One of the main concerns in the society is the occurrence of natural disasters. Natural hazards are unexpected events that may threaten the lives and disrupt activities of people. Natural disasters, on the other hand, are natural hazards that result from the destruction of properties and cause injuries or deaths. Natural hazards are categorized according to where they occur on earth. Atmospheric hazards include thunderstorms, typhoons, hurricanes, and tornados. These hazards are often devastating. Some of the atmospheric hazards trigger geological hazards such as earthquakes and landslides (NaturalHazards.org, 2007). These events resulting from the natural hazards are dangerous and endanger the lives of people living in places susceptible in natural hazards.
I personally experienced a geological hazard when an unexpected earthquake occurred. It was fortunate that during grade school, the teachers taught us the most crucial things to do when there is an earthquake. They taught us that it is important to shield yourself from the debris that may fall resulting from the shaking of the ground. I remember crawling under the table when the earthquake happened, and the feeling of being frightened was overwhelming. Despite what happened, we are still residing at the same location.
There are reasons why people decide to reside in places that are susceptible to natural hazards. One of the possible reasons is the lack of housing. The family may not have a choice but to live in that place as they have no other places to go. Another reason is poverty. Being poor makes a person vulnerable to natural hazards. When you are financially deprived, it is difficult to prepare for the possible impacts of natural hazards. Many poor settlements lack strong infrastructures that will protect them from natural hazards (Large, 2005).
Occurrence of natural disasters cannot be prevented, but people can prepare for its possible impacts. However, people still reside in places that are vulnerable to natural hazards due to social and economic factors.
References
Large, T. (2005, January 14). One man’s hazard is another man’s disaster. Reuters AlertNet. Retrieved September 1, 2008 from http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/110571576782.htm.
NaturalHazards.org. (2007). Retrieved September 1, 2008 from http://www.naturalhazards.org/discover/index.html.
