Feb 04 2010
Natural Disasters
Avalanche
Avalanches kill an average of 200 people each year. The victims of avalanche incidents are mostly the snow-mobilers, snow-boarders and skiers. Avalanches are snowballs which roll down the mountainside and shatter like a glass. Avalanches mostly occur after a heavy snowfall. When the snow piles up quickly, it weakens the layer beneath the snow and causes a fracture. This loosens the snow on the top layer causing it to move down the mountain slope at a great speed. A victim caught in an avalanche seldom escapes. The factors that foster an avalanche include temperature, storminess, wind and also the steepness of the slope.
Blizzard
A severe winter storm is known as a blizzard. Strong winds, heavy snowfall and low temperatures characterize a blizzard. A blizzard that occurred in 1888 killed over 400 people in the northeastern United States. Two hundred ships were wrecked in this blizzard. This blizzard is known as the Great Blizzard of 1888.
Drought
Drought can be defined as a condition of unusually dry climate within a certain geographic region due to lack of annual rainfall. Drought is a natural disaster, which is hazardous to human beings because it results in water shortage, causes damages to crops, and an increased death rate of livestock and wild animals. Drought also results in shortage of electricity. Reports show, many people worldwide die during the time of drought. In drought-prone areas certain measures such as construction of reservoirs, rain-harvest system and stopping over-grazing could be taken. Drought causes increase in food prices and unemployment. The incidents of forest fires would be more at the time of drought. Drought affects the entire human and animal population of that geographical location.
Earthquake
An earthquake occurs when the tectonic plates that form the upper crust of the earth collide or slide against each other. The zone where an earthquake occurs is known as the fault zone. When the tectonic plates collide against each other, the stress is released and it sends massive vibrations called seismic waves. The magnitude of an earthquake is measured using Richter scale.
Famine
Famine is a hazard that is induced by over-population. You may define famine as the shortage of food and clean drinking water. Famine leads to human and animal deaths. The main cause of famine is crop failure due to lack of rain or untimely rain. Other causes could be natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and so on.
Flood
A flood is a natural disaster as it results in the death of human beings, animals, and livestock. The crops are destroyed in the flood, which would gradually result in increased food prices due to food shortages. A flood can be defined as an event that occurs when the rivers and dams overflow and thereby submerging the all land that lies near them. In case of a flood situation, drinking water becomes scarce because water is contaminated. Due to unhygienic conditions many water-borne diseases are spread.
Hailstorm
You can say, a hailstorm is a precipitation that consists of lumps of ice. Hailstorm is sometimes called as freezing rain. The size of the ice lumps depends on the strength of the thunderstorm. It has been observed that a hailstorm in early spring can turn the green grass white. A hailstorm could destroy the crops and harm the livestock.
Heat Wave
When the temperatures soar above the normal temperature and if this condition continues for a prolonged period, then it is known as a heat wave. The temperatures that are considered as normal in the hotter regions of the globe could be termed as a heat wave in a cooler geographical location. Severe heat waves could lead to crop failures, death of human beings due to hypothermia. Domestic and wild animals also die in a severe heat wave.
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