A natural disaster is highly dangerous and a major event occurring from natural processes of our planet earth. It includes floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other geological processes.
It is quite a life-threatening experience, as it can cause loss of life or damage property and even result in economic damage. Nature gave birth to various lives but it is also capable of taking it back. This article will provide you seven of the most deadly natural disasters.
7 Deadliest Natural Disasters
Let us look through some of the most dangerous disasters occurring naturally.
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1. Tsunamis
It’s a natural phenomenon that occurs due to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or any other form of disturbance in oceans. The tidal waves of the Tsunami have heights of hundreds of meters.
They travel thousands of miles and hit coastal areas mainly. Actually, they are quite fast at the deep water of the ocean but significantly become slower when it approaches the coastal areas but are greater in height.
2. Tornadoes
It’s a strong and violently spinning storm that starts from the clouds to the surface of the earth. Some dangerous tornadoes have a wind speed up to 300 miles per hour. They are usually in the shape of a funnel, as they form depending on the air pressure.
The most violent tornado would be the thunderstorm tornadoes which mix up the cold and moist air with hot air resulting in an unstable tornado.
Tornadoes are very strong and are capable of destroying the whole city. These violent storms occur on all the continents except Antarctica. A region called the Tornado alley is the most prone area in the world for tornadoes to occur. They include North Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.
3. Volcanic eruptions
Volcanoes were actually formed due to the convergence and divergence of the tectonic plates under Earth’s surface. Volcanoes are an opening from the innermost part of the earth’s core to the surface of the earth.
Eruptions occur in the volcano and emerge out hot lava and poisonous gases. They are usually found in the mid-Atlantic and pacific ridge of the world.
A volcanic eruption is a very dangerous event and it usually happens when the pressure on the magma chamber inside the Earth increases and that result in pushing out the magma to the surface through volcanic vents.
This disaster can destroy all its surrounding areas, and also heat up the atmosphere. You can notice a volcanic eruption is about to occur when you feel volcanic tremors, i.e. small earthquakes near the volcano. Also, ejection of steam and gases are also a sign of volcanic eruptions.
4. Landslides
Landslides are a geological event in which the soil and rocks present in a slanting area (hills) slides down the slope. This generally occurs due to heavy rains, small earthquakes, volcano eruptions etc.
Landslides can also take place because of human activities like mining, construction, and quarrying. Main landslide prone areas are usually islands, places at slopes or hill sides.
5. Hurricanes
Hurricanes are very powerful and the storm rapidly rotates. It usually hits over the tropical seas. Hurricanes are also called typhoons or cyclones. Hurricanes are huge and spread over 600 miles, rotate inward and upward at 70 to 200 miles per hour speed.
Hurricanes are usually formed where ocean water has a temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit or more and the wind blows in the same direction as that of the upward force. They cause heavy rain, high waves, and strong winds.
6. Earthquakes
Earthquakes are one of the most dangerous natural disasters. Earth’s surface consists of tectonic plates. They have rough edges and keep moving constantly. Sometimes, they get stuck or collide while sliding, this produces an energy release in the form of seismic waves and that results in earthquakes.
Actually, thousands of earthquakes occur every day. But most of them are very small and can’t be detected at all. Here’s a list of some of the top most earthquake prone cities in the world.
- Kathmandu, Nepal.
- Delhi, India.
- Islamabad, Pakistan.
- San Salvador, Salvador.
- Jakarta, Indonesia.
7. Lightning
Lightning occurs mostly during thunderstorms or bad weather. It is a natural formation of electricity and can be seen like a flash across the sky. Due to the collision of charges beneath the clouds or enough charge concentrate, a sudden flow of electricity occurs.
That is a lightning strike. Lightning have temperatures up to 54000 degree Fahrenheit, which is surprisingly around six times hotter than the surface of the Sun. Look out for the dark clouds in the sky. It is an indication of lightning.
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Conclusion
Natural disasters cannot be predicted and are fated to occur. It’s all up to us to withstand the events of the earth. With this article, we have provided you enough information to understand some of the natural disasters well.
Sometimes, natural disasters can be evaded by building good infrastructure to withstand it or leave nature alone. We hope this article was a good educational read.
