Natural Hazards and Disasters

The 2008 Sichuan earthquake, also known as the Wenchuan earthquake, occurred on May 12, 2008. It was a magnitude 8.0 earthquake that killed approximately 69,000 people and left millions homeless. This was one of the deadliest earthquakes in modern history.

The Chernobyl disaster in April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) was the world's worst nuclear accident. The explosion and fire released large amounts of radioactive materials, killing 31 workers immediately, causing acute radiation sickness in 129 others, and leading to thousands of premature deaths from long-term exposure.

Fulminology is the scientific study of lightning, including its formation, behavior, and effects. The term derives from 'fulmen' (Latin for lightning). It is not the study of sudden atmospheric changes in general, cloudbursts specifically, or volcanic eruptions - those fall under meteorology or volcanology.

Pyrophobia is derived from 'pyro-' meaning fire and '-phobia' meaning fear, literally translating to fear of fire. The prefix 'pyro-' consistently refers to fire in scientific terminology (pyrotechnics, pyromania, etc.). The other options, water, land, and ocean, have different phobia names (hydrophobia for water).

Hurricane Andrew (1992) was a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane that devastated the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana in August 1992. The other options are wrong: Andy is a different name, Tsunami and Tornado are weather phenomena, not hurricane names.

A massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a devastating tsunami that caused widespread destruction, particularly at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The disaster is known as the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Following the devastating 2001 Bhuj earthquake (7.7 magnitude), the Gujarat government implemented comprehensive disaster management reforms including better building codes, early warning systems, and rehabilitation programs. The United Nations recognized Gujarat's work in disaster risk reduction with an award.

A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with strong winds and heavy rain. Thunder is the sound produced by lightning, not a storm type. Tsunami is a series of ocean waves from underwater displacement. Katrina was a specific hurricane, not the general term.

Hurricane is the correct answer as it is a storm with very strong winds. Katrina was a specific hurricane, Reetha is a name, and Breeze is a gentle wind.

Yes, this is the correct answer as this is the least important factor, which an architect will keep in mind.

This is the correct option as this statement is false. Destructive capacity of a wind storm increases with the increase in wind speeds.

Flood is a natural event that is caused by a combination of heavy rainfall causing river / oceans to overflow their banks. It causes lot of damage to crops, houses and lives.

S and P waves are a type of Seismic waves. Seismic waves are waves of energy that travel through the Earth's layers, and are a result of an earthquake, explosion, or a volcano that imparts low-frequency acoustic energy.

A tsunami is usually caused by a powerful earthquake under the ocean floor. This earthquake pushes a large volume of water to the surface, creating waves. These waves are called the tsunami.