The difference between disaster and emergency is fairly big,
although an emergency situation can certainly feel like a
disaster to those involved. Disaster is defined as a sudden
calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, or destruction; a
sudden or great misfortune or failure. Emergency is defined as
an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting
state that calls for immediate action; an urgent need for
assistance or relief. A disaster will likely affect more people
and/or will have more devastating consequences than that of an
emergency. An emergency can turn into a disaster while a
disaster is inherently an emergency situation, if noticed ahead
of time. Not all bad results of an emergency will reach the
level of disaster. When I think of disaster and emergency, I
consider a disaster to be widespread, regional, or wider.
Examples of a disaster may be the consequences of severe weather
such as a hurricane, tornado, or flooding. An economic meltdown
followed by a rapid devaluation of currency