EARTHSC 2GG3 Chapter Notes -Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Geological Survey, Natural Disaster
8 Oct 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Natural hazard: hazards in nature that endanger our property and physical well-being. Natural disaster: a natural event that causes significant damage to life or property. Catastrophe: when a natural event kills or injures large numbers of people or causes extensive property damage. Heat and drought account for the largest numbers of deaths: there were more deaths from heat waves between 1997 to. 2008 than from any other type of natural hazard. Flooding is the second most deadly hazard. The number of deaths from a given hazard can vary significantly from year to year due to rare major events. The rate of fatalities can also change over time as a result of safety measures or trends in leisure activities. The type of damage sustained as a result of a natural disaster also depends on the economic development of the area where it occurs. In developing countries there are increasing numbers of deaths from natural disasters.
