HOW DO NATURAL DISASTERS

AFFECT OUR WORLD

Natural disasters affect our world in many ways. Natural disasters affect many people many
people by destroying their homes and their lives. A natural is an extreme sudden event caused by
the environment. After a natural disaster has occurred, the damage to repair could cost billions of
dollars. These disasters include tsunamis, bushfires and earthquakes. Natural disasters can affect
many people because if they are sudden they may not leave anytime for people to escape. Some
damage may never be repaired.

Tsunamis
Tsunamis can happen at any time. A tsunami is an
underwater earthquake, volcano or landslide. A
tsunami occurs when tectonic plates shift, causing
force of power to push the water to shore, when the
tsunami gets closer to shore the wave gets bigger.
Tsunamis are very bad for communities; the damage
caused by a tsunami can cost billions of dollars to fix.
Tsunamis take lives, destroy houses and leave people
devastated. The salt from the ocean water kills plants
that animals and people rely on. Poisonous chemicals,
waste water from peoples homes and sewage may
be washed inland. When the water from shallow
water near shore starts moving into deeper water you
have very few minutes to evacuate, and thats
how you know a tsunamis about to hit
The December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was
caused by an earthquake. The earthquake had a 9.0
magnitude on the Richter Scale. It went at the speed
of 480 kilometres per hour, and at the height of 30
metres. The tectonic plates in the area had been
pushing against each other for 1000s of years and
will continue to do so and will likely cause more
earthquakes and tsunamis in the future. It killed more
than 280,000 people and destroyed 141,000 houses,
Indian Ocean Tsunami battleground
battground
Tsunami diagram
leaving 1.7 million people homeless. Many people
from Indonesia reported that they saw animals leaving to higher ground shortly before the
tsunami hit, very few animal bodies were found afterwards. The killer tsunami slammed into the
coastlines of 11 different countries. The word tsunami comes from the Japanese word tsu
(harbour) and nami (wave)

Bushfires
Bushfires can happen unexpectedly! A bushfire is a wildfire that burns out of control spreading
across bushland. Bushfires are 26% of the time caused by lightning strikes. They usually occur in
the hotter months of the year. Bushfires often start when dry wind blows inland. Trees such as
eucalyptus are especially prone to fire because their leaves have highly flammable oil. Bush fires
are not measured like earthquakes with the Richter scale. They are not measured like cyclones as
category 1-5. They are measured by cost of damage and the death toll. Bushfires can also start by
cigarettes, matches, droughts or dry leaves rubbing together.

On February 7
th
, 2009 a Victorian bushfire, called Black Saturday. The weather of the day were
some of the worst ever recorded.
Temperatures reached 46 degrees Celsius.
The wind going at 100 kilometres per hour.
Leading up to the day were two months of
disastrous conditions of extremely low
rainfall. About 400 fires started during the
day. The Black Saturday Bushfires killed 173
people, injured 414 people, destroyed 2,100
homes and displaced 7,562 people.

Earthquakes
Scientists use the Richter Scale to measure the
strength of an earthquake. Charles F. Richter
invented this number system in 1935.

A 9.0 magnitude earthquake on December 26, 2004
Black Saturday fires
Richter Scale
in the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami killing more
than 280,000 people! The tectonic plates in the area
had been rubbing against each other and will
continue to do so and will likely cause more
earthquakes in the future. Destroying 141,000
houses, Leaving 1.7 million people homeless.
Earthquakes can turn even the tallest buildings into
rubble.




Natural disasters are terrible for the environment. But sometimes they are good because bushfires
make the soil better. They can kill many people, destroy many buildings. Destroy cities, villages
and towns. Stay Safe, And Be Alert!








Indian Ocean earthquake
battleground