By Juan Estrada
Natural disasters are capable of wiping out a whole state and can kill millions of people. Throughout the history of the United States, some of the most dangerous disasters have killed many people and affected many states and cities.
There are many types of natural disasters like: typhoons, tsunamis , tornadoes , and hurricanes. I will mostly be talking about natural disasters that occur in California which are earthquakes, floods and wildfires.
All these disasters are happening for a reason. Our environment is being affected by all these disasters. There have been huge wildfires in California throughout 2017 and 2018 where houses were destroyed and people were left homeless. These problems need more awareness because it is up to us if we want to keep our futures safe and liable.
Throughout the past 2 to 3 years, California has been damaged by many huge wildfires. Wildfires in California are mostly always started by humans but can also sometimes be caused naturally by lightning. Fires are more common in California due to the dry terrains. Fires can be sparked and can spread into many acres in a matter of a few minutes depending what was lit on fire.
A devastating wildfire that happened a year ago was the 2017 Creek Fire. This fire mostly took place in parts of Los Angeles. This wildfire took many weeks for firefighters to at least be in control of the fire. It might seem like it is easy to maintain a fire, but things tend to get more difficult depending on the climate.
The creek fire moved at a very fast pace and burned down many neighborhoods in a few weeks. According to NBC Los Angeles, strong winds coming from Santa Ana was what really pushed the fire to quickly spread to communities.
At the end of this fire, a total of 15,619 acres were burned. There is still an ongoing investigation to see what caused the Creek Fire so this is still considered a wildfire for now. A creek is capable of easily getting ignited due to all the dry grass and herbs there are. Unfortunately, there were over a 100 deaths due to this natural disaster. There were many deaths caused and many communities were affected. This impacted people living in this area negatively because most of their belongings were burned and many were left with nothing but clothes.
Earthquakes are also common in California because of its location. California lies on top of the San Andreas fault. In order for an earthquake to start, tectonic plates need to shift underground. Fortunately, there have not been any major earthquakes in California since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake which had a magnitude of 7.9.
The San Francisco earthquake caused fires that were not put out until a few days later. 80% of San Francisco was destroyed. Of course there have been many earthquakes the past years but few have reached the magnitude of 7 or higher.
Earthquakes are dangerous and can lead to death if not prepared. Not only do earthquakes shake the ground and cause buildings to fall, but they can also cause fires, tsunamis, and landslides.
Mr. Miller, a science teacher at Yerba Buena High School, says that earthquakes should be taken seriously to avoid any injuries. He says “The best thing to do during an earthquake is to watch your head and go under something stable because things hanging can easily detach and hit your head. It is best to leave valuables inside then save your own life and evacuate if you can.”
Old structures are the ones most vulnerable to earthquakes because of their stability being very weak.
Ongoing rain is usually the cause of floods. Thankfully there are not that many floods in California but there are many states that are very vulnerable to floods due to the area the state is located at. Most states exposed to oceans can easily be flooded by high winds pushing water closer into the city.
According to an article on floods by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way to prepare for a flood is to make an evacuation plan with your family and evacuate as soon as possible if needed. It is important to avoid making contact with flood water because it can be contaminated.
Overall, these disasters can be very harmful towards our environment and communities. The only way to remain strong during these situations is for everybody to come together and help each other. It is safer to think ahead than later because an earthquake can happen any second and you are less capable of getting hurt if you have a plan.
Natural disasters are capable of wiping out a whole state and can kill millions of people. Throughout the history of the United States, some of the most dangerous disasters have killed many people and affected many states and cities.
There are many types of natural disasters like: typhoons, tsunamis , tornadoes , and hurricanes. I will mostly be talking about natural disasters that occur in California which are earthquakes, floods and wildfires.
All these disasters are happening for a reason. Our environment is being affected by all these disasters. There have been huge wildfires in California throughout 2017 and 2018 where houses were destroyed and people were left homeless. These problems need more awareness because it is up to us if we want to keep our futures safe and liable.
Throughout the past 2 to 3 years, California has been damaged by many huge wildfires. Wildfires in California are mostly always started by humans but can also sometimes be caused naturally by lightning. Fires are more common in California due to the dry terrains. Fires can be sparked and can spread into many acres in a matter of a few minutes depending what was lit on fire.
A devastating wildfire that happened a year ago was the 2017 Creek Fire. This fire mostly took place in parts of Los Angeles. This wildfire took many weeks for firefighters to at least be in control of the fire. It might seem like it is easy to maintain a fire, but things tend to get more difficult depending on the climate.
The creek fire moved at a very fast pace and burned down many neighborhoods in a few weeks. According to NBC Los Angeles, strong winds coming from Santa Ana was what really pushed the fire to quickly spread to communities.
At the end of this fire, a total of 15,619 acres were burned. There is still an ongoing investigation to see what caused the Creek Fire so this is still considered a wildfire for now. A creek is capable of easily getting ignited due to all the dry grass and herbs there are. Unfortunately, there were over a 100 deaths due to this natural disaster. There were many deaths caused and many communities were affected. This impacted people living in this area negatively because most of their belongings were burned and many were left with nothing but clothes.
Earthquakes are also common in California because of its location. California lies on top of the San Andreas fault. In order for an earthquake to start, tectonic plates need to shift underground. Fortunately, there have not been any major earthquakes in California since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake which had a magnitude of 7.9.
The San Francisco earthquake caused fires that were not put out until a few days later. 80% of San Francisco was destroyed. Of course there have been many earthquakes the past years but few have reached the magnitude of 7 or higher.
Earthquakes are dangerous and can lead to death if not prepared. Not only do earthquakes shake the ground and cause buildings to fall, but they can also cause fires, tsunamis, and landslides.
Mr. Miller, a science teacher at Yerba Buena High School, says that earthquakes should be taken seriously to avoid any injuries. He says “The best thing to do during an earthquake is to watch your head and go under something stable because things hanging can easily detach and hit your head. It is best to leave valuables inside then save your own life and evacuate if you can.”
Old structures are the ones most vulnerable to earthquakes because of their stability being very weak.
Ongoing rain is usually the cause of floods. Thankfully there are not that many floods in California but there are many states that are very vulnerable to floods due to the area the state is located at. Most states exposed to oceans can easily be flooded by high winds pushing water closer into the city.
According to an article on floods by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way to prepare for a flood is to make an evacuation plan with your family and evacuate as soon as possible if needed. It is important to avoid making contact with flood water because it can be contaminated.
Overall, these disasters can be very harmful towards our environment and communities. The only way to remain strong during these situations is for everybody to come together and help each other. It is safer to think ahead than later because an earthquake can happen any second and you are less capable of getting hurt if you have a plan.