Disasters Explained: Hurricanes
Find out everything you need to know about the destructive power of hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons.
Disasters Explained
Tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, volcanoes, wildfires - everything you need to know.
Disasters affect thousands of thousands of people each year, all around the world.
From earthquakes and tsunamis through to conflicts and complex emergencies, these disasters can cause deaths, homelessness, and massive population movements.
But why and how exactly do they form? How often and where do they happen? What are the devastating and often lingering effects of disasters like tsunamis, floods, and volcanic eruptions?
Explore our Disasters Explained series to find out the answers to these questions and many more.
Take a Look
Disasters Explained: Floods
Floods are among the most common and devastating disasters. Read more about why they happen and their effects.
Disasters Explained: Tsunamis
Tsunamis can destroy lives, homes, crops and roads in the blink of an eye. Learn more about what they are, what causes them and what the effects are.
Disasters Explained: Volcanoes
Learn what volcanoes are, how they erupt, and the deadly effects of a volcanic eruption.
Disasters Explained: Earthquakes and Landslides
Powerful earthquakes and landslides can be very deadly. Learn everything you need to know about earthquakes and landslides and how we help.
Disasters explained: Droughts
Droughts affect millions of people each year. Learn what they and and how we’ve supported communities.
DISASTERS EXPLAINED: EL NIÑO
Discover how El Niño events can impact weather patterns around the world, potentially causing severe storms, floods, droughts or heatwaves.
Disasters Explained: Heatwaves
Heatwaves are extreme weather events. Learn about what they are, why they happen and their link to climate change.
Why disasters are not 'natural'
Read why we no longer use the term ‘natural disasters’, the definition of a disaster, and how we have come to change our language.