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On average, 6 800 natural disasters occur annually worldwide.
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Natural disasters affect 218 million people every year.
By “natural disaster” we mean an event that is natural, fast, and leaves material damage and human casualties. It may last for minutes, hours or even weeks. The adjective "fast" in these disasters is measured in terms of geological time. The consequences of these disasters are or may be long-lasting.
Catastrophic events can no longer be called purely natural disasters. Over time, and especially with the development of civilization, the boundaries of these catastrophes are becoming increasingly blurred, as human influence intensifies. Humans speed up some processes, mainly through settlement, construction, extraction of resources and raw materials, fire and, last but not least, fundamentally by climate change.
“Disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability.”
What natural disasters can befall us? The main division of natural disasters concerns the environment from which they originate. This includes the following threats:
M33 - Triangulum Galaxy. Source: Unsplash
Outer Space
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In the history of our planet, asteroids have played a vital role in determining the direction of life. The most famous event that created the Chicxulub Crater (Mexico) was the impact of an asteroid about 64.9 million years ago. It is associated with the end of the dinosaur era on our planet. Although we do not expect such a massive event in the near future, the universe may have many surprises in store for us. In any case, the concerns are not entirely justified. "You have a better chance of getting hit by a tornado and a bolt of lightning and a hurricane all at the same time," quoting Michael Reynolds, a Florida State College astronomer and author of the book Falling Stars: A Guide to Meteors & Meteorites, with reference to our chances of being struck by a meteorite.
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Solar Flares are more real and frequent. This is a phenomenon in which more sunlight than usual is emitted by the sun. Again, this phenomenon will not damage human lives, but massive solar flares can destroy electronics, for example.
A supercell thunderstorm over the open Oklahoma prairies. Source: Unsplash
The Atmosphere Atmospheric phenomena affect our lives practically every day. The vast majority are more of a benefit to Nature and do no harm, such as ordinary rain. Exceptions are extreme atmospheric phenomena, such as:
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A tropical cyclone that has the shape of a cyclone (low pressure) in the form of a huge vortex with a typical eye in the middle. The size can range from 100 to 2 000 kilometers and the wind speed can reach up to 300 km / h. These cyclones are always formed above sea level in tropical areas (but not at the Equator). This is also the reason why a cyclone loses strength or disappears over the mainland. In different parts of the world, a tropical cyclone is called different names. In the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, you will hear "hurricane", in the Northwest Pacific, it is "typhoon" and in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, "cyclone". Probably one of the most devastating natural disasters was the Bhola Cyclone (Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta cyclone), which claimed 300 000 to 500 000 human lives in 1970 and caused about $86 billion in damage.
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A tornado is characterized by a dangerously rotating column of air that is in touch with the ground and can be caused by a cumulonimbus cloud. It is also called a twister or cyclone (although any closed low-pressure circulation is thus labeled). The wind speed of most tornadoes is less than 180 km / h (110 mph) and they have a diameter of approximately 75 m (250 feet). In this fashion, a tornado travels several kilometers before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can reach wind speeds of more than 480 km/h (300 mph), stretch for more than 3 km (2 miles) and remain on the ground for more than 100 km (60 miles). The record-holder among tornadoes was the Oklahoma El Reno Tornado in May 2013. According to reports, it was up to 4.2 km (2.6 miles) wide and had a speed of 486 km/h (302 mph).
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Sand storms or dust storms can cause lightning damage in addition to the typical damage associated with strong winds, hail and floods. For example, in 2007, lightning killed 30 people in Ushari Dara, a remote mountain village in northwestern Pakistan.
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Blizzards, in turn, are an extreme manifestation of mostly winter weather. They are characterized by heavy snow and strong winds. One of the** worst blizzards took place** in 1972 in Iran. The week-long period of low temperatures and severe winter storms, which lasted from February 3 to 9, 1972, resulted in the deaths of more than 4 000 people.
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Hail is a hydrometeorite. It is comprised of lumps of ice or snow, covered with a layer or several layers of frozen water formed in storm clouds. A hailstone usually measures between 5 and 150 mm in diameter. Hail is mainly associated with property damage. The current world record for the largest hailstones is held by Vivian in South Dakota, where hailstones with a diameter of 20.3 cm fell from the sky. Only three hail-related deaths have been documented in the United States – a farmer caught in his field near Lubbock, Texas on May 13, 1930, a baby struck by a large hailstone in Fort Collins, Colorado, on July 31, 1979, and a boatman on Lake Worth, Texas, on March 29, 2000.
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Heatwaves are periods of unusual and excessively hot weather. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) defines a heatwave as five or more consecutive days of prolonged heat, in which the daily maximum temperature is higher than the average maximum by 5 °C or more. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 166 000 people died in heatwaves between 1998 and 2017.
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Drought is defined as a long-term lack of water supply, whether atmospheric (below-average precipitation), surface water or groundwater. Drought has a significant impact on ecosystems and agriculture in affected areas and, of course, is detrimental to the local economy. It can last for weeks, months or years. Today, we consider drought as a side-effect of climate change.
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Firestorms create and maintain their own system of flue gas and air movement. They can occur during the largest natural fires, such as steppe or forest fires, but also during fires in urban areas. At the epicenter of such a storm, the temperature can rise up to 2 000°C. Under specific conditions, a fire whirl or fire devil (sometimes referred to as a fire tornado) may also be created. This phenomenon was first witnessed in 2003 during the Canberra bushfires.
Bingley Floods Boxing Day 2015 River Aire - Ireland Bridge. Source: Unsplash
The Hydrosphere A hydrological disaster is a sudden and destructive change caused by the action of water in the atmosphere, on or below the Earth’s surface.
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Floods can be understood as temporary continuous water coverage of areas that are usually dry. Floods tend to be a secondary manifestation of other meteorological phenomena, such as heavy rains, melting snow or tropical cyclones. Some floods are natural and occur every year, for example, with melting snow or heavy rainfall. If the water does not cover areas used by humans (cities, villages, infrastructure or a large area of agricultural land), the flood is not considered as significant. One of the worst floods of the 20th century was in 1931, known as the China Floods on the Yangtze-Huai River. Estimates of the number of victims range from 422 499 to 4 million deaths (depending on the source).
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A tsunami (from the Japanese, literally "harbor wave") is a wave or series of waves that arise from the movement of a large volume of water outside the normal movement of waves generated by wind or tide, which is affected by the gravity of the sun and moon. They can occur in the oceans or even on large lakes due to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, underwater explosions, landslides, glacier breakdowns, meteorite impacts and other exceptional events. One of the highest waves was recorded by the megatsunami of Lituya Bay in Alaska in 1958 with a height of 524 meters (1 720 feet). A tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004 caused the most casualties. More than 225 000 people in several countries died in the 9.1 magnitude underwater earthquake near Sumatra.
The volcanic eruption at Geldingadalir, Fagradalsfjall. Source: Unsplash
The Earth’s Surface and Below It Geological disasters are historically among those that cause the greatest damage to life and property. Earthquakes in the 20th century alone killed more than 1 million people worldwide, and the value of property destroyed by earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis amounts to many billions of dollars.
Landslides include a wide range of earth movements, from rockfalls to massive slope breaks, mudflows or debris flows. It can be said that the term "landslides" covers almost all forms of the mass movement of rocks on the Earth's surface. These may be the following:
- slow long-term slope movements (mm/year to mm/day)
- fast slope movements (mm/h to m/h)
- catastrophically fast slope movements (m/h, km/h up to 100 km/h)
Did you know that… in the United States, landslides are responsible for about 25 victims annually?
Volcanic eruptions accompanied the birth of life on our planet and with them some of the greatest catastrophes. During eruptions, a mixture of molten rocks, known as magma, and volcanic gases from the magmatic reservoir located below the volcano enter the surface from the volcanic opening. There are three different types of eruptions:
- Magmatic eruptions - involve the decompression of gas in magma, which propels it forward (these are the best observable eruptions);
- Phreatic eruptions - are driven by overheating of the steam through contact with the magma (there is no typical magmatic release);
- Phreatomagmatic eruptions - are driven by the compression of gas in the magma (this is usually the interaction between water and magma).
Of course, not all volcanoes on our planet are active at the same time. According to their activity, we can divide them into:
- Active - there are about 50 - 70 on average each year, but the number may vary (for example, in 2021 there were 79). However, there are approximately 1 350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide.
- Dormant and reactivated - it is difficult to distinguish a dormant volcano from an extinct one. Most of them, however, include those for which we do not have written records of an eruption, but scientists expect it to happen in the future.
- Extinct - they are highly unlikely ever to erupt again, because the volcano no longer has a supply of magma. There are more than 5 000 of these on our planet.
Did you know that… there are 161 potentially active volcanoes in the United States?
An earthquake (or quake, tremor or temblor) is the result of the release of energy into the Earth’s lithosphere, which develops seismic waves. Most of these are formed due to the movements of the Earth’s plates, and therefore mainly along the faults. Significant breaks also mean greater risks associated with more frequent or larger earthquakes. They pass through the west coast of America, East Asia and the islands between Asia and Australia, as well as through the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran and the Mediterranean. Probably the largest earthquake was the Great Chilean Earthquake (Valdivia Earthquake) in 1960, with a magnitude of 9.5. It lasted about 10 minutes and caused a massive tsunami, with waves up to 25 meters (82 feet) high. It struck the Chilean coast forcibly and swept across the Pacific Ocean to devastate Hilo in Hawaii. Waves of up to 10.7 meters (35 feet) high were recorded as far as 10 000 kilometers (6 200 miles) from the epicenter.
Did you know that... there are an estimated 500 000 earthquakes every year? But only about 100 000 of them are perceived.
However, the vast majority of natural disasters do not occur alone. Earthquakes may be accompanied by volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and landslides. Likewise, heatwaves are more likely to be accompanied by extreme fires and firestorms.
The number of natural disasters has increased 10 times in the last 100 years!
We constantly speak about natural disasters as something we cannot influence. However, the opposite is becoming a reality, because human activity is increasingly affecting the climate on our planet and, with it, the individual natural phenomena that cause disasters.
Climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity and scale of disasters, leading to more deaths and injuries, as well as increased property and economic losses. In the last 20 years, 90 % of large-scale disasters have been caused by weather-related events, such as heatwaves, storms, floods and droughts.
According to the Emergency Events Database, more than 730 000 people have lost their lives in the last 10 years, over 1.9 million have been injured and about 15 million have become homeless as a result of disasters.
The impacts of natural disasters are:
- primary - direct result of natural disasters, such as destroyed buildings;
- secondary - resulting from primary effects. These include power outages, due to fallen trees or damaged buildings, and fires from broken gas lines;
- tertiary - long-term consequences, including changes in the landscape and crop failures.
Natural disasters overlap into different spheres:
Environment Natural disasters affect not only humans, but also the entire ecosystem. Many animals and plants living in affected areas are exposed to a sudden pressure to survive and even threatened with extinction.
Humanitarian Crises Along with the immediate damage caused by disasters, subsequent humanitarian crises arise, which can last for months or even years, depending on the extent of the damage.
Food Shortages Destroyed infrastructure can reduce the ability to supply the affected locations with food. Food can also perish more easily in damaged storage areas. Moreover, also large areas of land that are normally used for agriculture may be affected. Farmers will then not be able to meet the demand for food.
Water Shortages Natural water resources can be polluted or destroyed by a natural disaster. The same applies to the water supply infrastructure. These interventions can have fatal consequences, especially if multiple disasters occur together. Due to the huge dependence on drinking water sources, migration of population groups can occur.
Population Migration The most common form of damage is economic. People lose their property and are faced with the decision of whether they want to rebuild in the same place what they had already once built, or choose safer areas. Of course, this also applies in the future, when climate change will worsen crop conditions and some people will have no alternative but to choose more suitable areas in which to live.
Infrastructure Today’s civilization depends on a complex infrastructure. This includes electricity networks, roads, water mains, gas pipelines and important hospital and airport buildings – all of which can be destroyed by a natural disaster. Sometimes just fallen trees on to a power line or road can disrupt the smooth functioning of society.
Public Health Problems and Diseases Medical facilities and hospitals may be destroyed during catastrophic events. In addition, diseases may become more widespread, due to resources’ pollution, declining hygiene standards and medicine shortages. As a result, people will not be able to recover from their illnesses.
Injuries In addition to property damage, injuries also occur during disasters. Unfortunately, the destruction of the infrastructure may not allow for timely assistance. Injuries treated late or left untreated can then have a negative effect on the subsequent quality of life.
Fatalities If the disaster is sudden and takes place in areas that do not have warning systems (e.g. in developing countries), it leads to the greatest damage – human casualties.
Emotional Shock The experience of destruction, helplessness, suffering and/or the loss of loved ones, in addition to physical injuries, also causes emotional damage to survivors. These can last for a very long time or even become lifelong trauma for some.
Economic Impact Every disaster also causes economic damage. In widespread disasters, such as floods or earthquakes, damage can be long-lasting, e.g. in the form of destroyed agricultural areas. This will damage the region's economy, and can also affect the economy of the whole country.
Thanks to progress, casualties are decreasing significantly.
Since the origins of mankind, natural disasters have been seen as force majeure and some form of punishment. But over time, we have understood the context and natural phenomena have revealed their laws. To this day, this gives us the hope that we can predict certain disasters sufficiently beforehand, and even eliminate some of them. As a result, the number of victims of natural disasters has fallen by 75 % in the last 100 years.
Investments in Risk Reduction Risks of disasters, such as floods, can be successfully reduced. In times of calm, before the worst happens, we can build flood defenses on rivers, and barriers against tsunamis on the coast.
Emergency Measures We may never be able to cover all the risks associated with natural disasters, but we can do our utmost to mitigate them. Thanks to advances in technology, we can model cases of tornadoes, cyclones, heavy rainfall, and even predict a volcanic eruption. Early warning systems help to save lives. People then have plenty of time to secure their property or move to safe areas.
Sharing Information on Protective Measures It is crucial for the protection of the largest possible number of people that information on protective measures is disseminated to areas, especially in developing countries, which do not have the capacity for their own research.
Construction of Stable Buildings Developing countries more often suffer higher casualties, due to poor construction of buildings. Unstable buildings are more likely to collapse in minor earthquakes or storms. There is the need to share knowledge of the construction of such buildings and thus passively help to protect their inhabitants.
Afforestation The expanding human population is resource- and space-intensive. For their well-being, people overlook their influence on Nature, and here a balance must be found. Afforestation is an effective means of combating soil erosion and contributing to water retention in the landscape. A forested landscape thus better resists landslides and droughts, and can hold large amounts of water during heavy rains. Restoration of forests can help to balance climate change and indirectly affect the frequency of hurricanes.
Education As in any field, education is pivotal. It is necessary to understand the Laws of Nature and especially the concept of climate change. If people have more information about the origins of climate change, they can take remedial action.
Technology The difference between disasters 100 years ago and today is that we have technologies that can assist us to mitigate the effects of disasters. These are, for example, sensors that detect the movements of the Earth's crust and predict strong earthquakes, and meteorological satellites that warn us of severe storms and strong winds.
Government Every government should have a Disaster Recovery Plan in place. Thanks to the coordinated collaboration of individual components of the rescue system, unnecessary loss of life and property is eliminated. Governments, in collaboration with experts, can identify dangers in real time and provide assistance in affected areas.
Economic Support Probably the greatest impacts of natural disasters are in economically poor countries. Restoring destroyed infrastructure costs more money than governments can afford. The solidarity of rich countries, which can aid in disaster recovery with financial or material support, provides meaningful assistance.
