Natural disasters — cyclones, bushfires, floods and many other occurrences — are part of everyday life in Australia. This book shows the impact of disasters on humans, animals and the environment, and demonstrates ways to cope with them and to minimise their effects. The growing concern of climate change is also covered, with examples of how it is affecting disasters and what new disasters it may generate in the future. We also see the ways in which governments and emergency services react in times of natural disaster, whether with financial aid or human resources. This is the story of Australia's natural disasters and the many ways we can respond to them.