creative writing about a natural disaster

The Best Reads on Worst-Case Scenarios

A reading list of horrific realities, from those who have imagined the bleakest outcomes and those who have borne witness to the unimaginable

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It's not just rubbernecking and fear-mongering. The most compelling works of disaster writing serve the critical function of contextualizing real risks.

They include horrific versions of the future and descriptions of catastrophes that have come to pass. These are stories that contain deep truths about what it means to survive, which is to say: what it means to be human.

Here is a small sampling of some of the most impressive works of writing and reporting about some of the worst natural disasters in human history—tales of both large scale calamities and personal peril, past and potential.

“ The Sixth Extinction? ” New Yorker , 2009 / Elizabeth Kolbert

Of the many species that have existed on earth—estimates run as high as fifty billion—more than 99 percent have disappeared. In the light of this, it is sometimes joked that all of life today amounts to little more than a rounding error. Records of the missing can be found everywhere in the world, often in forms that are difficult to overlook. And yet extinction has been a much contested concept. Throughout the 18th century, even as extraordinary fossils were being unearthed and put on exhibit, the prevailing view was that species were fixed, created by God for all eternity. If the bones of a strange creature were found, it must mean that that creature was out there somewhere. ... Once a mass extinction occurs, it takes millions of years for life to recover, and when it does it generally has a new cast of characters; following the end-Cretaceous event, mammals rose up (or crept out) to replace the departed dinosaurs. In this way, mass extinctions, though missing from the original theory of evolution, have played a determining role in evolution’s course; as Richard Leakey has put it, such events “restructure the biosphere” and so “create the pattern of life.” It is now generally agreed among biologists that another mass extinction is under way. Though it’s difficult to put a precise figure on the losses, it is estimated that, if current trends continue, by the end of this century as many as half of earth’s species will be gone.

“ Krakatoa ,” Harper Perennial, 2003 / Simon Winchester

It is a volcano that absolutely and very visibly refuses to die. It is a volcano that seems to me to possess a wonderfully seductive combination of qualities, being beautiful and dangerous, unpredictable and unforgettable. And more: Though what happened in its former life was unutterably dreadful, the realities of geology, seismicity, and the peculiar tectonics of Java and Sumatra will make sure that what occurred back then will without a doubt one day repeat itself, and in precisely the same way. No one can be sure exactly when. Probably it will be very many years—many years, that is, before anything will befall the world that could possibly be as terrible as what took place during the historic paroxysmal moment that reached its extraordinary climax at exactly two minutes past ten on the morning of Monday, August 27, 1883. ... The island of Krakatoa, meanwhile, had in essence disappeared. Six cubic miles of rock had been blasted out of existence, had been turned into pumice and ash and uncountable billions of particles of dust... That last great detonation at two minutes past ten on that Monday morning had blown the island apart, and sent most of it to kingdom come.

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In Photos: The Disasters That Weren't

“ The Really Big One ,” New Yorker , 2015 / Kathryn Schulz

When the next very big earthquake hits, the northwest edge of the continent, from California to Canada and the continental shelf to the Cascades, will drop by as much as six feet and rebound thirty to a hundred feet to the west—losing, within minutes, all the elevation and compression it has gained over centuries. Some of that shift will take place beneath the ocean, displacing a colossal quantity of seawater. (Watch what your fingertips do when you flatten your hand.) The water will surge upward into a huge hill, then promptly collapse. One side will rush west, toward Japan. The other side will rush east, in a 700-mile liquid wall that will reach the Northwest coast, on average, 15 minutes after the earthquake begins. By the time the shaking has ceased and the tsunami has receded, the region will be unrecognizable. Kenneth Murphy, who directs FEMA’s Region X, the division responsible for Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, says, “Our operating assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast.”

“ The Calm Before the Storm ,” Texas Monthly , 2015 / Robert Draper

Today a trinity of demons haunts Galveston. One is the specter of its own lost grandeur, visible in all directions. Then there is the relentless ambition of the big city fifty miles up the causeway that gradually stole its greatness, until one day the smaller city found itself consigned to the lesser status of tourist playground for Houston and the rest of Texas. The third malevolent force is, of course, nature. Galvestonians have always weathered storms with minimal fanfare—an enduring legacy, perhaps, of the trauma inflicted in 1900. “People were devastated psychologically,” said attorney and former Galveston district judge Susan Criss, a BOI who knew survivors of that tragedy. “Imagine walking out of your house and seeing your friends lying dead everywhere. How do you get over that? They just didn’t talk about it.”

“ Fire Season ,” New Yorker , 1989 / Joan Didion

Anyone who has spent fire season in Los Angeles knows some of its special language—knows, for example, the difference between a fire that has been "controlled" and a fire that has so far been merely "contained" (a "contained" fire has been surrounded, usually by a trench half as wide as the brush is high, but is still burning out of control within this line and may well jump it), knows the difference between "full" and "partial" control ("partial" control means, if the wind changes, no control at all), knows about "backfiring" and about "making the stand" and about the difference between a Red Flag Alert (there will probably be a fire today) and a Red Flag Warning (there will probably be a Red Flag Alert within three days). Still, "burn index" was new to me, and one of the headquarters foresters, Paul Rippens, tried that morning to explain it. ... A week or so later, 3,700 acres burned in the hills west of the Antelope Valley. The flames reached 60 feet. The wind was gusting at 40 miles an hour. There were 250 firefighters on the ground, and they evacuated 1,500 residents, one of whom returned to find her house gone but managed to recover, according to The Los Angeles Times , "an undamaged American flag and a porcelain Nativity set handmade by her mother."

“ Is New Orleans safe? ” The New York Times , 2015 / John M. Barry

For New Orleans, which has always depended on the kindness of strangers, to feel smug about 100-year protection is foolish; for New York, with its immense value, to aim for 100-year protection is ludicrous. At landfall, Katrina had a 400-year storm surge; Sandy, depending on locality, had a 200- to 500-year surge. The Netherlands protects cities against a 10,000-year storm; that is not affordable on the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast, which face significantly stronger storms than the Dutch. But a standard higher than 100-year is. The minimum should be 500-year protection. That is certainly attainable in New York, given its resources. Is it in New Orleans?

“ As Freezing Persons Recollect the Snow—First Chill—Then Stupor—Then the Letting Go ,” Outside , 2004 / Peter Stark

You lie still. There's a dead silence in the forest, broken by the pumping of blood in your ears. Your ankle is throbbing with pain and you've hit your head. You've also lost your hat and a glove. Scratchy snow is packed down your shirt. Meltwater trickles down your neck and spine, joined soon by a thin line of blood from a small cut on your head. This situation, you realize with an immediate sense of panic, is serious. Scrambling to rise, you collapse in pain, your ankle crumpling beneath you. As you sink back into the snow, shaken, your heat begins to drain away at an alarming rate, your head alone accounting for 50 percent of the loss. The pain of the cold soon pierces your ears so sharply that you root about in the snow until you find your hat and mash it back onto your head.

“ Frisco Doomed ,” The Guthrie Daily Leader , 1906

The proud city of San Francisco is doomed. Another earthquake shock occurred at 2:30. This put the finish to terror. People fled helter skelter. The bay swarms with boats ... The run on the banks was awful. The First National Bank collapsed as 1,500 people were inside the doors clamoring for their money. The death list will run far into the thousands. Shocks continue at intervals. The chief thought is now safety. The flames can not be checked and the whole city is doomed to total destruction.

[UPDATED] Thanks to those who have written with recommendations. Among them are: “ A Sea Story ” (William Langewiesche / The Atlantic ), A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster (Rebecca Solnit / Penguin Books), Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History (Erik Larson / Vintage Books USA), Curse of the Narrows: The Halifax Disaster of 1917 (Laura MacDonald / Walker & Company) , and The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea (Sebastian Junger / W.W. Norton).

Which other must-reads did I miss? If you’d like, send suggestions to [email protected] , and we'll keep updating this reading list.

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32 Writing Prompts About Natural Disasters

Nature is stunning, right?

From epic mountains to cozy changes in seasons, it’s pretty amazing. But hold on, there’s another side. Nature’s also super powerful, and sometimes that power explodes as like hurricanes, wildfires, or earthquakes. These events remind us that we’re not exactly in control here on Earth.

Natural disasters are a big deal.

They’ve wrecked civilizations, changed landscapes forever, and basically been a part of history since, well, history. But hey, they also give us a chance to learn and adapt together as humans, right?

So, buckle up!

We’re about to explore some crazy prompts related to natural disasters, how they happen, what they leave behind, and what we can learn from them.

Let’s see what Mother Nature has in store for us (besides the usual beauty).

Writing Prompts About Natural Disasters

Earthquakes are often associated with violent shaking and destruction, but imagine a world where they are silent and almost undetectable. Scientists have discovered a new type of earthquake that doesn’t produce any shaking but has other mysterious effects on the environment and infrastructure. Write a story about a community that experiences the aftermath of this silent earthquake and the challenges they face in understanding and adapting to its unique consequences.

Volcanoes are known for their explosive eruptions, but what if one started emitting a strange, haunting sound instead of erupting? This sound, a mix between a hum and a whisper, is heard across the globe and has a profound psychological effect on those who hear it. Explore the global response and the journey of a character who becomes obsessed with deciphering the volcano’s message.

A massive flood has hit a city, submerging libraries, museums, and other repositories of historical documents. As the waters recede, a historian discovers that some of the damaged documents reveal previously unknown facts about the city’s past. Craft a tale about the historian’s quest to salvage and interpret these documents, and the shocking truths they unveil.

Tornadoes are forces of destruction, but in a twist of fate, one tornado uncovers something long buried beneath a small town. As the town rebuilds, they find an ancient artifact that seems to have mysterious powers. Narrate the story of the town’s transformation as they grapple with the power and responsibility of their unexpected discovery.

A powerful tsunami reshapes the coastline of a remote island, revealing a hidden bay that was previously underwater. This bay contains remnants of an ancient civilization, with structures and artifacts that challenge current historical understanding. Follow an archaeologist’s expedition to this newly exposed site and the revelations that come with it.

An avalanche in a remote mountain range reveals a perfectly preserved body from centuries ago. This individual carries with them items and clues that suggest they were from a time and place far removed from where they were found. Dive into the mystery of who this person was and the journey that led them to their icy tomb.

In the aftermath of a devastating hurricane, a woman finds a box of letters washed up on her property. These aren’t just any letters; they’re correspondences from decades ago, detailing a love story that was interrupted by a previous natural disaster. Weave a dual narrative of the past lovers and the woman’s quest to reunite the letters with their rightful owners.

A prolonged drought has caused a once-vibrant lake to dry up, revealing a hidden oasis beneath its depths. This oasis is not just a source of water, but also holds secrets about the region’s history and the people who once inhabited it. Chronicle the story of a community that rediscovers its roots and the challenges they face in preserving this newfound treasure.

Wildfires are notorious for the devastation they bring, but amidst the ashes of one such fire, a firefighter discovers an old, charred diary. The entries provide a firsthand account of a previous wildfire that hit the same region a century ago. Delve into the parallels between the past and present, and the lessons the community learns from history’s echoes.

A record-breaking blizzard blankets a town in snow, bringing life to a standstill. As the snow melts, children playing outside stumble upon a time capsule from decades ago, filled with predictions about the future. Craft a story around the town’s reactions to these predictions and the realization of which ones eerily came true.

A massive landslide in a remote area reveals the entrance to an underground city, long forgotten and hidden from the world. The architecture and artifacts suggest a civilization advanced beyond its time. Follow a team of explorers as they navigate the city’s labyrinthine passages and uncover its mysteries.

After a powerful cyclone, sailors report a sighting of a new, floating island made up of debris, plants, and surprisingly, pockets of life. This floating ecosystem is a marvel of nature and survival. Narrate the journey of a biologist studying this new phenomenon and the incredible adaptations of life amidst chaos.

An intense heatwave causes a series of mirages in a desert town. However, these aren’t ordinary mirages; they seem to show scenes from the town’s potential futures. Spin a tale about the town’s residents as they witness glimpses of possible destinies and the choices they make in response.

A series of thunderstorms brings not just rain and lightning, but also a strange electrical phenomenon that seems to transmit messages in Morse code. These messages hint at events yet to come. Write about a young enthusiast’s attempt to decode these messages and the implications of foreknowledge.

Overnight, a sinkhole appears in the middle of a bustling city, revealing an ancient library filled with scrolls and books from civilizations long lost. The knowledge contained within could change the course of history. Chronicle the race between nations and scholars to access and interpret the library’s vast contents.

A particularly violent hailstorm uncovers the entrance to a cave filled with crystals that have unique energy properties. These crystals seem to have the power to heal, energize, and even manipulate thoughts. Explore the ethical dilemmas and power struggles that arise as the world becomes aware of the cave’s potential.

With the onset of the monsoon, a village starts hearing a haunting melody that seems to emanate from the forest. The tune is reminiscent of an old legend about a spirit that once protected the village. Dive into the story of a musician who feels a deep connection to the melody and embarks on a quest to uncover its origins.

A relentless sandstorm reveals an ancient portal in the desert, inscribed with symbols that suggest it’s a gateway to another dimension or time. A team of archaeologists and scientists come together to decipher its purpose. Narrate the adventures and challenges they face as they decide whether to step through the portal.

An ice storm of unprecedented magnitude strikes a coastal town, freezing the sea and revealing a colossal statue of a guardian deity submerged just off the shore. Legend speaks of this guardian’s role in a pivotal moment in history. Unravel the tale of a historian and a local child who form an unlikely bond, seeking to understand the guardian’s message.

A mudslide in a hilly region exposes a cave with a pristine, timeless painting that seems to change its depiction based on the viewer’s deepest emotions. The artwork becomes a pilgrimage site, drawing many to witness its magic. Craft a story centered on a skeptic who visits the site, only to have their life transformed by the experience.

A powerful solar flare disrupts technology on Earth but also sends an old satellite, thought to be lost in space decades ago, crashing back to the planet. Inside, there are recordings and data from an unknown civilization. Follow the journey of an astrophysicist as they grapple with the implications of this otherworldly discovery.

A meteor shower, unlike any before, lights up the night sky. Each meteorite carries inscriptions, seemingly pieces of a larger cosmic puzzle. Write about a group of astronomers and linguists racing against time to assemble the message and understand its significance for humanity.

A dense, unnatural fog engulfs a harbor town, and with it appears a ghostly ship from a bygone era. As the ship docks, it brings with it tales of adventures on the seven seas and a map to uncharted territories. Chronicle the story of a young resident who feels irresistibly drawn to the ship and its promise of adventure.

A unique lightning storm creates a temporary, ethereal bridge that connects two distant places on Earth for just a few minutes. Those who dare to cross find themselves in a location they’ve always longed to visit. Explore the narrative of an elderly person who takes the chance to revisit a cherished place from their past, confronting memories and old regrets.

As the ocean warms, vast coral reefs begin to bleach, revealing a hidden underwater sanctuary untouched by time. This sanctuary is home to species thought to be extinct and holds clues to the ocean’s ancient past. Delve into the story of a marine biologist who discovers the sanctuary and its secrets, sparking a global race to protect it.

Desert dunes, constantly shifting, suddenly unveil the entrance to a buried kingdom that was lost to time. The architecture and inscriptions suggest a civilization that had knowledge beyond its era. Follow an adventurer and historian duo as they navigate the kingdom’s traps and mysteries, seeking to understand its rise and fall.

Prolonged acid rain alters a forest, causing the flora and fauna to mutate and evolve rapidly. The forest becomes a living, breathing entity with memories and emotions. Narrate the journey of a botanist who communicates with the forest, learning of its tales, fears, and hopes for the future.

Rapid snowmelt from a mountain peak reveals a hidden valley, untouched by human civilization. The valley is a paradise, with ecosystems that defy scientific understanding. Craft a tale about a mountaineer who stumbles upon this valley and faces the moral dilemma of revealing its location to the world or keeping its secret.

A fierce windstorm causes trees in a particular forest to produce a harmonious, whispering sound. Those who listen closely realize the whispers are stories from the past, shared by the spirits of the forest. Write about a grieving individual who seeks solace in the forest and finds unexpected comfort in the tales of the trees.

A comet, visible once in a millennium, casts a unique shadow on Earth, revealing hidden inscriptions on ancient monuments. These inscriptions form a prophecy that speaks of a coming age. Explore the global reactions and the journey of a scholar determined to understand and prepare for the prophecy’s unfolding.

A torrential rainstorm uncovers an entrance to a vast underground labyrinth beneath a city. The labyrinth is filled with puzzles and riddles that hint at the city’s forgotten history. Dive into the adventure of a group of teenagers who decide to explore the labyrinth, uncovering truths about their city and themselves.

A rare solar eclipse has an unexpected effect: it momentarily twists time, allowing people to glimpse moments from their past or future. This phenomenon leaves the world in awe and introspection. Chronicle the story of a person who sees a pivotal moment from their life and decides to change their present based on this vision.

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Natural Disaster Essay: How to Write, Topics, & Examples

What would you do if someone told you that a tsunami would wipe out your house tomorrow afternoon? You won’t believe them. It always seems that natural disasters happen in someone else’s life. But every year, millions of people worldwide suffer from various natural calamities. This article attempts to systemize the chaos of nature for you to write an impressive natural disaster essay. You will get acquainted with the seven types of disasters, get a long list of topics and examples of natural disaster essay in 200 words and 300 words.

• 🌪️ Natural Disaster: The Basics
• 💡 114 Essay Topics
• 📑 Outlining Your Essay
• 🌊 Essay Sample (200 Words)
• 🏜️ Essay Sample (300 Words)

🌪️ Natural Disaster Essay: What Is It About?

A natural disaster is a large-scale meteorological or geological event that can to cause loss of life or massive damage to people’s property. Floods and severe storms are the most reported acts of nature in the US, but other incidents also happen from time to time. That is why you can dedicate your essay on natural disasters to earthquakes, droughts, wildfires, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, or tornadoes.

💡 114 Natural Disasters Essay Topics

What could you write in a natural disaster essay? You can invent your own topic about various types of natural disasters, their causes, and aftermath, or their impact on human life and the economy. Depending on the discipline, you can also describe historic calamities that changed the direction of human civilization. Alternatively, choose one from our comprehensive list below.

• Why are the Great Plains of the central US ideal for tornado formation?
• Global Warming and Climate Change Legislation.
• Research the atmospheric parameters inside a tornado.
• Energy, Technology and Climate Change.
• Why are the boundaries of Tornado Alley in the US so debatable?
• The global climate change as a manmade disaster.
• Which actions should you never do when a tornado is nearby?
• Volunteers’ Role During Disasters.
• Suggest your opinion on the best action strategy in a hurricane.
• The Columbia Disaster and safety violations.
• What were the causes and effects of a flood?
• Analysis on Climate Change and Global Impact.
• Describe the most devastating wildfires in the US and find their common features.
• Earthquake Engineering Considerations and Methods.
• Brainstorm ideas to prevent wildfires.
• Global warming and the greenhouse effect.
• How can building dams cause earthquakes?
• Climate Change and Its Impact on Freshwater.
• Analyze the impact of droughts on tourism.
• Climate Change Effect on Coral Reef Communities.
• Describe the most extended droughts in human history.
• Marine and Coastal Climate Change in Australia.
• Write an essay on natural disasters and earthquakes in particular.
• Air pollution and mortality rates
• What are the distinctive features of droughts in third-world countries?
• Global Warming, Climate Change, and Society’s Impact on the Environment.
• Study the relationship between global warming and droughts.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After a Hurricane.
• Evaluate the damage caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
• Social Media’s Role in Disaster Response.
• Classify the effects of natural disasters in an essay.
• Sustainability and Climate Change.
• Describe the 1815 volcanic eruption of Mt. Tambora, Indonesia.
• Hurricane Katrina: Overview, Impact, Response.
• Each new leap of civilization causes new responses of nature.
• Animal Exploitation. Animal Agriculture and Climate Change.
• Think of any positive effects a volcanic eruption may have.
• In Arizona, Collaboration Averts Water Disaster.
• Children are the poorest victims of any disaster.
• A Solution to Remedy Climate Change.
• Which ways of disaster risk reduction do you know?
• An Emergency Operations Center During Hurricane Harvey.
• Research the current problems in disaster management.
• Disaster Recovery Plan for Information Technology Organizations.
• Analyze ineffective disaster management in an essay about hurricane Katrina.
• Nurse Competencies and Scope of Practice in Disaster.
• What should a household have at home in the case of a disaster?
• Hurricane Katrina: The Powerful Natural Disaster.
• Describe the humanitarian disaster during the drought in Somalia.
• Technology in Disaster Preparedness.
• Can man-made disasters entail natural calamities?
• Disaster Management in Philadelphia.
• Review the criteria for disaster classification.
• Jeddah Floods and Adaptation Strategies in the City of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• Search for real examples of hybrid disasters.
• Natural Disasters Prevention: A Tabletop Exercise.
• Who is responsible for casualties after a natural disaster?
• The Sand Storms: Remote Sensing and Meteorological Variables.
• List the lessons we could learn from our past disaster experience.
• Fire Development, Growth, and Spreads.
• The ice storm and silver thaw: A gentle disaster.
• Fire Crisis Management in the UAE.
• Rockslides: A pressing issue for rural areas.
• 1d – 2d Flood Modeling Using PCSWMM.
• What are the psychological benefits of disaster preparedness?
• Structural Control and Origin of Volcanism in the Taupo Volcanic Zone.
• When does a blizzard become a disaster?
• Extreme Weather Events + Geographies of Globalization.
• Research the causes of dust storms and name the affected areas.
• Strategies for Sustainable Integrated Oil Disaster Management in West Africa.
• Why did the San Francisco earthquake (1906) cause devastating fires?
• Causes of Climate Change.
• What could be done to help people who lost their homes in an earthquake?
• Book Review: Energy and Global Climate Change.
• Analyze the role of World Vision in humanitarian aid after disasters.
• Tangshan earthquake of 1976 showed that high population density is disastrous.
• The Role of Carbon Dioxide in Climate Change.
• Rock avalanche: Why water is the most powerful geological agent.
• Aspects of Climate Change.
• When do extreme weather conditions turn into a disaster?
• Climate Change: Reasons, Kyoto Protocol.
• Write an article on shelter-providing organizations for disaster victims.
• Establishing an IT Disaster Recovery Plan.
• Describe earthquake cycles in Haiti.
• Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture and Food.
• How can nature damage ecology in natural disasters?
• Climate Change. Problems. Effects.
• Disaster management should include psychological help to the survivors.
• Climate Change Causes: Position and Strategies.
• Suggest ways to prevent damage caused by debris flow.
• HAT 4: Disaster in Franklin Country.
• How did the lack of evacuation after the Bhola cyclone (1970) result in the massive death toll?
• The Effects of Climate Change.
• The most significant Yellow River flood: 2 million deaths in 1887.
• Resilience Building Against Natural Disasters in the Caribbean Islands.
• Sinkholes: A natural disaster or attraction for cavers and water-divers?
• Global Climate Change and Health.
• Describe the dynamics of landslides in California.
• Which early-warning systems to detect avalanches do you know?
• Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action.
• Pyroclastic flow: The deadliest volcanic hazard.
• Communication During Disaster Response.
• Describe the volcano eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed the Herculaneum and Pompeii.
• Disaster Planning for Families.
• Disaster prevention measures: Investments that save millions of lives.
• Natural Disaster Management and Historical Prospective Study in the UAE.
• Research the PTSD in survivors of natural disasters.
• Are the latest disasters the nature’s fightback to humanity?
• Estimate the human impact on natural disasters.
• List the countries with the largest number of disasters and find their standard features.
• Everyday Communication on Climate Change.
• Insurance coverage against disasters: Our inevitable future.
• Emergency Planning Before and After Hurricane Katrina.
• One natural disaster could bring the world to its end.

Haven’t found a suitable topic in the list above? Use our essay topic generator to get more ideas.

📑 Natural Disaster Essay Outline

Outlines differ, depending on the assigned length and essay type. It is a reference sample. Feel free to modify it, extending some points and narrowing the others. Still, the overall structure should remain the same. We have chosen the “Causes of Earthquakes” essay topic for demonstrative purposes.

• Hook . There are millions of possible ways to start your essay, from a rhetorical question to any imaginable scenario. The point is to grab the reader’s attention, showing them that your writing is unique and creative. For example: We are always concerned with the consequences of a natural disaster. But what brought us into such a calamity in the first place?
• Concepts. Natural disasters can be studied in the framework of various disciplines. But in all cases, they are linked with geology, biology, chemistry, geography, and some other subjects with broad and complicated terminology. Explain the terms that could be elusive for your readers here. For example: For the purposes of this essay, an earthquake is a sudden displacement of the land surface.
• Background. How did you come to think of this problem? Why is it topical? The causes of earthquakes are numerous and often unrelated. To understand them as a system, we need a strict classification.
• Thesis statement . Clearly state the aim of your essay. This essay attempts to group the causes of earthquakes to determine which factors can be tackled by human forces.
• Transition sentence. It comes in the previous sentence (for paragraphs 2 and 3) and ensures smooth reading. E.g.: Tectonic movements are the most powerful causes of earthquakes, and we cannot influence them. But still, there is something we could do.
• Topic sentence . What will you explain in this paragraph? Human interference with nature can also cause earthquakes.
• Evidence. How can you confirm the topic sentence? Heavy clubbing of dam water can disturbance the crustal balance. Nuclear bombing causes shockwaves that penetrate the surface, changing the tectonic plates and their natural alignment. Mining can also cause earthquakes by removing extensive volumes of stone from under the ground.
• Warrant. Why does the reader need this information, and how does it relate to the thesis statement? Knowing these facts can help us change the old-fashioned approaches and lessen the ecological damage to our planet.
• Summary. Collect and summarize all your arguments here. Tectonic movements, volcano eruptions, and geological faults cause a significant part of earthquakes worldwide. But various man-made causes bring us to the same result.
• Rephrased thesis. We cannot stop the tectonic movements or hinder volcanic eruptions, but we can use natural resources with more care.

🌊 Natural Disaster Essay 200 Words

Below you will find a short natural disaster essay for 200 words. It explores the causes and effects of the tsunami in Japan in 2011.

Tsunami in Japan: Causes and Effects The proximity of the deadliest disasters is often unpredictable. As a result, the consequences of a tsunami can exceed any possible expectations. This essay looks for the decisive factors that caused the tsunami in Japan in 2011 and its results for the local population and other countries. The causes were out of human control and could not be predicted. The Pacific plate moved in the horizontal and vertical plane, advancing beneath the Eurasian Plate. It displaced the seawater above and entailed several destructive waves. The disaster had enormous consequences for the Japanese people and their economy. It killed almost 16,000 people, although the country had a sophisticated alarming system. Besides, the earthquake caused fires and explosions at oil factories. The cooling system of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant went out of service. Two people were lost, and many were injured. Nissan, like many other large corporations, had to suspend the operation of its four factories. The economic losses due to the catastrophe amounted to 300 billion dollars. But the disaster moved to other places. On 24 March 2011, the earthquake in the east of Myanmar claimed the lives of 60 people and destroyed 300 buildings. As we can see, everything is linked on our planet. Movements of the earth’ crust in any part of the world bring about earthquakes and tsunami in other countries. The series of waves in Japan was caused by the underwater earthquake and had horrible consequences.

🏜️ Natural Disaster Essay 300 Words

If your assignment is longer, you will have to provide your opinion in the essay. Or, you can make your argumentation more detailed. Below you can check our 300-word sample of a disaster essay.

The Economic Effects of the Dust Bowl Drought When someone says “a natural disaster,” we usually imagine an earthquake or a tsunami. Buildings are destroyed, and property is lost. But imagine a scenario of a devastating drought, which happened in the US in the 1930s. Its effect is less visible because it lies in the domain of the national economy. This essay reveals the economic consequences of the Dust Bowl drought. During the third decade of the XX century, strong winds raised choking dust in the southern states, from Texas to Nebraska. People and animals died as the crops failed in the area for several years in a row. The Dust Bowl lasted for almost a decade and was also called “the Dirty Thirties.” This drought intensified the impact of the Great Depression. Local farmers had to migrate to urban areas in search of better conditions and other sources of living. About 2.5 million people moved West from the worst-hit states, namely New Mexico, Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Kansas. But they found only discrimination, meager salaries, and inhuman working conditions. Many had to live in tents near irrigation ditches. They were called “Okies,” a disdainful name for migrants of any state. Regular rains returned to the southern states by the end of 1939, closing the drought. However, the economic aftermath persisted. The counties that suffered the most failed to recover the agricultural value of their land till the 1950s. Thus, the local population kept decreasing for twenty years. Although a drought does not ruin property, it can tangibly lower human life levels. The Dust Bowl threw people into a lose-lose situation. Their farms were unfit for gaining any profit, and the new places of living gave them no better opportunities. It took two decades to restore public wellbeing in the Southern States.

Researching the worst acts of nature can teach you to value what you have. We hope that this article has made your creative writing more manageable and pleasurable. You can write an essay of any length by simply following our outline. All you will need to do after that is make a cover page for it.

Please share your natural disaster essay ideas in the comments below.

❓ Natural Disaster Essay FAQ

How to write an essay about natural disaster.

Your approach should depend on the discipline. But in any case, you can discuss the types of disasters, their consequences, characteristics, and preconditions. The excellent idea is to select a past disastrous event and analyze it from the economic, social, or individual point of view.

What Is a Disaster Essay?

A disaster essay explores the stages of a natural or man-made calamity and seeks the possible ways to prevent similar emergencies in the future. An article on disaster management studies the correct and efficient activities to lower the casualties and property loss after a disaster.

What Is Disaster Preparedness Essay?

This type of writing analyzes the level of readiness of a region or municipality to an unexpected natural disaster. You can highlight the vulnerable groups of the population that will suffer the most. Or, you may invent measures that could reduce the disaster response and coping time. Such assignments teach you strategic thinking and a systematic approach to problem-solving.

How to Describe a Natural Disaster for an Essay?

You should specify that the event was unexpected and led to many deaths and property loss. The most critical things include the causes of the disaster, its progress and duration, and the negative consequences for the locals. You can also specify the negative effect on the economy and humanitarian condition of the area.

🔗 References

• Natural Disasters and Severe Weather | CDC
• Types of Disasters | SAMHSA
• Natural Disaster – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
• Natural Disasters – National Geographic
• What Is Disaster Management: Prevention and Mitigation

DraftSparks ✨

24+ ‘Natural disaster’ Writing Prompts

Climate Change Chronicles

Write about experiencing a natural disaster or a significant change in your immediate environment due to climate change.

Liberation of the Cursed

Create a narrative about a witch or warlock born with a terrible curse, and their quest for liberation.

Disaster Survival

Write a story about surviving a natural disaster from your past, but add a fantastical element to it.

Unexpected Companionship

Create a narrative about a person stranded in the wilderness who befriends a wild animal.

Cataclysm From Afar

Explore the fall of a galactic empire due to an overwhelming external power or disaster.

Perfect Tsunami

Describe the perfect mark of a tsunami, from its inception to the moment it hits the shore.

Tsunami’s Voice

Write from the perspective of a tsunami approaching a coastal town.

Aftermath’s Elegy

Write an elegy dedicated to a place severely affected by a natural disaster.

The Harvest Sacrifice

In a small farming community, a gruesome murder coincides with the worst harvest in the town’s history.

Harmony in Disruption

Write about a natural disaster event but from an ecological point of view.

Aberrant Harvest

Write about a small farming town whose bountiful harvest suddenly takes an unsettling twist.

Great Storm of 1987

Detail your experience surviving the Great Storm of 1987 that occurred in Southeast England in mid-October.

Escape from Pompeii

Imagine being a citizen of Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

“Climate Change Awakening”

A natural calamity forces a community to face the harsh reality of climate change.

Post-Apocalyptic Society

Explore a world that has rebuilt following a massive natural disaster.

Natural Disaster Emergency Plan

Write about a family’s meticulously detailed escape plan in the event of a zombie apocalypse, originally designed as a hurricane…

Earth Day Hero

Create a character that aims to save the Earth from an impending danger that only they are aware of.

Resilient Survivor

Pen down a narrative about a person who survives a natural disaster and becomes a beacon of hope for their…

Mythical Pokemon vs Natural Disaster

Write about an ancient mythology where a mythical Pokemon saves the civilization from a natural disaster.

Kirkwall’s Shadows

Describe an unseen enemy or crisis in Kirkwall that the Champion must confront.

Historical Headlines

Reimagine a significant event that you’ve read in a newspaper or online news article, and write from the perspective of…

Forces of Nature

Explore a natural disaster or significant environmental event that your character experienced.

Navigated Through Crisis

Reflect on and document how you navigated a recent crisis or major current event.

Survivor’s Voice

Write about a victim of a natural disaster finding their strength and voice during their path to recovery.

Disaster Story Ideas and Elements

Writing a high-octane disaster story? They’re undoubtedly fun for readers and writers alike, with pacy plots, heroes to root for and villains to hate. Let’s take a look at the most compelling disaster story ideas through the ages, and parse out the ingredients that make them so irresistible.

After all, readers need some sense in the chaos.

If you’re looking for disaster story ideas, start with character-driven irony

Traditionally, a novel is one person’s moral journey towards acceptance of their place in the universe. The plot is contrived to challenge them on their way there, to throw them into circumstances they’re not well-suited to and force them to grow in some way.

Nail the human flaw and the perfectly unsuitable circumstances and you’ve got the irony that powers a traditional novel. But if you’re trying to unearth powerful disaster story ideas, turn up the volume on this irony; the hero of Jaws is afraid of water.

And while a novel is usually propelled by what the main character wants, tales of disaster often work quite differently. If you break down disaster story ideas to their basic premise, they’re all about what the hero doesn’t want to happen. And more often than not, boy, is it happening.

Disaster story ideas hinge on the hero’s gift

Here’s another key distinction to keep in mind when you’re sifting through your disaster story ideas. Whereas we’re accustomed to the hero’s flaw being the driving force of a novel, in a disaster story it’s often their gift .

Although there will usually be a failing or fear that makes them ill-suited to the drama that ensues, there’s also likely a strength that gets them there in the first place.

This is a great way to make your disastrous plot a rollercoaster ride for readers. Your protagonist is sent to the disaster zone as an expert! They’re our hope of survival, of averting this impending doom.

Of course, you will quickly dispel this optimism in favour of potential apocalypse and apparent hopelessness. But instead of fleeing the situation, our hero digs in. And we get to sit back enjoy the drama until – hopefully – your heroes pull together and save the world.

Key ingredients of a disaster story

If you’ve hit upon a great disaster story idea and want to check if it can be fleshed into a full and satisfying novel, see if you can include these elements:

• Poignancy . Think, for example, of the common inclusion of a regular family whose humble ambition to raise children is thwarted. Noble, dead animals (but just one or two, shown briskly, as tokens of a human-caused tragedy).
• Physical revulsion and an attempted expulsion of the ailment at large. Disaster stories are often marked by an emetic response. Vomiting hits the spot. Once again, a highly economical way of depicting what Tolkien described as ‘eucatastrophe’: the therapeutic benefits experienced by the reader or audience of passing through the abyss.
• A straightforward villain . In a disaster story, members of the cast typically fall into one of two categories: selfless or selfish. Our villain is usually entirely selfish and deeply implicated in the scale of the disaster (if not its genesis). They’re rarely granted redeeming qualities or a backstory.
• The naysayers in denial. This group may well be assisting your villain, whether purposely or inadvertently. Ironically, they also tend to be first on the bus out of the disaster zone.
• Innocents.  Unlike the more hypocritical naysayers in our previous point, the innocents are simply too naïve to believe something so grim could be happening. They offer a good opportunity for a more tragic element, or heroism.
• The good cynic. War-weary, badass and typically selfless, these people have seen worse but are usually willing to stick around and lend a hand.
• Exodus! While the selfless who are equipped to help stay, everybody else finally makes their escape before it gets really bad.
• The brotherhood of man. Two fixers who would normally be opposed ideologically find that a disaster is what it takes for human beings to get along.

The moral underpinnings of disaster stories

The moral message of novels is often that, despite the mess humankind has made of this world, an individual can effect change.

Disaster stories often hold a similar idea: one person (or indeed, many people, or nature) can wreak havoc, but by coming together we can set it straight.

As both Derrida and Levinas agreed, it is only when disaster affects all groups alike that they see their commonality and wholeness, and let go of vision in favour of unity.

A disaster story shows us what we value regardless of caste or creed. We want our children to live. We don’t want to see dead birds fall from the sky or to have to shoot the dogs.

Disaster story ideas: learn from the greats

If you’re keen to explore more disaster ideas, take a look at how some other people have tackled crisis in fiction. The most popular disaster fiction books is a good place to start, or see why these seven were deemed the best of all time ! Our Science Fiction and Fantasy Creative Writing Course Program can help you make a big success of your disaster story. ‍

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Essays About Natural Disasters: 5 Examples and Prompts

Essays about natural disasters teach us many things; read on to see examples and prompts you can use for your piece.

Natural disasters are the sudden occurrence of natural and severe hazards threatening human welfare and survival. These events can cause injuries, destroy assets such as homes and businesses, and even death. Some examples of natural disasters are tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, and storms.

Although emergency protocols are in place to alleviate and prevent natural disasters’ impact on both humanity and the economy, there is still no guarantee that these will be able to protect and save everyone from these misfortunes. Therefore, writing essays about natural disasters helps spread awareness on how to act when one faces these mishaps properly.

Below are five examples you should read to create essays about natural disasters effectively:

1. Planning For a Safer Tomorrow by Jyotsana B

2. natural disasters are often not natural by sandra valdez, 3. natural disasters essay by pradeep, 4. equity during natural disasters by writer kip, 5. natural disasters: nature’s revenge by anonymous on loveliessays.com, 1. my experience with natural disasters, 2. natural disasters: a history, 3. natural disasters and the economy, 4. types of natural disasters, 5. my take on natural disaster management, 6. causes of natural disasters, 7. after effects of natural disasters, 8. recovery from a natural disaster.

“Natural disasters have a severe impact on the society, therefore it is important to plan and develop a safety programme and devise means to efficiently deal with natural disaster. Development programme that go into promoting development at the local level have been left to the general exercise of planning.”

The author shares tips on how to prevent calamities and be prepared in case these natural disasters occur. These steps include proper analysis and risk assessment, adequate information database, modern infrastructure, and networks of knowledge-based institutions. The essay further expounds on each point and gives specific directions on successfully implementing these precautions.

“The word ‘natural’ indicates that humans have not triggered the catastrophe. However, human activity can definitely interfere with nature, which in turn may either cause a natural disaster or make its impacts much worse.”

Although Valdez agrees that “natural disasters” means humans do not directly create them, she also considers human’s significant contributions to these tragedies. She offers an example of earthquakes and the fluid injection incident in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Denver, Colorado. She further lists more human activities that trigger earthquakes, blaming human engineering that stresses the Earth’s faults. Finally, she acknowledges human speeds up disasters and human elements are innate in these equations.

“There is no doubt that extending help to someone during tough times is paramount. Rich countries should support poverty-stricken nations with altruistic aid while calamities take place… Being rich, similar nations are in a position to support countries that suffer economically and emotionally during nature havoc. The result of this is, not only induces good relations between countries but also paves the way to commercial transactions with minimized taxes in the future.”

Pradeep supports that countries with more resources should aid those with lesser assets. It’s not only because of altruistic reasons but because it can also be the foundation for good relationships between governments. These relationships can result in successful transactions and give comfort and security to grief-stricken countries.

“Should we allow prices to increase during natural disasters or should we protect against price gouging?… No policy is best for everyone… In the grand scheme of things, the market will return to normal the quickest whenever the market prices are allowed to fluctuate.”

Kip criticizes the way businesses increase the goods’ prices when there is a natural disaster. He questions if it’s the right thing to do to consumers who are only trying to purchase what they need to be ready for catastrophes. 

He also includes business reviews that rationalize high prices by arguing increasing prices prevents product hoarding. He challenges this statement by asking the readers to consider those who don’t have the money to buy these overpriced essentials. The writer also mentions other terms to explain the economy during a natural disaster and even involves the government’s processes to mitigate its harmful effects.

“Our environment is our responsibility… Exactly who polluted our planet so much? There is only one answer: man. It is man’s actions that have caused the problem… Humanity must realize that if the current trends are allowed to continue unchecked, the future of life on Earth is at risk. it must be conserved.”

Is nature retaliating because of humans’ disregard for it? The author offers reports to present the unpredictability of these disasters brought by climate change. To further prove their points, the author lays down facts like the quick rising of the sea and changing rain patterns. 

At the end of the essay, the writer urges man to be an environmentalist because he depends on his surroundings for food and shelter. Therefore, to survive, humans must treat nature well.

A tip: Run your essay through essay writing apps to organize and help you with style and grammar.

8 Prompts on Essays About Natural Disasters

There are many aspects of natural disasters you can zero in on. Here are easy but compelling prompts to tackle:

Share your experience with a calamity, and narrate what happened before, during, and after. Are there certain things you wish you did or didn’t do? Include how it affected your life and how you understand things work, such as the importance of first responders and following authorities in times of panic and chaos.

Then, focus on your personal experience. For example, your family might have to move places because you lost your home. Or that today, you always have an emergency bag packed and ready. You might also be interested in these essays about nature .

List down notable natural disasters that changed the course of the world. This could include volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and hurricanes. Then, explain why they happened, how the government or country dealt with it, and discuss the precautions executed in case the disaster occurs again. Finally, include the lessons you learned from these tragedies.

Explain how natural disasters affect the economy. Then, to make it more relatable, you can relay the impact of these tragedies on your life. For example, did any of your relatives lose their job because of a natural disaster? Was your family forced to close down your business? Include personal anecdotes to create an engaging essay.

List the many natural disasters and discuss them in detail. In this essay, you can delve into the causes of each type of natural disaster and how it impacts nearby civilizations. What do you fear the most in these disasters? To make it easier, you can pick two natural disasters to compare and contrast.

Choose an incident where natural disaster management was applied and give your thoughts about it. Research a recent natural disaster and study how the local and national government managed it. If any failed initiatives or points could be improved upon, make sure to write your thoughts about this in your essay. Then, you can discuss what you believe will aid natural disaster management in the future.

For this prompt, you can split your essay into two sections. One section can discuss environmental causes, while the other delves into human activities that cause natural disasters. Topics can include pollution, climate change, and overpopulation of small areas. To create an emotive essay, write about your thoughts on what we can do as a society to mitigate these harmful activities.

Consider the short and long-term effects of these natural disasters. You can concentrate on a specific tragedy that the general public knows so your reader can easily imagine what you describe in your essay. To make your piece more interesting, you can list natural disasters’ negative and positive effects.

If you want your essay to focus on something positive, choose to discuss new beginnings. For example, you can center on a community and how its people helped each other recover. You can also include the assistance they received from different places and how it aided them in restarting their lives after the disaster.

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips !

Elementary Classrooms CommonLit Elementary Texts About Natural Disasters

Allie Liotta

This engaging multi-genre set of texts supports literacy and builds students’ knowledge on an important STEM topic.

No matter if your students live in the mountains, on the coast, or in the middle of Tornado Alley, it’s important for them to read and learn about the wide variety of our earth’s naturally occurring hazards and disasters. Studying this topic informs students of safety precautions, promotes empathy and global citizenship, and may even inspire the pursuit of STEM careers.

Here’s a great list of texts from CommonLit, perfect for elementary grades, that focus on natural hazards and disasters. This diverse list includes fiction, narrative nonfiction, an informational text, and a poem.

“ Black Blizzard ” by Maurine V. Eleder

This suspenseful story follows two young girls, at home alone, when a dust storm arises. Despite their young age, Betty and Mary Ann quickly take action when the severe dust storm hits. They begin taking measures to block the dust from coming into the house, which would make the air unbreathable. Although they are frightened, they take comfort thinking they can just wait out the storm inside their home.

Unfortunately, Betty realizes her beloved horse is caught out in the “black blizzard.” One wrong move in the blinding storm, and Fancifoot could stumble and injure himself — or worse. Betty faces the difficult decision of leaving her younger sister to brave the storm or risking Fancifoot’s life to remain in safety.

This story explores the themes of self-reliance, survival, and the bonds humans share with animals. Teachers could use this text to teach the history of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s or to teach the science behind the causes and effects of soil erosion. CommonLit’s teacher resources include awesome videos for background information on the Dust Bowl in the Related Media tab as well as a perfect informational text titled “ The Dust Bowl ” in the Paired Texts tab.

“ Tornado Coming! ” by Dick Donley

If your students love the nail-biting tale “Black Blizzard,” they’ll love “Tornado Coming!” as well. Because this story includes a tornado, a young kid, a small dog, and a cranky neighbor, you might be reminded of another tale you’ve read before. However, there are no talking scarecrows or flying monkeys in this story!

Matt is home alone with Buster when he hears the siren warning of a tornado. Mentally ticking through the safety tips he learned in school, Matt heads for the storm cellar with the tornado forming at his back. With only moments to spare, Matt realizes he must leave his little dog in the safety of the storm cellar to run to the aid of his unpleasant neighbor, Mrs. Laney. After the storm passes, Matt doesn’t wake up to find himself in Oz; however, he does find himself in a pretty odd place. And like Dorothy and her crew, Matt and Mrs. Laney learn valuable lessons about being kind and caring for others.

This text weaves helpful tornado safety measures throughout a narrative story, which can be pointed out when discussing the annotation task: “Take notes on Matt’s actions when he realizes a tornado is coming.” For a creative follow-up activity, teachers could assign different natural disasters to small groups for research. Then, groups could use their research and the model text “Tornado Coming!” to incorporate safety tips within their own short stories about their assigned natural disaster.

“ They Need Fire! ” by Buffy Silverman

You may already know that forest fires can be natural or man-made, but did you know that not all forest fires are considered disasters? Some forest fires can be devastating, but others can be planned and controlled safely to benefit the ecology.

“They Need Fire!” introduces the reader to several plant, insect, and animal species that rely on forest fires to survive. When reading this text, you’ll encounter the Jack pine tree whose cones can only release seeds after a fire has melted away the resin, the black fire beetle who lays its eggs in the charred bark of smoldering trees, and the black-backed woodpecker whose feathers allow it to blend in with sooty wood and make burnt trees its home.

For your mini-scientists, this text is a great introduction to the wide and varied habitats surrounding us and can be paired with “ Life in a Vernal Pool ” for an example of a wetter habitat. And for your students interested in future STEM careers, you can point out how people are studying the Black fire beetle to help engineer better fire alarms, or you can have students read “ Eyes in the Sky ” to find out what it takes to be a professional fire watcher.

“ Tsunami ” by JonArno Lawson

This short but beautiful poem perfectly describes the contrast of the silent, and sometimes unpredicted, approach of a Tsunami with its powerful, destructive arrival on shore. Being only ten short lines, it also presents a wonderful teaching opportunity to show kids that multiple readings of a poem — sometimes with different purposes or from different perspectives — can provide different meanings to the reader.

If you are using this text in your classroom, you may consider first projecting the poem to the whole class and reading it aloud to your students. Students can then jot down their ideas of how the poem makes them feel and what they think it means. Then, you may choose to assign the text digitally with Guided Reading Mode enabled for all students. This will help students look at the poem in two parts–contrasting how the tsunami travels in the ocean with how it rushes onto the shore. Students will be better equipped to tackle the assessment questions after reading this poem using Guided Reading Mode.

Lastly, teachers may want to show students the National Geographic video in the Related Media tab titled “Rare Video: Japan Tsunami.” While students may be fascinated with the power of this tsunami as it rolls through the streets of a coastal town, the power of this 3-minute video starts around the half-way mark. Students will then see the stark difference in how the wave moves in deeper water as opposed to how it approaches the shore. Having students re-read the poem one more time and reflect to drive home the concept of layered meaning and experiences in poetry.

“ Stop the Atlantic Express! ” by Kate Sharp and Sarvinder Naberhaus

“Stop the Atlantic Express!” tells the true story of fifteen-year-old Kate Shelley who bravely risked her own life to save the lives of countless others. In July of 1881, a severe storm created a flash flood that washed out a portion of a railroad bridge, pushing one train engine into the rising creek. Kate Shelley, a young girl who lived nearby, knew that if she did not warn others, a train with hundreds of passengers traveling the same route would crash. To get help and stop the Atlantic Express, Kate faced great danger to cross the flooded rail bridge in the dark of night.

This suspenseful story will thrill the action-seekers in your class, and its heartwarming ending will leave everyone cheering. To show students how art can be inspired by real life events, consider sharing the video “Run, Kate Shelley, Run,” which includes a folk song written to immortalize Kate’s heroic action. And to show your students that anyone can be a hero, watch and discuss the ideas in Kid President’s video. Both resources can be found in the Related Media tab accompanying this text.

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How to Write a Survival Story

Middle school and high school teachers often assign survival stories as part of their creative writing curriculum. Survival stories are similar to other creative writing assignments and include character development, intricate plot lines and well-defined settings. However, they also include disastrous situations, suspenseful cliffhangers and everyday characters who must survive on their own instincts, wit and experiences. Survival stories are about characters who face extreme challenges and beat the odds.

Real-Life Characters

Create characters, including a primary protagonist, who rely on previous experiences and intuition to survive. Survival story characters don't have supernatural abilities or extensive skill sets and must learn to depend on their own abilities to overcome obstacles. For example, in the book "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen, 13-year-old Brian builds a shelter, finds turtle eggs to eat, battles a moose and survives monstrous storms in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash leaves him as the only survivor. Survival story characters are courageous, creative and strong-willed, and they learn to persevere despite unfavorable odds.

Suspenseful Plots

Develop engaging and suspenseful plot lines, so readers are glued to the pages to find out how the characters will make it through their harrowing plight. Create an overriding plot, such as surviving a natural disaster or a shipwreck, but include smaller plots, also known as arcs, to add suspense and intrigue. For example, in the book "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean George, preteen Sam runs away from home and spends a year in the Catskill Mountains. Suspenseful plot lines center on Sam's ability to make fire for survival, build box traps to catch animals for food and outwit forest rangers.

Descriptive Settings

Include descriptive settings to help readers get a true sense of the difficulties characters face. Describe the surroundings, including the climate, terrain, location, time period and overriding mood. Use descriptive adjectives, such as foreboding, breezy, ghostly, picturesque and insurmountable to help readers visualize the extreme conditions. The goal is to help readers see through the main character's eyes, experiencing the struggles firsthand. In the book "Crossing the Wire" by Will Hobbs, the author clearly describes the heat, dryness and isolation of the Mexican desert as 15-year-old Victor struggles to cross the border into the United States.

Conflict Resolution

Explain the main conflicts and how central characters resolve those conflicts. Conflict resolution in a survival story centers on characters' abilities to overcome physical and emotional obstacles, such as fear, anger, loneliness, isolation, danger and the lack of basic necessities. Conflicts are resolved as characters adapt to their surroundings and step out with boldness and confidence to complete tasks and defeat their enemies. For example, in "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins, 17-year-old Katniss resolves the central conflict when she outwits the corrupt and egotistical masterminds behind the deadly games. Survival stories typically end with characters finding a way out of their troublesome, and often life-threatening, situations.

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Fiction Writing Basics
• Kirkus Reviews: Hatchet; Gary Paulsen
• Hatchet; Gary Paulsen
• Kirkus Reviews: My Side of the Mountain; Jean George
• My Side of the Mountain; Jean George
• Kirkus Reviews: Crossing the Wire; Will Hobbs
• Crossing the wire; Will Hobbs
• Kirkus Reviews: The Hunger Games; Suzanne Collins
• The Hunger Games; Suzanne Collins

As curriculum developer and educator, Kristine Tucker has enjoyed the plethora of English assignments she's read (and graded!) over the years. Her experiences as vice-president of an energy consulting firm have given her the opportunity to explore business writing and HR. Tucker has a BA and holds Ohio teaching credentials.

407 Disaster Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best disaster topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on disaster, 📑 interesting topics to write about disaster, 🔍 good research topics about disaster, 💡 most interesting disaster topics to write about, ✅ simple & easy disaster essay titles, ❓ essay questions on disaster management.

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• The Strategies of Flood Management However, it would be the most beneficial to implement these methods while planning the use of the land; for this reason, management is important.
• 1996 Mount Everest Disaster and Teamwork Factor The Everest case study illustrates some key problems that need to be addressed to avert the recurrence of errors or omissions that may have occasioned the deaths of the climbers.
• What is Disaster Risk Reduction? Disaster risk reduction exists in various approaches, according to the urgency and nature of the disaster itself. The severity of the disaster also determines the strategy to be employed.
• The Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 Documentary The documentary reflects the events leading to the natural disasters and their aftermath, including an investigation into the reasons for the failure of the precautionary measures in place during the 2011 earthquake in Japan.
• Flood Damage by Hurricane Maxine in Charleston The role of the mayor and his dignitaries is to determine the duration and level of use of resources by the city.
• How to Prepare for a Hurricane? Fortunately, today, there exist ways to predict hurricanes and their routes so that the regions that are likely to be under risk can prepare beforehand and take all the necessary measures to ensure the safety […]
• Emergency Nursing Disaster Preparedness: Teaching Plan The topic that will be covered in the teaching session is “Emergency Nursing Disaster Preparedness”, and the time allocated to cover the topic is 30 minutes.
• Theory of Disaster: Earthquakes and Floods as Examples of Disasters The second category is that of those people who put their focus on the effects of the social vulnerability or the disasters to the society or to the people who are likely to be the […]
• Analysis of Damage to Apartment Buildings in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake In turn, it is a prerequisite for the cataclysms in nature, such as earthquakes and the effect of liquefaction which was particular to the Marina district in the disaster of 1989.
• Sri Lanka Flood Disaster Preparedness From these findings, it is evident that floods are the major concerns for the disaster management center, with the recent damages being witnessed towards the end of 2012 and the beginning of the year 2013.
• Psychological First Aid for Disaster Victims In this paper, I will discuss some facts that I learned about PFA, consider a major disaster and response to it, and give some recommendations to those who might need to offer psychological aid to […]
• Climate Change, Development and Disaster Risk Reduction However, the increased cases of droughts, storms, and very high rainfalls in different places are indicative of the culmination of the effects of climate change, and major disasters are yet to follow in the future.
• Hurricane Ike 2008 and its Impacts on America Scientists regard it as one of the most destructive cyclones in the history of the United States. In Haiti, the hurricane resulted in a major humanitarian crisis due to the destruction of infrastructure.
• How to Survive When a Disaster Outbreaks? Tornados are common for some of the US states and it is but natural that people should be aware of the ways to survive during these disasters.
• Earthquakes Impact on Human Resource in Organizations The researcher seeks to determine the magnitude of this effect and its general effect on the society in general and the firms affected in specific.
• The Ethics of the Union Carbide Disaster in India What the incident made painfully clear appertains to the moral conventions that the governments of the host and the parent country failed to adhere to.
• Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis In addition, the paper will outline some of the similarities and differences between tsunamis and floods. Similarities between tsunamis and floods: Both tsunamis and floods are natural disasters that cause destruction of properties and human […]
• Earthquake Risk Reduction: Challenges and Strategies The victims of the earthquake in Haiti were hundreds of people, while the number of wounded and homeless was in the thousands. As for the latter, the worst scenario of the earthquake is created and […]
• School Preparedness Plan for Tornado, Earthquakes, Fire Emergency In case of an earthquake emergency, the school should be prepared to keep the students safe. In case of a tornado emergency the school should be prepared to keep the students safe.
• Response to Social Crisis and Disaster’ by Quarantelli and Dynes It is noted that groups rather than individuals were used as basic units for disaster studies; however, there existed several problems related to this fact, such as the difficulty to define the boundaries of certain […]
• Walmart Company: Factory Disaster in Bangladesh In turn, the companies such as Walmart, Gap, and H&M reacted to the events attempting to address the workplace safety problems of the manufacturers and improve the conditions in which the Bangladeshi employees had to […]
• Natural Disasters: Tsunami, Hurricanes and Earthquake The response time upon the prediction of a tsunami is minimal owing to the rapid fall and rise of the sea level.
• Impediments To Disaster Prevention It is the duty of every citizen to look for ways to help in the reduction and prevention of the occurrence of such disasters.
• 1996 Mount Everest Disaster: Leadership Perspective Everest and its summit became known to the western world in the beginning of the twentieth century. Thus, Hall and Fischer overestimated their abilities and this led to the tragedy.
• Crises and Disaster Management There are various response efforts that have been taken by the responsible individuals and agencies in order to curb the Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Sri Lanka each of them having different levels of […]
• Earthquakes in Chile and Haiti Moreover, the quake in Haiti raptured at the epicenter of the city with a high population density compared to Chile. Therefore despite a lower magnitude earthquake than Chile, Haiti suffered more damage due to the […]
• Disaster Preparedness Advertisement The management of hospices in regions that are highly likely to be hit by a hurricane will plan to have enough supply of medicine and food among other necessities.
• Psychological and Psychosocial Support in Disaster Nursing The paper reviews the presently available literature on the topic, covering the aspects of the significance of psychological and psychosocial support and related education, as well as the perceptions of nursing, existing problems in the […]
• Disaster Nursing: Preparedness and Response The issues of nursing competencies are of significant interest in the modern research literature, and the investigation of the professional competencies in the area of disaster medicine has both practical and theoretical implications as it […]
• Centralia Mine Disaster and Public Administration Failure Scanlan, who was the district inspector at the time, identified the hazards surrounding the coal mines and reported his findings about a possible explosion to other relevant professionals. Scanlan should not have taken heed to […]
• Analysis of Disaster Risk Reduction Lastly, the cyclone will cause a threat to the financial stability of Southeast Texas owing to the resultant inadequate risk transfer and risk financing.
• Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team’s Activity Overall, funeral directors and DMORT together form a team responsible for the arrangements concerning the burial of the deceased after severe incidents or disasters.
• Disaster Preparedness and Nursing: A Scenario of an Earthquake In a scenario of an earthquake, nursing staff must be aware of the stages of disaster management and disaster preparedness in particular.
• Flooding and Mitigation Measures The nation has invested in capacity building, resilience, and creating awareness concerning human behaviors that are leading to environmental degradation and increasing impacts of flooding.
• The Sumatra Earthquake of 26 December 2004: Indonesia Tsunami As such, the earthquake resulted in the development of a large tsunami off the Sumatran Coast that led to destruction of large cities in Indonesia.
• Earthquakes: Causes and Consequences The first of these are body waves, which travel directly through rock and cause the vertical and horizontal displacement of the surface.
• Draft Disaster/Emergency Plan for the Qatar Civil Defence Department’s Response to Stadium Disaster Risk mitigation: The process of planning for strategies aimed at reversing or avoiding the potential impacts of a risk. Risk preparedness: Specific plans in place to effectively handle potential hazards or risks in the course […]
• Ferry Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan It has been written with the following key areas in mind: The primary risk addressed in the proposed plan is the risk of a ferry disaster in the territorial waters of Qatar.
• Qatar’s Disaster Risks at the 2022 World Cup This document analyses disasters and emergencies that are to be considered for inclusion in a future National Risk Register for the State of Qatar to contribute to safety and security during the 2022 World Cup.
• Hypothetical New York Earthquake Case Therefore, the following faults would be included in the report as potential causes of the earthquake: the 125th Street fault is the largest of all.
• Disaster Management: Mitigation and Communication Networks According to the current definition, mitigation is the set of strategies designed to minimize the negative outcomes of a disaster. The notion is often conflated with the concept of preparedness due to the focus on […]
• The Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster The case of the space shuttle Challenger is, probably, one of the biggest disasters in the history of American space exploration.
• Overview of the Texas City Disaster, 1947 The severity of the disaster was primarily attributed to the captain, who ordered the crew to close hatches in order to preserve the ammonium nitrate.
• The Mount Everest Disaster of 1996 as It Happened The essay aims at summarizing the book in which the writer makes a personal opinion of the accounts as they are narrated in the book and criticizes the book to bring out the faults that […]
• Addressing the Threat of Flash Flood to Birmingham, Alabama The purpose of the work is to identify the key stages of threat addressing, including mitigation steps, preparedness and communication mechanisms, and response and recovery measures to address the outcomes of such disasters.
• Wenchuan Earthquake: Impact on China’s Economy The earthquake made a moderate impact on the country’s economy, yet affected several industries located in the devastated areas.
• Personal Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Plan According to Cornell University Personal Emergency Plan document, a personal disaster plan should include four basic steps: the knowledge of the various risks and how to deal with them; debating the action plan within the […]
• Dangerous and Natural Energy: Earthquakes The distribution of earthquakes in the world varies according to the region. Click on one of the earthquakes on the map and make a note of its magnitude and region.
• Disaster Epidemiology: Saudi Arabia, Israel and Turkmenistan According to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters [CRED], floods have been the most frequent natural disasters in Saudi Arabia between 1900 and 2018.
• The Hurricane Katrina Disaster In this paper, the focus will be to analyse the interaction of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere and the hurricane Katrina disaster.
• Earthquakes in New Madrid and Fulton City, Missouri The accumulation of this stress is a clear indication of the slow but constant movement of the earth’s outermost rocky layers.
• Bhopal Disaster Response and Impacts The presence of water and MIC resulted to the occurrence of an exothermic reaction that resulted to the increase of temperature and pressure in the storage tank.
• Incident Command System on Katrina Disaster It is against this backdrop that the magnitude of the hurricane Katrina should have been accessed thoroughly so that the IC could assume his role to the letter as the head of the organisation.
• Earthquakes: Definition, Prevalence of Occurrence, Damage, and Possibility of Prediction An earthquake is a dangerous tremor that is caused by sudden release of energy in the crust of the earth leading to seismic waves that cause movements of the ground thus causing deaths and damages.
• The Great San Francisco Earthquake The length however depends on the size of the wave since the larger the wave the larger the area affected and consequently the longer the period of time taken.
• Disaster Recovery Plan for the Valley City Among the members of the community, it will be necessary to divide irretrievable losses six people who died at the time of the explosion and died before entering the first stage of medical evacuation, as […]
• Disaster Response: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Policies The alerts and notifications about natural disasters are usually sent by phones to all citizens and articulated in the media, including television and radio.
• Earthquakes and Their Devastating Consequences The break in the ground surface is the most common cause of horrific consequences, and people often cannot get out of the epicenter of the incident.
• Floods in Los Angeles and Disaster Response The Los Angeles local government is set to respond and control the effects of floods. Therefore, the local government and citizens have set aside adequate resources to respond to the disaster.
• Hurricane Katrina and Its Effect on the Nation The storm quickly recovered to a hurricane in the southeastern part of the Gulf. When the hurricane turned to the Gulf of Mexico, the management of the oil platforms announced the evacuation of workers.
• Disaster Management: Programs and Approaches The need to facilitate the preparation of the federal government to engage in preventing, responding, and even mitigating the impacts of natural disasters led to the formation of FEMA.
• Hurricane Katrina: The US Emergency Management The United States of America is among the countries that have experienced the effects of such storms, and Hurricane Katrina was one of the most fearsome and devastating disasters in the country’s recent history.
• Genetic and Environmental Impact of the Chornobyl Disaster The ecological impact of the explosion on the lands surrounding Chornobyl comes first. Chornobyl remains the worst in human history due to radioactive contamination.
• Approaching Disaster Security: Book Review The book emphasizes the importance of predicting, creating scenarios, and thinking about the ways to solve them. I would suggest this book to risk assessment experts and average readers interested in how the human mind […]
• Galveston Hurricane 1900 in the Historical Context It was one of the promising coastal cities in the United States during the 18th century because it boasted an excellent seaport that was essential in revenue collection, particularly from the ships that loaded and […]
• Fictional Hurricane Karl in City of Old Orleans Moreover, due to the damage on the local chemical plant, the water resources in the area were contaminated. Natural disaster planning is essential in any given community due to the vastness of damages and risks.
• The Devastating Flood of 1993: Lessons Learned In order to understand the causes and consequences of the flood that occurred in the summer of 1993, it is necessary to define the meaning of the concept of flood.
• Spiritual Considerations Surrounding Disaster and the Role of Health Nurses The emotional well-being of families and affected individuals during and after a disaster is very important in their physical recovery. Much as spirituality assists during recovery, people struggle to find meaning in their losses and […]
• San Ciriaco Hurricane: Analysis San Ciriaco Hurricane’s historical context describes the locations, groups, and people affected as well as the societal preparedness at the time. The locations affected by the San Ciriaco Hurricane were the mid-Atlantic coast of the […]
• Disaster Management in New York The police department is part of the emergency response team that exists to serve all citizens within the New York jurisdiction with fairness, respect, and compassion.
• Natural vs. Moral Evil: Earthquakes vs. Murder This problem demonstrates that such justifications for the problem of evil, such as the fact that suffering exists to improve the moral qualities of a person and thus serve the greater good, are unconvincing.
• Hurricane Harvey and Nurses’ Disaster Management In addition, it evaluates and describes the effectiveness of emergency response measures taken in responding to the event and provides examples and rationale.
• Electronic Health Record in Disaster Response Planning That is why medical facilities should create a plan to determine what specific procedures their staff members can take to respond to a natural disaster.
• Earthquake in South Africa: Reconstruction Process Therefore, it is vital for the government of South Africa to address the issues caused by the earthquake and reconstruct the region, focusing on several public interventions to stimulate the region’s growth in the shortest […]
• Augmenting the Disaster Healthcare Workforce Historically, the licensing process, which has been in existence in virtually every state, successfully eliminated fraudsters who purposefully misled and deceived the public. The medical licensure procedure in each state has a long history of […]
• Earthquake in Haiti 2010: Nursing Interventions During natural disasters, such as the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in 2010, nursing interventions aim to reduce the level of injury and provide the conditions for the fast recovery of its victims.
• Aspects of Disaster Management Thus, the academic community agrees that religious people may impact the spiritual well-being of victims. Lastly, the spiritual well-being of self and colleagues is also important.
• Hurricane Ida in the United States Hurricane Ida hit the coast of the United States, hitting the state of Louisiana. Finally, I thoroughly learned the recommendations on how to behave in case of a hurricane.
• Poor Communication in the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority The UAE National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority is a quite essential and recently introduced government department that addresses various natural and man-made accidents and issues and maintains the safety of the community.
• Bobsville’s Emergency Plan for Tornado Disaster It shows, to the best extent, actions Bobsville and its’ municipalities government should take, working together with private and public organizations, seeking to develop the capacity for the government to protect citizens from tornadoes.
• Disaster Response Resources: The American Red Cross On a local level, there is a program held by the Ohio administration and is expected to combat mental health crisis by training police officers and paramedics on psychological assistance.
• The Chernobyl Tragedy and Hurricane Katrina The people of Chernobyl were politically and physically disadvantaged, and the blacks in New Orleans were physically and economically vulnerable to the disasters.
• Review of Earthquake Emergency Response The second resource is the supply of food and water that can help survivors wait for the rescue team for three days.
• The 1996 Everest Disaster and Decision-Making It is likely that Krakauer, knowing the composition of his team, expected the guides to provide clear instructions and failed to express his concerns in a timely fashion due to this overreliance.
• The Role of Community Nurses in Disaster Planning Most people usually perceive this content quickly, and it becomes the background knowledge they can apply automatically in case of a disaster.
• Hurricane Sandy and Emergency Plan Moreover, the question of how to determine the level of reliability of the coastal infrastructure was raised. Second, the storm, which had been predicted months in advance, demonstrated the need of having a reliable weather […]
• Ethical News Coverage: Indian Floods 2020 As part of the assessment of the consequences of reporting these events, it should be noted that the materials presented can attract public attention to help people in the affected areas, which is important for […]
• Nursing Roles & Responsibilities in Disaster Response In addition, it is necessary to analyze the real state of the bed fund of medical institutions and the possibility of its re-profiling and deployment of an additional bed fund. Moreover, the joint efforts of […]
• Disaster Management of COVID-19 Pandemic As part of the pandemic, a significant event in healthcare services for Saudi Arabia was the spread of a new genetic line of SARS-CoV-2 in the country.
• Record Keeping in Disaster Management On the one hand, the word incident can be described as an event, situation, or condition emerging in the course of work that led to injuries, damage to health, illnesses, or fatalities. Another motive is […]
• Chornobyl Nuclear Plant Disaster as Historical Event The major process going on in the world affairs of the time was the Cold War, the main players of which were the Soviet Union and the USA.
• Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Disaster: Primary and Secondary Sources In case of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Disaster, the most relevant primary sources include reports, documents, and local newspapers of that time, photographs, and interviews of witnesses. By analyzing secondary sources, one can get a […]
• War in Ukraine: A Humanitarian Disaster Belarus, a close ally of the Russian Federation, provided its territory as the ground for the invasion while rejecting its direct participation in the conflict.
• Chornobyl, the Type-Site of Nuclear Disaster The station began to operate in 1977 in the former Soviet Union, and about 14000 people lived in the town before the explosion.
• International Disaster Management: Tonga The international community has been relatively quick to respond to the disaster and its effects despite the challenges of establishing communication and following Tonga’s security guidelines to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
• Critique of the ACPO Policy: Disaster Victim There is often a lack of understanding that identifying individual bodies and even bodily fragments is the first and perhaps most crucial step in starting and supporting the grieving process that allows families and the […]
• California Earthquakes of the 20th Century Ultimately, the current essay examines the most devastating earthquakes in California in the 20th century and proposes a hypothesis of when the next large earthquake might strike.
• News Accounts of the 1996 Everest Disaster The case of the 1996 Everest disaster shows the influential nature of leadership decisions on a larger group of people. It is crucial to understand that leaders must avoid such biases in order to ensure […]
• Hurricane Elsa: Characteristics, Causes, and Damages With a decent amount of warm water, the cycle will continue and cause the hurricane to form due to the generation of speedy winds and storm clouds.
• National Disaster Medical System The purpose of the paper is to determine the primary goals and objectives of the NDMS as well as identify its structure and functions.
• Emergency Planning Team for New Orleans in Case of Hurricane Katrina Considering the fact that the specified areas are likely to be affected in the first place, it is reasonable to suggest that the priority should be the evacuation of the target population group.
• Hurricane Harvey, Its Effects and Importance Harvey started in the middle of August 2017 as a weak typhoon in the Gulf of Mexico, beginning from a tropical wave off the west bank of Africa.
• Disaster Management Documents and Principles The challenging task of ensuring the security of citizens is one of the key priorities of the government. In this way, the security of citizens is ensured by the identified entities and programs.
• Human Activity and Growing Number of Earthquakes The pieces that support the opposing view claim that the data about their number may be distorted due to the lack of difference in the development mechanism of natural and artificial earthquakes.
• Researching the Earthquake Due to human activity, artificial earthquakes occur, and their number increases every year following the strengthening of destructive human impact on the planet.
• Response Plan and Mitigation of a Chemical Disaster Thirdly, to minimize the risk of exposure, the team needs to understand the injuries. Additionally, the rescue team should know emergency actions to reduce risk on their side and the public.
• The Flood Stories in Different Cultures The scientific community recognizes that the oldest flood myth known to humanity is the Epic of Gilgamesh, which tells the story of Utnapishtim, who attained immortality by escaping from the flood on a ship.
• Hurricane Katrina and Failure of Emergency Management Operations The apocalyptic scenes following the destruction caused by one of the biggest disasters in American history, the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, were a direct reflection of the U.S.government’s failure to prepare for and respond to such […]
• Earthquake Disasters: Medical Response and Healthcare Challenges Therefore, an earthquake disaster infers abrupt and immense shaking of the ground for a duration and magnitude that can infringe the day-to-day activities. The last role of healthcare personnel in triage and intervention is to […]
• Human Rights Issues: Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans Hurricane Katrina is considered one of the worst calamities in the history of the United States. The law of the United States gives the government the responsibility to protect the lives of its citizens.
• Corruption During Disaster Relief One of the most notable elements about most of the disasters that have been documented in various parts of the world is lack of adequate preparation in case of their occurrence.
• Kathmandu, Disaster Management Strategies It is estimated that about 40% of the building that was on the valley were destroyed and more than 25% of the households in Kathmandu.
• Haiti Earthquake of 2010 Overview The purpose of this paper is to review the location and physical cause of the event, its human impact from it, and some of the interesting facts related to the disaster.
• Medicines Management for Elderly During Disaster Accordingly, the objective of this systematic review was To summarise the best available evidence that described medicines management for elderly patients during disasters Make recommendations towards the promotion of disaster preparedness with the elderly in […]
• Coordination of Disaster Preparedness Similarly, the health agencies could have formed a crisis center to coordinate their activities. In this regard, health agencies could have managed the Ebola outbreak through proper planning and preparedness.
• Disaster and Emergency Planning and Management Based on the emergency planner, writes a report to the organization’s senior managers to inform them about the impacts that the disaster has on people, infrastructure, environment, and reputation of the organization.
• Nova Killer Floods Documentary Review Flood is a phase of the water regime of the river, which is repeated every year at the same time of year, is characterized by the highest water content, increased and prolonged rise and fall […]
• Poor Communication During the Emergency of Hurricane Katrina Although federal, state, and local agencies provided the ways and communication strategies to deal with disasters, the plans or assets were inadequate to respond effectively to the calamity.
• South California Tsunami and Disaster Response This paper provides the report’s estimate figures in terms of human casualties and the structures affected by the wave. The Figure 1 represents the graphical representation of the data collected.
• Earthquake Prevention From Healthcare Perspective In terms of primary prevention of such a disaster, it is necessary to establish a public body or organization responsible for the creation of an extensive network of food, water, and first-aid kits to last […]
• Disaster Recovery Planning Consequently, a disaster recovery plan must contain steps to respond to such problems and should be adapted to accommodate the needs of the different responses. Flooding causes inaccessibility to the company and large-scale power outages […]
• Bipartisan Strategies for Overcoming Environmental Disaster Speaking about a pandemic, we must be aware that this is a global and collective problem that requires a consolidation of minds that are not clouded by differences in the views of political parties.
• The Hurricane Crisis Care Plan It is meant to give way forward in the case of a hurricane in an area. The first step is to alert humans on how to act in the event of a disaster.
• The Vasa Launch Disaster: Causes and Prevention The building of the Vasa Ship construction exposed the project to several risks leading to the vessel’s capsizing. The king authorized the craft’s launch despite previously identified stability challenges, and the ship capsized in front […]
• National Response to Terrorism & Natural Disaster The National Response Framework governs the national security and crisis response to dynamic emergencies and natural disasters that occur in the community.
• Disaster Planning for Families: Is Your Family Prepared? It is important to have a disaster preparedness program for your family. This will reduce the impact on your family’s lives and ensure faster recovery.
• Natural Disaster Risks Overview The Resilinc indicators provide analysis of the riskiness of the locations, such as real-time monitoring of the disruptions, analysis of the multiple risk indicators, assessment of the suppliers in the risky countries, and analysis of […]
• 1989 Hillsborough Stadium Disaster’s Risk Assessment Failure to analyze and approximate the risk before opening the gate led to a stampede. The assumption analysis technique of risk identification can recognize and prevent all the risks from occurring in the future.
• Emergency Disaster Preparation in the Hospital The Community Emergency and Disaster Management Team should be a liaison with the involved agencies, the hospital, the school, and the parents of students.
• Recent Earthquakes and Safety Measures in California and Nevada The earthquake that is the largest by magnitude is in California. It is possible to minimize the damage by an earthquake.
• Disaster Management Program in England The most vulnerable one is the flood following its adverse effect both in terms of financial implications, casualties, and deaths, and the frequency of its occurrence, making it the most prioritized disaster in England.
• Floods in the City of Austin, Texas on October 30th, 2013 The catastrophic consequences of the devastation in Central Texas and, in particular, in the city of Austin, were caused by flooding.
• Hurricane Katrina: Review of After-Action One of the main factors that complicated the emergency services situation and caused most of the deaths was flooding associated with deficiencies in the dam around New Orleans.
• “Natural Disaster Management Planning” by Perry Perry writes the article Natural disaster management planning: A study of logistics manager responding to the tsunami with the aim of analysing the tsunami disaster that occurred in 2004, as well as providing comprehensive overview […]
• The Disaster Recovery Planning The commonly accepted plans of the Disaster Recovery Plan are elaborated with the aim of providing the general principles of recovery, however, they should be adapted for the real situation, as the origin of a […]
• Disaster Planning for Public Health My community is the city of Portsmouth in Virginia, and a potential natural disaster likely to affect the area is flooding.
• Response to Hurricane Disasters This paper will discuss the adaptive management approach to hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and the Incident Command System applied to hurricane Irma and its structure.
• Disaster Management in the Flood Scenario In such a case, the authorities and residents should adopt disaster prevention and preparedness strategies to minimize impact and adequately brace for the expected flood magnitude.
• Euro Disney, a History of the 1992 European Cultural and Financial Disaster Disney had twenty-nine restaurants built at the time with a further eleven at Disney hotels and a reservation of 2300 seats within the theme park for outdoor eating. Euro Disney was at the crucible of […]
• BP Corporation’s Oil Disaster and Its Reputation BP’s attempts to compensate the victims, in my opinion, are not enough to change the corporation’s reputation. A good reputation encourages and keeps customers loyal to the products of the company.
• The Competencies of Disaster Nursing on a Scope of Emergency Department That is why the most important competencies in the case of a disaster are the problem-solving skills and critical but flexible thinking.
• Role of the Nurses in the Site of the Haiti Earthquake The primary aim of the tertiary intervention conducted by the health practitioners was to reduce the effect of the diseases and injuries that occurred because of the Haiti earthquake.
• Financial Reporting at BP Ltd. During the Deepwater Horizon Disaster The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is regarded as one of the biggest marine hazards in the history of the US. The shortcomings of the reports provided by the company will be analysed in the context […]
• Electronic Health Records in Disaster and Response Planning To deal with this problem, it is important to have a disaster response system that can be used to arrest such outbreaks to eliminate possible causes of casualties.
• Nurse Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Hajj mass gatherings is common in this society and this increases chances that one of the risk factors may occur, which may lead to cases of emergency medical needs.
• Public Health Nurse Involved in the Disaster Management In this case, the public health personnel are given the responsibility of ensuring that the population is fed with the right information concerning the step by step occurrences at the scene of the disaster.
• Background Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
• A Geological Disaster: Nisqually Earthquake in Washington State
• Disaster in Franklin Country Simulation
• Hurricane Katrina: Genesis and Impact
• Technology in Disaster Preparedness
• “Forest Fires in Mexico” by Galván and Magaña
• Biscayne Bay Plane Crash: The Air Disaster Investigation
• Information Technologies and Disaster Management
• Technology in the Process of Prior Preparation for Disaster
• The Huaxian Earthquake: China’s Deadliest Disaster
• Disaster Review in the United States
• Hydrology Methods: Flood Risk Management
• A Flood Insurance Program in Canada: The Way to Protect Lives and Homes
• Quarantellie’s “Converting Disaster Scholarship Into Effective Disaster Planning”
• Hurricane Harvey Crisis Consequences
• Disaster Studies by Quarantelli
• Disaster Damage Prevention Costs
• Disaster Crisis: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms
• The Flood Interpretation in the World Literature
• Hurricane Katrina’s Catastrophic Impact on the Gulf Coast
• Bhopal Disaster Report’s Rhetorical Analysis
• Sheffield Flooding and Environmental Issues Involved
• The Chernobyl Disaster: Influence on Human Health
• Understanding Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes: Movements, Causes, and Measurement
• Review of Public Meeting Regarded Earthquakes
• Rebuilding Haiti: Post-Earthquake Recovery
• Al Gore and Global Warming: Hurricane Katrina Was Avoidable
• Earthquake Impacts: A Case Study of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake
• Incident Command System in a Disaster Situation
• Government Response to Natural Disasters – Hurricane Katrina
• How Can a Company’s Knowledge Base Be Protected in the Event of a Natural Disaster?
• City of Jeddah’s Flood: Cause and Disastrous Effects
• Bureaucracy and Disaster Management
• Emergency Management on Hurricane Katrina
• Incident Command System: Natural Disaster Prevention Planning
• Contemporary History: Hindenburg Disaster of 1937
• Devastating Power of Hurricane Katrina
• AIDS Infection in Europe Statistics: A National Disaster in Many Countries
• Volcanoes: Volcanic Chains and Earthquakes
• Hurricane Katrina as a Significant National Issue
• Great Flood in Mississippi River Basin: Major Factors
• The Impact That Hurricane Katrina Had On Gasoline Prices
• Emergency Response to Haiti Earthquake
• Floods: Structural vs. Non-Structural Solutions
• Examining Possible Health Outcomes of Hurricane
• Railway Disaster Management Plan in Qatar
• Hurricane Matthew: Communicating Health Risks
• Qatar’s Disaster and Emergency Planning
• Community Disaster Preparedness and Nurses’ Role
• Weather and Climate: Tathra Natural Disaster
• Hurricane Katrina Survivors’ Happiness Factors
• Replacing Politicians with Regular People: Receipt for Disaster
• Disaster Planning for Public Health in Bronx
• Fukushima Disaster in “Falling Out” Dancing Performance
• Gender Sensitivity in Disaster or Humanitarian Crises
• Natural Disasters: Hurricane Sandy
• Guide to Disaster Recovery
• The Boston Molasses Disaster of 1919
• Hurricane Katrina and Public Health System for the Future
• Disaster’ Health and Medical Aspects: Hurricane Katrina
• 1906 San Francisco Earthquake: Eyewitness Story
• Evacuation: Hurricane Quasimodo
• Disaster Preparedness for Influenza Prevention
• Flixborough Disaster and Its Health Effects
• Disaster Planning for Families
• Floods, Technology and Price Ceiling in the Market
• The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster and Environment
• Hurricane Katrina and Incident Management Principles
• Trauma System and Disaster Preparedness in Maryland
• Earthquake Emergency Management and Health Services
• Disaster Recovery Planning: Third-Party Service Providers
• Hurricane Harvey Crisis Management
• Humanitarian Logistics in Disaster Relief Operations
• Fracking: Increased Seismic Activities in Kansas
• Disaster Response Stage: Healthcare Challenges
• Hurricane Katrina: Emergency Response
• Disaster and Humanitarian Crises Framework
• Disaster Response and Recovery: Strategies and Tactics
• Disaster Planning in Public Health and Nursing
• Hurricane Katrina: Communication Challenges
• Disaster Recovery Plan and Team
• The Chernobyl Disaster: Time, Distance and Shielding
• Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Services
• Disaster Preparedness for Healthcare Facilities
• Boeing 767 Crash: Mass Disaster Investigation
• Flood Disaster Recovery Plan and Stakeholders
• Chernobyl Disaster in New York Newspapers
• Disaster Response and Counseling Evaluation
• Hurricane Katrina Crisis Response and Criticism
• Earthquake as a Unique Type of Natural Disaster
• Multidimensional and Collaborative Disaster Management
• Hurricane Katrina’s Outcomes Management Methods
• Disaster Reaction in Human Behavior
• Disaster Recovery Plans in Business
• Hurricane Katrina’s Analysis
• Humanitarian Disaster in Somalia
• US Charities in Haiti After the 2010 Earthquake
• Flood Mitigation Measures in the United States
• Buncefield Oil Depot Disaster and Its Triggers
• Challenger Disaster and Risk Management Failure
• Saudi Arabian and Asian Disaster Epidemiology
• Australian and Asian Natural Disaster Epidemiology
• Disaster Preparedness: Core Competencies for Nurses
• Disaster Response Training for Saudi Nurses
• The Changing Meaning of Disaster
• New Orleans Life after Hurricane Katrina
• NetHope Technology: Worldwide Disaster Relief
• BHP Billiton’s Handling of Brazilian Mine Disaster
• Christchurch Earthquakes’ Impact on New Zealand Businesses
• Understanding Earthquake Statistics: Frequency, Magnitude, and Data Sources
• Hurricane Katrina Stats: Path and Intensity
• Flooding, Landslides and Mudflows in Florida
• Seveso Dioxin Leak Disaster
• Preparing for a Natural Disaster in US
• Disaster Recovery and Emergency Management – Business Continuity
• Disaster Management Cycle – Risk Management Fundamentals
• Japan Nuclear Disaster Government Response
• Managing Natural Disaster Risks in a Changing Climate
• Geology Issues: Earthquakes
• Hurricane Katrina’ Economic Effects for New Orlean
• History of Hurricane in Galveston
• Natural Hazards – Hurricane Andrew
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Natural Disasters Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on natural disasters.

A Natural disaster is an unforeseen occurrence of an event that causes harm to society. There are many Natural disasters that damage the environment and the people living in it. Some of them are earthquakes , cyclones, floods, Tsunami , landslides, volcanic eruption, and avalanches. Spatial extent measures the degree or severity of the disaster.

Levels of Disaster

The severity or degree of damage can be further divided into three categories:

Small Scale Disasters: Small scale disasters are those that extend from 50 Kms. to 100 Kms. So this kind of disasters does not cause much damage.

Medium-scale disasters: Medium Scale disasters extend from 100 Kms to 500 Kms. These cause more damage than a small scale disaster. Moreover, they can cause greater damage if they occur in colonial states.

Large Scale Disasters: These disasters cover an area of more than 1000 Kms. These cause the most severe damage to the environment. Furthermore, these disasters can even take over a country if the degree is high. For instance, the wiping out of the dinosaurs was because of a large scale natural disaster.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Types of Disasters

Causes: These can cause of releasing of the energy. This release is from the core of the earth. Furthermore, the release of energy causes seismic waves. Rupturing of geological faults causes earthquakes. But other events like volcanic eruptions, landslides mine blasts can also cause it.

Landslides: Landslides is the moving of big boulders of rocks or debris down a slope. As a result, landslides occur on mountains and hilly areas. Moreover, landslides can cause destruction to man-made things in many ways.

Causes: Gravitational pull, volcanic eruptions , earthquakes can cause landslides. Moreover, soil erosion due to deforestation is also a cause of landslides.

Avalanches: Avalanches are like landslides. But instead of rocks thousand tons of snow falls down the slope. Moreover, this causes extreme damage to anything that comes in its way. People who live in snowy mountains always have fear of it.

Causes: Avalanches takes places when there is a large accumulation of snow on the mountains. Moreover, they can also occur from earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Furthermore, the chances of surviving an avalanche are very less. This is because people die of hypothermia in it.

Tsunami: Tsunami is the production of very high waves in oceans and seas. Moreover, the displacement of the ground causes these high waves. A tsunami can cause floods if it occurs near shores. A Tsunami can consist of multiple waves. Moreover, these waves have a high current. Therefore it can reach coastlines within minutes. The main threat of a tsunami is if a person sees a Tsunami he cannot outrun it.

Causes: Tsunami is unlike normal eaves that occur due to the wind. But Tsunami is waves that occur by ground displacement. Thus earthquakes are the main causes of Tsunamis.

FAQs on Essay on natural disaster

Q1.What are natural disasters?

A1. Natural Disasters are unforeseen events that cause damage to the environment and the people.

Q2.Name some Natural disasters.

A2. Some Natural Disasters are earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, Landslides, floods, Tsunami, avalanches. Natural disasters can cause great damage to human society. But preventive measures can be taken to reduce the damage from these disasters.

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Descriptive Essay: Natural Disasters

With climate change causing increasingly chaotic weather patterns, natural disasters are becoming more common across the world. To properly set up plans to protect against natural disasters, it’s important to understand exactly what effects they have on society by looking at past disasters.

A natural disaster is anything ranging from a volcanic eruption to a tropical storm. This is regardless of whether the natural disaster was indirectly caused by mankind, like those caused as a result of global warming.

The distance is a major factor in the effects of a natural disaster. A major forest fire in the wilds of California, as has happened frequently in the late 2000s, impacts a minimal number of people because there are few people who live here. In this case, it’s an example of the devastation it can have on plants and animals.

During these fires, large swathes of forest were wiped out. It reduces the chance of another natural disaster in future, but it also sends large numbers of animals away from the area. This leaves California less naturally diverse and might deter some nature tourists, which impacts the economy.

The human cost is the main effect of a natural disaster when it occurs closer to densely populated areas. Mount Vesuvius is the most dangerous volcano in Europe and is the only European mainland volcano to erupt in the last 100 years. In 79 AD, it buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Today, it’s still active and 3 million people live in the immediate area.

The number of deaths impacts society because it wipes part of the population away. This leaves survivors traumatised and family members impacted emotionally. It’s also an economic problem as it could deprive businesses of valuable employees, or even destroy them completely.

In the context of a nation, a natural disaster in a populated area could easily cause an economic slump. The loss of business and the reduction in tourists to the surrounding areas can shut down companies and cause increasing levels of unemployment. It also encourages emigration, which promotes long-term negative economic effects.

Politically, there are two things which usually happen. The governing party of a country acts to aid the affected victims and it changes the ideologies and views of the citizenry. It also distracts them from any other pressing issues which the government has been dealing with. To some in politics, they take the cynical view of a natural disaster being a welcome relief for a government under fire.

Alternatively, the political effects become damaging. If the government doesn’t evacuate people quickly enough or hasn’t been seen to do enough to stave off a disaster, it could turn people against them.

Overall, a natural disaster goes further than just to change the lives of people directly impacted. It goes on to change the way a country does business, acts, and even the way it thinks.

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Essay on Disaster Management: 122 Topics + Writing Guide

Without a doubt, a natural disaster essay is a tough paper to write.

To begin with, when people encounter a disaster risk, it’s a tragedy. Emergency situations can affect hundreds, thousands, and millions of people. These are the crises and events that change people’s lives drastically. So, disaster and emergency management essay topics aren’t that fun to discuss.

Moreover, an essay on disaster management requires thorough research. Mentioning how people handle natural hazards and recovery from such tragedies is essential for the paper. But you can approach the discussion from different sides.

In this article, our experts will help you with the following:

• How to nail disaster management essay writing.
• What to write your paper about.
• Types of disaster management and their importance.

And good luck!

• 👨‍💼 Disaster Management Definition

✍️ Disasters to Write About

• 🌎 Essay Topics
• ❓ Essay Questions
• 🔥 Essay Title Ideas
• 📑 Writing Guide
• 🖊️ Essay Example 300 Words

🔗 Resources

👨‍💼 essay on disaster management: what is it about.

What is natural disaster management , anyway? What is the role of adults and youth in it?

Disaster management is the management and organization of responsibilities and resources. Its goal is to deal with the humanitarian aspects of an emergency. Put simply, how to help victims of natural disasters.

There are five stages of the disaster management process:

Let’s see what each of these stages entails.

The name of this stage explains its purpose. Its primary focus is on preventing hazards and potential natural disasters.

Measures are usually taken on different scales, including international and domestic levels. They’re designed to provide reliable protection from possible disasters.

Of course, it isn’t possible to stop all disasters. But there’s always a chance to minimize the risks of injuries and loss of life. All thanks to environmental planning, evacuation plans, and the introduction of specific design standards.

Mitigation measures are those that are taken before a disaster or emergency happens. It aims to reduce or eliminate the risks and impact a hazard can have on people and the environment.

Mitigation measures come in different forms depending on the hazard itself.

Here are some examples of possible actions:

• Structural changes to buildings
• Securing items inside buildings
• Installation of generators
• Construction of shelters
• Large-scale mitigation measures on the national level
• Preparedness

The focus of this stage is to prepare supplies and equipment. It also involves developing usage procedures when a disaster happens.

The primary goal is to reduce the level of people’s vulnerability to a disaster. Also, to mitigate a disaster’s impact. And to be able to have a more effective response in case of an emergency.

Organizations like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) even develop a disaster management plan. They also make disaster supply kit lists. Other agencies and organizations use them to teach people how to help each other. Or they modify those plans to increase their effectiveness. Those can be found on the web in the form of downloadable PDF files or printed handouts.

The response stage aims at fulfilling the humanitarian needs of the population affected by a disaster. Depending on the consequences, anyone can provide such assistance, including individuals, social workers, organizations, national and international agencies.

The most important part of the proper response is the effective coordination of assistance, especially if there’s a misbalance in the amounts of demand and the available answers.

In the case of massive and overwhelming disasters, donations play a crucial role in the response process. They range from all kinds of gifts to money (which is the most efficient type of assistance).

The question is: can communities recover after the disaster happens?

The recovery stage begins after the threat to human life is gone. The goal here is to bring the affected area back to normal condition as quickly and efficiently as possible.

This stage usually involves numerous processes—reconstructing buildings, refilling food availability, and preparing the equipment.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, disasters are divided into two categories—natural and man-made.

🌪️ Natural Disasters

Natural disasters are phenomena or processes that occur due to a force of nature and hurt the environment and people. They can cause injuries, property damage, environmental damage, and loss of life or other health impacts.

There are two types of natural disasters—geological hazards (involving geological processes) and meteorological hazards (or climate hazards).

Geological Hazards

A geological hazard is an extreme natural event in Earth’s crust that represents a threat to life and property. Now, let’s take a closer look at them.

Meteorological Hazards

Meteorological hazards are calamities caused by extreme weather factors, such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed. So, let’s talk in more detail about these.

⚡ Man-Made Disasters

Man-made disasters (also known as anthropogenic) are events caused by the action or inaction of humans. These disasters also affect the environment, humans, other organisms, and ecosystems.

Let’s now move to describe disasters themselves to give you ideas for your future essay.

Societal Hazards

Most societal hazards can be prevented by taking proper measures and actions. These hazards usually appear due to anti-social and criminal behavior. It all can be reported if spotted at the right time.

Hazards Related to Dangerous Materials

Dangerous materials released from man-made or natural hazards threaten human health by increasing the possibility of human exposure to hazardous materials. So, now, let’s take a look at them.

Transportation Hazards

Transportation hazards include disastrous events that can happen anywhere. On the road, in aviation, on railways, in sea travel, and even in space. Several reasons can cause a crash, from mechanism malfunctions to trivial inattention or carelessness. Such catastrophes not only endanger the people involved in them. They also harm the environment, for example, when freight vehicles are involved.

Environmental Hazards

A man-made disaster is classified as environmental if it affects ecosystems and biomes. Such disasters include air pollution, uncontrollable deforestation, oil spills, and water pollution.

🌎 Disaster Management Topics for Essays

• The role of the government oeganizations in mitigation of natural disasters.
• Discuss how to address the needs and demands of vulnerable population in disaster management.   
• Explain why earthquakes are among the most dangerous natural disasters.
• Natural disasters and the strategies of disaster management in Katmandu.
• Natural disasters and vulnerable health populations.
• Describe the ways to improve disaster response.
• Discuss the cases of post-disaster fraud and how to prevent them.
• Analyze the level of natural disaster preparedness in Texas.
• Compare international and South Africa’s disaster management. 
• What disaster mitigation strategies can reduce the consequences of flash floods.
• Examine how natural disasters influence various systems.  
• Describe the ways media responds to natural disasters.
• The vital role of SNS in a case of a disaster.
• Analyze ethical and legal issues that arise in case of a natural disaster.
• Explain why hurricane Katrina is considered one of the worst national disasters in the USA.  
• Describe 2 different global disasters and explain their causes.
• Discuss the importance of emergency planner in effective disaster preparedness.  
• Issues that may arise during rebuilding and recovery after natural disaster.
• The main aspects of safety and disaster training for healthcare workers.
• Analyze winter snow disaster in Philadelphia and its impact on the community.  
• Describe the effect of natural disasters on the supply chain.  
• Examine the reasons and consequences of the Budalangi flood.  
• Explain why the 1900 Galveston hurricane is regarded as disaster management failure.
• Explain why the problem of wildfire in California is getting out of control.
• Discuss the response to the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami .
• Compare and analyze the earthquakes in California and Armenia .
• What were the causes and consequences of Haiti earthquake.  
• The management of evacuations from Gulf Coast hurricanes.
• Describe what the emergency response to a volcano eruption should be.
• Why was the blizzard of 1888 so deadly?  
• Is it possible to avoid catastrophic drought?
• Analyze how media depicts droughts in Africa.
• Discuss economic and environmental consequences of earthquakes .
• The importance of proper training for an effective disaster management.
• Explain the meaning of “New Normal” concept after disaster.  
• What steps should government take for better protection from wildfire?
• Basic aspects of disaster management in big cities. 
• Analyze the issues and lessons of hurricane Katrina.
• Compare the preparedness and response strategies to Haiti and Japan’s earthquake.
• Describe tsunami causes and countermeasures.

❓ Essay-Type Questions on Disaster Management

• What is the role of community-based organizations in managing regional disasters?
• What are the major global trends in disaster management?
• How can we help children cope and adjust after a disaster?
• What are the pros and cons of AI technology in catastrophe management?
• What role does early warning play in disaster management?
• Why is family unification one of the critical issues in disaster planning?
• What are the social and economic consequences of natural disasters?
• What characterizes disaster management in developing countries?
• How does natural ecosystem restoration contribute to disaster risk reduction?
• What are the key components of a comprehensive disaster management plan?
• What are the problems associated with organizing international disaster relief efforts?
• Why is psychological support a critical component of post-disaster management?
• What key elements should hospital evacuation plans consider?
• What are the peculiarities of disaster management plans for people with disabilities?
• How can climate change adaptation strategies be used in disaster management?
• What are the benefits of the disaster management cycle ?
• What can a regular person do to help their community recover from a disaster?
• How can cyberattacks on critical infrastructure exacerbate disaster scenarios?
• What is the importance of international cooperation in disaster management?
• How can disaster management motivate individuals to be active in their own safety?
• What are the ethical considerations in providing humanitarian aid in a disaster zone?
• How can you help others who might be more vulnerable during disasters?
• What common mistakes do people make when preparing for a disaster?
• Why is it important to have a disaster plan for your family or community?
• What are the specific risks of highly populated urban areas during natural disasters?
• How can psychological support programs be effective in post-disaster recovery?
• What is the role of land-use planning in mitigating disaster risks?
• How can collaboration between hospitals improve response to disaster?
• Why is mitigation one of the most critical phases of disaster management?
• How can physiotherapists effectively contribute in disaster situations?
• What are the key aspects of disaster preparedness?
• Why is it critical to invest in technologies for improving disaster response strategies?
• Why do different types of disasters require different management strategies?
• What are the ethical considerations in disaster mitigation and recovery?
• Why is effective communication essential during and after a disaster event?
• What technologies and methods are used to warn people about impending disasters?
• What role can education programs play in preventing anthropogenic catastrophes?
• How can urban planning help to minimize the impact of disasters on cities?
• What are the most effective ways to stay safe during a flood?
• What is the connection between cultural diversity and disaster preparedness?

🔥 Disaster Title Ideas for Essays

• Explore the role of disaster preparedness in reducing the effects of disasters.
• Flood prevention measures and their importance in vulnerable regions.
• The efficiency of scientific methods and technologies in predicting volcanic activity.
• Write about the function of social workers in China’s disaster management programs.
• How past disaster experiences can help prevent future catastrophes.
• The effectiveness of reforestation programs in restoring ecosystems.
• Housing programs and their role in post-disaster recovery.
• Compare the US and UK disaster management systems.
• Earthquake-resistant materials and their role in mitigating damage during earthquakes.
• Evaluate the use of coastal infrastructure in protecting from wave surges.
• The potential of green infrastructure in preventing floods.
• Cultural heritage preservation and its role in disaster management.
• The use of the Incident Command System in effective disaster management.
• Study the factors leading to building collapses and measures to prevent such disasters.
• The role of volunteers in the disaster management process.
• Biodegradable disaster cleanup technology and its pitfalls.
• Ethics in the practices and policies of disaster management.
• Review the challenges for preserving cultural heritage in coastal areas affected by wave surges.
• Energy-efficient buildings and their role in temperature regulation.
• Assess the importance of community education in minimizing the impact of volcanic eruptions.
• The influence of economic disparities on post-disaster recovery.
• Insurance and its role in mitigating the financial impacts of disaster.
• The importance of vaccination programs in preventing pandemics.
• Man-made disasters and their prevention strategies.
• Review the key methods of protecting vulnerable populations during heatwaves.
• The role of NGOs and international aid in volcano recovery.
• Potential challenges of global disaster management systems.
• Study the key pitfalls of tourism disaster management.
• Evacuation plans and their use in minimizing the risks of wildfires.
• Look into the social-cultural aspects influencing community resilience to disaster.
• Circular economy principles and their application in waste management.
• Evaluate the importance of international collaboration in preventing biosecurity risks.
• Safety practices and regulations to prevent dam failures.
• The use of risk management protocols in chemical plant explosion prevention.
• Sustainable agriculture practices and their use in reducing soil erosion.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of emergency response plans during extreme heat events.
• Post-tsunami mental health support and its importance.
• The strategies for minimizing economic impact in regions with active volcanoes.
• Study how social networks can assist in coordination during disaster events.
• Cyclone disaster management system and its main issues.
• Review the core components of a disaster response and their peculiarities.
• The efficiency of investing in resilience to reduce the impact of future disasters.

📑 Essay on Disaster Management: How to Write

If you’re writing an essay on such a serious topic, a how-to guide will be of great help. Here, we explore the ideas and issues to explore in your paper and the way to organize it.

Check what information your natural disasters essay can include.

Start with the Basics

We skipped it in this post, but you shouldn’t do this in your paper.

When writing a natural disasters essay of 500 words, or 1000 words, it’s essential to start with some general facts:

• A natural disaster definition would be a good beginning. Tell about various types, too.
• You can also provide information about a national disaster of your choice.
• Talk about countries that suffer from it more frequently than others, like India, Japan, etc.
• You can also write a quick rundown of the latest natural disasters.

Don’t forget to make this part meaningful, leading to your thesis statement, where you state your position.

Go into More In-Depth Details

In the main body, provide specific details about the catastrophe you’ve decided to describe:

• the locations where it can happen,
• causes of natural disasters,
• effects this particular disaster can have (both on the environment and in people’s lives),

Elaborating on each issue, offer evidence. For example, the disaster’s effect on transportation, infrastructure, economy, and so on can be supported by worldwide statistics data. A previously made outline might be a great help here.

Another thing you can do:

You can compare the disaster in question with other ones of the same type. Talk about the damages caused by them and how people dealt with the aftermath. Provide a couple of examples to prove your point.

Be sure to provide as many details as possible. As a result, your essay is maximally useful.

Talk About Disaster Management

Now, you can pass on the details of handling the situation. To be more specific, you’re going to tell your readers what to do in case of a catastrophe.

In this part of your essay on disaster management, you will have to talk about its phases. They are:

We’ll talk more about disaster management later on in the article.

Make Your Disaster Essay Even More Helpful

Do you want to make your disaster management essay more informative and impressive? Then tell about various organizations that deal with managing disasters. These resources can also help natural disaster victims or those who want to be aware of all the necessary information if something terrible happens.

Say a few words about the following organizations:

• International Association of Emergency Managers
• PreventionWeb
• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
• FEMA Recovery Resources
• Disaster Resource Guide
• Disaster Assistance
• American Red Cross
• Habitat for Humanity
• The Salvation Army
• World Confederation for Physical Therapy disaster management resources

These resources provide information about the prevention of natural disasters and what types of assistance are available. How to find missing friends or family members? What are the ways of recovering after disaster strikes? There are also community resources that can help with recovery.

End on a High Note

You don’t want to frustrate your reader, leaving them with a bitter impression. No matter how long your natural disaster essay is – 200 words, 300 words, or a thousand. It’s crucial to deliver a positive message.

Here’s what you can do;

• Talk about the consequences. Tell about the lessons that catastrophic events you’ve described teach us, as human beings. Spreading awareness about the consequences is essential, especially if we talk about man-made disasters. You might mention the role of the media in spreading awareness about environmental disasters.
• Talk about dealing with disasters. It might be a natural disaster, such as a tsunami, or human-made, like the Chernobyl disaster. Your essay should include info about how people dealt with them. The experience individuals get from dealing with disasters is priceless.
• Mention the value of human life. Encountering natural disasters reminds people of how fragile their lives are. It shows the importance of cherishing the life given.

In the end, you’ll have to summarize your essay and restate your thesis. While you try not to leave a negative message, don’t present any new thoughts or concepts. Draw a clear conclusion from the info mentioned in the body.

🖊️ Natural Disasters Essay 300 Words

Check out our essay example on natural disasters below to learn more about structuring your paper. And if you want more examples, try our free Chat GPT Essay Writer to generate a custom-made disaster essay sample tailored to your requirements.

Hurricane Katrina: Disaster Management Strategies

Introduction

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the southeastern United States. It became one of the most devastating natural disasters in the history of the country, resulting in 1,833 fatalities and $108 billion in damage . The experience learned from Hurricane Katrina, including both successes and failures, provides important insights for improving disaster management strategies.

Among the effective measures implemented were immediate rescue and social media coordination. Despite initial logistical challenges, the quick deployment of rescue teams, including the Coast Guard and volunteer organizations, saved countless lives. At the same time, social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have become effective tools for spreading information as well as reuniting families and organizing volunteers. The emergence of crowdfunding websites such as GoFundMe also helped affected communities and families by providing them with financial support.

Despite all efforts, Katrina also revealed shortcomings in disaster response and preparedness. Levee failures, in particular, which are a result of inadequate infrastructure, made the flooding more destructive. Besides, the government faced long-term recovery challenges due to bureaucratic obstacles. There were also challenges caused by inequitable resource distribution and limited access to mental health services. All these factors made reconstruction more difficult and isolated some communities, which highlighted the need for more inclusive and equitable strategies for recovery.

The struggle with the consequences of Hurricane Katrina became a lesson for the United States and the whole world. Recognizing both successful and unsuccessful strategies allows us to draw important conclusions for the next decades. In the event of future disasters, it will be crucial to prioritize community-based preparedness, efficient communication, a robust infrastructure, and equitable resource distribution to boost resilience and save more lives.

Want to see a fully-formatted natural disasters essay sample? Feel free to download it in PDF format below:

The inevitability of natural disasters and the frequent occurrence of human-made disasters necessitate well-planned effective emergency management approaches that employ functional and cost-efficient methods. Since disasters entail multiple financial losses, property damage, and most importantly, impose a significant threat to human health and life, medical preparedness constitutes a pivotal part of the disaster management process.

Hopefully, you’ve found this guide on natural disaster essay writing useful.

If you have any thoughts on writing disaster essays—make sure to leave a comment about it below. You can also leave a comment if you want to share more disaster resources. Have any questions, suggestions, or even a story to tell? Leave a comment!

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It’s really superb!

Wow. It is very helpful. Thanks.

What is the most effective process of prevention disasters?

It’s quite a complex process, and there’s definitely more than one choice.

Thank you a lot. I found this post very helpful in writing my essay on disaster management. Best regards, Michael

Thanks for the excellent guide to writing an essay on disaster management. Very helpful points to include in a disaster management paper! I wish you good luck!

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Creative Writing- The Tsunami

                                Creative Writing- The Tsunami                                

The tides came crashing through, eliminating everything that came in their way. We were like little ants scurrying around looking for our home, a shelter, anything that would protect us from the savage tide that wanted to wipe us off of the face of the earth. It was too late for the people on the beach; they had already been taken prisoner, drowned forever in their tears of sorrow and fear.

It didn’t feel like it would be much longer before I was shackled and chained up as well. I felt like I had been running for hours, I wouldn’t have been able to keep it up for much longer. The tide just kept coming and there was nothing powerful enough to stop it. What about God? What about The Almighty One that I had been praying to for all these years? This would’ve been a great time for Him to make an entrance. I began to feel the water around my ankles. They were trying to clasp me… trying to imprison me for eternity. It felt like it was over for me, time to give up and hand myself in… but for what? I mean I hadn’t done anything wrong and I’ve still got my whole life ahead of me. I wasn’t about to give in just yet, and luckily God just made His entrance. I could hear the tide slowing down behind me, but it wasn’t over yet though. I could see a rising shadow going on for at least two hundred yards ahead of me, I turned around with apprehension and looked it in the eye. It looked back snarling, the blue, translucent wave crashed on top of me.

I woke up squinting; the light was penetrating my eye. I stood up and found myself naked in the middle of the Sri Lankan jungle. Was it Sri Lanka? Or was it heaven? Last thing I remember was me knocked out after something hit me. Was it a fist? Was it a bus? I hadn’t a clue. I guess this must be heaven. Wow, I would never have thought I’d die at the age of sixteen. Well at least I don’t have to go to school tomorrow!

I searched around the Garden of Eden; there was no shortage of sweet coconuts or juicy mangos, but where was everyone else? Could this be hell and not heaven? I mean hell doesn’t necessarily have to be a fiery cave where there’s a guy in a red cape prodding you with his trident. I heard about this sort of thing, my mum told me. She said hell is your worst nightmare, you may not even know what it is, but it is your worst nightmare. My heart began to beat faster, what if this is hell? What if I’m never going to see my parent’s again? I began to run. I don’t know where I was running to, but I just had to get out of this place. ‘Garden of Eden’! What was I thinking?

It began to get dark and I was still naked without a single cloth to cover my shame. I was cold and frightened so I used the large palm leaves to keep myself warm over the night.

I woke up, still distraught. ‘He’s over here! I found him! He’s over here!’ announced a dirty, scruffy man strapped with an AK-47. Confused and afraid I began to back off as he tried to come nearer. I drew further away as he drew nearer. Another man came up behind me and another two had me from the sides… I was surrounded.

This is a preview of the whole essay

They began to snarl and snigger, telling me I had nowhere to hide. One of them drew nearer not knowing that I was aware of him, he tried to pounce and that’s when I made a break for it. He came up from behind and tried to grab me into a headlock, I spun around leaving him head first in the dirt and just ran. The others, after tending to their partner, began to chase me. They had no chance of catching me. I was young, fit and scared out of my wits…I ran for my life.

Once establishing they had no chance of catching me they began to shoot. Four or five whizzed passed my shoulder until one hit me in the leg. It pierced my left leg ripped through my muscle and came out through the front. I hit the ground pretty hard and banged my head against a blunt rock that was ‘conveniently’ right where my head was.

I was knocked out again and woke up in a cell, this time I was dressed. One of the guys from earlier was rattling the cell bars to wake everyone up. Someone opened my cell door and began to walk towards me, I was still frightened and huddled myself in a corner. He violently grabbed me by my hair and threw me out of the cell. There were other prisoners there, some that I’m positive I recognised from before I got knocked out and ended up in the jungle. What on earth was going on? Was this really hell?

The guard who dragged me by the hair asked me what was wrong with me. I had a million things wrong with me, I didn’t know where to begin. Instead I just kept quiet and unwillingly got into the line.

 We marched to the showers outside. For some reason I was hesitant to get into the showers, I just felt like there was a danger or something when it came to water. The guards arrived soon and I was forced to take a shower. I wasn’t about to try and find out what would happen if I didn’t. After the shower, we were taken to some sort of boot camp. There was an assault course, rifle shooting, everything, as though we were some kind of trainee army. There were no women here it was just men. The ages ranged from about twelve to forty. We were being treated like dogs, we had to complete the assault course fifteen times within a time limit, or otherwise they would shoot us in the foot. I didn’t know what was going on, but I decided that I was just going to do as I was told.

I saw one of the younger kid’s he was about thirteen years old with short hair, he was struggling a lot with the course and began to lose his breath. He fell at the second to last hurdle and everyone began to over take him. I looked over to the guards… they noticed him. One of the guards came rushing over, swearing at the boy and lifted the boy by his ear. The boy began to whimper as the guard threw countless slaps across the boy’s face. The guard took the boy into the jungle… every one stopped when they began to hear the boy wailing and crying out for help. The boy came out whimpering, holding on to his falling trousers as he ran in to the toilets. The guard came out a few seconds after with a satisfied smirk on his face, tucking his shirt in to his trousers. Everyone glared at the guard with the most piercing of looks. The guard, tense and somewhat frightened, shot his rifle in the air and yelled at everyone to get back to what they were doing.

I was first to finish the assault course and I asked if I could go to the toilet. The guard said ‘be quick’. When I got to the toilet I heard whimpering, it was the young boy. I found him curled up inside one of the cubicles. He told me to go away when I asked him what happened in the jungle.

“I’m only here to help, I won’t tell anyone… what happened?”

“As if you don’t know”

He replied in a shuddering voice. I asked him his name, he replied ‘Bhavan’. I asked Bhavan how he got here. He gave me a weird look and replied ‘You know very well how I got here you bastard, leave me alone!’ I didn’t know what I had done to make him so angry with me.

“Look here’s the deal, I woke up yesterday in the middle of that jungle, and some men chased me then shot me. I woke up this morning in the cell without a clue where I am, what I’m doing here, who these people are, or how I’m going to get out of here! Now can you help me with any of these question’s or not?”

“You’re that boy aren’t you?”

“What?”

“You’re that boy, the one that survived the tsunami”

“What tsu-…”

That’s when it hit me I began to remember everything. I was out with my family; my mum, my dad and my little sister. We were on our way to the beach, but mum forgot the sun tan lotion and

I had to go back home and get it. When I got home I went upstairs to check in mum and dad’s bedroom. I couldn’t find it so I came back downstairs and saw it in the living room on the coffee table. I went to retrieve it… when I heard screams, very loud screams.

I rushed out side to see what it was. I saw an army of people, including my parents and my little sister, running towards me screaming and yelling for help. Still I was unsure what they were running away from and suddenly out of nowhere a gargantuan tidal wave washed them clean away. Shocked and unbelieving I stood there for at least another minute rubbing my eyes in disbelief. I saw another wave heading my way. I ran and I ran but the wave got me too. But…I didn’t die. Someone…those guards they rescued me. They took my body before the water back flowed in to the ocean. Once I’d regained consciousness…. that guard… the one that took Bhavan into the jungle, I remember him whispering some thing in my ear as I woke up. He told me he’d be gentle. He said to be quiet. He said this was our little secret. I looked around and we were…we were naked? Confused and frightened I stood up shocked. He asked me to calm down and when I refused, we got into a bit of a fight, and then he injected me with something; a sleepy drug that knocks you out and erases your memory or something. Before the drug got to its full effect I managed to break free of his grasp and made a run for it to the jungle. Then those guards shot at me and I woke up here.

 When I told Bhavan all of this his face looked as though it had just seen a ghost. Bhavan told me that these ‘soldiers’ were the ‘Tamil Tigers’ a rebel gang that wanted to overtake the Sri Lankan government. They were recruiting young orphans and those who have nothing to lose to fight for them. The guard that raped Bhavan and I was General Gander, he ran this place. He was behind so many attacks on civilians in Sri Lanka. As Bhavan told me all this I became shocked and enraged, I was absolutely fuming, I needed to do something, I had to get back at General Gander for what he’d done.

That night I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t stop thinking about my family…well at least they were together. I started to reminisce all the good times I used to have with my family. All of the joyous moments we shared together, like that time when we went to India and that monkey was following us everywhere, he stole Suzie’s lunch.

I couldn’t take it any more! What was the use in me living!? I don’t believe in a single thing that these ‘rebels’ were fighting for. And that General Gander… I wanted to murder him!

The next morning I awoke sharp and alert, the perfect soldier, only spoke when spoken to, best at the rifle shooting, didn’t make eye contact with anyone… Then he arrived.

 That sadistic monster crawled out of his hole and came out to inspect the rifle shooting. Bhavan was shooting about ten yards away and there were four people between us. Bhavan began to shake and shiver, he couldn’t even hold his rifle upright when Gander arrived. Bhavan was next to be inspected and he started to whimper again. Gander waltzed up behind with a smirk. He grasped a hold of Bhavan’s buttocks and whispered something in his ear. Bhavan began to shiver and shake so much that his knees turned to jelly and he couldn’t even stand up. The poor boy wet his pants and was standing in a puddle of his own urine. A few of the guards and some of the other younger prisoners began to laugh at him. Gander didn’t have a clue what was going to happen when he got to me.

He was done with the guy beside me then he came over to me. This was it, this was my chance to kill him and no way was I about to hesitate. Gander didn’t recognise me I kept my face forward and he stood behind me. He wrote a few things on his clipboard then moved on.

I grabbed Gander from behind. I locked my right arm around his neck and held my rifle to his head. All the guards raised their AK-47’s and aimed them straight at me. They kept shouting at me to put the gun down. Why couldn’t I pull the trigger? I’d been planning this all day and night.          

   I failed… I couldn’t pull the trigger… I don’t know what happened. The need I had for Gander’s blood was lost and as I loosened my grip around Gander’s neck he was able to escape and shouted;

“Cuff up this Bastard!”

The soldiers beat me to my knees in front of everyone. They held me still and pulled my head back from my hair as Gander reached for his pistol.

“Let this be a lesson to all of you, if you think you can take me this is what happens!”         

As he was cocking his pistol he aimed it directly at my throat. It was the end for me, I had my chance and I blew it. Everyone stood anxious and nervous to see if he was really going to shoot.

“BANG!”

I opened my eyes and I was still there. I had no wounds, no blood was pouring out of the back of my head. I was still alive. Gander collapsed to the ground a clean bullet hole went straight through his head. Behind him stood Bhavan still shivering and whimpering this time his hands clasped a smoking rifle that was aimed directly at Gander’s head.

The guards didn’t know what to do. They were shocked, still holding my hair. I stood up and pushed them aside. All the prisoners, armed with rifles. We stood side by side facing the weak and vulnerable guards. One of the guards reached for his weapon, and then we just started firing. We shot and shot at them until the end of our magazines.

We were free, no more Gander, no more guards. The prisoners began to dance and hoololate.

“We are free!”  

One man shouted. I still didn’t feel free… I thought the death of Gander would bring me joy and happiness. I ran to the jungle. Once I got there I just started to run and run some more, in no particular direction, just until the day comes that I may join my parents and my little sister.  

Document Details

• Word Count 2700
• Page Count 4
• Subject English

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Survival Sagas: Mission Catastrophe Mini Saga Creative Writing Lesson for KS3/4

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

15 March 2019

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Survival Sagas: Mission Catastrophe challenges students to write a mini saga, a story told in just 100 words on the theme of disaster…

The unthinkable has happened, a catastrophe so epic it has almost eliminated the entire human race. There are just a few survivors… will they rebuild civilisation or succumb to Mother Nature, just like all the others?

Students can write about how the world almost ends or introduce us to their post-apocolyptic vision. Students can interpret the theme as they wish to.

From destruction and survival to new beginnings and redemption, where will Survival Sagas: Mission Catastrophe take your students’ imaginations?

(Please note there are dates on the files as they were free competition resources, but they are timeless!)

If you enjoyed this theme, link it to the next part of the Survival Sagas series, Mission Contamination!

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Natural Disaster Creative Writing Prompts Research Project Extreme Weather

• Google Apps™

Description

This " If I Were a Natural Disaster " creative writing prompt set is an excellent way for students to familiarize themselves with extreme weather, natural disasters, and more! It also makes a nice mini-assessment to get a quick idea of students' creative writing ability, including research project ideas!

➡ Check out the preview for more ideas.

This set includes:

☑️ Writing prompt template pages including the phrase "If I were a/an..." :

• Natural Disaster
• Geological Disaster
• Meteorological Disaster
• Volcanic Eruption
• Lightning Storm
• Tropical Cyclone
• Three pages with blank lines to add your own natural disaster not included.

☑️ Extra options:

• Directions page (editable and digital included)
• Two different rubric options (editable and digital included)
• Fun fact cards with 3+ facts about each type of natural disaster, pictures included
• Editable in PowerPoint for students to type their reports

There is also a digital link included for making a copy, saving it in Google Drive, and using it in Google Classroom (perfect for students who may be absent or for having students write digitally).

You can find other Weather companion resources here:

➡ Weather Research Packet - Mobile Project

➡ Weather and Climate | Full Guided Science Lesson Bundle

➡ Weather and Climate - Science Guided Notebook

Want more "If I Were ..." Creating Writing Prompts? Check these out:

➡ Greek Mythology and Zodiac Constellations Creative Writing Prompts

➡ Scientists Creative Writing Prompts

➡ Planets Creative Writing Prompts

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Year 6 SATS Writing Evidence: A Narrative (Fleeing Disaster) – Teacher Assessment Framework KS2

Resource Collection Plan, assess, review

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Do you have enough independent writing to assess your year 6 pupils against the writing Teacher Assessment Framework for the end of Key Stage 2?

Plazoom has created a selection of writing activities linked to the foundation subjects to provide opportunities for cross-curricular writing.

In this writing task, pupils will write a narrative about a natural disaster. This could be used within a geography topic based around natural disasters such as a volcanic explosion, an earthquake, flood or hurricane.

Year 6 writing checklists with TAF statements can be used to assess pupils against the year 6 writing standards for working towards, expected and greater depth, which could be used for internal or external moderation.

This resource pack includes:

• Personal writing skills checklist for pupils to write their own writing checklists to encourage independent editing.
• Narrative writing skills checklist a list of features, without modelled examples, for pupils to use as a checklist for editing writing.
• How to describe settings, character and atmosphere poster a poster for display with the key features when describing characters, setting and atmosphere.
• ‘Fleeing Disaster!’ story start an engaging start for pupils’ narratives to inspire fantastic writing.
• Natural disasters image cards a collection of images to inspire creative writing.
• Narrative planning sheet to support pupils when planning and organising their ideas.
• Themed writing paper a PDF writing sheet for pupils to use when writing their final draft which includes the story start for ‘Fleeing Disaster!’
• Teacher assessment sheets for teachers to use to assess pupils against the year 6 writing TAF statements which could be placed in pupils’ books as a record of evidence seen.

End of KS2 TAF Statements the writing could provide evidence for

• To describe settings and characters.
• To use capital letters, full stops, question marks, commas for lists and apostrophes for contraction mostly correctly.
• To describe settings, characters and atmosphere in narratives.
• To integrate dialogue in narratives to convey character and advance action.
• To use a range of punctuation taught at KS2 mostly correctly
• To distinguish between the language of speech and writing and choosing the appropriate register
• To use the range of punctuation taught at KS2 correctly and, when necessary, use such punctuation precisely to enhance meaning and avoid ambiguity.

This resource is part of the Plan, assess, review collection. View more from this collection

• Teacher notes
• Personal writing skills checklist
• Narrative writing skills checklist
• How to describe settings, character and atmosphere poster
• ‘Fleeing Disaster!’ story start
• Natural Disasters image cards
• Narrative planning sheet
• Themed writing paper
• Teacher assessment sheets

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