Desastres naturales – Natural disasters

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Since we're having a few violent expressions of nature in almost every corner of the world, I thought it might be useful to have a list of words used for the things we call natural disasters.

Huracanes - Hurricanes

[TABLE=sortable]
{||}Spanish | English
{|}huracán  | hurricane
{|}ciclón  | cyclone
{|}tifón  | typhoon
{|}viento  | wind
{|}racha  | gust
{|}velocidad  | speed
{|}categoría  | category
{|}ola  | wave
{|}oleaje  | storm surge
{|}inundación  | flood
{|}alud  | mudslide
{|}damnificado  / damnificada   | victim who lost his/her home
{|}siniestro  | (insurance term) incident
{|}siniestrado(a)  | damaged (property)
{|}árbol  derribado | uprooted tree
{|}rescatista[NM and NF] | rescue worker
{|}primeros auxilios[NM-PL] | first aid
{|}perro  rescatista / perro  de búsqueda | rescue dog / search dog
{|}albergue  | shelter
[/TABLE]

Sismos - Earthquakes

[TABLE=sortable]
{||}Spanish | English
{|}sismo  / seísmo   | seism (earthquake)
{|}temblor  | mild earthquake
{|}movimiento  telúrico | earth tremor
{|}terremoto  | strong earthquake
{|}zona  sísmica | seismic zone
{|}placa  tectónica | tectonic plate
{|}sismógrafo  | seismograph
{|}sismólogo  / sismóloga  | seismologist
{|}escala  de Richter | Richter scale
{|}tsunami  | tsunami
{|}réplica  | aftershock
{|}magnitud  | magnitude
{|}intensidad  | intensity
{|}epicentro  | epicenter
{|}grieta  / cuarteadura   | crack
{|}falla  | fault
{|}derrumbe  | collapse
{|}escombro  | rubble / debris
{|}daño  causado por | damage caused by
[/TABLE]

Erupciones - Eruptions

[TABLE=sortable]
{||}Spanish | English
{|}erupción  | eruption
{|}tremor  armónico | harmonic tremor
{|}lava  | lava
{|}magma  | magma
{|}ceniza  | ash
{|}exhalación  | exhalation
{|}cráter  | crater
{|}caldera  | caldera
{|}fumarola  | column of ash, gases and steam / fumarole
{|}vapor  | steam
{|}material  incandescente | incandescent lava fragments / glowing ash
{|}flujo  piroclástico | pyroclastic flow
{|}incendio  | wildfire
{|}deslave  | landslide
{|}avalancha  | avalanche
[/TABLE]

Tormentas - Storms

[TABLE=sortable]
{||}Spanish | English
{|}tormenta  / borrasca  | storm
{|}lluvia  | rain
{|}granizo  | hail
{|}nieve  | snow
{|}ventisca  | blizzard
{|}tornado  | tornado / twister
{|}charco  | puddle
{|}socavón  | sinkhole
{|}tormenta  eléctrica | thunderstorm
[/TABLE]

Otros - Others

[TABLE=sortable]
{||}Spanish | English
{|}helada  | night frost
{|}crecida  de un río  | flooding of a river
{|}sequía  | drought
{|}onda  cálida | heat wave
{|}incendio  forestal | bushfire
{|}hambruna  | famine
{|}plaga  | plague
{|}epidemia  | epidemic
[/TABLE]

[poli]

I've heard borrasca and temporal used for big storms too. Where I live nor'easter is a term for a big coastal cyclone that effects the north east of the United States. It comes in autumn and winter causing much wind and water damage. Tornados are local storms that are also horrible, and sometimes called twisters. I think in Spain they use the word siniestrado as well as damnificado. Incandescent fragments makes sense to me, but more often you may hear glowing ash. Instead of surge you will more likely hear the more specific storm surge. The older term tidal wave is hardly heard anymore. Temblor is used in English too. It's a technical term for any kind of earthquake. In place of mild earthquake, tremor, or even better, earth tremor is preferred, because the word tremor alone can refer to a medical symptom.

[Tomisimo]

Nice list! A few other semi-related bits and pieces:

sustain damage = sostener daños
rubble = escombros
uprooted (tree) = ??
caused by = provocado por
rescue worker = rescatista
first aid = primeros auxilios
search dog = perro de búsqueda
shelter = albergue

[wrholt]

Correction: fumarola = fumarole

I first heard the English word when I visited Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Fumaroles are one of several types of volcanic features one can find in that park.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I will add the new suggestions. Thank you.

@David: Would you agree that "sustain damage" is rather "sufrir daños"?
I think we say "árboles derribados" for uprooted trees.

@Wrholt: Although the dictionary says a "fumarola" can also be a hole or crack in a volcanic area from which hot smoke, steam and other gases escape, the most common use I've heard is the emission of ash, gases and vapors from a volcanic crater. I will add a note for it too. Thanks.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

relámpago lightning
thunder truenos
carambanos icicles
cellisca sleet
sirimiri drizzle
maremoto tsunami
rayos y centellas
crujir (la tierra)
ola de calor heatwave
ola de frío coldwave
gélido
sensación termica


You can also add a box with idioms related to the weather
Idioms

Hace un frío que pela It´s freezing cold
Llover a cántaros It coming down in buckets
caer chuzos en punta
save for a rainy day ahorrar para el mañana
come rain or shine llueva o haga sol
on cloud nine
a storm on a teacup
una relación tormentosa a stormy relationship
a rainbow chase