A Step-by-Step Guide to Disaster

What Is A Disaster? 

Disasters are major issues that occur gradually and destroy people, property, economies, or the environment to the point when the impacted community or society is unable to handle them on their own. Theoretically, natural catastrophes stem from natural dangers, while man-made disasters originate from human hazards. These days, it's becoming harder and harder to distinguish between disasters that are naturally occurring, man-made, or caused by humans. Because people fail to implement proper emergency management procedures, it is possible to view all disasters as man-made. 

 

A disaster happens when a natural hazard strikes a community that is already at risk. Communities become more susceptible to climate hazards due to human errors such as inadequate planning, development, or preparation. 

 

It is common practice to categorize disasters as either manmade or natural. Today, it can be challenging to distinguish between disasters that are naturally occurring, man-made, and man-accelerated. 

TYPES OF CALAMITIES 

1.  Avalanche 

Snow flowing quickly down a slope, such as a hill or mountain, is called an avalanche.[1] Natural events like more precipitation or thawing snowpack can cause avalanches, as can man-made events like earthquakes and other natural disasters. Big avalanches are mostly made of air and snow, but they can also pick up and carry ice, rocks, and trees. 

 

Two general types of avalanches, or combinations of them, are slab avalanches, which are formed of compacted snow and are caused by the collapse of a weak layer of underlying snow, and loose snow avalanches, which are formed of looser snow. Avalanches typically begin quickly after being triggered, accelerating further as they gather more snow and increase in bulk and volume. 

2. WildFire 

In the exothermic chemical process of combustion, fire is the quick oxidation of a material (the fuel), generating heat, light, and other reaction products. Flames are created during the combustion reaction at a specific point known as the ignition point. The part of the fire that can be seen is the flame. 

Oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor, and carbon dioxide make up the majority of flames. The gases could ionize and create plasma if they get hot enough. 

The color and intensity of a fire vary depending on the materials burning and any contaminants present outside. 

3. Lightning Strike 

An electric discharge between the earth and the atmosphere occurs during a lightning event, which is known as a lightning strike or bolt. The term "cloud-to-ground" (CG) lightning refers to lightning that most often starts in a cumulonimbus cloud and ends there. The less frequent kind of lightning strike known as ground-to-cloud (GC) lightning is an upward-propagating lightning strike that begins at a tall grounded object and extends into the clouds. 

 

Strikes between the atmosphere and terrestrial objects account for about 25% of all lightning incidents that occur worldwide. The majority only happen up in the atmosphere and are classified as cloud-to-cloud (CC) or intracloud (IC) lightning. 

Even though current engineering and design imply that lightning strikes the average commercial aircraft at least once a year, it is rarely an issue. Lightning strikes can potentially be caused by aircraft passing through clouds. 

4. Earthquake 

An earthquake is the shaking of the Earth's surface caused by a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that results in seismic waves. It is also referred to as a tremor, earthquake, or temblor. The severity of earthquakes varies; they might be so little that no one can feel them, or they can be strong enough to send people and things hurtling skyward, destroy vital infrastructure, and level entire cities. An area's seismic activity is defined as the kind, frequency, and magnitude of earthquakes that occur there over a specific period. The average rate of seismic energy release per unit volume is known as the seismicity at a specific region on Earth. 

Generally speaking, every seismic event that produces seismic waves is referred to be an earthquake. Natural disasters or man-made events like fracking, mining, and nuclear testing can cause earthquakes. 

 5. Tropical cyclone  

A tropical cyclone is a fast-moving system of thunderstorms that features a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produces intense rain and squalls, powerful winds, and a core of low pressure. There are several names for tropical cyclones, including hurricanes, tropical storms, cyclonic storms, tropical depressions, and simply cyclones, depending on where it is and how strong it is. 

In the Atlantic or northeastern Pacific, a hurricane is a powerful tropical cyclone, while a typhoon forms in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Similar storms are called "tropical cyclones" in the Indian and South Pacific oceans. Nowadays, on average, 80 to 90 designated tropical cyclones arise annually worldwide, with more than half of them intensifying into hurricanes with speeds of at least 120 km/h (75 mph). 

6. Tsunami 

A tsunami is a sequence of waves in a body of water that is usually produced by the displacement of a substantial amount of water, either in an ocean or a sizable lake. Tsunamis can be caused by underwater events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other undersea explosions that occur above or below water. 

In contrast to regular ocean waves, which are caused by wind, or tides, which are caused by the Moon and Sun's gravitational pull, a tsunami is caused by the displacement of water following a significant event. Because of their much longer wavelength, tsunami waves are not like typical sea waves or submarine currents. A tsunami may initially look like a fast-rising tide, instead of as a breaking wave.

7. Volcanic Eruption

A volcanic eruption is the release of hot gasses, molten rock, and hot rock fragments through a volcano, which is a vent in the crust of a planet or satellite. Volcanic eruptions can result in catastrophic property and human loss. They range from extremely deadly eruptions, like the one that devastated Pompeii in 79 CE, to comparatively mild eruptions, like those that are usually observed in Hawaiian volcanoes. For thousands of years, people have been fascinated with volcanic eruptions, which are depicted in many mythology and fictional works. 

Precautions taken!!!

DROP, COVER & HOLD Stay away from windows, bookcases, bookshelves, heavy mirrors, hanging plants, fans, and other heavy objects. Stay under 'cover' till the shaking stops. After tremors subside exit your home or school building and move to open fields. Do not push others. If your house has a tin roof check for loose nails, holes, leaks, and rusty areas and do the repair work. If your house has a thatched roof check for the damages done by the growth of algae and moss, rodents, birds, and previous storms, and re-thatch, strengthen, and replace the broken bamboo. If the door and window latches of your house are not working and there are cracks/gaps in the window or door panes do the repair and replacement work. Remove dead branches or dying trees from your yards which could blow about and cause damage to your house.  

THE BOTTOM LINE

Natural or man-made, disasters have a significant effect on ecosystems, economies, and communities. Preparedness, quick action, and resilient recovery are all essential components of effective disaster management, which also emphasizes the significance of early warning systems, community involvement, and sustainable practices. Societies are better able to predict and lessen the effects of disasters, lowering vulnerability and increasing resilience, when science, technology, and local knowledge are integrated. Making catastrophe risk reduction a top priority secures development achievements and saves lives, guaranteeing a sustainable future for all. Ultimately, creating a safer, more resilient society that can resist and recover from the unavoidable obstacles presented by disasters depends on promoting international collaboration and exchanging best practices.