What makes a natural disaster disasterous?

Question

Is it not the stupid decisions people make that cause natural events to become disasterous? For instance, I think floods would be very small problems if farm land was left farm land. Much of the best farm land is in flood plains. But people decide that flat ground with soft dirt is an easy place to build houses and then the next flood that comes along they want to blame God or blame someone for allowing this to happen to them. daah, don't build in the flood plain! leave the farm land to be farmed. Then the next flood just wipes out one crop and makes the land fertile for the next 50 crops.

What is your opinion?

Answer 1

People also build houses in the forest then complain about forest fires go figure

Answer 2

From my own experience, I will tell you exactly why natural disasters are so disastrous. First and foremost is the fact that humans are building residences and businesses in locations that are vulnerable to major destruction. Hurricane Katrina was given the title of most destructive hurricane ever because New Orleans is in a location that's asking for it. Its below sea level, there are a lot of buildings, and not a lot of them are designed to withstand a hurricane's mighty force. Storm surge and high winds wiped the floor with New Orleans. Same thing happened in Myanmar because of where they were located.

For tornadoes, there's nothing can be done about them. They are far more powerful than a hurricane, but don't last as long. They can occur anywhere as long as the conditions are favorable.

Floods primarily occur on low, flat areas. Its a bad idea to build something on a flood plain. It appears that you know that very well.

There are other natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and so on that can be avoided just by staying away from their range of destruction. There will always be people who are either careless or are willing to take their changes and be courageous.

Answer 3

Unfortunately the population keeps growing & we are settling into less than desirable places to live.

However, I don't believe that the majority of disasters are caused by human habitation.  Think tornadoes, hurricanes & earthquakes.  Should people who suffer from these disasters move to places where they don't occur?  Oops!  There goes the middle west!

Of course we now have to consider such disasters as 9/11 but there isn't much we can do about that if something similar should happen to us.