Natural disasters refer to extreme and catastrophic events caused by natural processes or forces, resulting in significant damage, destruction, and loss of life
These events occur without human intervention and can have severe impacts on the environment, infrastructure, and communities
What to do during a hurricane
1. Listen to local news and weather updates
2. Follow evacuation orders promptly
3. Prepare a "go bag"
4. Stay indoors and away from windows
5. Have emergency supplies ready
Hail
A type of solid precipitation, an individual piece of layered, rounded, or irregularly-shaped ice which is occasionally produced during a thunderstorm
Tornadoes
Rotating columns of wind that form during powerful thunderstorms, reaching speeds of up to 500 km/h, narrow, funnel-shaped, and extend from clouds to the Earth's surface
Waterspouts
Basically the same as tornadoes, the only difference is that the rotating column of wind moves over a body of water
Types of Waterspouts
Tornadic Waterspouts
Fair-Weather Waterspouts
Tornadic Waterspouts
Start as true tornadoes, influenced by winds associated with severe thunderstorms, most powerful and destructive type
Fair-Weather Waterspouts
More common and rarely dangerous, associated with developing storm systems but not storms themselves, the clouds from which they descend are often static
Formation of Tornadoes and Waterspouts
1. Warm, moist winds clash with cool, dry winds creating instability in the lower atmosphere
2. Wind direction shifts and speed increases with height, causing horizontal spinning
3. Updraft adds more warm, moist air, tilting the spinning air vertically to form a tornado
Between 1990 and 2006, the Philippines experienced 46 tornadoes, leading to 14 casualties, 72 injuries, 54 missing individuals, and affecting a total of 38,950 people nationwide
Damage included 1,364 partially damaged houses and 652 totally damaged houses
Safety tips during a tornado
Get in (seek shelter in a sturdy building, preferably the innermost part)
Get down (go to the lowest level, such as a basement if available)
Cover up (protect yourself from debris)
Downburst
A powerful downward rush of air from a thunderstorm that hits the ground and spreads out in all directions, often causing strong and damaging winds in a localized area
Flash Flood
Happens when intense rainfall from slow-moving thunderstorms overwhelms drainage systems in low-lying areas, especially urban ones, leading to rapid flooding due to saturated soil and impermeable surfaces