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  • International affiliates
    • International affiliate websites

      Our affiliates share our belief in a world where no family is without shelter after conflict and disaster, and support us in making this a reality.

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    • Disasters ExplainedLEARN MORE: International affiliates
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Disasters explained

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Home / Disasters explained
Hillside with marks left by landslide and debris at bottom of hill in Sri Lanka

Disasters explained: Landslides

Landslides kill thousands of people around the world every year. Learn more about landslides and why they happen.

Light and medium blue pattern

The Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale explained

The Saffir-Simpson wind scale is used to classify Atlantic hurricanes into 5 categories. Learn what that means.

Disasters are not natural

It’s important to understand why disasters aren’t ‘natural’ and how misleading and damaging the term natural disasters can be for affected communities.

Woman in fields in Cameroon

Boko Haram and the Lake Chad Basin Crisis explained

Read how the conflict started, who is affected, and how ShelterBox is helping vulnerable families.

Person walking through rubble left behind by Hurricane Dorian

Disasters explained: hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons

Find out everything you need to know about hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons.

Tornado over fields

Disasters explained: tornadoes (twisters)

Read everything you need to know about these violent storms also known as twisters.

Landscape in Ethiopia

Disasters explained: heatwaves

Heatwaves are extreme weather events. Learn about what they are, why they happen and their link to climate change.

Woman in red headscarf holding a child in Somaliland

Disasters explained: droughts

Droughts affect millions of people each year. Learn what they and and how we’ve supported communities.

Avalanche on a mountain

Disasters explained: avalanches

Each year, avalanches kill over 150 people worldwide. Read more about avalanches, what causes them and more.

People monitoring a storm on a screen

Monitoring storms and hurricanes

See how we monitor and track hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons.

People standing on coast in Indonesia after a tsunami

Disasters explained: tsunamis

Tsunamis can destroy lives, homes, crops and roads in the blink of an eye. Learn more about what they are, what causes them and what the effects are.

Man carries woman through floodwater in Serbia

Disasters explained: floods

Floods are among the most common and devastating disasters. Read more about why they happen and their effects.

Firefighters pouring water on a forest fire

Disasters explained: wildfires

Wildfires burn millions of acres of land every year. Find out more about what they are and their connection with climate change.

Volcano erupting at night

Disasters explained: volcanoes

Learn what volcanoes are, how they erupt, and the effects of a volcano eruption.

Building next to flood waters in Peru

El Niño

Discover how El Niño events can impact weather patterns around the world, potentially causing severe storms, floods, droughts or heatwaves.

Building damaged in the Nepal earthquake 2015

Disasters explained: earthquakes

Powerful earthquakes can be very deadly. Learn everything you need to know about earthquakes and how we help.

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Shelterbox

Australia

ShelterBox Australia | ABN 21 143 129 220

ShelterBox Is A Charity, Independent Of Rotary International And The Rotary Foundation.

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