Assignment Description
Natural hazards are hazards that exist in the natural environment and pose a threat to human populations and communities.
Examples include floods (the most frequently occurring), hurricanes, tsunamis, sea surges, earthquakes, tornadoes, freezes, blizzards, extreme cold, forest fires, drought, and range infestation (inordinate numbers of insects).
Technological hazards are hazards originating from technological or industrial conditions, including accidents, dangerous procedures, infrastructure failures, or specific human activities.
They may cause loss of life, injury, illness, or other health impacts; property damage; loss of livelihoods and services; social and economic disruption; or environmental damage.
Examples include such events as epidemics or pandemics, pollution, utilities failures, radiological accidents, nuclear waste disposal spills, toxic substances, hazardous materials accidents, explosions, and urban fires.
Assignment Guidelines
• In an essay of 600-800 words,
o define natural hazards, and
o define technological hazards.
• Fully identify and describe the 3-5 most significant natural hazards and the 3-5 most significant man-made hazards that can or do impact the capital of a state of your choice or another large city.
• Explain the causes of the hazards.
• Explain the frequency of the hazards' occurrences.
o Explain the amount of damage caused by each occurrence.
• In addition, identify the following in terms of the selected jurisdiction's current emergency management efforts:
o What are the mitigation functions of the jurisdiction? Explain.
o What are the preparation functions of the jurisdiction? Explain.
o What are the response functions of the jurisdiction? Explain.
o What are the recovery functions of the jurisdiction? Explain.
o What are the most significant emergency management challenges in the jurisdiction about which you are writing? Why?
• Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.
Assignment Objectives
• Describe and discuss the challenges associated with responding to certain types of disasters and attacks.
• Identify and describe the different types of natural and man-made disasters and attacks.