Famous natural disasters include the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, resulting in the destruction of Pompeii.
Natural disasters are the result of a natural hazard affecting the environment and leading to financial, environmental and loss of human life. How much areas are affected by natural disasters depends on how well-equipped the population and infrastructure are to resist the disaster. Natural disasters have constantly been in the headlines over the years, as they are often spectacular events both in show and in result.
Earthquakes
Earthquakes are a sudden shake of the earth's crust. This is caused by the tectonic plates that make up the earth's crust colliding. The shock originates underground and transfers the vibrations through the crust, with the vibrations varying in magnitude. The actual shaking of the earth rarely causes casualties, it is the events triggered by the earthquake that cause devastation. These can include building collapse, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. Notable earthquake disasters include the 2010 earthquake in Haiti which killed over 100,000 people and displaced millions.
Tsunamis
Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or potentially massive displacement of water by hazards such as meteorites. These waves of devastation move towards land at terrific speed, clearing whatever is in their path. The most famous tsunami of modern times was the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 which killed over 300,000 people in Southeast Asia.
Floods
A flood is an overflow of a body of water which covers land. This can result in humans having to evacuate homes and the destruction of towns and cities. Floods can be caused when big waves roll on normally dry places or by excessive rainfall. Floods can also be the outcome of other natural disasters such as hurricanes, as demonstrated by the destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. More recently, the 2010 flooding of Pakistan affected over 17 million people, destroying 1.2 million homes and leaving 5 million people homeless.
Volcanic Eruptions
Perhaps the most spectacular of the natural disasters, volcanic eruptions are caused by converging tectonic plates leading to explosions of rock, ash and lava from within the volcano. Damage from volcanic eruptions can be due to flowing lava destroying buildings and plants, or ash forming clouds and settling in nearby locations, then mixing with water to form a concrete-like substance. Ash can also have an effect on other factors like air travel, as was demonstrated in 2010 when a volcanic eruption in Iceland caused a number of European countries to close their air-space. Numerous travelers were grounded, with disastrous economic repercussions for all parties concerned.
Hurricanes
Hurricanes are powerful storm systems with low pressure centers that produce high winds and excessive rainfall. They can cause billions of dollars of damage to man-made structures, trees and landscapes. Notable examples include Hurricane Katrina which swept across the Caribbean and southern United States in 2005, destroying the city of New Orleans.
Tags: natural disasters, volcanic eruptions, disasters include, earth crust, excessive rainfall, Hurricane Katrina, killed over