Debris is scattered for miles, homes are destroyed, trees are bent, and vehicles are thrown. This would be the consequence of a natural disaster. Natural disasters come in many forms such as earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, blizzards, fires, and volcanic eruptions, just to name a few. Each type of disaster is not subject to a specific area. This means that in certain areas, residents only need to prepare for disasters that may occur in their region. Natural hazards are frequent throughout the world. On a large scale they create disasters, destruction and death of people. “A natural process becomes a natural hazard only when there is a risk of human loss.” (Page 2)An earthquake is “a sudden shaking of the earth's crust caused by the collision of tectonic plates”. (Page 2) Vibrations may vary in magnitude. “The underground point of origin of the earthquake is called fire. The point directly above the fire on the surface is called the epicenter.” (Page 3) Earthquakes alone rarely kill people or wildlife. “It is usually the secondary triggering events, such as building collapses, fires, tsunamis and volcanoes, that actually represent the human disaster.” (Page 5) Earthquakes can last only a few seconds or continue for up to several minutes. They can occur at any time of day or night and at any time of year. “They are caused by stress that builds up over time as blocks of crust try to move but are held in place by friction along a fault.” (Page 8) “When the pressure becomes stronger than the friction holding them together, adjacent blocks of the crust can suddenly slip, rupturing the fault and creating an earthquake.” (Page 10) Volcanoes can cause widespread destruction in several ways. “Effects include the volcanic eruption itself which can cause damage as a result of the volcano exploding or falling rocks. Secondly, lava can be produced during the eruption of a volcano. As it leaves the volcano, the lava destroys all the buildings and plants it encounters. Third, volcanic ash, which generally means cooled ash, can form a cloud and settle densely in nearby locations." (Page 14) The leading cause of death for humans in the immediate vicinity of a volcanic eruption is the " pyroclastic flows, which consist of a cloud of hot volcanic ash that accumulates in the air above the volcano and falls down the slopes when the eruption no longer supports the lifting of gases.