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1. Avalanche — It is a fall or slide of a large mass as of snow or rock, down a mountain side. 

2. Tsunami — It is a long, high sea wave caused by an undersea earthquake or other disturbance. 

3. Epidemic — It is an outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely. 

4. Storm surge — It is an abnormal rise in the level of the sea along a coast caused by the onshore winds of a severe cyclone. 

5. Water table — It is the level below which the ground is saturated with water.

Disasters affect people living in underdeveloped countries more adversely than those in developed countries because underdeveloped countries do not have proper disaster management systems in place.

2. Chernobyl

Fire usually occur due to poor wiring and faulty electrical equipment, leakage of cooking gas or a carelessly thrown matchstick. One such incident was the Uphaar cinema hall tragedy in New Delhi on 13 July 1997.

Biological disasters are caused by germs developed in laboratories and released in the air to kill a large number of people. When these microbes are inhaled by a person, or get absorbed in his/her system through a cut or wound, they can infect him/her . Even a few drops of the smallpox or plague virus could start an epidemic, killing thousands of people.

Fires usually occur due to poor wiring and faulty electrical equipment, leakage of cooking gas or a carelessly thrown matchstick. The most common cause of a fire in a building is poor electrical wiring and faulty equipment. Electrical wiring must be regularly checked. If the wiring is worn-out, it must be replaced immediately by standard quality wires and electrical fittings to avoid any short-circuit. Fire can also be caused due to gas leakage. Gas pipes, regulators and stoves should be regularly checked to ensure there is no leakage. Regular maintenance checks in gas pipelines should also be mandatory. Fire is also commonly caused by carelessly thrown matches and cigarettes. It is also one of the common causes of forest fires. There is also fire-related disasters in areas where wood is used in construction activities. The loss of life is more if a fire breaks out in crowded areas.

Some examples of travel-related disasters are air crashes, train collisions and derailments, capsizing of boats and ships, etc. All these travel related disasters adversely impact a large number of people.

Chemical disasters occur by the accidental release of toxic chemicals or gases into the environment from factories or other establishments. The hazardous substances released into the environment travel very fast and cause large-scale devastation.

Droughts are caused by shortage of rainfall and also due to deforestation, misuse of ground water, unscientific agricultural practices, etc.

Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and leads to mass destruction of life and property. The adverse effects of nuclear radiation through the use of these weapons leaves thousands of people crippled for life. Several thousands suffer throughout life due to exposure to radiation. A nuclear explosion is so bright that it can make people blind if they see it with naked eyes. The explosion is followed by a heat wave and a huge cloud formation at the blast site. In such a disaster, radioactivity is the silent killer whose effects continue for a very long time after the incident. The energy released in the form of particles from the radioactive elements such as uranium, plutonium, etc. is called radioactivity. It spreads in the area and causes nausea, dizziness, vomiting and disorientation. It is very harmful to human health and causes serious illnesses like cancer. The worst type of man-made disaster, it can cause the collapse of social, political and economic establishments across the globe. Crises of this kind could occur intentionally as well as unintentionally.

Man-made intentional nuclear disaster which shook the world during World War II was the attacks carried out on Hiroshima and Nagasaki of Japan by the United States in August 1945. The two atomic bombs dropped on Japan killed around one lakh people and injured an equal number. The two bombs were nicknamed ‘Little Boy’ and ‘Fat Man’. It caused the collapse of social, political and economic establishments across the globe.

The entire Himalayan belt is on the boundary between the Eurasian and the Indian plates and is, therefore, prone to earthquakes. It falls under the very high risk zone (Seismic Zone V). Because of frequent seismic activity, it cause severe damage to life and settlements in the area. Kachchh in Gujarat and the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin are in the high risk zone (Seismic Zone IV).

Droughts are caused by insufficient _______ over a long period of time. 

3. rainfall

Cyclones are low-pressure areas that occur over warm ocean waters of temperate and tropical regions. Seen as swirling atmospheric disturbances they are accompanied by heavy rain, huge waves and powerful winds blowing at a velocity of 300 km per hour. Storm surges during the high tide, called storm tides, cause enormous damage to coastal regions. Cyclone-prone areas of India are West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Chemical disasters are caused by _______.

1. gases

In the event of a nuclear disaster, one should close all the doors and windows of their houses and remain indoors as radiation does not penetrate solid structures. People should not go out until the government makes arrangements for their rescue.

Bihar is the most flood-prone state among all north Indian states because many of the rivers flowing through Bihar, such as the Kosi, Bagmati and Gandaki, flow through the high mountainous region of Nepal, before crossing very small distances and rapidly reaching the plains of Bihar, making them far more forceful. When it rains heavily in Nepal, the extra water enters these river channels and rushes into the plains of Bihar. As the rivers break their banks and overflow into the adjoining areas, large area of land and thousands of people and livestock are affected. More than 76% of the population in Northern Bihar live under the threat of floods every year.

The surface of the earth is made up of interlocking plates of rock that float on a semi-liquid layer called the mantle. When two floating plates collide, the vibrations pass through the , earth’s surface or the crust. This makes the crust and everything on it shake uncontrollably and causes earthquake.

False.

Bihar is most vulnerable to floods.

False.

Floods wash away the top layer of the soil, which is the most fertile.

Droughts are caused when a region receives insufficient rainfall for a long period of time. Shortage of water in drought- prone areas leads to a fall in the water table, crop failure, shortage of food, fodder and employment. As people begin to starve, they migrate to other places and become homeless. It occurs almost every year bringing with them epidemics and causing human suffering.

A flood occurs when a sudden influx of water submerges land, posing a danger to life and property. They are mostly caused due to overflowing of rivers in the monsoon. It occurs almost every year. Floods wash away the top layer of the soil which is the most fertile and hence causes soil erosion.

Droughts are caused when a region receives insufficient rainfall for a long period of time. Shortage of water in drought- prone areas leads to a fall in the water table, crop failure, shortage of food, fodder and employment. As people begin to starve, they migrate to other places and become homeless. It occurs almost every year bringing with them epidemics and causing human suffering.

An earthquake is a sudden, violent movement of a portion of the earth’s crust caused by a disturbance under the earth’s surface. At times, earthquakes take a heavy toll on life and property. Extensive damage is caused to houses, large buildings, bridges, dams, rail lines and power lines, communication networks etc. An earthquake can also act as a hazard by triggering landslides, avalanches and tsunamis.

Oil spills harm marine life.

True.

4. oil spills