Why do lightning strikes have a low potential for catastrophe?
Why do lightning strikes have a low potential for catastrophe? Lightning doesn't usually affect people and property on a large scale. Which of the following constitutes a prediction rather than a forecast for a natural event? The tsunami from today's massive earthquake near Alaska will arrive in Hilo, Hawaii at 2 PM.
Which of the following best explains why events that have caused disasters in the past are now causing catastrophes?
Which of the following statements best explains why events that have caused disasters in the past are now causing catastrophes? Human population growth has caused a greater concentration of population in certain areas and puts a greater demand on earth's resources.
What makes a natural disaster a catastrophe?
A natural disaster is a naturally occurring weather event that impacts a large geographical area with many people. Typically, property and infrastructure damage is on a large scale. A catastrophe occurs when inadequate forecasts are produced, evacuation of residents is not carried out and communication is lacking.
Which of the following best explains how a hurricane can increase an area’s susceptibility to future storms quizlet?
Removing plants from hillsides eliminates the root structures that anchor soil. Which of the following best explains how a hurricane can increase an area's susceptibility to future storms? Erosion caused by hurricanes can leave coasts more exposed to storms.
What causes certain disasters to occur in certain areas?
Natural disasters are caused due to different reasons like soil erosion, seismic activity, tectonic movements, air pressure, and ocean currents etc. Natural activities taking place in the earth's crust, as well as surface, are the main reasons for these disasters.
What might cause catastrophic events?
Catastrophic weather events include hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and droughts, among others. As these massively destructive and costly events become more frequent, scientific evidence points to climate change as a leading cause.
Why disasters are increasing around the world?
Changes in climate conditions, especially the warming of global temperatures increases the likelihood of weather-related natural disasters. Hotter global temperatures increase the risk of droughts as well as increase the intensity of storms and create wetter monsoons.
Why do some tectonic hazards develop into disasters?
This is due to several factors: 1 Unpredictability – many hazards are not predictable; people may be caught out by either the timing or magnitude of an event. – 2 Lack of alternatives people may stay in a hazardous area due to a lack of options.
What determines a catastrophe?
Aon defines a catastrophe as a natural event that causes $25 million or more in insured property losses, or 10 deaths; or 50 people injured; or 2,000 filed claims or homes and structures damaged.
What makes a catastrophe?
But catastrophe, as used by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, references a specific type of disaster – one that is extremely large and is outside the coping ability of a community. The same hazard (fire, for example) could be an accident, disaster or catastrophe depending upon scale of impact.
Why do hurricanes cause so much flooding inland quizlet?
Why do hurricanes cause so much flooding inland? The massive amount of water vapor that fuels hurricanes provides the moisture needed to form heavy rains.
Which of the following would cause the greatest damage in a storm?
But it's the water that usually does the most damage. While torrential rain causes flash flooding, it's the hurricane's storm surge that can be particularly destructive.
What role does geography play in disasters?
Geography plays a significant role in understanding and coping with natural disasters and their social impacts. The risk of natural disasters is considered a function of three components: hazard, vulnerability, and exposure.
Why are certain sectors more vulnerable to disasters?
The level of vulnerability is highly dependent upon the economic status of individuals, communities and nations The poor are usually more vulnerable to disasters because they lack the resources to build sturdy structures and put other engineering measures in place to protect themselves from being negatively impacted by …
Where do catastrophic events occur?
Catastrophic events are sudden, natural or man-made, situations where change & destruction occur. All catastrophic events are the Earth's way of maintaining equilibrium during change.
What is catastrophe in geography?
Catastrophic weather events include hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and droughts, among others. As these massively destructive and costly events become more frequent, scientific evidence points to climate change as a leading cause.
What are the reasons why some countries have higher risk than the others?
Developing countries are more vulnerable to natural disasters because people live in areas at high risk from natural disasters (e.g., unsafe urban areas), the housing is poorly built and can be easily damaged in the event of a disaster, countries are not equipped with early warning systems, and they have few assets and …
Why does population increase affect the number of catastrophic events?
Why does population increase affect the number of catastrophic events? Population increase is important because it buffers the impacts of hazardous event. Changes in land-use patterns alter the effects of natural hazards. Land use planning is an important anticipatory response to natural hazards.
Why are some locations more at risk of tectonic hazards?
One reason is their geographical position within the world and in relation to tectonic plate boundaries. For example you have highly destructive and explosive volcanoes often found along destructive plate boundaries because of increased pressure within the subduction zone.
How does geographical location affect hazard risk?
The greater the number of people there are in an area, the greater the risk. A hazard which occurs in a sparsely populated area would have a lower impact than a hazard in a densely populated area. The more developed a population, the more chance there is they are prepared for an eruption.
What makes a natural disaster a catastrophe quizlet?
A catastrophe is any situation in which the damages to people, property, or society in general are sufficient to make recovery or rehabilitation a long, involved process.
What is the effect of catastrophic events?
What is a catastrophic event? occurrences that generally have a negative effect on people and/or the environment. may cause damage to the shape of the land or to the lives of people and other living organisms. Hurricanes are already eroding at a rate of several feet per year.
Why do hurricanes cause so much flooding inland?
When these powerful storms move over land, they lose wind strength, but continue to dump massive amounts of rain into streams, rivers and lakes — posing a serious threat of inland flooding.
Why is storm surge highest near to and to the right of the eye of a hurricane select all that apply?
Why is storm surge highest near to and to the right of the eye of a hurricane? –The winds there are blowing onshore as opposed to the offshore winds on the left side of the eye. -Low atmospheric pressure in the eye allows water to pile up there.
What locations are vulnerable to storm surge?
Higher storm surge occurs with wide, gently sloping continental shelves, while lower storm surge occurs with narrow, steeply sloping shelves. Areas along the Gulf Coast, especially Louisiana and Mississippi, are particularly vulnerable to storm surge because the ocean floor gradually deepens offshore.
When a hurricane is near land What causes the most damage?
When most people think about hurricanes, they think about the wind. But it's the water that usually does the most damage. While torrential rain causes flash flooding, it's the hurricane's storm surge that can be particularly destructive.
How does location affect natural disasters?
The U.S. is a large country, with many regions that differ with respect to their risk of suffering a natural disaster. For example, coastal areas or areas in the flood plain of a river are more likely to experience a natural disaster, whereas areas at higher elevation are at lower risk.
Why are some countries more prone to natural disasters than others?
Developing countries are more vulnerable to natural disasters because people live in areas at high risk from natural disasters (e.g., unsafe urban areas), the housing is poorly built and can be easily damaged in the event of a disaster, countries are not equipped with early warning systems, and they have few assets and …
Why are some groups potentially more vulnerable than other sectors of society?
Essentially all groups become more vulnerable if they have a lower coping capacity within their sector of the population.
Why would a catastrophic event have a potentially devastating impact on an ecosystem?
Vegetation is uprooted. Trees can be pulled out of the ground and carried to another location. Organisms that live in or near these uprooted trees need to relocate. This can cause a loss of species of organisms could also affect the interaction between plants and animals.