Disasters vocabulary in Spanish, including types of natural and man-made disasters, emergency situations, and key terms for describing and responding to disasters.
This page covers essential Spanish vocabulary for talking about disasters, including natural events like earthquakes and hurricanes, man-made emergencies, and key terms for describing damage, safety, and emergency response. Each section includes example sentences to show how the words are used in context.
Natural Disasters
This section covers the most common natural disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. These are the events most frequently discussed in news reports and emergency situations.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| terremoto | terremotos | earthquake | earthquakes | El terremoto destruyó varios edificios. | The earthquake destroyed several buildings. |
| huracán | huracanes | hurricane | hurricanes | El huracán causó inundaciones en la costa. | The hurricane caused flooding on the coast. |
| inundación | inundaciones | flood | floods | La inundación cubrió las calles del pueblo. | The flood covered the town’s streets. |
| incendio forestal | incendios forestales | wildfire | wildfires | El incendio forestal quemó miles de hectáreas. | The wildfire burned thousands of acres. |
| tsunami | tsunamis | tsunami | tsunamis | El tsunami llegó rápidamente después del terremoto. | The tsunami arrived quickly after the earthquake. |
| tormenta | tormentas | storm | storms | La tormenta dejó sin electricidad a muchos hogares. | The storm left many homes without electricity. |
| deslizamiento de tierra | deslizamientos de tierra | landslide | landslides | El deslizamiento de tierra bloqueó la carretera. | The landslide blocked the road. |
| erupción volcánica | erupciones volcánicas | volcanic eruption | volcanic eruptions | La erupción volcánica cubrió la ciudad de ceniza. | The volcanic eruption covered the city in ash. |
| granizo | granizos | hail | hails | El granizo dañó los techos y los autos. | The hail damaged roofs and cars. |
| sequía | sequías | drought | droughts | La sequía afecta la agricultura en la región. | The drought affects agriculture in the region. |
La ___ cubrió las calles del pueblo.
Which Spanish word means 'flood'?
inundación
Inundación means 'flood', sequía is 'drought', granizo is 'hail', and deslizamiento de tierra is 'landslide'.
Man-Made Disasters and Emergencies
This section includes vocabulary for accidents, industrial disasters, and other human-caused emergencies. These terms are useful for discussing fire, explosions, chemical spills, and rescue efforts.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| incendio | incendios | fire | fires | El incendio comenzó en una fábrica. | The fire started in a factory. |
| explosión | explosiones | explosion | explosions | La explosión causó daños en varios edificios. | The explosion caused damage to several buildings. |
| accidente | accidentes | accident | accidents | Hubo un accidente en la autopista esta mañana. | There was an accident on the highway this morning. |
| derrame químico | derrames químicos | chemical spill | chemical spills | El derrame químico obligó a evacuar la zona. | The chemical spill forced evacuation of the area. |
| colapso | colapsos | collapse | collapses | El colapso del puente fue provocado por la sobrecarga. | The bridge collapse was caused by overload. |
| fuga de gas | fugas de gas | gas leak | gas leaks | Detectaron una fuga de gas en el edificio. | They detected a gas leak in the building. |
| rescate | rescates | rescue | rescues | Los equipos de rescate trabajan sin descanso. | The rescue teams work tirelessly. |
| evacuación | evacuaciones | evacuation | evacuations | La evacuación se realizó antes de que llegara el huracán. | The evacuation was carried out before the hurricane arrived. |
| emergencia | emergencias | emergency | emergencies | Siempre hay que estar preparados para una emergencia. | You should always be prepared for an emergency. |
| alarma | alarmas | alarm | alarms | La alarma de incendio sonó a medianoche. | The fire alarm went off at midnight. |
Hubo un ___ en la autopista esta mañana.
Which Spanish word means 'accident'?
accidente
Accidente means 'accident', incendio is 'fire', explosión is 'explosion', and rescate is 'rescue'.
Describing Damage and Impact
This section provides vocabulary for describing the effects of disasters, including damage to buildings, injuries, and disruptions to daily life.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| daño | daños | damage | damages | El daño causado por la tormenta fue enorme. | The damage caused by the storm was enormous. |
| herida | heridas | injury | injuries | Varias personas sufrieron heridas leves. | Several people suffered minor injuries. |
| víctima | víctimas | victim | victims | Las víctimas fueron trasladadas al hospital. | The victims were taken to the hospital. |
| destrucción | - | destruction | - | La destrucción dejó a muchas familias sin hogar. | The destruction left many families homeless. |
| pérdida | pérdidas | loss | losses | Hubo grandes pérdidas materiales y humanas. | There were significant material and human losses. |
| escombros | - | debris | - | Los escombros bloquearon las calles principales. | The debris blocked the main streets. |
| caos | - | chaos | - | El caos reinó después del terremoto. | Chaos reigned after the earthquake. |
| corte de electricidad | cortes de electricidad | power outage | power outages | El corte de electricidad duró varias horas. | The power outage lasted several hours. |
| interrupción | interrupciones | interruption | interruptions | Hubo muchas interrupciones en el suministro de agua. | There were many interruptions in the water supply. |
| colapso | colapsos | collapse | collapses | El colapso del techo atrapó a varias personas. | The roof collapse trapped several people. |
Safety and Emergency Response
This section covers essential vocabulary for talking about safety measures, emergency procedures, and disaster preparedness.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| socorro | - | help / relief | - | Los equipos de socorro llegaron rápidamente. | The relief teams arrived quickly. |
| refugio | refugios | shelter | shelters | Muchas personas buscaron refugio en la escuela. | Many people sought shelter in the school. |
| evacuación | evacuaciones | evacuation | evacuations | La evacuación se ordenó por precaución. | The evacuation was ordered as a precaution. |
| alerta | alertas | alert | alerts | Emitieron una alerta de tsunami. | They issued a tsunami alert. |
| primer auxilio | - | first aid | - | Aprendí primer auxilio en un curso comunitario. | I learned first aid in a community course. |
| prevención | - | prevention | - | La prevención es clave para evitar desastres. | Prevention is key to avoiding disasters. |
| seguridad | - | safety | - | La seguridad de la comunidad es una prioridad. | Community safety is a priority. |
| equipo de emergencia | equipos de emergencia | emergency kit | emergency kits | Siempre tenemos un equipo de emergencia en casa. | We always have an emergency kit at home. |
| señal de evacuación | señales de evacuación | evacuation sign | evacuation signs | Sigue la señal de evacuación hacia la salida. | Follow the evacuation sign to the exit. |
| mensaje de emergencia | mensajes de emergencia | emergency message | emergency messages | Recibí un mensaje de emergencia en mi teléfono. | I received an emergency message on my phone. |
Reporting and Communicating
This section includes vocabulary for reporting disasters, communicating with authorities, and describing situations to others.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| informe | informes | report | reports | El informe preliminar indica daños graves. | The preliminary report indicates severe damage. |
| testigo | testigos | witness | witnesses | Un testigo vio cómo comenzó el incendio. | A witness saw how the fire started. |
| denuncia | denuncias | complaint / report | complaints / reports | Presentaron una denuncia por negligencia. | They filed a complaint for negligence. |
| comunicación | comunicaciones | communication | communications | La comunicación con la brigada fue rápida. | Communication with the brigade was quick. |
| teléfono de emergencia | teléfonos de emergencia | emergency phone | emergency phones | Guarda el número de teléfono de emergencia. | Keep the emergency phone number saved. |
| reporte | reportes | report | reports | El reporte de daños está disponible en línea. | The damage report is available online. |
| canal de emergencia | canales de emergencia | emergency channel | emergency channels | Sintoniza el canal de emergencia para información actualizada. | Tune in to the emergency channel for updated information. |
| señal de socorro | señales de socorro | distress signal | distress signals | Enviaron una señal de socorro desde la montaña. | They sent a distress signal from the mountain. |
| mensaje de alerta | mensajes de alerta | alert message | alert messages | El mensaje de alerta se difundió en redes sociales. | The alert message was spread on social media. |
| operador de emergencias | operadores de emergencias | emergency operator | emergency operators | El operador de emergencias respondió en segundos. | The emergency operator responded in seconds. |
This completes the essential Spanish disaster vocabulary, covering natural and man-made disasters, describing damage, safety procedures, and communication during emergencies.
Enviaron una ___ desde la montaña.
Which Spanish word means 'distress signal'?
señal de socorro
Señal de socorro means 'distress signal', mensaje de alerta is 'alert message', alarma is 'alarm', and alerta is 'alert'.
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- English Singular: earthquake
- English Plural: earthquakes
- English Example: The earthquake destroyed several buildings.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
