What are the different types of disasters?
York Region is vulnerable to a wide range of potential emergency situations. Some of these emergencies happen frequently, with localized impacts (e.g. fires, chemical spills) while others are rare but would have severe consequences on the population and the environment (e.g. ice storm). As a result, large-scale devastating emergencies occur very rarely. In general, disasters or emergencies can be categorized into two groupings: Natural Hazards are those related to naturally-occurring elements and conditions, including floods, severe weather, and ice and snow storms. Human-Caused Hazards are accidental and include chemical spills, explosions and leaks, train derailments, plane crashes, public transit crashes, multi-car pile-ups, and power outages. Technological emergencies are also human-caused and can affect critical infrastructure, computer technology, telecommunications and other information technology issues.
