Natural Disasters
Natural Disasters at a Glance
Natural disasters are natural events that occur that can cause damage, destruction, and even loss
of life. There are many kinds of natural disasters and they all have different effects on the people
that they hit. Natural disasters commonly classified as either geological disasters or weather type
disasters.
Thunderstorms
Severe thunderstorms can occur just about anywhere
around the world. Thunderstorms are heavy rain clouds
that produce rain, lightning, hail, and even tornadoes.
Thunderstorms can be and often are the sources of
other weather related natural disasters. These include
tornadoes, lightning, and flooding. Lightning can cause
destructive fires to land, damage to trees and structures,
and kill and injure people. Flooding can be just as dangerous. According to the NSSL, Rainfall
from thunderstorms causes flash flooding, killing more people each year than hurricanes,
tornadoes or lightning (National Severe Storms Laboratory). [Above is a lightning storm image
captured by the National Weather Service]
Tornadoes
Again, tornadoes can occur just about anywhere in the world, although they are the most
common in the plains of the United States. Tornadoes are said to be one of the most violent of all
atmospheric storms. They are most likely to occur throughout the spring and summer months of
March through July. Tornadoes happen most commonly in the midsection of the United States
known as Tornado Alley. They are most likely to form here because of the warm air flowing
up from Mexico and the cold, dry air coming down from Canada. The combination of these two
air types are the perfect ingredients for forming tornado producing storms. Tornadoes can go
from being small and weak, to being powerful, large, and destructive. Tornadoes are usually
known to form from supercells, which is an internally rotating storm. Even though tornadoes are
just columns of air that connect a supercell to the earth, they are dangerous. The biggest threat
to living creatures [including humans] from tornadoes is from flying debris and from being
tossed about in the wind (National Severe Storms Laboratory). The damage and death that they
cause makes them a weather phenomenon to be feared by man.
Hurricanes
Hurricanes are known to be the most
violent storms on Earth. Hurricanes are
also referred to as tropical cyclones and
typhoons depending on where they occur
in the world. They are formed and caused
by warm ocean waters. This is why they
usually form closer to tropical areas over
the ocean. Hurricanes need three main ingredients to form: warm air, water, and wind. According
to the website SciJinks, ...as the wind passes over the ocean's surface, water evaporates (turns
into water vapor) and rises. As it rises, the water vapor cools, and condenses back into large
water droplets, forming large cumulonimbus clouds. These clouds are just the beginning [of a
hurricane] (SciJinks). Hurricanes can be devastating, causing flooding, severe thunderstorms,
and tornadoes. The storms they bring causes destruction to homes, trees, buildings, and
powerlines. Meteorologists classify hurricanes into four stages during hurricane development:
tropical disturbance, tropical depression, tropical storm, and finally, tropical cyclone. One of the
most famous hurricanes is Hurricane Katrina. It is most famous for its amount of damage and
death toll. According to DoSomething.org, Hurricane Katrina caused $81 billion in property
damages, but it is estimated that the total economic impact in Louisiana and Mississippi may
exceed $150 billion, earning the title of costliest hurricane ever in US history
(DoSomthing.Org). [Above is a satellite image of Hurricane Katrina.]
Flooding
Floods can be caused by heavy rains, sudden melting of snow, rivers overflowing, or if a dam
breaks. Flooding is also caused by heavy rains from thunderstorms and hurricanes. Flooding can
produce dangerous mudslides. They are the most common weather related natural disaster.
Flooding occurs when a large amount of water overflows an area that is dry. Most floods can
happen over time or quickly. Flash floods are the most dangerous kinds or floods because of
their destructiveness and speed. Floods cause thousands to millions of dollars worth of damage.
They damage homes, roads, and land. Many people are killed or injured during major floods.
According to the NSSL, In the U.S., floods kill more people each year than tornadoes,
hurricanes or lightning (National Severe Storms Laboratory).
Earthquakes
Earthquakes are caused by shifting fault
lines in the earth. The fault lines pull away
from each other, crash into each other, or
slide across each other. These fault shifts
are called divergent, convergent, and
transform. These movements mentioned
cause seismic waves. Seismic waves are
waves of energy created by shifting
faultlines. These are the waves that are often felt in an earthquake. The waves make the earths
crust move actual like waves. The waves are what cause destruction in earthquakes. This can be
especially deadly because these waves often cause buildings to collapse, and people get trapped
or killed by falling debris. According to the database Science Online, A single earthquake may
release the energy equivalent to hundreds or thousands of nuclear blasts and may cost billions of
dollars in damage... (Science Online). Another effect of earthquakes are tsunamis. They also
cause massive waves, called tsunamis or seismic sea waves to occur in coastal areas. These can
cause damage and flooding.
