Natural disasters

There are many environmental risks on our planet that we need to consider, because their
consequences are quite serious. It's about a natural disaster. There are usually events that have
a negative impact on life and human beings in a generalized way and are mainly caused by
phenomena that come without human intervention. In most cases, the human being is
responsible for the impact of the consequences of bad practices, whether they are
technological or poorly planned.

Natural disasters are events that take place without human intervention, which have a
negative impact on human life and beings. In many cases, people are responsible for the
effects of technical malpractice, negligence or the consequences of bad plans.

Depending on the types of natural phenomena that cause disasters, there are many reasons for
natural disasters. In general, a natural disaster is caused by climatic phenomena,
geomorphological processes, biological factors or spatial phenomena. These phenomena are
considered disasters when they reach extremes. Natural climate-related disasters include
tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, fires, tornadoes, heat waves and cold waves. On the other
hand, we have space disasters that are much less common than the impact of meteorites and
asteroids.
A disaster is an event that takes place in a relatively short period of time, is generally
unpredictable and has a negative impact on life. Disasters can occur naturally, caused by
human factors or caused by both natural and human factors.

When an event, directly or indirectly, has a negative impact on humanity, it becomes a

disaster. When an event occurs without human intervention, it is considered to be of natural
origin. This is an anthropic concept in which humans are located as entities outside of nature.
In this way, the human being distinguishes between his actions and the consequences derived
from other events in the universe.

CAUSE

Among the causes that generated these disasters we have the following:

 Climatic causes: it happens with variations of the atmospheric weather in terms of

temperature, precipitation, winds, atmospheric pressure, etc. Usually, this sudden
change in atmospheric variables causes phenomena such as hurricanes, electrical
storms, tornadoes, cold waves or heat.
 Geomorphological causes: they usually occur when the movements of tectonic plates
and the dynamics of the earth's crust and mantle cause earthquakes, tsunamis and
volcanic eruptions.
 Biological causes: imbalances in ecosystems can lead to the growth of pathogens and
their vectors. In this way, the growth of bacteria and viruses can create epidemics or
pandemics.
 Outer Space: Meteorites and asteroids entering the Earth's atmosphere can cause
severe damage.
Types of natural disasters

Any phenomenon that affects extreme levels is considered a natural disaster. Let's see who
they are:

 Avalanche: is the fall of a large mass of snow with a steep terrain due to the effect of
gravity. If it occurs in areas occupied or traveled by people, it can lead to a serious
disaster.
 Tropical cyclone: These are large rotating storms. These cyclones are accompanied by
heavy rainfall and high-speed winds. Winds can cause discomfort at sea, floods,
destroy infrastructure and even kill people.
 Slide to the ground: It is a movement similar to an avalanche, but with sloping ground
masses, it is quite steep. It usually occurs due to intense and prolonged precipitation
that saturates the soil with water and causes landslides. They can also occur due to the
existence of earthquakes.
 Outbreaks and pandemics: contagious diseases can cause serious problems. Outbreaks
spread by contagion and can cause a pandemic.
 Volcanic eruptions: are massive expulsions of magma, ash and gas from the mantle of
the Earth. Magma flows into a stream that slips across the Earth's surface and burns
everything in its path.
 Hail: Heavy rainstorms with 5-50mm ice stones can affect and cause considerable
damage.
 Impact of meteorite and comet: they are less common, but can cause serious damage.
The meteorite is a smaller celestial body measuring 50 meters in diameter.
 Forest fires: Most wildfires are man-made, although many occur naturally. Extreme
drought conditions can spontaneously ignite drier vegetation and trigger a fire.
 Floods: These are produced by the overflow of large rivers and lakes when there is
heavy rainfall. The long cover can destroy infrastructure, shoot animals and people,
uproot trees, etc.
 Drought: It is the absence of rain for a long time and therefore high temperature.
Crops are lost, animals die, and people are forced to leave the area because of hunger
and thirst.
 Earthquakes: they are quite feared because they are unpredictable and can have
serious consequences. It can collapse a structure, cause explosions, break water pipes,
dams and other accidents.
 Sand and dust storms: occur in arid and semi-arid areas. Deserts in particular are
caused by strong winds that move sand and form clouds that can cause the death of
living things due to suffocation and abrasion.
 Suspended particles- Caused by sand and dust storm and can be very annoying
pollutant, causing serious respiratory problems.
 Electric storms: They occur due to the accumulation of rising currents of hot and
humid air that enters a rather unstable atmosphere. As a result, lightning and lightning
are generated accompanied by heavy rain, wind and even hail.
 Tornadoes: is an extension of the cloud that forms a cone of air in revolution. They
can destroy infrastructure, damage roads and threaten the lives of animals and
humans.
 Tsunami: also called tidal waves. These are caused by the existence of underwater
earthquakes that cause large waves that move at high speed. With an impact on the
coast, they can cause major disasters due to impact and flooding.
 Heat wave: Consists of a regular increase in the temperature of a region above the
normal average for the same place and time of year. Usually well accompanied by
droughts.
 Cold wave: the opposite is the heat wave and are usually accompanied by bad
weather.