Disaster is a certain cataclysmic event thatseriously disrupts the functioning of societyand causes human, material, environmentaland economic loss that exceeds the communityor society’s ability to cope using its ownresources.

Natural Disasters

- A natural disaster is an event that is caused bya natural hazard and leads to human, material,economic and environmental losses, which exceed theability of those affected to cope; examples includefloods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis andother geological processes.

Man-made Disasters

- A serious disruption of normal life triggeredby a human-induced hazard causing environmental,economic or life loss.

Nuclear Disaster

Chemical Disaster

Biological Disaster

Technological Disaster

A nuclear and radiation accident is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency as "an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility."

Nuclear weapons are thus, far more destructive and harmful to the society than any other weapon.

Many countries in the world have developed nuclear energy.

** The developed countries reiterate that nuclear energy will be used only for PEACEFUL PURPOSES.

Radiation is released into the environment andpeople get hurt.

Nuclear radiation keeps on showing its effectfor a considerable period of time even after itsexplosion, and those who survive becomemental and physical wrecks due to the impactof nuclear radiation.

Two of the most famous nuclear accidentsoccurred at the Three Mile Island reactor 2 inthe United States and the Chernobyl reactor 4in the former Soviet Union

We should keep ourselves informed about thegovernment plants and should act inaccordance with official communication.

Nuclear activity may affect our health andcause nausea, giddiness etc., and for thatmedical help should be available .

Biological disasters define thedevastating effects that may becaused by an enormous spreadof a certain kind of livingorganism - that may be thespread of a disease, a virus, anepidemics, but also just asudden growth of thepopulation of a certain kind ofplants or animals, e.g. Ebolaand swine flu.

Biological disaster spreads through theorganism that is developed in the form ofBACTERIA or MICROBES. Biological agentspread fast in the environment and then makesan attack on the human beings. The peopleinhale these microbes. When these microbesfind themselves a host body, they startaffecting the immune systems of the body.Microbes’ also enter human body through openwounds or cuts.

The attack of the microbes is generally slow but once they are spread in the body, it becomes difficult to control them.

Sometimes it takes the life of the affected persons.

Many a time, it becomes difficult to diagnose the illness caused by these microbes and it proves to be fatal.

Whenever we learn or hear about danger ofcommunicable diseases through officialannouncements on radio or TV, then we cantake adequate preventive and protectivemeasures.

We should quite often try to help in taking thistype of noble cause and solve the problem ofaffected people, or try to create fund for thisuncertain event.

By their nature, chemical disaster may be defined as the manufacture, storage, and transport of chemicals which may lead to the accidents waiting to happen. Chemicals can be corrosive, toxic, and they may react, often explosively.

Chemical weapons are the main cause of such disasters.

Sometimes handling of hazardous chemicals in an irresponsible way can cause chemical disasters.

Chemical disasters may also be caused by industrial accidents.

The impacts of chemical accidents can bedeadly, for both human beings & environment.

Chemical weapons are also weapons of massdestruction.

Sometimes handling of hazardous chemicals inan irresponsible way can cause muchdestruction.

The poisonous gases spread in the atmosphereand the people who inhale the same air facedangerous consequences.

Those industries, which use hazardous chemicalsor produce such chemicals, should havecontingency action plan to help people if such adisaster takes place.

Such industries should have timely warningsystems so that people can immediately take safetymeasures such as locking their houses and takingthe family and animals away to a safe place.

Stringent safety measures and checkups in thefactory and critical analysis of the workingcondition of the factory will help to take timelymeasures to check any disaster.

Gas Leak on December 3, 1984 – MIC (Methyl Iso Cyanate)

8000 people died, 50,000 injured

Gas leaked from a Union Carbide Plant at night

People fled from the poison

gas in the middle of the night

Main effect: Pulmonary Edema, skin

and eye damage (total blindness)

Secondary effect: Bronchitis, Bronchial

pneumonia

A Bhopal Victim

A technological disaster is an event caused by amalfunction of a technological structure and/orsome human error in controlling or handling thetechnology.

The effects of a disaster on families andindividuals may be long lasting and can endurefor years. However, symptoms may appeargradually, and impacts may not be seenimmediately.

All types of disasters are challenging, buttechnological disasters tend to be even moredifficult.

In addition to the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill,radiation leaks are another example of atechnological disaster, such as in the recent case ofthe Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station inJapan and previous accidents at Chernobyl andThree Mile Island.

Fires or explosions—such as the Station Nightclubfire in Warwick, Rhode Island, that was caused bya pyrotechnics malfunction—are also examples oftechnological disasters.

Chemical spills from trucks or trains would also beconsidered technological disasters. These examplesall have differing characteristics and effects on theenvironment and residents of the immediatedisaster area.

Technological disasters are stressful, especially because they are unpredictable. Individuals, families, and communities are affected. Some of the results include income loss, loss of job security, uncertainty about the future, family conflict, and stress.

In particular, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms were common responses to a disaster similar to the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill, the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Impacts may persist over time for some individuals, while others show resilience earlier.

Maintain routine as much as possible. Reduce exposure to media covering the event. Stay healthy and find healthy ways to reduce

stress, such as doing things outside, gettingexercise, and doing stress reduction exercises.

Seek accurate sources of information to betterunderstand the situation.

Talk to someone you trust. Keep a positive perspective—you can get through

this! Seek professional help if you are feeling depressed,

anxious, or have trouble controlling youremotions.