Hurricane Katrina was a tropical cyclone that hit the southern coast of the United States in 2005. About 1,836 people lost their lives and another 700 people were missing. One of the deadliest recent natural disasters to occur in the United States, it cost about $81 billion in damage. The largest loss of life and [...]

The tsunami that occurred in the Indian Ocean in 2004 was one of the most catastrophic disasters to happen in recent history. On December 26, 2004, an earthquake struck near the northwest coast of the Indonesian island, Sumatra. The earthquake was measured to be a 9.0 magnitude and resulted in a tsunami that damaged coasts [...]

Facts on Tsunamis: An Introduction
A tsunami is a large wave or a series of large waves that are created in the ocean or another large body of water. They are usually the result of a massive earthquake below the surface of the water, a landslide, or meteorite impact, causing such a large displacement of water, [...]

Disaster relief professionals (also known as emergency managers or emergency workers) are trained in a variety of disciplines in all aspects of emergency response, preparation, relief and mitigation. Disaster relief work encompasses the preparation of government and community officials so that they will be able to effectively respond to and act in the event of [...]

A hurricane, also known as a tropical cyclone, is a severe storm system that has a low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that surround it, producing strong winds and heavy rainfall. Hurricanes occur when air with lots of moisture rises, causing condensation of water vapor and the release of heat. Since hurricanes use heat to fuel [...]

A flood is defined as an overflow of water that submerges dry land. If the water reaches land that is populated by people, such as a village, it is considered to be a natural disaster. Floods usually occur near large bodies of water, such as a lake or river. When a storm causes the water [...]

A tsunami is a large wave or series of large waves that are created in the ocean or other large body of water, usually caused by massive earthquakes on the ocean floor. Tsunami destruction can be massive along coastlines near where they originate. To minimize tsunami destruction and casualties, predicting them is very important. Tsunamis [...]

Natural disasters are the result of a natural hazard that comes in contact with a significant population of humans. Although many natural hazards occur all throughout the world, they are not considered a natural disaster until they effect a place that is inhabited by humans. There have been many natural disasters that have occurred throughout [...]

Emergency management is a relatively new discipline that deals with the prevention of natural disasters and recovery from them. The discipline involves mitigation, which is the practice of preventing natural hazards from developing into natural disasters, preparation for the natural disasters occurring, response to them, and finally the recovery process. Emergency management is a term [...]

An earthquake is the shaking of the earth’s surface caused from a sudden release of energy usually from pressure built up in earth’s tectonic plates. Earthquakes can be recorded and measured using a seismograph. Seismographs use the Richter scale to measure the size of an earthquake, with a 3 or lower earthquake being minor and [...]