# Disaster and the Disaster Cycle A disaster is a sudden or progressive event that causes serious disruption to the normal functioning of a community and results in human, material, economic, or environmental losses. These losses are often greater than the affected community can manage using its own resources. Disasters may be natural, such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones, and epidemics, or human-made, such as industrial accidents, fires, chemical leaks, and transportation accidents. Hospital services play a vital role in reducing the impact of disasters because hospitals provide emergency treatment, surgery, medicines, intensive care, rehabilitation, and other essential health services. The disaster cycle consists of four major components: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. These components are continuous and interconnected, because actions taken after one disaster help reduce the effects of future disasters. Mitigation refers to activities undertaken before a disaster to reduce or prevent its harmful effects.