Natural hazards tend to occur repeatedly in the same geographical locations because they are related to weather patterns and/or physical characteristics of an area.

Examples of natural hazards include:

• Avalanche: a mass of snow, ice, and other material that breaks free to move down a slope.
• Drought: a period of drier-than-normal conditions that results in water-related problems.
• Earthquake: a sudden fault slip in the earth’s crust.
• Floods: occur when there is more precipitation to a drainage basin than can be readily absorbed or stored within the basin.
• Hurricane: a tropical storm with winds over a constant speed of 74 miles per hour.
• Influenza Pandemic: an outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely.
• Landslide: the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope.
• Thunderstorm: produces lightning and lightning is unpredictable; it can strike as far as 10 miles from any rainfall.
• Tornado: a funnel-shaped storm cone with winds up to 300 miles per hour.
• Tsunami: a giant wave produced by underwater movement due to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and meteorites.
• Volcano: when a volcano erupts molten rock is expelled through an opening or vent in the earth’s surface.
• Wildfire: a raging conflagration that rapidly spreads out of control in the outdoors.
• Winter storm: hazardous winter weather due to various elements such as heavy snow, sleet, or ice accumulation from freezing rain.