Essay " A natural disaster" by Uroosa Noor

Natural disasters are natural events that cause the loss of lives and property. Sometimes hundreds and thousands are killed, and millions of dollars of property are destroyed. What are these events and what causes them ?

"We cannot stop natural disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge..so many lives wouldn't have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness."

The earth is a dynamic entity that is undergoing changes all the time. Normal changes such as those occurring to the weather and the seasons are part and parcel of living. We live our lives according to these changes. However, sometimes the forces of nature cause great and drastic changes, and for us puny human beings, the effect can be disastrous.There are many types of natural events that can spell disaster for us. They include earthquakes, volcanoes,floods and many more.

The earth crust is made up of a number of plates. At some places on the crust, lava, ash, smoke etc breaks through and the result is volcanos. Sometimes the eruption is so violent that it destroys living things that are nearer to it. In 2004, underwater volcanic eruptions in the Indian Ocean caused tsunamis again killed hundreds of thousands living nearby.The plates of the earth crust are not static. They push and grind against one another producing earthquakes that sometimes cause widespread destruction to the affected area.

In addition to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, other natural phenomena also brings destruction. In Malaysia, the Northeast monsoon rains that come around December bring floods to the east coast of the peninsula. In Australia, bushfires in summer destroy vast tracts of land.

No place on earth is totally free from disaster-causing events. We can only do our best to deal with these events when they occur. People and property are destroyed. Those who survive pick up the pieces and continue living.