Geography ยท Environmental Studies

Natural Hazards and Disasters

1,386 Questions

Natural hazards and disasters involve the study of extreme natural events like earthquakes, floods, and cyclones, alongside their management and mitigation strategies. This geography and environmental studies topic is heavily tested in civil services and state public service examinations. Use these questions to prepare for inquiries on disaster response, community recovery, and tremor causes.

Earthquake and tremor causesDisaster management activitiesFlood management mythsCyclone and severe weatherPost-disaster health problemsCommunity disaster response

Natural Hazards and Disasters Questions

Multiple choice

Directions: Complete the given paragraph by selecting the most appropriate answer from the given options and fill blank (5).

The tornado ________ (3) the whole town to the point that nothing was left standing. A black funnel cloud _________ (4) by _________ (5) winds _________ (6) into south Brooklyn and Queens at around 11 a.m., with reports of the _______ (7) storm hitting the ground on the Rockaway Peninsula and Canaries. The unusual storm _______ (8) siding from homes and threw patio furniture high into the sky in the quiet beach neighbourhood.

  1. howling

  2. stilling

  3. pacifying
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The meaning of Option 1 is noisy.

Multiple choice

Directions: Complete the given paragraph by selecting the most appropriate answer from the given options and fill blank (9).

Tidal waves are ________ (9) sea waves known as tsunamis. They are often_________ (10), destroying entire towns. Tsunamis are caused by ________ (11) movements such as earthquakes, volcanic_________ (12), or landslides. They can reach speeds up to 450 miles per hour and a height of 100 feet.

  1. diminutive

  2. gigantic

  3. petite
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The meaning of Option 1 is very big.

Multiple choice

Directions: Complete the given paragraph by selecting the most appropriate answer from the given options and fill blank (4).

The tornado ________ (3) the whole town to the point that nothing was left standing. A black funnel cloud _________ (4) by _________ (5) winds _________ (6) into south Brooklyn and Queens at around 11 a.m., with reports of the _______ (7) storm hitting the ground on the Rockaway Peninsula and Canaries. The unusual storm _______ (8) siding from homes and threw patio furniture high into the sky in the quiet beach neighbourhood.

  1. abandoned

  2. deserted

  3. accompanied

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The meaning of Option 3 is to go with.

Multiple choice

Directions: Complete the given paragraph by selecting the most appropriate answer from the given options and fill blank (6).

The tornado ________ (3) the whole town to the point that nothing was left standing. A black funnel cloud _________ (4) by _________ (5) winds _________ (6) into south Brooklyn and Queens at around 11 a.m., with reports of the _______ (7) storm hitting the ground on the Rockaway Peninsula and Canaries. The unusual storm _______ (8) siding from homes and threw patio furniture high into the sky in the quiet beach neighbourhood.

  1. refrained

  2. screamed

  3. prospered
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The meaning of Option 2 is 'came with great noise'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Complete the given paragraph by selecting the most appropriate answer from the given options and fill blank (8).

The tornado ________ (3) the whole town to the point that nothing was left standing. A black funnel cloud _________ (4) by _________ (5) winds _________ (6) into south Brooklyn and Queens at around 11 a.m., with reports of the _______ (7) storm hitting the ground on the Rockaway Peninsula and Canaries. The unusual storm _______ (8) siding from homes and threw patio furniture high into the sky in the quiet beach neighbourhood.

  1. ripped

  2. exaggerated

  3. ceded
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The meaning of Option 1 is to tear apart roughly. So, the storm tore apart the siding (covering of outer walls) from homes.

Multiple choice

Directions: Complete the given paragraph by selecting the most appropriate answer from the given options and fill blank (12).

Tidal waves are ________ (9) sea waves known as tsunamis. They are often_________ (10), destroying entire towns. Tsunamis are caused by ________ (11) movements such as earthquakes, volcanic_________ (12), or landslides. They can reach speeds up to 450 miles per hour and a height of 100 feet.

  1. eruptions

  2. disruptions

  3. absorptions
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The meaning of Option 1 is outburst.

Multiple choice

Directions: Complete the given paragraph by selecting the most appropriate answer from the given options and fill blank (10).

Tidal waves are ________ (9) sea waves known as tsunamis. They are often_________ (10), destroying entire towns. Tsunamis are caused by ________ (11) movements such as earthquakes, volcanic_________ (12), or landslides. They can reach speeds up to 450 miles per hour and a height of 100 feet.

  1. devastating

  2. enriching

  3. ameliorating
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The meaning of Option 1 is disastrous. Next words destroying entire towns point to use of a word with negative meaning. (Enriching and ameliorating mean... improving.)

Multiple choice

Directions: Complete the given paragraph by selecting the most appropriate answer from the given options and fill blank (7).

The tornado ________ (3) the whole town to the point that nothing was left standing. A black funnel cloud _________ (4) by _________ (5) winds _________ (6) into south Brooklyn and Queens at around 11 a.m., with reports of the _______ (7) storm hitting the ground on the Rockaway Peninsula and Canaries. The unusual storm _______ (8) siding from homes and threw patio furniture high into the sky in the quiet beach neighbourhood.

  1. fragile

  2. diffuse

  3. potent
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The meaning of Option 3 is forceful.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a type of Meteorological disaster?

  1. Blizzards

  2. Cyclone

  3. Drought

  4. Solar flare

  5. Hailstorms
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

A solar flare is a phenomenon where the sun suddenly releases a great amount of solar radiation, much more than normal. Hailstorms are falls of rain drops that arrive as ice, rather than melting before they hit the ground. They are a type of meteorological disasters.

Multiple choice

Which one of the following is most destructive?

  1. Tornado

  2. cyclone

  3. typhoon

  4. Willy Willy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Tornadoes are generally considered the most destructive weather phenomena due to their intense, localized winds (up to 300+ mph) and concentrated damage. While cyclones and typhoons affect larger areas, tornadoes deliver the most destructive force per unit area.

Multiple choice

What type of natural disaster was 'Lehar'?

  1. Cyclone

  2. Avalanche

  3. Flash flood

  4. Earthquake

  5. Limnic eruption
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Very severe cyclonic storm Lehar was a tropical cyclone that primarily affected the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

Multiple choice

What are the tropical cyclones of the Bay of Bengal called?

  1. Hurricanes

  2. Typhoons

  3. Depressions

  4. Tornadoes
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Tropical cyclones have different names depending on their location. In the Bay of Bengal and the North Indian Ocean, they are officially called 'depressions' when they have cyclonic circulation. Hurricanes occur in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, typhoons in the Northwest Pacific, and tornadoes are completely different weather phenomena.

Multiple choice

Which of the following occurs more frequently than the other three, in the Indian Ocean?

  1. Cyclone

  2. Hurricane

  3. Tornadoe

  4. Typhoon
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Tropical cyclones are called different names in different ocean basins. 'Cyclone' is the correct term for the Indian Ocean and South Pacific. 'Hurricane' is used in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, 'typhoon' in the Northwest Pacific, and 'tornado' is a completely different phenomenon - a small-scale rotating storm over land. The question asks which term is used specifically for the Indian Ocean.

Multiple choice

Which of the following natural calamities is distinguished from a regular flood by a timescale of less than six hours?

  1. Coastal flooding

  2. Tropical cyclone

  3. Flash flood

  4. Freshet

  5. Tsunami
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, tropical storm, or water melted from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields. Flash floods are distinguished from a regular flood by a timescale of less than six hours.