Natural Disasters

INTRODUCTION ANA
Good morning! Today our group will present you our project work about

natural disasters.
INDEX ANA
During our presentation we will refer:
- The definition of natural disasters;
- (We also will talk about) The five worst natural disasters of all time;
- Some natural disasters as earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and
others;
- (We will give some examples about) How to recover from a natural
disaster?
- (And finally, we will show you two) Videos.
Natural Disasters: Definition and some general ideas ANA
- So, to start a natural disaster is a main adverse event resulting from natural
processes of the Earth; examples include floods, volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes, tsunamis, and other geologic processes. Natural disasters
happen all over the world, although they are caused by nature and there is
nothing that we can do to prevent them happening, there are many different
natural causes that lead to natural disasters. A natural disaster can cause
loss of life or property damage, and typically leaves some economic
damages. The severity of which depends on the affected population's
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resilience, or ability to recover.

An adverse event will not rise to the level of a disaster if it occurs in an area
without vulnerable population. In a vulnerable area, however, such as San
Francisco, an earthquake can have disastrous consequences and leave
lasting damage, requiring years to repair.
DEVELOPING OF THE TOPICS
PEDRO:
Now we are going to present you some of the most catastrophic disasters
in history. I will start with

5. India Cyclone

On 1839, what became known as the "India Cyclone" hit the harbor
village of Coringa, located in India. The cyclone triggered a 40-foot-wave
that destroyed much of the village and most of the ships near the area, with
about 20,000 people drowning at sea. An estimated total of 300,000 people
died because of the cyclone.
LAURA:
4. Bhola Cyclone
The deadliest cyclone ever recorded, the Bhola cyclone struck East
Pakistan (what is now Bangladesh) and India's West Bengal on 1970,
flooding much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta. Approximately
500,000 people died, primarily because of the floods that resulted from the
cyclone's storm surge, or a rise in water level that overtakes the shore.
SARA:
3. Shaanxi Earthquake
In 1556, the deadliest earthquake ever recorded occurred in the Shaanxi
province and the neighboring Shanxi province, located in northern China.
The catastrophic earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 8 and killed
approximately 830,000 people. This death toll is believed to have reduced
the population of both provinces by about 60 percent.
ANA:
2. Yellow River Flood
The Yellow River Flood, the worst flood in human history and the second
deadliest disaster ever, occurred in September 1887, when the Yellow River
overran the dikes in China's Henan Province. The flood devastated 11 large
Chinese towns and hundreds of villages, leaving millions homeless. The
flood waters covered 50,000 square miles, killing an estimated 900,000 to
2,000,000 people.
LAURA:
1. Central China Floods
The worst natural disaster in history, the Central China Floods occurred
from July to August 1931, when the Yangtze River overflowed and caused a
series of floods. As a result of the massive flooding, an estimated 3.7 million
people died from drowning, disease and starvation. According to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more than 51 million

people, or one-fourth of China's population, were affected by the Central

China Floods.
But better than listen this is seeing with your eyes so, to complement this
top we will show will a video about this, the video shows some of other
tragic disasters provoked by the nature.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfmRf8iOBkI&spfreload=10
LAURA:
Just for you have an idea, in 2012 there were 905 natural disasters
worldwide, 93% of which were weather-related disasters. Overall costs
were incalculable. 2012 was a moderate year.
More about some natural disasters:
a. Earthquakes - SARA
One of the most frightening and destructive phenomenon of nature is
an earthquake and its terrible aftereffects. An earthquake is the sudden,
rapid shaking of the earth, caused by the breaking and shifting of
subterranean rock as it releases strain that has accumulated over a long
time.
For hundreds of millions of years, the forces of plate tectonics have
shaped the earth, as the huge plates that form the earths surface slowly
move over, under and past each other. Sometimes, the movement is
gradual. At other times, the plates are locked together, unable to release
accumulated energy. When the accumulated energy grows strong
enough, the plates break free. If the earthquake occurs in a populated
area, it may cause many deaths and injuries and extensive property
damage.
b. Hurricanes PEDRO
A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone or severe tropical storm that
forms in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and
in the eastern Pacific Ocean. A typical cyclone is accompanied by
thunderstorms, and in the Northern Hemisphere, by the counterclockwise
circulation of winds near the earths surface.
Hurricanes can cause catastrophic damage to coastlines and several
hundred miles inland.
c. Tsunamis
PEDRO
Tsunamis also known as seismic sea waves (mistakenly called tidal
waves), are a series of enormous waves created by an underwater

disturbance such as an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, or

meteorite. A tsunami can move hundreds of miles per hour in the open
ocean and smash into land with waves as high as 100 feet or more.
From the area where the tsunami originates, waves travel outward in
all directions. Once the wave approaches the shore, it builds in height.
SARA
The topography of the coastline and the ocean floor will influence the
size of the wave. There may be more than one wave and the succeeding
one may be larger than the one before. That is why a small tsunami at
one beach can be a giant wave a few miles away.
All tsunamis are potentially dangerous, even though they may not
damage every coastline they strike. The most destructive tsunamis have
occurred along the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and
Hawaii.
d. Drought LAURA
A drought is a long period of dry weather that causes some serious
problems like crop damage, a shortage of water, fire and dust. I'm not
talking a week or two without rain. I'm talking about a few months or
even some years. A drought isn't determined by the number of days that
go by. It depends on the amount of moisture before and after the dry
period and the length and size of the area without water.
If it doesn't rain for a while, farmers and cities can be in some serious
trouble. Nobody can wash their cars, water their lawn or take long
showers. People and animals start dying of thirst and large areas are
destroyed by dust storms or fires.

How to recover from a natural disaster?

SARA
Natural disasters, in the form of humanitarian emergencies like floods
and cyclones, have a severe impact on the lives of many women, children
and families around the world. These emergency situations result when a
sudden disaster overwhelms the ability of the affected population to
respond. In many countries around the world, local authorities struggle to
rebuild basic infrastructure and respond to the survival, development and
protection needs of the affected population.
PEDRO

When natural disasters strike, UNICEF is on the ground immediately in

response to its mandate to protect and assist childrens and womens
rights and development.
As UNICEF there are various institutions that act in order to help the
victims of these incidents, trying to support them and help them to
recuperate the slightest conditions to restart their lives.
ANA: And this is the end of our project work. To conclude we will
let you listen a song by Beyonc that was relationated with our
theme once it was about the humanitarian causes. We hope that
you enjoyed it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41qWJ6QjPI&spfreload=10

PROJECT WORK GROUP:

- Ana Filipa, n 46, 11 B;
- Laura Magalhes, n549,
-

11 B;
Pedro Coroado, n 723, 11

B;
Sara Cruz, n 758, 11 B;