Georgia is facing one of the most severe droughts in history. Our rivers and reservoirs are at record lows, and many of our communities face water shortages that could challenge their ability to meet water supply needs.

One of the most destructive phenomena of nature is an earthquake and its aftereffects. Although there are no guarantees of safety during an earthquake, identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can save lives and significantly reduce injuries and property damage.

Explosions can produce unique patterns of injury seldom seen outside combat, but when they do occur, they have the potential to inflict multi-system life-threatening injuries on many persons simultaneously.

Temperatures that hover 10 degrees or more above the average high temperature for the region and last for several weeks are defined as extreme heat. Heat kills by taxing the human body beyond its abilities. In Georgia, it is not unusual for temperatures to soar into the 90s.

Floods are the most common and widespread of all natural disasters, except fire. In Georgia, most communities experience some kind of flooding after spring rains or heavy thunderstorms.

Each year, household fires cause more than 4,000 Americans deaths and more than 25,000 injuries. Many residential fire-related deaths remain preventable and continue to pose a significant public health problem.

The hurricanes that affect Georgia are severe tropical storms that form in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Scientists can now predict hurricanes, but Georgia, being a coastal state, is particularly at risk.

An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population. The virus begins to cause serious illness and then spreads easily person-to-person worldwide.

Public health disasters.

All thunderstorms are dangerous because they can produce strong winds, lightning, tornadoes, hail and flash flooding. The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average of 30 minutes.