Learn the most common French words for disasters, including how to talk about natural events like earthquakes and floods, as well as man-made crises like fires and accidents.
Natural Disasters
This section covers disasters caused by natural forces, such as weather, geology, and the environment.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example in French | Example in English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| une inondation | des inondations | a flood | floods | Après la tempête, il y a eu une inondation. | After the storm, there was a flood. |
| un tremblement de terre | des tremblements de terre | an earthquake | earthquakes | Le tremblement de terre a causé beaucoup de dégâts. | The earthquake caused a lot of damage. |
| un ouragan | des ouragans | a hurricane | hurricanes | L’ouragan a détruit plusieurs maisons. | The hurricane destroyed several houses. |
| un tsunami | des tsunamis | a tsunami | tsunamis | Le tsunami a submergé la côte. | The tsunami flooded the coast. |
| une avalanche | des avalanches | an avalanche | avalanches | Une avalanche a bloqué la route de montagne. | An avalanche blocked the mountain road. |
| une éruption volcanique | des éruptions volcaniques | a volcanic eruption | volcanic eruptions | L’éruption volcanique a recouvert le village de cendres. | The volcanic eruption covered the village with ash. |
| une sécheresse | des sécheresses | a drought | droughts | La sécheresse dure depuis plusieurs mois. | The drought has lasted for several months. |
| une tempête | des tempêtes | a storm | storms | La tempête a fait tomber des arbres. | The storm knocked down trees. |
Man-Made Disasters
These are disasters caused by human activity, accidents, or negligence.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example in French | Example in English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| un incendie | des incendies | a fire | fires | Un incendie a détruit l’entrepôt hier soir. | A fire destroyed the warehouse last night. |
| une explosion | des explosions | an explosion | explosions | L’explosion a été entendue dans tout le quartier. | The explosion was heard throughout the neighborhood. |
| un accident | des accidents | an accident | accidents | Il y a eu un accident de voiture sur l’autoroute. | There was a car accident on the highway. |
| un effondrement | des effondrements | a collapse | collapses | L’effondrement du bâtiment a fait plusieurs victimes. | The building collapse caused several casualties. |
| une pollution | des pollutions | pollution | pollutions | La pollution de l’eau menace la faune locale. | Water pollution threatens the local wildlife. |
| une fuite de gaz | des fuites de gaz | a gas leak | gas leaks | Une fuite de gaz a forcé l’évacuation de l’immeuble. | A gas leak forced the evacuation of the building. |
Emergency & Rescue Vocabulary
Here are some useful French words related to emergency response and rescue efforts during disasters.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example in French | Example in English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| une urgence | des urgences | an emergency | emergencies | Appelez les urgences immédiatement ! | Call emergency services immediately! |
| un secouriste | des secouristes | a rescuer/paramedic | rescuers/paramedics | Les secouristes ont sauvé plusieurs personnes. | The paramedics saved several people. |
| une évacuation | des évacuations | an evacuation | evacuations | Une évacuation rapide est nécessaire. | A rapid evacuation is necessary. |
| un abri | des abris | a shelter | shelters | Les sinistrés ont trouvé un abri temporaire. | The disaster victims found temporary shelter. |
| un sinistré | des sinistrés | a disaster victim | disaster victims | Les sinistrés ont reçu de l’aide alimentaire. | The disaster victims received food aid. |
| un bilan | des bilans | a toll/report | tolls/reports | Le bilan humain est malheureusement lourd. | The human toll is unfortunately high. |
| un sauveteur | des sauveteurs | a rescuer | rescuers | Les sauveteurs travaillent jour et nuit. | The rescuers work day and night. |
The disaster victims received food aid.
Les sinistrés ont reçu de l’aide alimentaire.
"Sinistrés" refers to disaster victims, who are the recipients of aid in this context.
Describing Disaster Damage
These words will help you describe the impact and damage caused by disasters.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example en Français | Example in English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| un dommage | des dommages | damage | damages | Les dommages sont estimés à plusieurs millions. | The damages are estimated at several million. |
| une destruction | des destructions | destruction | destructions | La destruction est totale dans ce quartier. | The destruction is total in this neighborhood. |
| une catastrophe | des catastrophes | catastrophe | catastrophes | C’est une catastrophe naturelle sans précédent. | This is an unprecedented natural catastrophe. |
| une victime | des victimes | victim | victims | Il y a plusieurs victimes à déplorer. | There are several victims to mourn. |
| un blessé | des blessés | injured person | injured people | Parmi les blessés, certains sont graves. | Among the injured, some are in serious condition. |
| une perte | des pertes | loss | losses | Les pertes économiques sont importantes. | The economic losses are significant. |
There are several victims to mourn.
Il y a plusieurs victimes à déplorer.
"Victimes" means "victims" in French, which is appropriate when referring to those affected by a disaster.
Key Verbs for Talking About Disasters
Finally, here are some common French verbs that will help you describe actions related to disasters.
| French Verb | English Verb | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| détruire | to destroy | Le tremblement de terre a détruit des bâtiments. | The earthquake destroyed buildings. |
| évacuer | to evacuate | Les habitants ont dû évacuer leurs maisons. | The residents had to evacuate their homes. |
| sauver | to save/rescue | Les pompiers ont sauvé plusieurs personnes. | The firefighters rescued several people. |
| prévenir | to warn | Les autorités ont prévenu la population. | The authorities warned the population. |
| secourir | to aid/rescue | Les équipes de secours ont secouru les sinistrés. | The rescue teams aided the disaster victims. |
| causer | to cause | L’ouragan a causé d’importants dégâts. | The hurricane caused significant damage. |
| subir | to suffer/undergo | La région a subi une inondation majeure. | The region suffered a major flood. |
| fuir | to flee | Les habitants ont fui les zones dangereuses. | The residents fled the dangerous areas. |
With this vocabulary, you should be able to describe disasters in French, understand news reports, and communicate effectively in emergency situations.
Flashcards (1 of 35)
- English Singular: a flood
- English Plural: floods
- Example in English: After the storm, there was a flood.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
