A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone. For example, the disease tuberculosis (TB) might be called a "hazard" by some but, in general, the TB-causing bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) would be considered the "hazard" or "hazardous biological agent".
A typhoon has wind speed of 64–79 knots (73–91 mph; 118–149 km/h), a severe typhoon has winds of at least 80 knots (92 mph; 150 km/h), and a super typhoon has winds of at least 100 knots (120 mph; 190 km/h).
Hurricanes and typhoons can cause catastrophic damage to coastlines and several hundred miles inland. They can produce winds exceeding 155 miles per hour as well as tornadoes and microbursts. Additionally, hurricanes and typhoons can create storm surges along the coast and cause extensive damage from heavy rainfall.
Types of Hazard
| Hazard | Example |
|---|
| Physical hazards | Wet floors Loose electrical cables Objects protruding in walkways or doorways |
| Ergonomic hazards | Lifting heavy objects Stretching the body Twisting the body Poor desk seating |
| Psychological hazards | Heights Loud sounds Tunnels Bright lights |
Floods are the natural hazard with the highest frequency and the widest geographical distribution worldwide. Although most floods are small events, monster floods are not infrequent.
A natural hazard is a threat of a naturally occurring event will have a negative effect on humans. This negative effect is what we call a natural disaster. In other words when the hazardous threat actually happens and harms humans, we call the event a natural disaster.
Awareness, education, preparedness, and prediction and warning systems can reduce the disruptive impacts of a natural disaster on communities. Mitigation measures such as adoption of zoning, land-use practices, and building codes are needed, however, to prevent or reduce actual damage from hazards.
A natural hazard escalates into a natural disaster when an extreme event caused harm in significant amounts and overwhelms the capability of people to cope and respond. The severity of a disaster is commonly measured in terms of the dollars of damage it causes or in the number of deaths it causes.
2. Answer the following questions in less than 30 words. (i) When can a hazard become a disaster? A hazard can become a disaster when it becomes active.
A widely accepted definition characterizes natural hazards as "those elements of the physical environment, harmful to man and caused by forces extraneous to him."1/ More specifically, in this document, the term "natural hazard" refers to all atmospheric, hydrologic, geologic (especially seismic and volcanic), and
Earthquake hazard is anything associated with an earthquake that may affect the normal activities of people. This includes surface faulting, ground shaking, landslide, liquefaction, tectonic deformation, tsunamis, and seiches. Seismic hazard map for the United States.
A. OVERVIEW OF GEOLOGIC HAZARDS AND THE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING PROCESS
| Geologic Event | Hazards They Cause |
|---|
| Earthquake | D. Tsunamis |
| Volcanic Eruption | A. Tephra falls and ballistic projectiles |
| B. Pyroclastic phenomena |
| C. Lahars (mud flows) and floods |
Weather hazards include hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, winds, and winter weather. Many of these phenomena are related to atmospheric conditions that can be monitored and forecast.
Forms of storm hazard: high winds, storm surges, coastal flooding, river flooding and landslides. Impacts and human responses as evidenced by two recent tropical storms in contrasting areas of the world.
Torrential hurricanes, devastating droughts, crippling ice storms, and raging heat waves—all are extreme weather phenomena that can claim lives and cause untold damage.
Hazards from tropical cyclones (which include tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes) include storm surge flooding, inland flooding from heavy rains, destructive winds, tornadoes, and high surf and rip currents.
Hurricane Sandy, a tropical storm occurring in October 2012, started life off the coast of West Africa. It travelled north-west across the Atlantic Ocean through countries such as Cuba, Haiti and The Bahamas in the Caribbean before hitting the east coast of the USA. It led to a wide range of impacts.
Tropical Depression: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 38 mph or less. Tropical Storm: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39-73 mph. Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum winds greater than 74 mph. Major Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum winds greater than 111 mph.
What is the distribution and frequency of tropical storms and drought? Most tropical storms occur between 5 and 20 degrees north and south of the Equator (but not on the Equator itself). This is because the water in these areas is above 27c; further north or south the water becomes too cold.
Floods: Floods are the major weather hazards, which are caused by heavy rainfall over a given area in a short period of time.In some of the areas, flood producing storms follow seasonal pattern, whereas in other areas flood producing storms occur irregularly.
Try to put as many walls between you and the outside as possible, and by all means avoid any unprotected glass doors or windows. Take steps to protect property and possessions. If you own your property, install or deploy your hurricane shutters. Clear or report any blocked stormwater drains or ditches.
Natural hazards are naturally occurring physical phenomena caused either by rapid or slow onset events which can be geophysical (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis and volcanic activity), hydrological (avalanches and floods), climatological (extreme temperatures, drought and wildfires), meteorological (cyclones and
What is a Hazard? When we refer to hazards in relation to occupational safety and health the most commonly used definition is 'A Hazard is a potential source of harm or adverse health effect on a person or persons'.
Our sprawling cities and consumption of fossil fuels also have a direct impact on the environment. These activities are also causing changes in global weather patterns, leading to an increase in natural disasters like floods and wildfires.
