A natural hazard is a situation that takes place in nature which imposes a negative threat to life, health, the environment or property. Some examples of natural hazards are hurricane, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. It is important to note that the occurrence of one natural hazard can lead to the next. For example, an earthquake can cause a tsunami.
On the other hand, a natural disaster is slightly different. It is the actual effects of natural hazards on humanity, such as damages or loss of life. That is, once the hazard becomes active, it is no longer a threat, it becomes a disaster. An example of a natural disaster is where Hurricane Irma left the island of Barbuda completely uninhabitable. The hurricane caused three (3) deaths and approximately
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Therefore, it will take some time before there is any progressive action and normalization is restored. Hurricane Matthew claimed approximately 470 lives in Haiti, which was a massive number compared to the toll in neighbouring countries. This number later increased to at least 842 due to the outbreak of infectious diseases such as cholera. Flooding usually has an adverse effect on health because it brings about communicable diseases. There was a prominent issue with water supply and sanitation. There was little or no supply of clean drinking water as rivers turned into flows of brown liquid, so to speak. In addition, some places had no electric supply due to flooding. Food poisoning may occur because food may not be stored or preserved properly. Furthermore, the social impact gets worse if you count the psychological trauma faced by Haitians who lost their personal belongings in hurricane Matthew. Many have to leave behind assets they held dear to their hearts in order to save themselves. So not only did the hurricane take lives and destroy properties, it destroyed precious memories and uprooted