Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes A natural hazard is a process and event that threatens human life and their property. Natural Hazards are repetitive events such as landslides and earthquakes. On the other hand, natural disasters are hazardous events that occur in a limited amount of time in a different area. For example, an earthquake can cause a tsunami somewhere else. A catastrophe is a major disaster that requires a ton of time and money to recover from. An example of a catastrophe is Hurricane Katrina.