Natural Hazards Gateway

In the United States each year, natural hazards cause hundreds of deaths and cost tens of billions of dollars in disaster aid, disruption of commerce, and destruction of homes and critical infrastructure. This series of sections will educate citizens, emergency managers, and lawmakers on seven natural hazards facing the Nation — earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanoes, and wildfires — and show how USGS science helps mitigate disasters and build resilient communities.

• Natural Hazards—A National Threat

Ground shaking caused by the sudden release of accumulated strain by an abrupt shift of rock along a fracture in the Earth or by volcanic or magmatic activity, or other sudden stress changes in the Earth. More Earthquake information	Relatively high streamflow that overflows the natural or artificial banks of a stream or that submerges land not normally below water level. More Flood information	USGS Real-Time Resources Natural Hazards Support System Earthquakes  Recent Earthquakes Did You Feel It? More Real-time Earthquake Sites Landslides  Landslides Information Advisories Volcanoes  Recent Volcano Updates Water Water Data for the Nation Current Streamflow Conditions More Real-time Water Sites Wildfires GeoMAC Wildland Fire Support
Severe cyclones, or revolving storms, originating over the equatorial regions of the Earth, accompanied by torrential rain, lightning, and winds with a speed greater than 74 miles per hour. More Hurricane information	Downslope movement of rock, soil, or artificial fill under the influences of gravity. More Landslide information
Large destructive sea waves generated by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or large landslides. More Tsunami information	Vents in the surface of the Earth through which magma and associated gases erupt; also, the forms of structures, usually conical, that are produced by the erupted material. More Volcano information	Combustion, marked by flames or intense heat, in natural settings, often ignited by lightning or human activities. For fires set as part of natural resource managment, use controlled fires. More Wildfire information