1.In my hometown of Niles Michigan, we can experience zone 4 hailstorms, zone 3 tornados, zone 0 earthquakes, and low wildfires. Niles is in the southwest corner of Michigan, which is very close to where a large number of tornados hit every year. It is gets very cold in the winter and hailstorms can happen as shown on the map. In the 12 years that I have lived in this area, we have had many tornado warnings as well as small tornados that have hit nearby as well as hailstorms but neither of these have caused much damage or been very dangerous. This map is a little hard to read as it was challenging to pin point exactly where my hometown was as it was on the border of the different natural disasters and their zones.

2. In Ovalle, Chile, they experienced an earthquake at 2:40 AM on April 1^st. This earthquake had a magnitude of 4.5, which caused many things to shake. People inside of their houses could feel shaking as well as pictures, dishes or other objects being thrown off walls or spilled out of cabinets. My hometown can get earthquakes but they are very rare and minor. Therefore it is not at a very big risk of disaster. This earthquake was rated a 4 out of 12 on the Mercalli Scale, which measures the intensity of the earthquake. This earthquake was not very strong and did not cause much damage, but it may cause more if it were to hit my hometown as we do not have earthquakes very often and would not be as prepared. Especially since my hometown is 5 times smaller than Ovalle. Those with bigger homes or more stable homes are less likely to be damaged by an earthquake, while those who do not have as much money and cannot build as nice of homes may be more in danger if an earthquake were to strike.

3. Niles is most likely to experience tornados. As I said in my answer to number 1, I have experienced many tornado warnings and a few tornados near my town but never one too close to cause harm or put me in danger. Tornados are the most extreme natural disaster that my hometown can face but the most popular are thunderstorm winds and hail according to usa.com. Last year, I was trying to drive home from my friend’s house, but because of the high winds and rain, it was highly advised that everyone stay inside and not drive. There have been many situations like this where the high winds and rain could be dangerous if you get stuck in the wrong place and the wrong time.

4. Being prepared can greatly decrease the vulnerability to natural disasters. Many hailstorms and thunderstorms can be predicted in advance and then can allow people to be prepared for them. Sending out emergency alerts in advance will allow people to buy any items they need as well as knowing when to stay off the roads and stay inside a stable building. Tornados on the other hand, can be very hard to predict in advance. However, because they are common in my area, families can stock up in advance. Also, building tornado shelters in the case of a surprise tornado. News reporters could help get the word out if heavy rain storms are approaching. Also, the mayor could help tell people to always be prepared and stocked up in case of these emergencies. Being prepared for natural disasters and being educated on them will allow my hometown to reduce the amount of damage natural disasters cause.

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/database/index.php?pageid=seism_index&rid=564170

http://www.usa.com/niles-mi-natural-disasters-extremes.htm