Micro-tourism

Week 6 Module
What Are Natural Disasters?
A natural disaster is a sudden and extreme event caused by nature that can cause damage and harm
people.
1. Hurricanes

A hurricane is a type of tropical storm, but much more powerful. It’s like a gigantic, spinning
storm that forms over warm ocean waters.
Hurricanes have powerful winds that blow things around, heavy rain causes flooding, and storm
surges flood coastal areas.
2. Tornadoes

Tornadoes form when warm and cold air collide during big thunderstorms. This collision can force
the wind to start spinning in a circle.
When a tornado comes, it can be extremely destructive, like a powerful giant vacuum cleaner that
sucks up everything in its path.
Imagine a tornado as a long, twisting tube of wind and clouds that reaches down from the sky to
the ground. Inside this spinning tube, the wind can be so strong that it can pick up houses, cars,
and trees and toss them around like toys.
Tornadoes are natural disasters because they can cause a lot of damage and are very dangerous to
people. They’re not something we can control or prevent, but we can try to stay safe by listening
to weather warnings and taking shelter.

3. Volcanoes

Volcanoes form hot molten rock, ash, and gases from deep within the Earth. They can burst out
through an opening, often creating an eruption.
A volcano can lead to the release of lava and ash because of the Earth’s internal heat and activity.
All the parts of a volcano like lava bombs and lahar can cause damage to the surrounding areas.
4. Earthquakes
An earthquake happens when there’s a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust. This
creates seismic waves that cause the ground to shake.
This release of energy happens because of the movement of tectonic plates beneath the Earth’s
surface.
Earthquakes can range in size and strength, from small ones that are hard to notice to big ones that
can damage buildings and landscapes.
They can also lead to aftershocks, which are smaller tremors that follow the main earthquake.
5. Tsunamis

A tsunami is a super-sized ocean wave that can be extremely destructive. It happens when
something big, like an undersea earthquake disturbs the ocean floor.
This disturbance creates a massive amount of energy, which sends powerful waves spreading
across the ocean.
As these waves approach shallower coastal areas, they can grow in height and speed,
causing massive flooding when they reach the shore.
6. Droughts
A drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall in a particular region. This can
cause water shortages and impact the environment and agriculture.
In a drought, there isn’t sufficient water for people, plants, and animals. This causes dry soil, less
crop growth, and water restrictions for communities.
Droughts can greatly impact ecosystems and make life difficult for people who rely on water.
7. Landslides

A landslide is a sudden movement of dirt, rocks, or even entire chunks of land that suddenly moves
downhill.
It can happen because of heavy rain, earthquakes, or other factors that make the ground unstable.
Landslides can be slow and gradual, or they can be very fast and destructive.
They often cause damage to homes, roads, and the natural landscape in the affected area.
8. Forest fires
A forest fire, also known as a wildfire, is when a forest suddenly catches fire and spreads quickly to
the surrounding area.
It’s a fast-spreading, uncontrolled fire that occurs in forests, grasslands, or wild areas. Fires can
start from lightning, human activities, or even volcanic eruptions.
Forest fires can cause a lot of damage. They burn trees, plants, and wildlife. But they can also put
nearby communities and the environment at risk.
9. Flooding

Water overflowing onto dry land is called flooding. Flooding can occur because of heavy rain,
melting snow, or rising rivers, lakes, or oceans.
A subcategory is flash floods, which is a sudden and unexpected rush of water. Flash floods are
very dangerous because they occur suddenly and the fast-moving water can carry debris, putting
people and property at risk.
10. Typhoons
A typhoon is essentially the same thing as a hurricane, but it’s called a typhoon in the western
Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.
MAN-MADE DISASTER
Man-made disasters have an element of human intent, negligence, or error involving a failure of a
man-made system, as opposed to natural disasters resulting from natural hazards. Such man-made
disasters are crime, arson, civil disorder, terrorism, war, biological/chemical threat, cyber-attacks,
etc.
1. Terrorism
Terrorism is the use of force or violence against persons or property in violation of the criminal
laws of the United States for purposes of intimidation, coercion, or ransom. Terrorists often use
threats to create fear among the public to try to convince citizens that their government is powerless
to prevent terrorism and to get immediate publicity for their causes.
Acts of terrorism range from threats of terrorism, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, bomb
scares and bombings, and cyber attacks (computer-based), to the use of chemical, biological, and
nuclear weapons.
2. Bomb Threats
If you receive a bomb threat, get as much information from the caller as possible. Keep the caller
on the line and record everything that is said. Then notify the police and the building management
if applicable.
If you are notified of a bomb threat, do not touch any suspicious packages. Clear the area around
suspicious packages and notify the police immediately. Be wary of suspicious packages and letters.
They can contain explosives, chemical or biological agents.
Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you
Have protruding wires or aluminum foil, strange odors, or stains

3. A cyber-attack
is any malicious attempt to gain unauthorized access to a computer, computing system or computer
network with the intent to cause damage. Cyber attacks aim to disable, disrupt, destroy or control
computer systems or to alter, block, delete, manipulate or steal the data held within these systems.
4. A chemical disaster
is the unintentional refuse of one or more hazardous substances which could harm human health
or the environment.
What Is a Public Health Emergency?
A public health emergency is a defined as "an occurrence or imminent threat of an illness or health
condition, caused by bio terrorism, epidemic or pandemic disease, or an infectious agent or
biological toxin, that poses a substantial risk to humans by either causing a significant number of
human fatalities or permanent or long-term disability." Public health emergencies also
include influenza, or “the Flu”.
Examples: “Covid- 19” – virus, “Monkeypox” – virus. “Pertussis”- respiratory tract infection