Natural Hazards Can Lead To Natural Disasters
Difference between Natural Hazard and Disaster
A natural hazard escalates into a disaster when an extreme event caused harm in significant amounts and overwhelms the capability of people to cope and respond. An example of the distinction between a natural hazard and a disaster is that an earthquake is the hazard which caused the 1906 San Francisco earthquake disaster.
A natural hazard is an extreme event that occurs naturally.
Natural hazards are natural events that threaten lives, property, and other assets.
Often, natural hazards can be predicted. They tend to occur repeatedly in the same geographical locations because they are related to weather patterns or physical characteristics of an area.
List of Natural Hazards
Just to name a few…
- Avalanche
- Drought
- Earthquake
- Extreme Heat
- Flood
- Hurricane and Typhoon
- Landslide
- Power Outage
- Thunderstorms and Lightning
- Tornado
- Tsunami
- Volcano
- Wildfire
- Winter Storm
Preparedness For Natural Disasters
Some of these hazards are region-specific. You know your own region. Therefore you should know your own likely natural hazards.
Stay informed. Make a plan. Know your emergency actions ahead of time. Prepare for evacuations. Or shelter-in-place preparations. Prepare to live on your own, without help for awhile. Protecting your property. Preparing with your kids. Your pets. Prepare for injuries – basic first aid. Build at least a basic emergency kit. Supplies for at least 3 days at a minimum. Also, a portable kit (bug-out). One for in your vehicle, your workplace. Read the archives of this blog from many more ideas.
Fortunately, most of these are short lived. Though damages can really depend on many factors. Impacts can have long lasting results.
Some natural disasters can be forecast quite accurately. On the other hand others can come like a thief in the night.
Scenarios range from mild, moderate, to severe. There’s always a “worst case scenario”. It’s good to prepare for that one…
(Search Modern Survival Blog for tons of preparedness information)
Wouldnt it be something if that test to divert an asteroid knocks it into our path,,,,
Yeah, I can see the press release from NASA, Um… oops…
Better yet if it hits DC square
Natural disasters are survivable IF and I mean IF you practice situational awareness, have the correct mindset, and HAVE A PLAN! When I lived and worked in SoCal, I used to commute. I always has my car radio tuned to AM, as the traffic alerts would come up every few minutes. Since CA is earthquake country, I always travelled with a BOB, which contained hiking boots, emergency supplies, means of self-defense, and a way to get back home via shanks mare(Thomas Brothers Maps), should vehicle travel be impossible.
Now that I live in Winterfell(North ID) I always keep an eye on the weather, and have the necessary survival tools in my vehicle, even if I am only going over to INSLEELAND or east to the Fernan Shooting Facility. The gene pool continues to be chlorinated because clueless imbeciles rely on GPS and die on a dirt road, go hiking, get lost and croak due to hypothermia, or they walk off a cliff, etc. Do not be those humans. Stay prepped. Stay aware. Your environment is very unforgiving. Bleib ubrig.
To Dweezil: If memory serves me right, did you also work as a first responder/LEO in SoCal while you were down there? Responding to calls in So Cal, you become acutely aware of worst case scenarios. Now we both live in the land of Ice Storms in the Winter. Well, I gotta go get the studded tires put on my truck this afternoon. Stay warm in Idaho.
I was ready for the “heat” which dominates our area. Water supply set up to last us months if needed. I had infrastructure in place to support 6 months of zero rain, which in my estimation was less than a 5% likelihood. Then, snowmagedon hit and my entire system froze solid leaving me with a new dilemma. Learned a lot and am now better off for it.