1 / 9Virus Outbreak Natural DisastersFILE - In this March 22, 2020, file photo, firefighters carry a person on a stretcher after a strong earthquake in Zagreb, Croatia. The virus outbreak is compromising the ability of nations to prepare for natural disasters and deal with the aftermath. Every year, the world contends with devastating typhoons, wildfires, tsunamis and earthquakes.
Some natural disasters are predictable, like the wildfires that scorch California most summers. But already, the virus has hindered preparations there after a particularly dry winter. Perhaps most concerning, Wara says, is that hospitals and medical staff swamped with virus patients may not be able to cope with additional victims from a natural disaster.
One of the world’s most disaster-prone nations is the Philippines. It is typically lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms each year and has regular volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Often entire villages are moved to emergency shelters such as gyms or basketball courts. Even some of the top disaster officials in the Philippines remain in quarantine because they've contracted the virus or have been exposed to it. It's a problem playing out around the world, with the virus afflicting leaders like British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
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