NATURAL

DISASTERS
11-4 grade student Anu-Ujin
Content

WHAT A NATURAL HOW DANGEROUS A HOW TO PREVENT

DISASTER IS NATURAL DISASTER IS NATURAL DISASTERS
what a natural disaster is

◦ A natural disaster can be defined as “A major event caused by Earth’s natural

processes that leads to significant environmental degradation and loss of life.” A
natural disaster is frequently preceded by a natural hazard. The Gujarat Earthquake,
for example, which struck on January 26, 2001, was a natural calamity. The natural
danger lives underneath the active fault lines that run through Gujarat.
◦ Anthropogenic causes, on the other hand, can cause or affect some natural dangers.
Deforestation, mining, and agricultural activities, for example, can all cause
landslides. Natural disasters frequently result in widespread damage. Natural
disasters, such as wildfires, destroy animal habitats while also causing property
damage and loss of life.
Different types of natural disasters can be:
• Tsunamis
• Earthquakes
• Avalanches
• Volcanoes
• Landslides
• Floods
• Droughts
• Forest fires
• Hurricanes
• Thunderstorms
• Tornadoes
• Winter storms
• Heat Waves
 How dangerous a natural disaster

◦ Natural disasters can cause great damage on the environment, property, wildlife and human health. These events
may include earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, landslides, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and
extreme temperatures. Natural disasters generally constitute an emergency since they require immediate
intervention due to their high impact on human health and safety; they affect the normal functioning of working
infrastructure, interrupting normal day activities and representing a risk for residents and workers in affected
areas.
◦ Emergency response and recovery workers may be at risk of exposure to multiple health hazards associated with
the occurrence of an event. These hazards can include physical, chemical, ergonomic, biologic, radiologic,
psychological, and behavioral health hazards.  Therefore, it is imperative to implement appropriate measures to
assure the health and safety of emergency responders, including the implementation of a disaster management
plan that prepares responders before an emergency, informs them about how to act during an emergency and
provides guidance on how to perform the necessary activities after a particular event.
 Safety management
◦ A main component of disaster
management is safety. Safety
management makes reference to all
the possible strategies that can be
implemented to assure the safety of
workers while performing their jobs.
The purpose of safety management is
to prevent hazards and reduce
potential harmful incidents that can
occur in the workplace. The strategies
implemented can include safety
prevention measures such as the use
of personal protective equipment or
the establishment of health and safety
policies. For example: Earthquakes
 how to prevent natural disasters
◦ The main objective of measures related to the natural disaster prevention focuses on reducing the negative
impact that these entail, both in terms of loss of human life (and other living beings), and in relation to material and
environmental damage. In this section we will detail the most appropriate actions to prevent one or another type of
specific natural disaster, depending on whether it is fires, floods and tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions or
earthquakes.
 Prevent fires

• Follow the exit signs until you reach a meeting

point indicated for this in case of fire.
• If we are in a building near a fire and, above all, if
it has also caught fire, do not use the elevators.
• Cover up to prevent the skin from coming into direct
contact with the flames, as well as wear masks to
avoid inhaling the polluting gases resulting from the
combustion of the fire.
◦ In this other article we talk in more depth about How
to prevent forest fires.
◦ if you've caught fire in the woods, you need to turn off
the cigarettes you need to extinguish them directly
Prevent floods

• Faced with floods, the main prevention measure is to stand

somewhere high, if possible, more than 30 meters above sea level
on natural terrain.
• It is important to avoid coastal areas and river beds, as well as to
be aware of the possible rise in the water level in areas susceptible
to being stagnant and flooded (sewers, holes in roads, etc.)
• In case the flooding is due to the devastating action of a tsunami,
the main thing is to stay away from the coast, since this is its main
area of ​devastation. Due to the frequency of devastating waves
that the action of the tsunami can generate (around 10 waves in 12
hours), preventive measures must be maintained during this
period. Learn more about this phenomenon here: How tsunamis
form.
◦ In addition, you can consult this link where you will see
information about the Causes and consequences of floods.
 Hurricanes

• Having a shelter and reserves of water and

food to face the arrival of the hurricane, since
the devastating consequences of the natural
phenomenon will probably force them to
remain isolated for a time.
• Use protective structures on windows, doors
and areas susceptible to flooding and / or
damage due to the strong winds and storms of
the hurricane, avoiding being close to them
during the passage of the same.
Volcanic eruptions
• Depending on the force and pressure with which the
volcanic eruption has occurred, as well as the types of
materials that have been emitted (lava, ash, gases), the
actions must be more or less intensive.
• It is important to stay out of the range of the volcanic
eruption, closing doors and windows to avoid having
respiratory problems due to the emission of gases and
ashes Likewise, stay away from areas susceptible to a
landslide or landslide, since the force of the eruption can
lead to an avalanche of materials that displace the earth,
as well as earthquakes.
• To learn more about this natural phenomenon, do not
hesitate to read this other post about the Types of
volcanic eruptions.
Earthquakes
• The main action in the event of an earthquake is to remain
calm and follow the evacuation instructions if we are inside a
building.
• It will always be advantageous to stand under a table or
furniture that protects us from falling lamps and any other
object, as well as from breaking windows and glass.
• It is advisable not to use the elevators, as well as to stop the
vehicle if we are driving and go to places without buildings or
large trees that could collapse due to the force of the
earthquake.
• From Ecologist Verde we recommend reading these other
articles about the Earthquake: what it is, how it occurs and
types, the Difference between earthquakes, tremors and
earthquakes and What are the main seismic and volcanic areas
in the world.
 Actions to prevent natural disasters
◦ In the previous points, we have summarized the most important things to do in each type of natural
disaster situation, such as prevention measures for major disasters and loss of life. Now as a summary,
we explain some natural disaster prevention measures to prevent them from happening or to make
them as small as possible:
• Shelter construction or bunkers to use in an emergency.
• Prepare spaces firewall in the fields and forests.
• Report situations that we see that could lead to a natural disaster (for example, bonfires in non-
authorized places).
• Carry out control studies of this type of phenomena to be able to know when and where the disaster is
most likely to happen and with what force. With this knowledge, timely evacuations can be performed
when necessary.
 ANALYSIS

A natural disaster is a phenomenon that no one can stop. But it

could be foreseen. Things that can be done by human hands are a
fire with visions. It is incumbent on us not to harm the environment.
So love each other so everyone can be responsible