Emergency Categories
An emergency is an event that has the potential to become life threatening to individuals. The following are officially recognized categories of disasters:
Planned Disaster
| Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Biological | Biological attack occurs when a virus or germ is being released, causing widespread illness. | |
| Chemical | Chemical attack occurs when a gas or man-made chemicals is released, causing widespread illness. | |
| Nuclear | Nuclear attack consists of an explosion of intense heat and light, emitting dangerous radiation. | |
| Terrorist Attack | A terrorist attack occurs when terrorists attacks a structure or people, risking the safety of a nation or society (e.g. suicide bombings). | |
Natural Disaster
| Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | An earthquake is a sudden movement of the earth caused by the abrupt release of strain that has accumulated over a long time. | |
| Fire | The underlying principle in providing safety from fire and smoke in buildings is that of safe egress - the efficient relocation of building occupants to an area of safety, usually outside the building. | |
| Flood | Flood occurs when there's disproportional amount of rainfall and could become destructive in surrounding areas. | |
| Hurricane | A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone, the generic term for a low pressure system that generally forms in the tropics. | |
| Thunder Storm | Any thunderstorm is dangerous as it produces lightning which can initiate wildfires or accompany more severe weather such as hail or tornado. | |
| Tornado | A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach up to 300 miles per hour. | |
| Winter Storm | A winter storm can bring significant amounts of snow, freezing rain or sleet to a region. | |
Last updated: Monday, October 17, 2016