Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrpohes

Many of us have first hand experienced or witnessed via the media, hazards, disasters and catastrophes.  Such as, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2011, the Tohuku earthquake in 2011 and of the catastrophe of 911.   Hazards, disasters, and catastrophes are a rare event that no sane person would want to deal with. This is because they are very dangerous and cause huge amounts of damage to a landscape and a population.  Most of us are aware of certain hazards to be aware of because of signs that are posted, warning us to keep our distance. A natural hazard is an area where the possibility of a threat to human life is present.  An awareness that hazardous events result from natural processes that have been around for millions of years before we even existed.  These can become hazards when they threaten life or property.  It is therefore important we are aware and recognize these hazards.  Examples are landslides caused by erosion, or an area with common earthquakes and tsunamis such as Haiti. A disaster is a rare event that takes place but tends to cause significant damage to a small area of land. A disaster is often a major threat to humans and any living organisms within the vicinity. Much larger than a disaster, a catastrophe is also a rare event that causes immense destruction and devastation.  On May 8, 2011, Ecuador evacuated three towns due to the Tungurahua volcano erupting, displacing over 300 people.  In 2016, Ecuador went through a catastrophe;  a 7.8 magnitude earthquake.  676 people were killed and 16,000 were injured. Like Ecuador, we all can be affected by hazards, disasters and catastrophes.

References: www.infoplease.com/country/ecuador.html
                    www.preventionweb.net/countries/ecu/data/
                    Textbook, Natural Hazards by Keller, DeVecchio, 4th edition