previously fallen snow. Blizzards can influence local economic activity, especially in areas where snowfall is uncommon. The Great Blizzard of 1888 damaged several tonnes of wheat harvests in the United States; in Asia, the 2008 Afghanistan blizzard and the 1972 Iran blizzard were both important disasters. The 1993 Superstorm began in the Gulf of Mexico and moved north, wreaking damage in 26 American states as well as Canada and killing over 300 people.
11. Hail storms
Hailstorms are caused by ice precipitation that does not melt before it strikes the ground. Hailstones often range in size from 5 to 150 mm (14 to 6 in). On July 12, 1984, a particularly devastating hailstorm struck Munich, Germany, resulting in around $2 billion in insurance claims.
12. Ice storm
An ice storm is a winter storm that consists of freezing rain. An ice storm is defined by the National Weather Service as a storm that results in the accumulation of at least 14 inches (6.35 mm) of ice on exposed surfaces.
13. Cold wave
A cold wave, also known as a cold snap or cold spell in certain areas, is a meteorological event characterized by a cooling of the air. The specific criterion for a cold wave is established by the rate at which the temperature drops and the minimum temperature attained. The lowest temperature varies according to geographical region and time of year.
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14. Heatwave
A heatwave is an abnormally and extremely hot period of weather. The European Heat Wave of 2003 was the worst in recent history.
15. Droughts
Drought is the exceptional dryness of soil produced by considerably lower-than-average rainfall over an extended time. Drought conditions can also be exacerbated by hot and dry winds, a lack of water, high temperatures, and the resulting evaporation of moisture from the ground. Droughts cause agricultural failure and water scarcity.
16. Thunderstorms
Lightning may be produced by severe storms, dust clouds, and volcanic eruptions. Aside from the normal harm associated with storms, such as winds, hail, and flooding, lightning may damage structures, spark fires, and kill by direct contact.
17. Tornado
A tornado is a violent and dangerous rotating column of air that collides with both the Earth’s surface and a cumulonimbus cloud, or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is also known as a twister or a cyclone, though the term cyclone is used in meteorology to refer to any closed low-pressure circulation. Tornadoes exist in a variety of forms and sizes, but most take the form of a visible condensation funnel, the narrow end of which reaches the ground and is often surrounded by a cloud of debris and dust.
Tornadoes typically have wind speeds of less than 180 km/h, are 75 m in diameter, and travel a few kilometers before disintegrating. The most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 480 km/h (300 mph), stretch more than 3 km (2 mi) across, and stay on the ground for perhaps more than 100 km.
18. Wildfire
Wildfires are huge flames that frequently begin in wilderness regions. Lightning and dryness are common causes, although wildfires can also be caused by human error or arson. They have the potential to spread to inhabited regions, posing a hazard to persons, property, and animals. These are Types of Natural Disasters and not man-made disasters.
19. Firestorms
Firestorms are the most unusual natural calamity. A storm cloud spews fireballs.
20. Solar flare
A solar flare is a phenomenon in which the Sun abruptly emits significantly more solar energy than usual. Solar flares are unlikely to inflict direct human damage, but they have the potential to destroy electrical equipment. Solar storms can inflict tragedy, as seen by the 1859 Carrington incident, which crippled the telegraph network, and the March 1989 geomagnetic storm, which blacked out Quebec.
Conclusion
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