What Are Natural Hazards?
You've probably seen devastating news footage of earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes destroying communities. A natural hazard only becomes truly dangerous when it affects people - causing death, destruction, and damage to property. Without human impact, it's just another natural event.
Tectonic hazards come from the Earth's moving plates and include volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Atmospheric hazards involve weather patterns like hurricanes, tornadoes, and extreme rainfall or snow. Meanwhile, geomorphological hazards affect the Earth's surface through flooding, landslides, and rockslides.
Biological hazards like wildfires can spread rapidly and devastate huge areas. It's worth noting that some hazards can trigger others - earthquakes might cause landslides, which could then create tsunamis.
Quick Fact: The same earthquake that barely affects a remote mountain area could be catastrophic in a densely populated city.