A natural disaster is a disaster that has been caused by nature as opposed to being man made.
Natural disasters include floods, earthquakes, avalanches, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, volcanic mudslides (also called lahars), blizzards, drought, heat waves, hailstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons and wild fires.
Sometimes epidemics have been referred to as natural disasters depending on how they have originated; and insect infestations, such as locusts, can also be included because of the devastation that they can cause.
There are some disasters that are a combination of a natural disaster and one that has been caused by humans. Examples of this are famines that could have been instigated by a natural disaster but have been exacerbated by people.
The potato famine in Ireland in 1854 is an example of this. Potatoes were a staple crop in Ireland, both for people and as fodder for livestock. When the potato crops were hit by blight (a natural disaster) people starved to death in their millions. This was unnecessary because the country had other crops, such as grain, but the greedy English landowners of the time wanted to make money on these and so people died.
Before we pat ourselves on the back for being less barbaric today, it must be remembered that 70 million people have died through famines in the 20th century alone, 30 million of those in China between 1958 and 1961. These famines may have been instigated by real natural disasters but they were made worse by political indifference.
- Examples of natural disasters
Natural disasters include floods, earthquakes, avalanches, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, volcanic mudslides (also called lahars), blizzards, drought, heat waves, hailstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons and wild fires.
Sometimes epidemics have been referred to as natural disasters depending on how they have originated; and insect infestations, such as locusts, can also be included because of the devastation that they can cause.
- Combination disasters
There are some disasters that are a combination of a natural disaster and one that has been caused by humans. Examples of this are famines that could have been instigated by a natural disaster but have been exacerbated by people.
The potato famine in Ireland in 1854 is an example of this. Potatoes were a staple crop in Ireland, both for people and as fodder for livestock. When the potato crops were hit by blight (a natural disaster) people starved to death in their millions. This was unnecessary because the country had other crops, such as grain, but the greedy English landowners of the time wanted to make money on these and so people died.
Before we pat ourselves on the back for being less barbaric today, it must be remembered that 70 million people have died through famines in the 20th century alone, 30 million of those in China between 1958 and 1961. These famines may have been instigated by real natural disasters but they were made worse by political indifference.