Natural Disaster

Natural Disaster is any disaster that happens naturally rather than by human action. The only natural disaster that happened not far from where I lived was a flood that claimed the lives of more than 100 people, including families. It was 2018, a small river that had been there for more than 50 years, never overflowed at any point, with people living at the bank of it for years with no fear and doubt, then suddenly one night, there was a heavy downpour, not like there hadn't been any of it kind before, but this came differently, overflowing the river and flooding into houses built close and a bit farther from it, claiming the lives of the residents.

No one had expected it. Never at one point had the river overflowed, it was all peaceful and calm then suddenly it happened. Natural disasters often happen with little or no sign, and oftentimes don't happen too frequently and that's why people neglect its warning when it surfaces. Sometimes there are traces that people overlook. Even though the flood came and it was a loss to many families and friends, people still live beside the river bank. Maybe because that's the only home they know, or because they choose to neglect the risk they expose themselves to. But humans sometimes are the architects of their own doom where natural disasters occur.

Image generated using Gemini AI

The Africa topography is good with no severe natural disasters, the western countries have diverse means to combat it and one of the ways is finding the cause, and noticing the signs. For African countries, most of the preventive measures are to be carried by people rather than waiting for the government. Using the flood as an example, people should be aware that living beside the river bank is dangerous especially when the water that flows through is larger than a stream. For towns that suffer from flood, a drainage can be constructed around the road path where the water can flow through to a river. When it comes to safety, the government, community, and individuals have a role to play, but the most responsibility lies on individuals and the decisions they make.