Disaster

  Disaster Ruins from the  1906 San Francisco earthquake , remembered as one of the worst disasters in the history of the United States A  disaster  is a serious problem occurring over a period of time that causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources. [1] [2]  Disasters are routinely divided into either " natural disasters " caused by  natural hazards  or "human-instigated disasters" caused from  anthropogenic hazards . However, in modern times, the divide between natural, human-made and human-accelerated disasters is difficult to draw. [3] [4] [5] Examples of natural hazards include  avalanches ,  flooding ,  cold waves  and  heat waves ,  droughts ,  earthquakes ,  cyclones ,  landslides ,  lightning ,  tsunamis ,  volcanic activity ,  wildfires , and  winter pr...