Natural disasters cause serious human and economic damage, often resulting from phenomena outside of human control. They include earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, landslides and flooding as well as tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires and droughts. In addition to their immediate physical effects, a natural disaster can have major psychological and social impacts on people affected by them.
In most instances, natural disasters occur in conjunction with other events or processes, such as climate change and deforestation. This interplay amplifies their impact. The fact that people often live in close proximity to one another makes them more vulnerable and susceptible to the combined effects of these events. It is important to recognize these factors in order to understand the contours of a disaster and its aftermath.
NASA’s Earth-observing satellites provide global data useful for studying natural disasters. These include hazard maps, climatic risk data and mortality rate deciles. Understanding the vulnerability and exposure of communities to these events can help reduce their negative consequences. The most common natural hazards are floods, storms and droughts – these alone kill tens of thousands of people each year, while a single extreme event like an earthquake or a tornado can be much more deadly. Economic losses from these events are also significant, and the majority of those who die as a result of natural disasters are living in low-income countries. These populations tend to lack the resources, shelter and infrastructure necessary to withstand or recover from these catastrophes.
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