homework about natural disaster

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The Earth is consonant undergoing change we so many different factors affecting it at anyone time. When these processes cause a major destructive event, we refer to this as a natural disaster. As of late, these events seem to be more prevalent with the Earth's global temperature in a rising state. At times we see landslides occur where a downward movement or rock and soil tend to cause damage to things below it. This is a similar to avalanches that occur in wintery conditions. The earth will occasionally release large bursts of energy in the form of earthquakes. Earthquakes and just basic erosion can cause the ground (in general or;) below buildings to collapse causing sink holes. Volcanoes are obviously very dangerous when they erupt. The initial explosion shoots rocks into the atmosphere like missiles, this is followed by harmful gases being expelled great distances. Let's not forget the lava flows. Earthquakes or underwater volcanic eruptions can cause tsunamis that create tidal waves that can take down coastal towns in minutes. Hurricanes and tornadoes are violent winds that form due to environment weather patterns and conditions.

The destructive nature and unpredictability of these natural disasters makes them a major concern for humans that may inhabit areas where they occur. As the earth continues to warm, these events will unfortunately become more frequent and common. The worksheets found in this section will help students explore the natural disasters that cause an average of over sixty-thousand deaths per year globally. We will look at the most common forms of disasters, their nature, and some of statistics involved. Over the last decade there has been the formation of over a dozen different organizations that are looking into the common thought that these phenomena are becoming more common. The common question that most scientists are struggling with is whether these situations are more common or are we just better connected globally now due to technology, so we know what is happening in more places now.

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Printable natural disaster worksheets, click the buttons to print each worksheet and answer key..

All About Them

Many natural disasters are weather related. Others are caused by geological or biological events.

All About Them Questions

When a contagious disease spreads uncontrollably, resulting in many deaths, it is called pestilence.

A hurricane is a powerful, rotating storm that begins out over the Atlantic Ocean, when the warm, moist air over the tropical water rises and is replaced by cooler air.

QUESTIONS: Hurricanes

Which hurricane was more deadly, Hurricane Maria or Hurricane Katrina?

A tornado can form during a thunderstorm or a hurricane. When a large thunderstorm forms in a cumulonimbus cloud, a change of wind direction and wind speed at a high altitude causes the air to begin to swirl horizontally.

QUESTIONS: Tornadoes

While tornados are usually funnel-shaped, they can also look like a wedge in the sky. Tornadoes are usually about 500 feet in diameter, but they can also be as narrow as a few feet or as large as two miles across.

A tsunami is a series of waves that can reach up to 100 feet high, causing massive destruction for miles when they come to shore and rush inland.

QUESTIONS: Tsunamis

Once this water has been displaced, large waves ripple out from the location where the water first moved.

Earthquakes

An earthquake is a shock wave that moves through the earth, usually causing violent shaking of the Earth's surface. There are two main causes of earthquakes: the collision of tectonic plates and volcanic eruption.

QUESTIONS: Earthquakes

How strong (on the measurement scale) does an earthquake have to be in order to be felt?

Depending on the severity of the event, a volcanic eruption can cause injury to people and/or damage to human property.

QUESTIONS: Volcanoes

What kind of effect can volcanic ash have on the area surrounding an eruption?

The most frequent cause of avalanches is an increased amount of snow caused by a snowstorm.

QUESTIONS: Avalanche

The deadliest avalanche in human history was triggered by the Ancash Earthquake (also known as the Great Peruvian Earthquake) in Peru on May 31st, 1970, killing nearly 20,000 people.

When water overflows its usual boundaries (as of a pond, lake, or river) and moves onto land that is usually dry, it is called a flood.

QUESTIONS: Floods

What caused massive destructive flooding in the City of New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish in 2005?

A drought is an extended period of dry weather. When an area gets less than its normal amount of precipitation (water that falls from the air in the form of rain, snow, or ice), food crops and other plants don't get the water that they need to grow.

QUESTIONS: Droughts

Most droughts are caused by a lack of precipitation, though most droughts tend to occur in areas where normal levels of precipitation are already low.

A wildfire is a large, uncontrolled fire that destroys large amounts of land. About 20% of wildfires have natural causes such as lightning strikes, volcanic eruptions, or sparks from falling rocks. The remaining 80% are caused by human carelessness.

QUESTIONS: Wildfires

Where did the worst wildfire natural disaster occur between 1900 and 2015?

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• Homeschool Den / Science: Natural Disasters Unit and Activities / Science: Weather Unit

Natural Disasters Worksheets and Hands-On Activity Ideas

by Liesl - Homeschool Den

Our Natural Disasters Packet has notebook pages and worksheets as well as some hands-on activity ideas covering the following events:

• Hurricane, cyclone, typhoon

In this packet you’ll find one page on each of these events. Often, natural disasters occur because of geologic changes or extreme weather conditions. Students explore the cause of each of these events.  They also find out what  damage results and examines the effect these disasters have on people, property, and infrastructure. Students fill in their own information about each natural disaster, what causes it, and give an example of a recent event and what effect it had on the community.

A number of years ago, we did some fun hands-on activities to help the kids understand what natural disasters are and why they can be so devastating.  These activities are buried deep in our blog, though, and I thought I would share some of them with you again today! They are also in the Natural Disasters Packet above.

These are activities we did when the kids were about PreK and early elementary:

 Mudslide: We mixed sand and cornstarch and covered a butter container container. Then we made it “rain” for a period of time to see what happened!

At the time, we watched the National Geographic you-tube video on hurricanes:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9VpwmtnOZc

Tsunamis are generally caused by an underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption.

Natural Disasters Lapbook: You can use the interactive notebook pieces provided in this packet to create your own lapbook.

There are a couple of natural disaster worksheets as well (one is a matching page, the other is blank so the kids can write in the answer):

Here’s Amazon’s description: revealing the speed of a twister , the power of a hurricane , the lethal force of a lightning bolt , the instant devastation of a flood , or the explosive punch of a volcano . Feel what it’s like to be inside a house when a storm rips the roof off, when a cloud of volcanic ash overtakes you, or what a street sign picked up by a tornado would do to your car window. This is Nature at it s wildest and most furious.

Recently, I added in some new interactive notebook pages and blank notebook pages. My kids are actually using these for their foreign language practice (writing sentences to describe the pictures).  🙂  Hope it’s helpful for you too!

This packet now comes with our Clouds, Winds & Weather Packet . See more details about that here .

Don’t forget to check your PayPal email address for the download link!

Feel free to email me if you have any questions! ~Liesl

Floods, mudslides, tsunami, hurricanes, blizzards, drought, wildfires – This packet does not cover earthquakes, volcanoes, plate movement or the ring of fire because we covered that in great detail in our Earth Science Packet. More details of the Natural Disaster Packet here . image 1 , image 2

You may be interested in some of these related packets:

See the Earth Science BUNDLE Options here .

Here is more about our Earth Science Unit!

This 100+ page Earth Science Packet (now well over 100 pages actually because we recently added new materials on plate tectonics and more!) includes worksheets about the solar system, the layers of the Earth, plate tectonics, the ring of fire, earthquake activity and volcanoes. I also included instructions for more than a dozen hands-on activities we did with this unit. This includes activities about plate tectonics, Pangaea, using a compass, earthquakes, volcanoes,  instructions on how to make a shake table and more!

You may be interested in some of our related packets:

Earth Science Unit : In this unit, we talked about the layers of the Earth, latitude & longitude, tectonic plate movement (and did a couple of great hands-on activities related to that), earthquakes (we made an earthquake shake table), mountain making, volcanoes (we did a couple of fun hands-on activities) and more

Layers of the Atmosphere Packet & Hands-On Activities

You might also be interested in our Place Value Materials and Pirate Math Packet. This post also has a video that explains how we did our place value activities.

P.S. You might be interested in these free Homeschool Resource Guides:

Creating Your Own Homeschool Curriculum: These are some resources I made that might be helpful as you create your own homeschool plans.  These are somewhere between 30 and 50 pages and are FREE to download:

• Creating a Homeschool Curriculum: Kindergarten – Grade 1

• Creating Your Homeschool Curriculum: Grades 2-3, Resource Guide

• Creating Your Homeschool Curriculum Grade 4-5 — Free Resource Guide

• Creating a Homeschool Curriculum for Grades 6-8 – Free Resource Guide

You might also be interested in these resource pages here on the blog :

• Science Units: We absolutely ♥ love hands-on science activities. We do a lot of science experiments as we do our science units.  You might find something useful here:

History Units

• Language Arts — We have tons of free grammar pages on things like comma rules, their/they’re/there and more.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase.

Tags: hurricane activity mudslide activity Natural disasters tsunami activity

3 Responses

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its good , i got fabulous idea for activity

thank you so much its a good help for teachers

You’re welcome! I’m glad it’s helpful! 🙂 ~Liesl

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Natural Disasters Facts & Worksheets

A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the earth, search for worksheets, download the natural disasters facts & worksheets.

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Table of Contents

A natural disaster is the consequence of the combination of a natural hazard (a physical event like a volcanic eruption, typhoon, tropical cyclone, tornado, earthquake, landslide, or tsunami) and human activities.

See the fact file below for more information on Natural Disasters or alternatively, you can download our 31-page Natural Disasters worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Definition and general information.

• A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth; examples include floods , hurricanes , tornadoes , volcanic eruptions, earthquakes , tsunamis , and other geologic processes. 
• It can cause loss of life or property damage, and typically leaves some economic damage in its wake, the severity of which depends on the affected population’s resilience or ability to recover and also on the infrastructure available.
• Most natural disasters are caused by weather. Weather disasters can be caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, thunderstorms, wind storms, wildfires , avalanches , and blizzards .
• Some weather disasters can be predicted, such as hurricanes and blizzards. Technology for predicting tornadoes and severe thunderstorms is improving. By getting data early, people can be warned to take shelter or make the necessary preparations.
• However, some natural disasters caused by volcanoes and earthquakes are not always predictable.
• Some disasters are more common in some places than in others. When people are choosing a place to live, they should consider whether they will be living on a fault line for an earthquake or near a river that has a history of flooding.
• There isn’t any way to avoid natural disasters, but if people know what kinds of disasters are most likely where they live, they can learn what to do if a disaster happens in order to stay safe.

GEOLOGICAL DISASTERS

• Geological natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are triggered by activities taking place in the earth’s inner cores.
• Gravity also affects the landscape, resulting in landslides, rock falls, debris flows or avalanches since rock, mud, or snow masses slide down the slope.
• Geological hazards are potential disasters because they affect the foundations of buildings, homes, and structures such as roads and bridges.
• The impacts of geological hazards vary. In areas located above seismic areas such as the Pacific Ring of Fire, geological disasters occur more often: volcanic eruptions and earthquakes often result in tsunamis, land and rockslides, avalanches, and sometimes sinkholes.
• Countries above inactive seismic areas may still suffer geological hazards when massive landforms lose their hold, such as rockslides and landslides. 
• While most geological disasters result from natural occurrences, human activity also triggers them. Carving mountains for road building weakens the soil stability held by rocks and trees.
• Mining also results in geologic disaster when mountains and caves cave in after improper use, due to the deployment of mining explosives, and failure to maintain the integrity of the mining shaft.

HYDROLOGICAL DISASTERS

• Hydrological disasters are violent, sharp, and harmful alterations in the quality of the Earth’s water or in the movement of water ashore below the surface or in the atmosphere.
• Hydrological hazards and their impacts are also associated with climate change, demographic trends, land displacement, and other factors, and may have been exasperated by global climate change.
• On land, this kind of disaster happens through floods or slides. Depending on the intensity and duration of rainfall, temperatures, snow cover, geological makeup, and topography, these kinds of disasters happen.
• The place that receives the most rainfall in the world is a village called Mawsynram in the state of Meghalaya, India. This village receives an average of 467 inches of rain per year, resulting in constant flooding and risks of landslides.
• In our vast oceans, hydrological hazards happen most often. Above water, ships and water vessels suffer from huge waves and storms. Below, geological displacements result in tsunamis, devastating the shores they reach.
• The latest Tonga underwater volcano eruption not only resulted in heavy ash fall, release of poisonous gas and radiation, but also a huge series of tsunamis affecting Tonga, Japan, and other neighboring countries. 

METEOROLOGICAL DISASTERS

• Meteorological disasters are caused by extreme weather such as heavy rain, severe drought, severe snowfall, extreme heat, or cold, ice, or wind. 
• Violent, sudden, and destructive change to the environment often results in disasters out of humans’ control. These phenomena happen everywhere in the world.
• Most common meteorological disasters include tornadoes, hurricanes/typhoons/cyclones, thunderstorms, hailstorms, heatwaves, and droughts.
• The deadliest single tornado in the United States – The Tri-State Tornado – claimed 747 lives as it crossed Missouri, southern Illinois and into southwestern Indiana on March 18, 1925. Tornadoes often develop from severe thunderstorms in warm, moist, unstable air along and ahead of cold fronts.
• Hailstorms are formed when drops of water freeze together in the cold upper regions of thunderstorm clouds and fall on earth. On severe cases, hailstones can be deadly. On April 30, 1988, India suffered its worst hailstorm, killing 246 individuals with hailstones as large as goose eggs and cricket balls.
• Cyclones are wind storms accompanied by heavy rainfall in low-pressure areas caused by a continuous process of rising hot air over the ocean surface. In other areas, cycles are called typhoons or hurricanes. Typhoon Tip (Warling in Philippines), was the largest and most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded.
• Intense heat results in two major disasters, heatwave and drought. Both natural occurrences severely affect all living things as they deplete water resources and cause heat stroke to humans and animals.

Natural Disasters Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Natural Disasters across 31 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Natural Disasters which are the consequence of the combination of a natural hazard (a physical event like a volcanic eruption, typhoon, tropical cyclone, tornado, earthquake, landslide, or tsunami) and human activities.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

• Natural Disasters Facts
• Moving Landscape
• Geographical Disasters
• Earthquake Response
• Water Disasters
• Tsunami Alert
• Flood Preparation
• Signs of the Sky
• Sky-high Records
• Situational Analysis
• Always Ready

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common natural disasters.

The most common types of natural disasters include tornadoes and hurricanes (tropical storms), floods or drought, and wildfires. Earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis are comparatively rarer.

What causes natural disasters?

There are a range of factors that cause natural disasters. For earthquakes and tsunamis, they are caused by movement and pressure in the earth’s crust. For events like hurricanes and tornadoes, weather and pressure systems play a key role. For disasters like floods and drought, climate change and disturbances to rainfall are key factors.

What natural disaster is the most dangerous?

Each kind of natural disaster has its own degree of risk and damage to life and infrastructure. Floods and tornadoes can cause extensive but localized damage. Earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes can wreak havoc on large areas. But drought can cause massive damage to economies and the lives of people over many years.

What is the most common natural disaster?

The most frequent form of natural disaster around the world is flooding. This can be caused by snow melting, excessive rainfall, sudden rainfall, a storm surge from a hurricane, or the result of a tsunami.

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The term natural disaster usually refers to a catastrophic event resulting from a natural process, such as a storm or a volcanic eruption. Natural disasters can severely impact human society, causing extensive fatalities and injuries. Destruction of homes and businesses bring both a personal and an economic toll.

In a given year there may be several hundred large-scale disasters worldwide, causing thousands of human deaths and affecting millions of people overall. The likelihood of some types of disasters can be forecast using modern technology to monitor weather and related conditions. However, the precise location and onset of most disasters cannot be predicted.

Some natural disasters may result from long-term changes in environmental conditions. For example, many scientists associate global warming with extreme weather conditions; they predict an increase in prolonged droughts and severe weather events such as hurricanes and large-scale flooding.

In addition to their effects on human life, natural disasters can severely impact ecosystems , causing drastic changes to soil, space, and water, and thus affecting all living things that depend on these resources. Landslides and flooding can drastically change environmental conditions, leading to increased rates of erosion and causing other dramatic changes to land and water. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and wildfires can literally change landscapes, causing long-term changes to habitats with cascading effects on wildlife. Species that cannot adapt to sudden changes may need to migrate to other areas or face extinction . In some cases, natural areas affected by a disaster can rebound in time; the natural process of succession occurs in areas that have been rendered effectively barren by lava flows and similar events.

Although natural disasters cannot be eliminated, in many cases there are steps that can be taken to lessen their impact. Some natural hazards are preceded by conditions that can be used to predict an imminent event. For example, improvements in storm detection and tracking allow for prediction of impending storms and hurricanes. With enough advanced warning, people can prepare for these types of events by stocking up on supplies, securing windows, taking shelter, or even evacuating the area. Most communities offer guidelines on preparing for disasters that are likely to occur in their local or regional areas. However, some events, such as earthquakes, cannot be predicted reliably, though steps can be taken to minimize their impact should they occur.

To learn more about specific types of natural disasters, see avalanche ; drought ; earthquake ; flood ; hurricane ; landslide ; storm ; tornado ; tropical cyclone ; tsunami ; typhoon ; and volcano .

The following articles provide information about several historic natural disasters: Galveston hurricane of 1900 ; Huang He floods ; Hurricane Katrina ; Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 ; Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011 ; Mississippi River flood of 1927 ; Pakistan Floods of 2010 ; Super Outbreak of 2011 ; Superstorm Sandy ; Super Typhoon Haiyan ; and Tri-State Tornado of 1925 .

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Natural Disasters

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4 Exciting And Engaging Natural Disasters Activities for the Classroom

by Chloe Campbell Leave a Comment

Being able to study a natural disaster is one of my student’s favorites, and it is definitely one of my favorite lesson plans as well. Looking into earth science topics such as volcanoes or earthquakes can get even the most relucent learners engaged. Over the years, I have searched, created resources for, and taught many different natural disasters activities for the classroom.

Tips For Natural Disasters Activities for the Classroom

After many different versions, I decided I wanted to make sure my students were learning enough information about natural disasters to be able to give an engaging presentation, write a killer informational essay, or create a masterpiece of their choosing. However, after many different versions of worksheets, I realized many more fun and exciting ways to get students excited. After teaching my natural disaster unit for some time, here are some of the things I decided I totally needed to be included in the perfect unit plan.

#1: Complete an introductory activity 

I love using mind maps to get students started and help them start thinking about natural disasters. Depending on where you live, some of your students may never have experienced some natural disasters they are about to study. Students in the southwest experience tornados, while the northeast experiences blizzards.

The differences are enormous, and getting an idea of what your students know or don’t know about natural disasters is a great starting point.

Plus, mind maps are super fun for students. They can draw, write, and make connections to their own life/experiences while “dumping” all the information they know on the paper. Creating mind map posters is also an awesome way to allow students to work together in groups and work their way around the room to fill in all they know about the natural disaster.

#2 Use the Cross-Curricular Connections 

A natural disaster unit is a perfect time to bring in multiple subjects. You can easily incorporate many learning standards from social studies, language arts, and science. You can even bring in some math!

I have my students read about each natural disaster, take notes, and color code the passage in my classroom. (Read more about this fantastic note-taking technique here .) Students will learn about plate tectonics in studying earthquakes, chemical reactions when it comes to volcanos, and many causes/effects and measurement systems used.

Natural disasters have happened many times throughout history. However, these disasters were awful times. These historical natural disasters are jumping-off points for research papers, projects, or multi-media projects. Teachers are always looking for a way to bring multiple subjects into a lesson or unit, perfect!

#3 Connect to Student’s Lifes

Many students in all grades and ages live in areas where natural disasters happen yearly. Use these connections to help students learn. In addition, having them complete an emergency procedure card for a natural disaster near their home or create one for a disaster they choose to study is a great way to get students to connect to their research and the topic.

Teachers are always trying to relate to their students’ lives and show interest in them. However, this is often a challenging task (we all know that!) The dance crazes, snacks, and slang can feel very out of reach of many of us. But, using events students go through to help them learn makes learning more enjoyable for the students and teachers!

#4 Natural disasters experiments 

This is one of my absolute favorite natural disaster activities for the classroom. Students love any opportunity to get hands-on and sometimes even a little dirty. Having paper towels or sponges around may not be bad for some of these experiments. Everyone loves the volcano experiment at the science fair. But why not bring those types of experiments into the classroom to help students learn even more about natural disasters.

A tornado in a bottle can easily show the tornado’s movement, or making students’ hair stand up with static electricity can help them understand lightning. Weather Wiz has some excellent investigations which teachers can easily bring into the classroom for their students to enjoy. Sometimes messy learning is the best learning of all! 

Natural Disaster Activities for the Classroom

Natural disasters make an exciting unit or lesson plan, and every child enjoys them each year. Students can dive deep into a natural disaster close to home or across the country. Natural disasters are a fantastic way to incorporate science, history, language arts, and other subjects into your lesson plans, making your teacher heart smile.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out some of my other blog posts are about science:

4 Strategies to Keep Your Energy Lesson Plans Relatable & Engaging

3 Activities for States of Matter Your Students Will Love

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5th Grade Natural Disasters Worksheets

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Engineers learn about our planet so that humans can exist with and survive its natural hazards. Engineers must be aware of natural hazards in order to prevent or minimize their harmful effects on people and property. They create devices that detect natural hazards, build structures to withstand them, and invent devices to study them. Our homes must withstand the powerful forces of wind, snow, water, fire and moving earth. Engineers design avalanche beacons and airbags, lightning rods and all kinds of environmental sensors. They also design special equipment to fight fires on the ground and from the air.

After this lesson, students should be able to:

• Differentiate between a natural disaster and a natural hazard.
• Name at least three different natural hazards.
• Explain why engineers care about natural disasters.

Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .

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What is a natural disaster? Can you give me an example of a natural disaster? (Expect students to mention natural forces that cause destruction such as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes, tornados, landslides, etc. Write these examples on the classroom board.)

If a volcano erupts in Antarctica, where no human is affected, is it a natural disaster? What about an earthquake that no one feels? Well, these are actually considered natural hazards, not natural disasters. The difference between a natural disaster and a natural hazard is that a natural hazard has the potential to cause damage to people, but doesn't necessarily, while a natural disaster is a natural hazard that affects human populations. For example: Volcanoes are natural hazards because they have the potential to erupt and affect humans. Mt. Pinatubo, a volcano, erupted in the Philippines in 1991 destroying communities and taking the lives of 300 people, making the Mt. Pinatubo eruption a natural disaster.

Why do engineers care about natural hazards? Engineers must understand natural hazards in order to understand their effects on the "things" they create. They also must know where natural hazards are likely to occur, so they can contribute to the design of communities to help people survive and minimize the impact of natural hazards. Engineers design structures such as buildings and bridges so they do not fall down in earthquakes, they build channels to deflect lava flows from volcanoes, and they raise buildings on stilts to limit the damage from high water. Engineers also design instruments that collect data and make measurements, which helps us predict natural hazards like hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis and floods. Engineers develop tracking devices for thunderstorms and tornadoes. Engineers also design the equipment and devices used by rescuers to find people buried in avalanches or collapsed buildings.

Lesson Background and Concepts for Teachers

Natural Hazards: What is a natural hazard? A natural hazard is any naturally occurring event that poses a danger to human life or property. "Natural hazards" is a general term for events such as volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis. Types of natural hazards include: avalanche, earthquake, flood, forest fire, hurricane/typhoon/cyclone, landslide, thunderstorm/blizzard/ice storm, tornado, tsunami and volcano. Below are short descriptions of these natural hazards. In later lessons of this unit, many of these natural hazards are examined in more detail.

An avalanche is a large mass of snow, ice and/or rock that is carried down a slope by gravity. Typically, the term avalanche refers to snow sliding down a mountain. Of several different kinds of avalanches, the most common and most dangerous is a slab avalanche. A slab avalanche occurs when a large section of snow can no longer stick to the side of a slope and is overcome by the force of gravity. These typically form on slopes that have an incline between 25 and 60 degrees. Most avalanche victims are backcountry skiers, but avalanches can sometimes destroy human settlements. One example is the mountain town of Montroc in France, which was hit by an avalanche in 1999, killing 12 people. Predicting and preventing avalanches can be difficult, but engineers use several methods to mitigate the impact of avalanches. Passive methods include snow fences and retarding structures that hold the snow on the slope or redirect or slow the avalanche so that it does not damage structures. Active techniques typically involve triggering small avalanches with explosives in order to prevent larger avalanches from forming. Engineers also design devices such as beacons and airbags that people can wear in the backcountry to help them survive an avalanche. A beacon is an electronic transmitter that helps rescuers find a buried person, while airbags inflate during an avalanche, keeping the a person buoyant as well as providing breathing room once the avalanche stops.

Earthquakes are potentially devastating natural hazards. Earthquakes are formed as the tectonic plates that make up the crust of the earth rub against each other. While approximately 8,000 earthquakes occur every day worldwide, nearly all are too small to feel. Occasionally one is large and close enough to a populated area to create significant damage. Engineers design devices such as seismometers and lasers that can help predict earthquakes through the data they collect. Engineers take into consideration the powerful forces of earthquakes when designing structures and bridges.

Floods are natural hazards that involve an overflow of water that submerges usually dry land. Of the many different types and causes of floods, the most common are periodic river flooding and flash flooding. Periodic river flooding is caused by melting snow and spring rain increasing a river's water level. Even though this type of flooding is easy to predict since the water level rises at a slow rate, these floods can still be disastrous if the amount of water is more than is expected. Flash floods occur when water from rainstorms is suddenly too much for streams and rivers to contain. Engineers design river gauges and weather monitoring devices that take measurements that help us predict and monitor floods. They also design dams and levees to prevent and minimize flooding.

Forest fires are natural hazards that can be tremendously destructive. Forest fires occur in heavily forested areas during the dry season. They are usually started by lightning or human activities such as campfires. Periodic forest fires are good for the forest because they help to thin the forest and allow for new growth. Forest fires also have the potential to destroy houses and towns in or near forested areas. To minimize the impact of forest fires, engineers design tractors that cut and clear fire lanes (forest strips in which all vegetation is removed) to halt the spread of a forest fire. Engineers also design aircraft that drop water or chemical retardants on fires.

Hurricanes are powerful tropical storms with wind speeds in excess of 74 mph (119 kph). Hurricanes form in the warm ocean waters near the equator. A hurricane has an organized rotation with a central "eye" where the winds are calm. The eye is typically between 20 and 40 miles (32-64 k) in diameter. Surrounding the eye is the eye wall — where the winds are usually the strongest and are accompanied by heavy rain. Beyond the eye wall are rain bands, which are long thunderstorms that curve out away from the center of the storm. Damage from hurricanes is caused by the high winds, a powerful storm surge as the storm makes land fall, and inland flooding as an area is saturated with heavy rain. Hurricanes are known as typhoons in the Pacific Ocean and as cyclones in the Indian Ocean. Engineers address the dangers of hurricanes by designing weather instruments and satellites that detect these storms and predict their paths. Engineers also design structures and sea walls to help people and property survive storms and minimize destruction.

Landslides are similar to avalanches in that they involve gravity pulling material down slopes. Of the wide variety of types and causes of landslides, the most common are caused by heavy rains and erosion. Engineers create monitoring devices to help predict landslides, as well as nets, anchors and walls that support slopes and hold back landslides.

A thunderstorm is a severe storm characterized by thunder and lightning. Thunderstorms are often accompanied by heavy rain, hail or (rarely) snow. The term thunderstorm comes from the thunder that accompanies the lightning. Thunder is the sound of the shockwave caused by the lightning heating and expanding the air around it. Lightning is the discharge of electrical energy that is formed as particles in a cloud rub against each other. This is similar to the static electricity that forms if you rub a balloon on your hair, but it is much more powerful; each bolt of lightning transfers 500 megajoules of electricity. Thunderstorms are dangerous and damaging because of the risk of being struck by lightning, the destruction caused by hail, the possibility of flash flooding, and the potential for tornados. Engineers design radar that is used to track storms and warn residents of storm paths. They also design lightning rods, which provide safe routes for lightning to reach the ground.

Tornadoes are powerful, funnel-shaped windstorms. Tornadoes usually start as vigorous thunderstorms that form supercells. A supercell is a thunderstorm with a rotating core, called a mesocyclone. As the mesocyclone descends, it forms a funnel cloud. Once the swirling funnel cloud reaches the ground it is called a tornado. With wind speeds of up to 300 mph (483 kph), tornadoes can be incredibly destructive. Tornadoes that form over water are called waterspouts. Engineers track tornadoes in the same way they track thunderstorms.

Tsunamis are large waves caused by displacement in the sea floor, typically caused by landslides or earthquakes under the ocean. The huge waves can move far inland, threatening coastal areas and wreaking havoc on communities. Engineers design special ocean buoys to detect the tsunami when it is still far out in the ocean so that people can be given advance warning to evacuate coastal areas.

Volcanoes are formed when liquid magma located under the crust of the earth finds a way to the surface. When it reaches the surface it is known as lava. Volcanoes can erupt violently with a huge explosion, spreading lava, ash and rock over a large area. Or, they can erupt more calmly, as when lava oozes out of the ground. Three basic types of volcanoes are shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes and cinder cones. Shield volcanoes form when lava flows like a liquid creating a low and wide (shield-like) dome. Stratovolcanoes are large, conical-shaped volcanoes formed by layers of deposit from explosive eruptions. Cinder cones are usually smaller and form from the scoria of a single eruption. Scoria is solidified chunks of magma. Engineers create devices such as tiltmeters to monitor mountains so that nearby inhabitants can be warned of impending eruptions.

Natural Disasters: What is a natural disaster? A natural disaster is any natural hazard that affects human lives or property. A natural hazard, such as an earthquake that occurs at the bottom of the sea and that no one feels, is not considered a natural disaster, while an earthquake such as the one in Pakistan in 2005 that killed nearly 100,000 people and destroyed many homes and roads was a terrible natural disaster.

Engineers must study and understand natural hazards to be able to create structures that can survive and protect people from their powerful forces. Engineers also design devices and tools that people use to detect the powerful and natural forces of our planet, as well as methods for avoiding or diverting natural hazards. Refer to the associated activity Engineering to Prevent Natural Disasters: Save Our City! for students to learn about some of the basic methods that engineers use to detect and prevent natural disasters and are challenged to decide where to place these devices on a map of an hypothetical city.

Watch this activity on YouTube

What is a natural hazard? (Answer: A natural event that has the power to damage or destroy property as well as injure or take lives.) We discussed that volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes, tornados and landslides are examples of natural hazards.

What is the difference between a natural disaster and a natural hazard? (Answer: Natural hazards are natural occurances that pose danger to human settlements and lives, while natural disasters are specific happenings that harm people.)

Can anyone tell us about a specific natural disaster? What types of natural hazards occur in the region where we live?

Why are studying and understanding the natural events of our planet important for engineers? (Answer: Engineers must understand hazards and disasters in order to create devices that can monitor, predict, prevent and/or minimize the impact of natural forces as well as design structures so people can survive them.)

avalanche: A large slide of snow, ice and/or earth down a slope.

earthquake: Shaking of the ground caused by friction between the tectonic plates.

engineer: A person who applies his/her understanding of science and mathematics to creating things for the benefit of humanity and our planet.

flood: When normally dry land is submerged with water.

forest fire: An uncontrolled fire in a forested area.

hurricane: An organized rotating storm that forms in or near the tropics.

landslide: A large movement of earth down a slope.

natural disaster: A disaster affecting humans that is caused by a natural hazard.

natural hazard: A natural event that has the ability to cause destruction.

thunderstorm: A powerful storm that includes lightning and thunder.

tornado: A funnel-shaped storm characterized by high winds.

tsunami: A large ocean wave caused by the displacement of the sea floor.

volcano: An opening in the earth's crust through which molten lava, ash and gases are ejected.

Pre-Lesson Assessment

Discussion Questions : Solicit answers to the following questions and explain to students these questions will be answered as we explore the lesson.

• What is a natural disaster?
• Name a specific example of a natural disaster.
• Can we prevent or predict natural disasters?

Post-Introduction Assessment

Voting : Have students vote on the following true/false questions and then explain the answers.

• True or False : Natural hazards and natural disasters are exactly the same thing. (False: Natural hazards are natural occurances on our planet that have destructive powers, while natural disasters are what we call specific natural hazards that caused the destruction of human settlements and lives).
• True or False : The 1906 San Francisco earthquake that left nearly 300,000 people homeless was a natural disaster. (True: This earthquake was a specific event that caused lots of destruction to the people and property in that city).
• True or False : A nuclear power plant meltdown is a natural hazard. (False: A nuclear power plant is created by humans and is therefore not a natural event.)
• True or False : A fire that started by a burning candle and destroyed the personal belongings of all the people who live in an apartment building is a natural disaster. (False: This fire sounds like a disaster, but it was caused by humans and is therefore not considered a natural disaster.)

Lesson Summary Assessment

Drawing : Have students make and label drawings that each illustrate one type of natural hazard. To turn them into drawings of natural disasters, have them show the hazard affecting people and communities. Have students discuss how an engineer might help track or predict the pictured event. As an extension, have students act as engineers and draw devices or structures with the purpose of protecting people, warning people or predicting the timing or location of natural hazards.

Summary Questions : Ask the students and discuss as a class:

• What is a natural hazard? (Answer: A natural event that has the power to damage or destroy property as well as injure or take lives.)
• What is an example of a natural hazard? (Answers: Avalanche, volcano, earthquake, hurricane, tornado, landslide, thunderstorm, flood, forest fire.)
• What is a natural disaster? (Answer: A specific event in which a natural hazard did damage to a human population.)
• What is an example of a natural disaster? (Answer: See Table 1.)
• Why do engineers care about natural hazards and natural disasters? (Answer: Engineers care because they must first understand hazards before they can create devices that monitor, predict, prevent or minimize the impact of natural hazards, as well as design structures that can survive natural hazards and protect people.)</

Lesson Extension Activities

Have students research specific natural disasters, making posters that describes them. Have them talk about what natural hazard caused each disaster as well as the effects and what might have been done to prevent or minimize the impact of the disaster.

As a side activity, have students learn more about potential and kinetic energy as they design and build a way to safely and accurately deliver relief goods (represented by an egg) to people in a natural disaster area with no road access. Similar to real-world engineering design teams, students must design their devices with constraints such as limited materials. This Bombs Away! activity is targeted for sixth-grade studens but may be suitable for grades 4-8.

Ask students to think about the types of natural disasters that might occur in the region in which they live. Then, imagining that a natural disaster occurs in their community, what have engineers created that would help students survive the dangerous situation? For example, if you are safe during a blizzard, what keeps you safe? Engineer-designed examples might include: Strong roof, insulated walls, heating system, lighting, communication devices (radio, television, phones), indoor plumbing and electricity, stoves and refrigerators, warm clothing made with modern fabrics, weather predicting and warning devices, safe vehicles, etc. Have them summarize in a one-page paper.

Students learn about various natural hazards and specific methods engineers use to prevent these hazards from becoming natural disasters. They study a hypothetical map of an area covered with natural hazards and decide where to place natural disaster prevention devices by applying their critical thi...

Students are introduced to our planet's structure and its dynamic system of natural forces through an examination of the natural hazards of earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, tsunamis, floods and tornadoes, as well as avalanches, fires, hurricanes and thunderstorms. They see how these natural event...

Students learn about landslides, discovering that there are different types of landslides that occur at different speeds — from very slow to very quick. All landslides are the result of gravity, friction and the materials involved. Students learn what makes landslides dangerous and what engineers ar...

Students learn what causes hurricanes and what engineers do to help protect people from destruction caused by hurricane winds and rain.

Abromeit, Doug, Anne Marie Deveraux, and Britt Overby. Forest Service National Avalanche Center. U.S. Forest Service. Accessed December 20, 2006. http://www.avalanche.org

Central Region Headquarters, NOAA's National Weather Service. Updated November 17, 2006. NOAA. Accessed December 20, 2006. (Find out about weather events currently happening everywhere in the US) http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crh/

National Hurricane Center and Tropical Prediction Center. Updated December 7, 2006. NOAA/National Weather Service, Miami, FL. Accessed December 20, 2006. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

National Interagency Fire Center. NIFC, Boise, ID. Accessed December 20, 2006. http://www.nifc.gov/

Lightning Safety: Photos, Medical, Brochures, More. Office of Climate, Water and Weather Services, NOAA/National Weather Service, Silver Springs, MD. Accessed December 20, 2006. http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/

Sawall, Hardy. Avalanche Defense Techniques. Michigan Technological University. Accessed December 20, 2006. http://www.geo.mtu.edu/

Volcano Hazards Program. Last modified December 10, 2006. U.S. Geological Survey. Accessed December 20, 2006. http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/

Watson, John and Kathie. Last updated October 23, 1997. Predicting Earthquakes – General Interest Publication. U.S. Geological Survey. Accessed December 20, 2006. http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/earthq1/predict.html

Contributors

Supporting program, acknowledgements.

The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. 0338326. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education or National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

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Enter the World of Disaster Mind

About Disaster Mind

FEMA Region 8  and  iThrive Games  created Disaster Mind to teach high school students about disaster preparedness.

Players must make quick decisions in the face three natural disasters: a blizzard, wildfire and flood. Complicating their quest, a mysterious guide weaves twists and turns along the way.

Key Features

• Available on most web browsers.
• Can be played solo or as a class.
• Does not collect data or personally identifiable information (PII).

PLAYER FEEDBACK “I had been wondering about an emergency plan, but I never really took it seriously, because I haven’t really experienced anything life-threatening like this. However, this gameplay raised awareness for me because I know that I have to be self-sufficient… because my parents won’t always be there to help me.” – Youth Player Testimonial, California

Educator and Parent Resources

Tools for teachers & parents.

Use our educator and parent resources to facilitate a conversation with your kids or students about how to prepare for a disaster or emergency.

FEMA Mobile App

Download the FEMA App for Androids or iPhones. Add up to five locations to track weather and emergency alerts.

Help After a Disaster

It's important to know how to get FEMA assistance before a disaster happens — check out FEMA's help for families and individuals.

Are You Ready? Guide

Learn more about household preparedness using FEMA’s “Are You Ready?” citizen preparedness guide.

Schedule a Demo or Get Support

Email us  to schedule a demonstration or asked questions about gameplay.

Elementary Classrooms CommonLit Elementary Texts About Natural Disasters

Allie Liotta

This engaging multi-genre set of texts supports literacy and builds students’ knowledge on an important STEM topic.

No matter if your students live in the mountains, on the coast, or in the middle of Tornado Alley, it’s important for them to read and learn about the wide variety of our earth’s naturally occurring hazards and disasters. Studying this topic informs students of safety precautions, promotes empathy and global citizenship, and may even inspire the pursuit of STEM careers.

Here’s a great list of texts from CommonLit, perfect for elementary grades, that focus on natural hazards and disasters. This diverse list includes fiction, narrative nonfiction, an informational text, and a poem.

“ Black Blizzard ” by Maurine V. Eleder

This suspenseful story follows two young girls, at home alone, when a dust storm arises. Despite their young age, Betty and Mary Ann quickly take action when the severe dust storm hits. They begin taking measures to block the dust from coming into the house, which would make the air unbreathable. Although they are frightened, they take comfort thinking they can just wait out the storm inside their home.

Unfortunately, Betty realizes her beloved horse is caught out in the “black blizzard.” One wrong move in the blinding storm, and Fancifoot could stumble and injure himself — or worse. Betty faces the difficult decision of leaving her younger sister to brave the storm or risking Fancifoot’s life to remain in safety.

This story explores the themes of self-reliance, survival, and the bonds humans share with animals. Teachers could use this text to teach the history of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s or to teach the science behind the causes and effects of soil erosion. CommonLit’s teacher resources include awesome videos for background information on the Dust Bowl in the Related Media tab as well as a perfect informational text titled “ The Dust Bowl ” in the Paired Texts tab.

“ Tornado Coming! ” by Dick Donley

If your students love the nail-biting tale “Black Blizzard,” they’ll love “Tornado Coming!” as well. Because this story includes a tornado, a young kid, a small dog, and a cranky neighbor, you might be reminded of another tale you’ve read before. However, there are no talking scarecrows or flying monkeys in this story!

Matt is home alone with Buster when he hears the siren warning of a tornado. Mentally ticking through the safety tips he learned in school, Matt heads for the storm cellar with the tornado forming at his back. With only moments to spare, Matt realizes he must leave his little dog in the safety of the storm cellar to run to the aid of his unpleasant neighbor, Mrs. Laney. After the storm passes, Matt doesn’t wake up to find himself in Oz; however, he does find himself in a pretty odd place. And like Dorothy and her crew, Matt and Mrs. Laney learn valuable lessons about being kind and caring for others.

This text weaves helpful tornado safety measures throughout a narrative story, which can be pointed out when discussing the annotation task: “Take notes on Matt’s actions when he realizes a tornado is coming.” For a creative follow-up activity, teachers could assign different natural disasters to small groups for research. Then, groups could use their research and the model text “Tornado Coming!” to incorporate safety tips within their own short stories about their assigned natural disaster.

“ They Need Fire! ” by Buffy Silverman

You may already know that forest fires can be natural or man-made, but did you know that not all forest fires are considered disasters? Some forest fires can be devastating, but others can be planned and controlled safely to benefit the ecology.

“They Need Fire!” introduces the reader to several plant, insect, and animal species that rely on forest fires to survive. When reading this text, you’ll encounter the Jack pine tree whose cones can only release seeds after a fire has melted away the resin, the black fire beetle who lays its eggs in the charred bark of smoldering trees, and the black-backed woodpecker whose feathers allow it to blend in with sooty wood and make burnt trees its home.

For your mini-scientists, this text is a great introduction to the wide and varied habitats surrounding us and can be paired with “ Life in a Vernal Pool ” for an example of a wetter habitat. And for your students interested in future STEM careers, you can point out how people are studying the Black fire beetle to help engineer better fire alarms, or you can have students read “ Eyes in the Sky ” to find out what it takes to be a professional fire watcher.

“ Tsunami ” by JonArno Lawson

This short but beautiful poem perfectly describes the contrast of the silent, and sometimes unpredicted, approach of a Tsunami with its powerful, destructive arrival on shore. Being only ten short lines, it also presents a wonderful teaching opportunity to show kids that multiple readings of a poem — sometimes with different purposes or from different perspectives — can provide different meanings to the reader.

If you are using this text in your classroom, you may consider first projecting the poem to the whole class and reading it aloud to your students. Students can then jot down their ideas of how the poem makes them feel and what they think it means. Then, you may choose to assign the text digitally with Guided Reading Mode enabled for all students. This will help students look at the poem in two parts–contrasting how the tsunami travels in the ocean with how it rushes onto the shore. Students will be better equipped to tackle the assessment questions after reading this poem using Guided Reading Mode.

Lastly, teachers may want to show students the National Geographic video in the Related Media tab titled “Rare Video: Japan Tsunami.” While students may be fascinated with the power of this tsunami as it rolls through the streets of a coastal town, the power of this 3-minute video starts around the half-way mark. Students will then see the stark difference in how the wave moves in deeper water as opposed to how it approaches the shore. Having students re-read the poem one more time and reflect to drive home the concept of layered meaning and experiences in poetry.

“ Stop the Atlantic Express! ” by Kate Sharp and Sarvinder Naberhaus

“Stop the Atlantic Express!” tells the true story of fifteen-year-old Kate Shelley who bravely risked her own life to save the lives of countless others. In July of 1881, a severe storm created a flash flood that washed out a portion of a railroad bridge, pushing one train engine into the rising creek. Kate Shelley, a young girl who lived nearby, knew that if she did not warn others, a train with hundreds of passengers traveling the same route would crash. To get help and stop the Atlantic Express, Kate faced great danger to cross the flooded rail bridge in the dark of night.

This suspenseful story will thrill the action-seekers in your class, and its heartwarming ending will leave everyone cheering. To show students how art can be inspired by real life events, consider sharing the video “Run, Kate Shelley, Run,” which includes a folk song written to immortalize Kate’s heroic action. And to show your students that anyone can be a hero, watch and discuss the ideas in Kid President’s video. Both resources can be found in the Related Media tab accompanying this text.

Are you a teacher looking for more great content on CommonLit? Browse the CommonLit Library or come to one of our webinars!

If you are an administrator looking to leverage CommonLit in your school or district, our partnerships team can help. We offer benchmark assessments, professional learning, and more!

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Disaster Facts

Disasters don’t plan ahead. You can. Know what disasters and hazards could affect your area and learn what to do before, during, and after each type of emergency.

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Last Updated: 08/20/2024

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Natural Disasters 10th Edition, Patrick Leon Abbott

Natural disasters 10th edition patrick leon abbott publisher: mcgraw-hill education isbn: 9780078022982, view more textbook editions, solutions for natural disasters, browse all chapters of this textbook, book details, sample solutions for this textbook.

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