1. Map Your Hazards! Combining Natural Hazards with Societal Issues
Introduction to Natural Hazards
Map Your Hazards! Combining Natural Hazards with Societal Issues

2. What is a Natural Hazard?
A naturally occurring event that could harm us directly or indirectly.
What are some examples of
natural hazards?

3. What Causes Natural Hazards?
Nature
What are some examples of
natural processes that
cause natural hazards?

4. What Causes Natural Hazards?
Natural Process
Natural Hazard
Movement and melting of tectonic plates
Movement of water through atmosphere, land and oceans
Movement of rocks and soil through weathering and erosion
Flooding
Sinkholes
Droughts
Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Tsunamis
Landslides
Optional slide: This might be good for social science classes. This might be redundant and unnecessary in geoscience classes that already covered natural hazards.
Match natural processes with natural hazards
they cause (multiple answers possible)

5. When Do Natural Hazards Become Natural Disasters?
When a naturally occurring event significantly harms us directly or indirectly
Public domain image from NOAA
Joplin tornado, EF-5, May 2011

6. When Do Natural Hazards Become Natural Disasters?
A massive avalanche in the Alaskan interior
0 deaths
$0 in property damage
Natural disaster or not?
Public domain image from NOAA
Southeastern Alaskan landslide, 2010

7. When Do Natural Hazards Become Natural Disasters?
Khait or Hoit landslide occurred on July 10, 1949, in Tajikistan (formerly part of the Soviet Union)
The landslide was triggered by an earthquake
33 villages were buried, killing 28,000 people
Natural disaster or not?
Public domain image from USGS
Village of Khait and Khait landslide, 1949

8. Can We Affect Natural Hazards?
How are we connected to the frequency and occurrence of hazards?
How are we connected to the magnitude of natural disasters?
How do we positively and negatively affect our environment?

9. What Can We Do about Natural Hazards?
Natural Hazard Mitigation is action taken to reduce or eliminate negative impacts of a natural hazard
Pre-event (anticipatory)
Post-event (reactive)
Public domain image from FEMA
Volunteers assist Hurricane Katrina victims at the Houston Astrodome.
What are some examples of
pre-event and post-event mitigation?

10. What is Natural Hazard Mitigation?
Pre-event (anticipatory)
Post-event (reactive)
Land-use planning
Insurance
Evacuation
Disaster preparedness
Artificial control of natural processes
Etc.
Homeless shelters
Emergency food, water and medical services
Search and rescue efforts
Firefighting
Clean-up
Etc.
What would you include in a natural
hazard mitigation plan?