The Immediate Effects of Natural Disasters - Trauma and Injury. Natural disasters are complicated events within which people are subjected to a multitude of risks and dangers. Every disaster scenario is unique in its own way and presents new and unusual challenges to victims and rescue emergency personnel alike. On one hand, each disaster must be evaluated independently of past events in order to recognise the special features of the situation at hand. In this manner, one avoids the common mistake of preparing for the last disaster situation as opposed to anticipating the next one. On the other hand, certain disaster situations do follow general patterns and develop along similar paths. It is vital to appreciate these subtle patterns in order to provide community planners and allied health professionals with a foundation to design a comprehensive emergency response plan. A fine balance must be maintained between learning from the mistakes and lessons of the past, and resisting the temptation of simply approaching a situation 'the way it has always been done'. Generally speaking, certain disasters lead to certain types of injuries more than others. This can be an important fact to bear in mind when planning an emergency response, taking stock of available medical supplies, or estimating the needs of a community or geographical area. It is crucial, however, to be conscious that injury types are not exclusive to any one situation. Indeed the sheer scale and complexity of a natural disaster may lead to many smaller disaster situations; each one with its own individual characteristics and challenges. An example of a large scale catastrophe causing many smaller emergencies situations is a large scale flood which in turn causes a chemical spill from a water logged factory, a landslide burying several homes, drinking water reservoir contamination, and the collapse of a downtown building. As a basis for planning, it is nevertheless useful to consider the types of injuries the majority of the victims will incur in order to evaluate the immediate needs of the disaster response team.