natural disasters can upset life • We have no control over these but knowing them better will help us take better care of ourselves. • Some of these are Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Floods. • Let us study some of these • Disaster is a manmade or natural event which results in widespread human loss • It is accompanied by loss of livelihood, or property causing human suffering • It disrupts normal functioning of the society • A sudden movement of a part of the earth’s surface. • It is a severe shock that travels thru solid rock from underground to surface • The world’s deadliest recorded earthquake occurred in 1556 in central China, killing an estimated 830,000 people. • Remember the earthquake that shook Delhi a few days ago,or the one that rattled Sikkim • Each year the southern California area has about 10,000 earthquakes. • As there are earthquakes, there are 'moonquakes‘ and ‘icequakes’ too! • In 1976 another deadly earthquake struck in Tangshan, China, where more than 250,000 people were killed. • Other signs from animals that an earthquake is coming includes birds flying in circles, dogs barking for hours and elephants starting to run. •Huge loss of life •Damage to buildings and service structures •Water and electricity supply is hit •Transport network is severely affected • Earthquakes can occur at any time of the day, night without any warning so we need to follow certain preventive measures • Buildings should be constructed keeping in mind building codes and guidelines. • To avoid constructions in earthquake prone areas • Create public awareness about preventive measures during an earthquake to reduce human loss • Cyclones are violent storms, often of vast extent characterized by high winds rotating about a calm centre of low atmospheric pressure. • Centre moves forward often with a velocity of 100 km/hr • They strike suddenly although they take time to build up • Structures are damaged or destroyed by windforce ,flooding , storm surge. • Roofs of lightweight materials suffer severe damage • Casualties are caused by flooding and flying elements • Contamination of water supplies lead to viral outbreaks • Crops and food supply is hit • Communication and transport links are hampered • Hazard mapping should be done to illustrate areas vulnerable to cyclones • Land use control to be done to reduce setllements in more prone areas • Cyclone shelters should be constructed in vulnerable areas • Floods are temporary inundation of large regions as a result of rivers overflooding because of heavy rains, high winds, cyclones ,tsunamis • Floods can happen gradually and take over hours or can happen suddenly due to heavy rains, breach of water storage and control structures. • Buildings, structures are damaged by washing waters • People and livestock deaths caused by drowning • Outbreak of epidemics, diarrhoea, viral infections are common • Shortage of food and clean water • Loss of crops due to soil erosion • Mapping the floodplain of the region • Construction of elevated structures in flood prone areas • Water holding areas should be created into ponds, lakes • Flood control ,flood diversion and flood proofing should be done to reduce damage