11.2.1. Natural Hazards + Natural Disasters

11.2.2.

Natural Hazards + Natural Disasters​

By LaToya Washington

• read about a variety of natural hazards

• explore how understanding these threats make us better able to avoid or reduce their potential harmful impact

We Will

Objectives

I Will

• Describe different types of natural hazards and the threats they pose

• Describe the differences between a natural hazard and a natural disaster

• Explain what can be done to reduce or control the impact of natural disasters on lives and property

• Create and interpret a natural hazard map of the United States​

Exploring ​Natural Hazards

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Open Ended

What makes a hurricane a natural hazard? [Hurricanes are a natural hazard because...]

Long before Hurricane Katrina, most experts knew the city of New Orleans was vulnerable. Situated up to 3.7 meters (12 feet) below sea level, between a lake and a river, and on the hurricane-prone Gulf Coast, the city was arguably a disaster waiting to happen. This video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW describes the threat Hurricane Ivan posed just one year before Katrina — an ominous foreshadowing of one of the country's worst natural disasters.

Hurricanes: New Orleans Under Threat

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Natural hazards are defined as environmental phenomena that have the potential to impact societies and the human environment. These should not be confused with other types of hazards, such as manmade hazards.

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For example, a flood resulting from changes in river flows is a natural hazard, whereas flooding due to a dam failure is considered a manmade hazard.

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Open Ended

Where else do hurricanes occur? [Hurricanes also occur...]

Hurricanes originate in the Atlantic basin, which includes the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico, the eastern North Pacific Ocean, and, less frequently, the central North Pacific Ocean.

Open Ended

What manmade changes to the environment potentially increase the impact of this hazard? [...can increase the impact of hurricanes.]

Open Ended

What other hazards coexist with hurricanes? [You can just list them.]

storm surge + storm tide

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The major hazards associated with hurricanes are:

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​​high winds

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​​rip currents

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heavy rainfall + inland flooding​

tornadoes

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Open Ended

What are communities doing to prepare for hurricanes? [Communities are...]

mentimeter

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Open Ended

What are the similarities and differences between natural hazards and natural disasters? [The differences between hazards and disasters are...]

Open Ended

What is a natural hazard? [A natural hazard is...]

What is a natural disaster? [A natural disaster is...]

[Answer both]

Open Ended

Do you think natural hazards necessarily become natural disasters?

Why or why not? [Yes/No hazards don't necessarily become disasters because...]

Open Ended

What are some things that people do that might influence whether or not a natural hazard becomes a natural disaster? [People do....]

The Great Flood of 1993  

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During a typical year, levees built along the banks of the Mississippi River keep the river in its channel and out of people's homes and fields. However, 1993 was anything but a typical summer. This video segment adapted from NOVA describes the meteorological conditions that created what was then the costliest flood in United States history.​

​Answer the questions on paper.

1. What are the similarities between the flood depicted in this video and the hurricanes shown in the previous video?

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2. What time of year did these events occur? Are some natural hazards more likely to occur at certain times of the year?

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3. Where else in the country do they think flooding occurs?

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4. What manmade changes to the environment potentially increased the impact of the flood?

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5. What preparations can people make to reduce or control these hazards?

​Complete the Exit Ticket in Google Classsroom.