Natural Disasters

3. the overflow of water onto land that is normally dry
4. the widespread outbreak of a disease that affects people across multiple countries or continents
5. a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may also be accompanied by high humidity
7. an uncontrolled fire that spreads rapidly through vegetation, such as forests, grasslands, or brush
8. a rapidly rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground
11. a weather phenomenon in which strong winds lift and carry large amounts of sand and dust through the air, reducing visibility
13. a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility due to blowing snow
14. a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and thunder, usually accompanied by heavy rain, strong winds, and sometimes hail
16. a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, strong winds, and heavy rain, originating over warm tropical or subtropical oceans
18. a weather event in which balls or lumps of ice fall from the sky during a thunderstorm
19. a rapid flow of a large mass of snow, ice, and sometimes rock or debris down a mountainside or slope

1. a prolonged period of abnormally cold weather for a given region and time of year
2. a series of large ocean waves caused by a sudden displacement of water, usually due to an undersea earthquake, volcanic eruption, or landslide
6. the sudden release of magma, gas, and ash from a volcano onto the Earth’s surface
9. a prolonged period of unusually low precipitation that results in a shortage of water for people, plants, and animals
10. the sudden outbreak and rapid spread of a disease that affects many people within a specific population, community, or region at the same time
11. a depression or hole in the ground caused by the collapse of the surface layer
12. the downward movement of rock, soil, or debris along a slope under the force of gravity
15. a fragment of a meteoroid that survives its passage through the atmosphere and lands on Earth
17. the sudden shaking or vibration of the ground caused by the movement of rocks beneath the Earth’s surface