Types of Disasters — Set 12

Correct Answer: C. Flood

Flood is primarily a hydrological disaster involving the overflow of water from rivers, lakes, or coastal areas onto normally dry land, though it is often triggered by meteorological events like heavy rainfall. For this reason, floods are typically classified under the combined 'hydro-meteorological' category in most international and Indian disaster classification frameworks. Pure meteorological disasters — like cyclones, heatwaves, and cold waves — are driven entirely by atmospheric processes.

Correct Answer: B. Complex emergencies

The UNDP classifies disasters into three main types: natural disasters (geological, hydro-meteorological, biological), technological disasters (industrial accidents, nuclear/radiological, chemical), and complex emergencies (conflict, famine, displacement with multiple interacting factors). Complex emergencies combine disaster impacts with political violence or armed conflict, requiring both humanitarian and peacebuilding responses. India is primarily concerned with natural and technological disaster types rather than complex emergencies.

Correct Answer: B. Water droplets are carried upward by updrafts in thunderstorm clouds and freeze

Hailstones form when water droplets are carried high into the atmosphere by strong updrafts within cumulonimbus (thunderstorm) clouds, freeze into ice, and grow in size through successive cycles of upward and downward movement before falling. Hailstone size ranges from a few millimetres to over 10 centimetres in extreme events. In India, large hailstorms can devastate standing crops of wheat, grapes, and vegetables in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh within minutes.

Correct Answer: C. Geological Survey of India (GSI)

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is the primary organisation responsible for monitoring volcanic activity at Barren Island as part of its geological hazard monitoring mandate. INCOIS also plays a role by monitoring for any tsunami potential from volcanic or seismic activity in the Andaman Sea. The uninhabited nature of Barren Island means there is no immediate life threat, but monitoring continues for scientific and regional hazard assessment purposes.

Correct Answer: D. Earthquake — Chemical

Earthquake is NOT a chemical disaster — it is a geological disaster caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust due to tectonic plate movement. Chemical disasters involve the release of toxic chemical substances, as in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Correctly pairing disaster types with their categories is fundamental in disaster management studies for appropriate hazard mapping, early warning design, and response planning.

Correct Answer: B. Capacity of the affected community to cope

A disaster occurs when a hazardous event exceeds the capacity of the affected community to cope using its own resources, resulting in significant loss of life, property, livelihoods, or the environment. This definition highlights that the same hazard event — for example a given magnitude earthquake — may be a disaster in a vulnerable community but a manageable event in a prepared one. Building community resilience and coping capacity is therefore central to reducing disaster risk.

Correct Answer: B. Drought is slow-onset; cyclone is rapid-onset

Drought is a slow-onset disaster developing over months to years of below-normal rainfall, while a cyclone is a rapid-onset disaster that strikes within days of formation. This fundamental difference determines the type of warning systems, response operations, and long-term mitigation strategies required. Drought management relies on seasonal climate forecasts and agricultural contingency planning, whereas cyclone management depends on real-time track forecasting and rapid evacuation.

Correct Answer: C. United States (NOAA/NHC)

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is used by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) under NOAA to classify Atlantic and eastern Pacific hurricanes into five categories based on sustained wind speed. India uses its own IMD classification system for North Indian Ocean cyclones with 7 intensity categories. Each Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre worldwide uses classification scales adapted to its regional cyclone characteristics.

Correct Answer: C. Cyclone

Cyclones can be tracked and predicted up to 5–7 days in advance using satellite imagery, numerical weather prediction models, and Doppler radar — the longest reliable forecast lead time of any major natural disaster. Earthquakes currently cannot be predicted with useful precision days or weeks in advance, and sudden cloudbursts are extremely localised and unpredictable. India's IMD issues cyclone watches 72 hours before expected landfall and cyclone warnings 48 hours before.

Correct Answer: C. Disaster Management Act 2005

The Disaster Management Act 2005 is the primary legal framework for disaster classification, planning, and response in India, establishing NDMA, SDMAs, and DDMAs at national, state, and district levels. The Act defines 'disaster' as a catastrophe, mishap, calamity, or grave occurrence from natural or man-made causes resulting in substantial loss of life or damage beyond a community's coping capacity. It also empowers the government to classify COVID-19 and other emerging threats as disasters eligible for relief under the SDRF/NDRF.