EFFECTS OF CALAMITIES

 Humanitarian Crises
- Climate change and accompanying natural disasters have created a large migrant
population, called climate refugees or environmental migrants. These people can
be been forced out of their homes by an abrupt natural disaster, like a tsunami, or
a slower-moving natural disaster, like a relentless drought. In any case, the area
where they formerly lived is no longer habitable for one reason or another, or the
standard of living has dropped so drastically that the uncertain future of migration
looks more promising.

 Public Health Issues

- Health issues are one of the most pressing problems after any natural disaster. It
is often the case that facilities for water and toilet hygiene are damaged or
inoperable: meaning that the safe disposal of human waste quickly becomes a
public health hazard. Further, without running water, hand washing and food
hygiene rapidly deteriorate.

 Environmental problems
- Natural disasters, from tsunamis to wildfires, can cause wide-ranging and long-
term consequences for ecosystems: releasing pollution and waste, or simply
demolishing habitats.

 Infrastructural damage
- One of the most immediate and economically devastating concerns with natural
disasters is the damage to both public and private infrastructure. These events can
cause billions of dollars in damages, and not all governments are equipped to fund
the process of post-disaster cleanup and rebuilding.
CAUSES OF CALAMITIES
1. Earthquakes are one of the most devastating and frightening natural disasters a person can
experience. They happen without warning in areas all around the world.
2. Volcanic Eruptions
- Earthquakes may trigger volcanic eruptions. For example, in 1975, a massive
earthquake hit Hawaii and a few hours later, the summit caldera in Kilauea
erupted. Most earthquakes occur on or near the edges of tectonic plates.
Similarly, a volcano is the result of the interaction of these plates. Scientists
believe that seismic waves coming from earthquakes cause disturbances in the
molten rock beneath volcanoes, making them active.
3. Landslides and Avalanches
- When the Earth moves during an earthquake, a landslide or avalanche can occur.
Any area that has the right conditions, including moisture and the angle of the
slope, can potentially experience these natural disasters. When the Earth shakes,
debris, soil or snow on a hilltop or mountainside has the potential of sliding. An
example is the 1994 Northridge quake, which caused thousands of landslides in
the mountains above Northridge.
4. Tsunamis
- Both strong and weak earthquakes have the ability to cause tsunamis. When
earthquakes rattle the sea floor, water is displaced and waves form. These waves
can be large enough to be considered tsunamis. Tsunamis not only devastate the
coastal area in the region where the actual earthquake occurred but can also
cause damage on coasts thousands of miles away. This was seen in the Japan
earthquake and tsunami of 2011, which caused devastation in Japan as well as
millions of dollars in damage to coastal California.
5. Flooding
- Earthquakes can cause flooding in several ways. Clearly, a tsunami can cause
flooding in areas where the wave hits inland. Broken dams and levees on rivers
can also cause flooding. These structures hold water in, but when an earthquake
occurs, the integrity of the structure may be damaged, and the water could
potentially flood nearby lowland areas.
6. Liquefaction
- Liquefaction can happen following an earthquake. According to Michigan Tech,
“Liquefaction is the mixing of sand or soil and groundwater (water underground)
during the shaking of a moderate or strong earthquake." The ground turns into a
quicksand consistency when water is mixed with it. If a building is build upon this
type of ground, it can tip, fall over and even sink.
SOLUTION TO CALAMITIES
 Maximum foreseeable loss studies
 Corporate vulnerability assessments
 Insurance purchasing/ risk transfer
 Captive insurance development
 Disaster recovery and emergency response planning
 Capital and resource allocation
 Business continuity management and planning
 Building improvement
 Site selection and acquisition