ABSTRACT
As we have seen in the section on definition of disaster, even the most basic term disaster has not been adequately defined (Smith, North, & Price, 1988). While attempts have repeatedly been made to categorize disaster by types and characteristics, the field still lacks a single agreed-upon comprehensive typology of disaster characteristics and consequences (Drabek, 1986). As a result, when making conclusions about the social and psychological impacts of a disaster, one needs to look at both the generic and situationally specific features of the event (Bolin, 1988). Nonetheless, in this section we will address the most salient characteristics of three types of disaster: natural disaster, technological disaster, and terrorism.
