disaster(redirected from calamities)
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a situation that produces damage and varying amounts of destruction; there is a three-tiered classification for disasters, based on the number of casualties. See also emergency.
Etymology: L, dis, apart, astrum, a star
any mishap or misfortune that is ruinous, distressing, or calamitous.
Nuclear physics Decay disaster
Public health Any unanticipated event that requires urgent response to bring people and/or property out of harm’s way in order to minimise loss of life or destruction of property
disasterPublic health Any unanticipated event that requires urgent response, bringing people and/or property out of harm's way in order to minimize loss of life or destruction of property; disasters are described by certain parameters Vox populi A cataclysmic event in which there is a loss of multiple lives and/or major property damage. See Climatologic disaster, Geological disaster, Man-made disaster, Natural disaster, Tsunami.
Nature, ie either.
1. Natural, geophysical–eg earthquakes, volcanoes or weather-related–eg floods, hurricanes.
2. Man-made–transportation-related, structural collapse, war, hazardous materials, explosions, fires
Location Single site–eg explosion or multiple sites–eg hurricanes
Predictability Regular–eg hurricane season or sporadic–eg toxic spill
Onset Gradual–eg armed conflict or abrupt–eg accident
Duration Brief–eg natural disaster or extended–eg armed conflict
Frequency Often–eg flood, or rare–eg fire
An acronymic paradigm developed by the American Medical Association to assist in organizing the reaction to a mass-casualty incident. The components of the acronym are D for disaster, I for incident command, S for scene security and safety, A for assess hazards, S for support, T for triage and treatment, E for evacuation, and R for recovery.