Natural Disasters: Key Nouns
Avalanche — a large mass of snow, ice, and rocks that falls down a mountain;
Blizzard — a severe snowstorm with strong winds and low visibility;
Drought — a long period with no rain, causing water shortages;
Earthquake — a sudden shaking of the ground caused by movements in the Earth's crust;
Flood — when too much water covers land that is normally dry;
Hailstorm — a storm with pieces of ice (hail) falling from the sky;
Hurricane — a strong storm with heavy rain and powerful winds;
Landslide — when rocks, soil, or mud slide down a hill or mountain;
Sandstorm — strong winds that blow sand and dust through the air, often in deserts;
Tornado — a violent, spinning column of air that touches the ground;
Tsunami — a very large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption;
Volcanic eruption — when lava, ash, and gases come out of a volcano;
Wildfire — a large, uncontrolled fire that spreads quickly in forests or grasslands.
Natural Disasters: Key Verbs
Cause — to make something happen;
Avalanche — a large mass of snow, ice, and rocks that falls down a mountain;
Blizzard — a severe snowstorm with strong winds and low visibility;
Drought — a long period with no rain, causing water shortages;
Earthquake — a sudden shaking of the ground caused by movements in the Earth's crust;
Flood — when too much water covers land that is normally dry;
Hailstorm — a storm with pieces of ice (hail) falling from the sky;
Hurricane — a strong storm with heavy rain and powerful winds;
Landslide — when rocks, soil, or mud slide down a hill or mountain;
Sandstorm — strong winds that blow sand and dust through the air, often in deserts;
Tornado — a violent, spinning column of air that touches the ground;
Tsunami — a very large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption;
Volcanic eruption — when lava, ash, and gases come out of a volcano;
Wildfire — a large, uncontrolled fire that spreads quickly in forests or grasslands.
Natural Disasters: Key Verbs
Cause — to make something happen;
Example: Heavy rain caused the landslide in the mountain village.
Collapse — to fall down suddenly;
Example: Part of the building collapsed during the storm.
Damage — to harm or break something, but not completely;
Example: Strong winds damaged the roof of the school.
Destroy — to completely break or ruin something;
Example: The flood destroyed several buildings in the town centre.
Escape — to get away from danger;
Example: Families escaped before the fire reached their houses.
Evacuate — to leave a place because it is not safe;
Example: People had to evacuate the area before the storm arrived.
Flood — to become covered with water;
Example: The river flooded after three days of heavy rain.
Hit — to arrive with force and cause damage;
Example: The hurricane hit the coast last night and destroyed several homes.
Prepare — to get ready for something;
Example: We prepared an emergency kit with food, water, and a flashlight.
Protect — to keep something safe from harm;
Example: Sandbags were used to protect homes from flooding.
Rescue — to save someone from danger;
Example: The emergency team rescued three people from the river.
Shake — to move something quickly from side to side or up and down;
Example: The earthquake shook the entire city for 30 seconds.
Strike — to happen suddenly and with strong impact;
Example: The earthquake struck early in the morning while most people were sleeping.
Survive — to stay alive during a dangerous event;
Example: They survived the disaster by following safety instructions.
Warn — to tell someone about danger in advance.
Example: The government warned people to stay indoors during the storm.
Natural Disasters: Key Adjectives
abandoned — left empty or no longer used, often because of danger or disaster;
accessible — possible to reach, enter, or use, especially in difficult conditions;
deadly — likely to cause death or kill someone;
injured — physically hurt, especially as a result of an accident or natural disaster;
life-threatening — very dangerous and likely to cause death if not treated or stopped;
trapped — stuck in a place and unable to get out, usually because of danger or damage;
unexpected — happening suddenly without being planned or predicted;
unprepared — not ready or equipped to deal with something difficult or dangerous;
urgent — needing quick action or attention because it is very important;
violent — involving strong physical force that can cause damage or hurt people;
vulnerable — easily harmed or affected, especially in a dangerous situation;
widespread — happening over a large area or affecting many people or places.
Collapse — to fall down suddenly;
Example: Part of the building collapsed during the storm.
Damage — to harm or break something, but not completely;
Example: Strong winds damaged the roof of the school.
Destroy — to completely break or ruin something;
Example: The flood destroyed several buildings in the town centre.
Escape — to get away from danger;
Example: Families escaped before the fire reached their houses.
Evacuate — to leave a place because it is not safe;
Example: People had to evacuate the area before the storm arrived.
Flood — to become covered with water;
Example: The river flooded after three days of heavy rain.
Hit — to arrive with force and cause damage;
Example: The hurricane hit the coast last night and destroyed several homes.
Prepare — to get ready for something;
Example: We prepared an emergency kit with food, water, and a flashlight.
Protect — to keep something safe from harm;
Example: Sandbags were used to protect homes from flooding.
Rescue — to save someone from danger;
Example: The emergency team rescued three people from the river.
Shake — to move something quickly from side to side or up and down;
Example: The earthquake shook the entire city for 30 seconds.
Strike — to happen suddenly and with strong impact;
Example: The earthquake struck early in the morning while most people were sleeping.
Survive — to stay alive during a dangerous event;
Example: They survived the disaster by following safety instructions.
Warn — to tell someone about danger in advance.
Example: The government warned people to stay indoors during the storm.
Natural Disasters: Key Adjectives
abandoned — left empty or no longer used, often because of danger or disaster;
accessible — possible to reach, enter, or use, especially in difficult conditions;
deadly — likely to cause death or kill someone;
injured — physically hurt, especially as a result of an accident or natural disaster;
life-threatening — very dangerous and likely to cause death if not treated or stopped;
trapped — stuck in a place and unable to get out, usually because of danger or damage;
unexpected — happening suddenly without being planned or predicted;
unprepared — not ready or equipped to deal with something difficult or dangerous;
urgent — needing quick action or attention because it is very important;
violent — involving strong physical force that can cause damage or hurt people;
vulnerable — easily harmed or affected, especially in a dangerous situation;
widespread — happening over a large area or affecting many people or places.
Collocations for Talking About Natural Disasters
Cause destruction — to make something badly damaged or ruined, especially in a violent way;
Example: The earthquake caused destruction across the city.
Evacuate the area — to make people leave a place because it is dangerous;
Example: Residents were told to evacuate the area before the wildfire reached the town.
Feel an aftershock — to experience a smaller earthquake following the main one;
Example: People in the city felt an aftershock hours after the major quake.
Issue a warning — to officially tell people that there is danger and they must be careful;
Example: Authorities issued a warning about the approaching hurricane.
Predict the weather — to say what the weather will be like in the future based on data;
Example: Scientists use technology to predict the weather more accurately.
Provide emergency aid — to give help such as food, water, or medicine after a disaster;
Example: Several organizations provided emergency aid to the earthquake victims.
Recover from disaster — to return to a normal state after a very bad event;
Example: It took years for the city to recover from the tsunami.
Rescue operation — an organized effort to save people from danger;
Example: The rescue operation saved dozens of people trapped by the flood.
Severe damage — very serious harm or breakage to something;
Example: The storm caused severe damage to the roads and power lines.
Suffer losses — to lose important things like money, homes, or lives because of a bad event;
Example: Businesses suffered huge losses during the storm.
Warn the public — to tell all people that there is a danger so they can prepare;
Example: The government warned the public about possible strong winds.
Widespread blackout — a situation where a large area loses electricity due to a disaster.
Example: The hurricane caused a widespread blackout that lasted three days.
Example: The earthquake caused destruction across the city.
Evacuate the area — to make people leave a place because it is dangerous;
Example: Residents were told to evacuate the area before the wildfire reached the town.
Feel an aftershock — to experience a smaller earthquake following the main one;
Example: People in the city felt an aftershock hours after the major quake.
Issue a warning — to officially tell people that there is danger and they must be careful;
Example: Authorities issued a warning about the approaching hurricane.
Predict the weather — to say what the weather will be like in the future based on data;
Example: Scientists use technology to predict the weather more accurately.
Provide emergency aid — to give help such as food, water, or medicine after a disaster;
Example: Several organizations provided emergency aid to the earthquake victims.
Recover from disaster — to return to a normal state after a very bad event;
Example: It took years for the city to recover from the tsunami.
Rescue operation — an organized effort to save people from danger;
Example: The rescue operation saved dozens of people trapped by the flood.
Severe damage — very serious harm or breakage to something;
Example: The storm caused severe damage to the roads and power lines.
Suffer losses — to lose important things like money, homes, or lives because of a bad event;
Example: Businesses suffered huge losses during the storm.
Warn the public — to tell all people that there is a danger so they can prepare;
Example: The government warned the public about possible strong winds.
Widespread blackout — a situation where a large area loses electricity due to a disaster.
Example: The hurricane caused a widespread blackout that lasted three days.