Changes

==Etymology==

==Etymology==

Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French desastre, from Old Italian disastro, from dis- (from [[Latin]]) + astro [[star]], from Latin astrum - f. des-, DIS- + astre ‘a starre, a [[Planet]];

Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French desastre, from Old Italian disastro, from dis- (from [[Latin]]) + astro [[star]], from Latin astrum - f. des-, DIS- + astre ‘a starre, a [[Planet]];

*Date: [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Century 1568]

*Date: [https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Century 1568]

==Definitions==

==Definitions==

*1 obsolete : an unfavorable aspect of a [[planet]] or [[star]]

*1 obsolete : an unfavorable aspect of a [[planet]] or [[star]]

*2 : a sudden [[Catastrophism|calamitous]] [[event]] bringing great damage, loss, or destruction; broadly : a sudden or great misfortune or failure <the party was a disaster>

*2 : a sudden [[Catastrophism|calamitous]] [[event]] bringing great damage, loss, or destruction; broadly : a sudden or great misfortune or failure <the party was a disaster>

==Description==

==Description==

A '''disaster''' is the [[tragedy]] of a [[natural]] or human-made hazard (a hazard is a situation which poses a level of threat to life, [[health]], property, or [[environment]]) that [[negatively]] affects [[society]] or environment.

A '''disaster''' is the [[tragedy]] of a [[natural]] or human-made hazard (a hazard is a situation which poses a level of threat to life, [[health]], property, or [[environment]]) that [[negatively]] affects [[society]] or environment.

Developing countries suffer the greatest costs when a disaster hits – more than 95 percent of all [[deaths]] [[cause]]d by disasters occur in developing countries, and losses due to natural disasters are 20 times greater (as a percentage of GDP) in developing countries than in industrialized countries.

Developing countries suffer the greatest costs when a disaster hits – more than 95 percent of all [[deaths]] [[cause]]d by disasters occur in developing countries, and losses due to natural disasters are 20 times greater (as a percentage of GDP) in developing countries than in industrialized countries.

A disaster can be defined as any [[tragic]] [[event]] with great loss stemming from events such as earthquakes, floods, catastrophic [[accidents]], fires, or explosions.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster]

A disaster can be defined as any [[tragic]] [[event]] with great loss stemming from events such as earthquakes, floods, catastrophic [[accidents]], fires, or explosions.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster]

[[Category: General Reference]]

[[Category: General Reference]]