AbstractNatural disasters are a part of living on a planet where man does not control all aspects of his environment. Such disasters come in a variety of types, and the nature of the devastation associated with any one type of disaster varies with its location and the type of event. Hurricanes produce different results than earthquakes, which are different from fire.
The 1990s have seen a string of disasters in the United States which has put a considerable burden on the insurance industry and which has taken its toll in economic terms, as well. Entire towns may cease to exist as a result of the 1993 floods in the Midwest, and in Southern California, employers and employees have found new ways to commute and meet their responsibilities following an earthquake in 1994.
The economic burden that assistance places on local, state and the federal government is also significant, and a number of natural disasters severely hampers the ability of the government agencies designed to assist victims to carry out their responsibilities. Better preparation and lessons from previous disasters can help mitigate effects of disasters in the future.
Natural disasters come in many forms: floods, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions and landslides are but a few of the calamities that people endure. It is when nature comes into conflict with humans that catastrophe results. The response to these natural disasters has been to invest in early warning systems in order to protect lives and property, and to offer residents and businessmen advice on how best to survive the types of disasters that any one area is prone to. Fortunately, not all parts of the world are subject to every type of disaster, which means that people in any one area have to prepare only for those disasters which are likely to occur in their area. Such preparation can take the form of developing evacuation programs and finding ways to minimize damage both to pe...