Natural Disaster
At regular but unpredictable intervals, people around the world are affected by natural hazards. These may be caused by climate, geology, the environment or combinations of these. Hazards become disasters when people's homes and livelihoods are destroyed.
Natural disasters can arise from:
- Weather patterns: storms, cyclones, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes
- Other climatic conditions: droughts, bush fires, heat waves
- Changes in the earth's crust: volcanoes, earthquakes or tsunamis
- Human activities: pollution, deforestation, desertification, pest infestation
Increasing population and urbanisation is increasing the world’s exposure to natural hazards, especially in coastal areas (with greater exposure to floods, cyclones and tsunamis). Although worldwide disaster occurrence seems to follow an upward trend, some of their impacts on societies (victims and economic damages) have not increased as preparedness has improved.
Disaster preparedness
Much can be done to prepare for future disasters by being emergency ready and:
- modifying or removing the causes of any likely hazard
- taking measures to reduce the effects of a hazard
- developing response plans
- building houses to standards that will protect people during a hazard
- developing early warning systems that can function without power systems
- building houses away from hazard prone areas or building levy banks in flood prone areas
- defining the roles and training of emergency services personnel
- collecting and storing resources and equipment to ensure a quick response
- educating the public and rehearsing for a hazard
Lake Macquarie residents and businesses are also encouraged to register with the Australian Early Warning Network to receive free emergency alerts to mobile phones, home phones, pagers, automated phone calls, and email covering everything from tsunamis through to severe weather.