Natural Disasters of the World
FoundationEarthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods, eruptions and droughts are the world's main disasters; Hong Kong knows typhoons and rainstorms best. Learn the warning signals and the responses, prepare an emergency kit, and protect yourself and your family.
- Earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods, eruptions and droughts are the world's main disasters.
- Typhoons are Hong Kong's familiar threat; the Observatory warns with numbered signals and coloured rainstorm warnings.
- At signal 8 or above stay indoors — never watch the waves.
文體小知識：自然災害說明文解釋地震、颱風等災害的成因和防備方法，認識大自然的力量，學會保護自己。
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1Nature's power is immense, and sometimes it brings disaster. Earthquakes come from the movement of the Earth's plates; millions occur each year, most mild, but strong ones flatten buildings, and quakes under the sea can raise tsunamis whose great waves crash on coasts. Volcanoes erupt lava and ash; floods follow heavy rain or melting snow; droughts ruin harvests. These disasters cluster along plate edges and monsoon lands.
2The typhoon, a tropical cyclone of the northwest Pacific, is the disaster Hong Kong knows best. Strongest near its centre, it brings gales, rainstorms and storm surge. The Observatory warns with tropical cyclone signals numbered 1, 3, 8, 9 and 10, and rainstorms with amber, red and black signals. In 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut felled trees across the city and pushed the sea into the streets — still fresh in memory.
3Hong Kong has clear arrangements for typhoons and rainstorms. At signal 8 or above classes and work stop: stay in a safe place, never go to the shore to watch the waves; keep away from slopes, scaffolding and windows; store water, food and torches; in rainstorms avoid underpasses and low-lying ground. Other disasters have their own defences: earthquake zones build to seismic codes, and in a quake shelter under a sturdy table; when a tsunami warning sounds, move uphill at once.
4Disasters are cruel, but people are kind: after a disaster, rescue teams, the Red Cross and aid from many countries arrive, and schools can run fund-raising. Learn the causes and the defences, remember the family emergency kit and meeting point, and care for the environment — studies show climate change is making extreme weather more frequent, so saving energy is part of disaster preparedness too.
1Summary 重點摘要
Earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods, eruptions and droughts are the world's main disasters; Hong Kong knows typhoons and rainstorms best. Learn the warning signals and the responses, prepare an emergency kit, and protect yourself and your family.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
The shaking of the ground caused by moving plates of the Earth's crust.
Giant waves raised by undersea earthquakes, devastating when they strike the coast.
The tropical cyclone of the northwest Pacific, bringing gales and rainstorms.
The sea pushed ashore by a typhoon, flooding the coast.
A volcano pouring out lava and ash.
Land drowned when rivers overflow with rain or melting snow.
A long lack of rain that ruins crops.
The Observatory's signals telling of typhoon or rainstorm threats.
Preparing supplies and plans in advance to lessen a disaster's harm.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Know the main natural disastersCommon natural disasters around the world include earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, typhoons and volcanic eruptions. For example, Japan often suffers earthquakes and tsunamis because it sits on plate edges; Bangladesh often floods because its land is low and its rains concentrated. Knowing how disasters link to geography shows why different regions face different risks, and why each region must prepare in its own way.
- Step 2: Read Hong Kong's typhoon signalsThe Hong Kong Observatory warns of typhoons with tropical cyclone signals, and we should learn to read them. For example, signal 3 means strong winds are nearing the coast; signal 8 means gales or storms strengthening sharply, and school closes; signal 10 is the highest, with the fiercest winds. Understanding the signals tells us what to do — for example, stay safely indoors while signal 8 or above is in force, and keep away from outdoor activities.
- Step 3: Read the rainstorm warningsHong Kong's rainstorm warnings come in amber, red and black — the heavier the rain, the deeper the colour. For example, amber warns of heavy rain to come; red and black mean heavier rain, and school closes on red or black. Rainstorms can cause flooding and landslides, so when a warning is in force keep away from slopes, streams and low-lying areas, stay in a safe place at home, and wait for the rain to ease.
- Step 4: Prepare the family emergency kitDisasters can happen at any time, and a family emergency kit keeps us from panicking. For example, pack a torch, spare batteries, three days of water and dried food, simple medicine, blankets and a radio, and keep it where everyone knows. Check the kit every few months and replace expired items and batteries, so it works whenever it is needed and nothing is missing in an emergency.
- Step 5: Drill the responsesThe correct responses to disasters must be drilled in advance, so we do not panic in a real emergency. For example, when signal 8 is hoisted stay indoors with windows taped, keeping away from the glass; in an earthquake drill dive under a sturdy desk at once, protecting the head and neck with the hands. Practice at school and at home turns the right actions into habits, so the body reacts correctly when disaster really comes.
- Step 6: Show care after disastersAfter a disaster, the affected people need support from all sides, and we can do our part too. For example, when disaster strikes abroad, schools collect supplies and donations, and classmates write cards to children in the stricken area, sending care and encouragement; when able, join charity sales to raise funds too. Small gifts and greetings may seem slight, yet they let victims feel that people care — a concrete expression of the mutual help of global citizens.
- Step 7: Reduce risk at the sourceSome disaster risks are linked to climate change and can be reduced at the source. For example, studies show climate change brings stronger typhoons and more frequent rainstorms; saving energy, supporting tree-planting and living a low-carbon life lessen the threat of extreme weather in the long run. Everyone who saves electricity and takes public transport helps lower the risks of disasters ahead — disaster preparedness starts in daily life.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: on Sunday morning the Observatory forecasts that signal eight will be hoisted by afternoon. Yan's family had planned a barbecue by the sea. Advise them what to do, and list three typhoon preparations.
- Cancel the barbecue: at signal eight the shore faces huge waves and storm surge, so never go to watch or play there.
- Preparation one: buy two to three days of drinking water and food, and stock batteries and torches in case of power cuts.
- Preparation two: tape the window glass and bring in balcony plants and loose items, so strong winds cannot blow them onto the street.
- Preparation three: confirm the family meeting point and emergency contacts, charge the phones, and follow the Observatory's latest news.
- Answer: Cancel the outing and stay at home; make all three preparations — store water and food, tape the windows, confirm the emergency plan — and go out only after the signal falls. Safety always matters more than fun.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What causes earthquakes?
Q2What is the commonest natural disaster in Hong Kong?
Q3What should we do when signal 8 is hoisted?
Q4What are the three colours of the rainstorm warning?
Q5What belongs in a family emergency kit?
8Recap Recap
- Earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods, eruptions and droughts are the world's main disasters.
- Typhoons are Hong Kong's familiar threat; the Observatory warns with numbered signals and coloured rainstorm warnings.
- At signal 8 or above stay indoors — never watch the waves.
- Prepare the family emergency kit and remember the meeting point and contacts.
- Climate change brings more extreme weather; saving energy and helping one another are part of preparedness.