Differences Between Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes

Many times people believe that hazards, disasters, and catastrophes are terms that can be used interchangeably. However, this is a common misconception. A hazard is an event that is seen as a threat to humanbeings and the property they own. Some examples of a natural hazard would be floods, landslides, expansive soils, and frost because they could do damage to a human’s property. There is no area that is considered hazard free because every country, state, and city is prone to natural events. A disaster is an event that happens in a certain area that occurs over a certain time. One of four aspects have to be met for an event to be classified as a natural disaster—10 or more people are killed, 100 or more people are affected, a state of emergency is declared, and international assistance is requested. Natural disasters cause not only physical damage, but also financial and social loss. A catastrophe is a huge disaster that only occurs when a tremendous amount of money and time is needed to help the area recover. Even though earthquakes are mainly considered natural hazards, only a few are classified as a catastrophes. Catastrophes are used to describe an event that results in deaths or losses grand enough to have outside assistance required. These catastrophic events are caused by natural processes and forces.