Natural Disasters

2. A long period of time without rainfall leading to a shortage of water.
7. An intense shaking of the Earth's surface caused by movements beneath the crust.
8. When a mass of snow, ice and rocks falls quickly down a mountainside.
9. A large, uncontrollable fire that spreads in a natural area such as a woodland, forest or brush.
11. A strong rotating column of air that is in contact with the ground below it and a cloud above it. It can destroy buildings.

1. A huge, spinning storm that forms over warm seas and oceans.
3. A period of excessively hot weather that can have devastating effects on plants and animals.
4. When lava, gas and rock fragments explode out of a vent in a volcano.
5. A series of huge waves caused by an underwater earthquake or volcano.
6. When a large mass of rocks and soil move down the slope of a mountain or hill.
10. When an area that is usually dry becomes submerged in water, often caused by excessive rainfall or a body of water overflowing.