Natural Disasters

2. a localized, very intense low-pressure wind system, forming over tropical oceans and with winds of hurricane force.
4. the sliding down of a mass of earth or rock from a mountain or cliff.
9. a mass of snow, ice, and rocks falling rapidly down a mountainside.
10. a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system.
11. a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.
12. a long high sea wave caused by an earthquake, submarine landslide, or other disturbance.
13. a sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action.
14. an overflowing of a large amount of water beyond its normal confines, especially over what is normally dry land.
15. strong wind carrying clouds of sand with it, especially in a desert.

1. when gas and/or lava are released from a volcano—sometimes explosively.
3. a severe snowstorm with high winds and low visibility.
5. a large, destructive fire that spreads quickly over woodland or brush.
6. a storm of heavy hail.
7. a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy rain or hail.
8. a cavity in the ground, especially in limestone bedrock, caused by water erosion and providing a route for surface water to disappear underground.