Introduction
There are many types of disasters that can pose a threat to both small and large groups of people. An earthquake is a unique type of natural disaster in which there is a shaking of our planet’s surface. Earthquakes often present a short series of shocks, but sometimes these shocks can be really intense and may even last for a few hours or days. When discussing the characteristics of earthquakes, it is necessary to take into consideration the Richter scale, which is used to define the magnitude of an earthquake. As for examples of this type of disaster, perhaps the most notable is the Valvidia earthquake that happened almost sixty years ago and is still believed to be the most powerful one in history. The consequences of this event were really devastating, resulting in a large tsunami that affected more than six countries besides Chile. It is obvious that such a serious disaster would have perceptible consequences; apart from the major tsunami, this earthquake also caused a series of landslides and seiches in different parts of the country.
Analysis
Earthquakes are believed to be one of the most dangerous natural disasters, and they can have a lot of negative effects on both the community and the environment. Indeed, these effects are usually interconnected as it is often impossible to destroy manmade objects without also doing harm to the natural environment. The effects of earthquakes on the community include the following:
- An increased number of accidents involving above-ground transport
- Destruction of roads and houses
- A great number of human injuries and casualties
- Destruction of manmade safety and security systems, which may also cause a lot of human death
- An increased number of occupational accidents
Moreover, earthquakes can be extremely dangerous for the environment of our planet. In fact, there are many negative consequences of this disaster that cause environmental deterioration. Several notable effects of earthquakes on the environment include:
- Higher probability of tsunami occurrence
- Greater emission of pollutants due to occupational accidents
- Animal deaths leading to the possible extinction of certain species
- The occurrence of stationary surface waves
- Flooding
Conclusion
Considering the fact that different disasters may have serious consequences for human society and our planet, people around the world are paying greater attention to training specialists who will be able to mitigate the effects of various disasters and help citizens as necessary. Indeed, there are many different emergency responders who specialize in various types of emergency situations. For instance, in case of fire, the emergency responders are firefighting teams that consist of a few members including paramedics who administer first aid.
As for floods, in order to mitigate their negative effects and save as many people as possible, it is necessary to create special rescue teams to transport people to emergency shelters. In the case of pandemic diseases or viruses, the emergency responders are healthcare workers who provide people with assistance and vaccinate them in order to prevent the spread of the disease. If there are water impurities, emergency responders are water chemists who monitor the situation and develop possible solutions for the problem. Beyond natural disasters, cases of emergency may include cyberattacks. Under this type of threat, there is a need to create special emergency response teams to handle the many spheres of the cyberattack, including finance.