Disaster : Catastrophe ::
Answers
Explanation:
In the work that we do, disasters seem commonplace. They permeate our days and demand our focus. But what is a disaster and how does it differ from a catastrophe? Sometimes people use the words interchangeably, however there is a difference, both in scale and level of sustained support required to get to recovery.
“The word ‘disaster’ literally means the loss of a star, or the loss of your guiding light. Whether the disaster is large or small, intimate or collective, you don’t see it coming. It is, by definition, a shock, a surprise. The disasters knocks you off your axis, jolts you out of your normal orbit (Clark, 2005).
No matter the size of an accident or disaster, it surely feels like a catastrophe to the individuals affected. But catastrophe, as used by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, references a specific type of disaster – one that is extremely large and is outside the coping ability of a community. The same hazard (fire, for example) could be an accident, disaster or catastrophe depending upon scale of impact. A single-family house fire is an accident or emergency; a fire that consumes a few city blocks is a disaster; and a wildfire that demolishes several communities, requiring mass evacuation and reconstruction is a catastrophe.