Any natural or man-made incident which results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage,...
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Transcript of Any natural or man-made incident which results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage,...
WHAT IS A CATASTROPHIC EVENT?
Any natural or man-made incident which results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, environment, and/or economy.
WILDFIRES
Can spread slowly or very fast; wind has the biggest impact
Lightning strikes cause 1 out of every 5 wildfires
Drought, wind, high temps. & low humidity help them spread
WILDFIRES, CONT.
Millions of acres of forest can be destroyed
Animals may become endangered due to habitat destruction
Economic losses can impact humans
HURRICANES
Winds blow in a spiral around a calm center called an eye
May last a week or more
Forms from a tropical storm over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico
DROUGHT
An unusually long period of dry weather that lasts long enough to cause water supply shortages
Lack of adequate precipitation for 2+ years can become a drought
Crop failure, livestock death, increased forest fires, and water shortages
VOLCANO
A vent in the Earth which allows magma to escape to the surfaceWhen pressure from gases within the magma become too great, an eruption occursSearing hot poisonous gases, lava flows, flash flooding, and tsunamis
VOLCANO, CONTINUED
Can affect breathing, contaminate water supplies, collapse roofs, disrupt machinery, and cause jet engines to fail while flying
TORNADO
Violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm down to the groundAssociated with strong, frontal systems that form in the Central States and move eastCan destroy buildings and vehicles, uproot trees
TSUNAMIS
A series of waves that can travel between 450-600 mph in the open oceanOcean waves produced by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, meteorite impact, or underwater landslides
TSUNAMIS, CONTINUED
Can occur during any season and any time of day or night
Impact includes drowning, flooding, contamination of drinking water, loss of habitat or human homes
EARTHQUAKE
The vibration of the Earth’s surface that occurs after a release of energy in the crust
Occurs where two tectonic plates collide
Can cause landslides, avalanches, fires, tsunamis, property damage, and loss of life
FLOOD
An overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry
Caused by intense or long term precipitation, hurricane storm surges, or melting snow