Stop Calling Hurricanes And Tornadoes Natural Disasters — Here’s Why

May is a critical month for risky weather in the United States, marking the peak of severe weather season and preceding the start of the Atlantic hurricane season and summer hot season. The country is constantly on guard for risks associated with tornadoes, hail, gust winds, lightning, flooding, and extreme heat. Many outcomes associated with these events are often called “natural disasters.” However, this term is probably not the best way to frame them.

Disaster risk from a tornadic storm or hurricane is generally associated with exposure to the hazard, the level of sensitivity to its outcomes, and some measure of the ability to adapt or recover from it. A tornado may plow through a region, but there will be some communities that have greater sensitivity because of socio-economic factors, types of homes they live in, and so forth. Additionally, everyone exposed to the storm might experience damage or injuries, but certain socio-economic groups have better home insurance, ability to evacuate, or access to adequate health services, giving them greater capacity to bounce back from the disaster.

Arissa Shepherd, a graduating senior at the University of Georgia, made a point that strongly resonated with the importance of considering human perspectives within sustainability and climate disasters. She argued that sustainability and disasters must consider more than just technical aspects of the problem, emphasizing the central role of the human element in these discussions.

The Big Picture: Key Points

  • The term “natural disaster” overlooks human actions that worsen the impact of natural hazards.
  • Disaster risk is associated with exposure to the hazard, sensitivity to its outcomes, and the ability to adapt or recover from it.
  • Human activities, such as deforestation, urbanization, and inadequate infrastructure, can exacerbate the impacts of natural hazards like floods, earthquakes, and storms.

Immediate Impact and the Role of Human Actions

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) notes that “A natural hazard, such as a hurricane, earthquake, or flood, only becomes a disaster when it impacts a community that is not adequately protected, and whose population is vulnerable as a result of poverty, exclusion or socially-disadvantage.” This perspective highlights the critical role of human actions and societal factors in turning natural hazards into disasters.

Boats coming out of the Brazos Harbor near Surfside Beach and Quintana, with the Dow Chemical Plant in the background, illustrate how human activities can increase vulnerability to natural hazards. The construction of facilities in flood zones or coastal regions prone to hurricanes can significantly worsen the impact of these events.

The truth is, there is no such thing as a natural disaster,
wrote the UNDRR. Human actions such as deforestation, urbanization, and inadequate infrastructure worsen the impacts of events like floods, earthquakes, and storms. When coupled with socio-economic vulnerability and varying degrees of resiliency, natural hazards become disasters.

Broader Context and Historical Background

The effects of Hurricane Helene, still being felt in the southeastern U.S. two years later, demonstrate the long-term consequences of these events. In the aftermath of the storm, several individuals from the University of Georgia’s Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems argued that human footprints can amplify disasters, but human resiliency and adaptation can also lessen the blow. This requires advanced planning, thinking beyond outdated benchmark events of the past, and incorporating baked-in resiliency strategies.

Arissa Shepherd’s point about the importance of understanding the dynamics of the communities affected by natural hazards is powerful. She emphasized that

a tool is only as good as the hands that hold it…. That is where sociology enters the conversation,
highlighting the need to consider the social and human aspects of disaster risk and resilience.

What to Watch for in the Coming Hours or Days

As the U.S. enters the peak of severe weather season, it is crucial to consider how human actions can mitigate or exacerbate the impact of natural hazards. By understanding the role of human activities in disaster risk, stakeholders, policymakers, and the public can work together to save more lives and property before the next hazard strikes.

The concept of the “Expanding Bull’s Eye Effect” (EBEE), advanced by colleagues Walker Ashley and Stephen Strader, defines targets of geophysical hazards as enlarging as populations grow and spread. This perspective underscores the importance of considering how the population and built environment are distributed across the landscape in defining disaster potential.

FAQ: Common Questions About This Event

Q: What is meant by the term “natural disaster,” and why is it considered flawed? A: The term overlooks human actions that worsen the impact of natural hazards, such as deforestation, urbanization, and inadequate infrastructure.

Q: How do human activities contribute to disaster risk? A: Human actions can increase vulnerability to natural hazards by constructing facilities in flood zones or coastal regions prone to hurricanes, and by exacerbating the impacts of events like floods, earthquakes, and storms through deforestation, urbanization, and inadequate infrastructure.

Q: What can be done to mitigate the impact of natural hazards? A: Advanced planning, thinking beyond outdated benchmark events of the past, and incorporating baked-in resiliency strategies can help lessen the blow of natural hazards. Additionally, considering the social and human aspects of disaster risk and resilience is crucial for effective mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Q: Why is it important to consider the human element in disaster risk and resilience? A: The human element is central to understanding disaster risk and resilience, as socio-economic factors, types of homes, and access to resources can significantly impact a community’s ability to adapt or recover from a natural hazard.