Traveling is always considered a fun and exciting journey. From the perfect outfits, souvenirs, and cameras to accessories, we never miss out on any of it when it comes to packing. However, we commonly fail to prepare backup plans during emergencies and catastrophes. Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? But when traveling to a country like India, which is highly prone to natural disasters, you must consider your safety first. Thus, we urge you to learn some example sentences and disaster vocabulary in Malayalam with proper English translation to make your trip a relaxing one.
Disasters don’t give you a 1-week notice before washing down everything in their way. Especially in India, there have been severe impairment cases and much suffering due to floods, earthquakes, and drought, despite indulging in safety measures.
In the international ranking, India has ranked as one of the riskiest countries with disaster probabilities. That is why it is necessary that you take some time out, put it into advanced search work, and learn some essential word disaster translations to avoid any bad times in Kerala. If this reason isn’t good enough to compel you to learn Malayalam, read the next section to ignite your eagerness.
Why Is Learning Malayalam Important?
- When you learn to spell disaster in the native language of the state, you’ll gain confidence in traveling the remote areas of a country. The locals will understand what you need and will warn you before time regarding safety and precaution. In times of unfortunate events, you will be able to call for help immediately without panicking.
- Understanding the local language will make it easier to comprehend any disaster news on TV or radio broadcast. Especially in Kerala, the state is very strict with its news channels and display boards being depicted in the local language. Thus, in times of warning issues, you will not be baffled looking at strange characters and take action immediately to save yourself and your family.
Now that you know why we suggest you learn some world disaster vocabulary in Malayalam, let us dive right into different natural disaster words with English translation and pronunciation.
Primary Natural Disaster Vocabulary In Malayalam
In this section, you will learn disaster nouns and facts concerning the state’s natural disaster level. So, let’s get started.
1. Earthquake ഭൂകമ്പം
The first word is the most common disaster that we keep hearing in the news, especially in India, ഭൂകമ്പം, pronounced as bhūkampaṁ. The Indian subcontinent experiences frequent calamities, and the last time Kerala faced an earthquake was on August 7. While the magnitude keeps varying every time it occurs and is mostly subtle. Sometimes, it can be massive, causing tremendous damage.
2. Flood വെള്ളപ്പൊക്കം
The next most common calamity seen in the states of India is വെള്ളപ്പൊക്കം. Pronounced as veḷḷappeākkaṁ, floods are widespread, and red alert declarations near the coast are pretty frequent. Recently, many northeastern and southern states in India were drowned by floods, leaving many with no roof to sleep under. Since the correct measures taken to solve flood issues earlier have been proven irrelevant, the government is trying to take more stringent action.
3. Drought വരൾച്ച
വരൾച്ച with the pronunciation varaḷcca means drought in Malayalam. Kerala has shown statistics of the state heading directly towards severe drought conditions. Despite having a wet climate, the groundwater level of the state is facing a sharp decline, and some extreme places have hit the worst possible situation. Such dry spells are primarily the result of less rain in India. However, South Indian states are receiving heavy showers lately, showing a good sign of harvest again.
4. Wildfire കാട്ടുതീ
കാട്ടുതീ, uttered as kāṭṭutī, refers to forest fires in Kerala. Kerala being a state filled with greenery, questions of forest fires have always remained on top. Even in recent decades, it has experienced many long-lasting kāṭṭutī due to the unusually early arrival of summer, causing damage to nature and humans both. However, in the past four years, the forest fire risk has decreased, and the Indian country is shifting towards safer and green natural growth.
5. Tsunami സുനാമി
Tsunami is pronounced as sunāmi in Malayalam. Although sunāmi is not very frequent, one of the most devastating sunāmi that India ever faced was last in 2004, which struck the coasts of multiple South Asian countries. It caused numerous deaths and property destruction that people still feel the chill that went down their spines years back. However, India reportedly has no tsunami threat, unlike other prone countries in current times. So, even if floods most likely disturb your plans, sunāmi will remain out of the picture.
6. Tornado ടൊർണാഡോ
Tornado, known as ṭeārṇāḍēā, in Kerala is expected but not severe. While India has faced grave tornado effects in its past, in the current disaster status, Kerala has faced only mini tornadoes that lasted for about 10-15 minutes. However, even mini-wind tornado has a history of causing havoc in villages in Kerala, especially near coastal areas. It can be very detrimental in a country when half its population still lives in traditional huts and not concrete buildings.
7. Cyclone ചുഴലിക്കാറ്റ്
Cyclone or cuḻalikkāṟṟ is another primary natural disaster in Kerala, especially in the coastal areas. The cyclone named Ochki, YAAS, and Tauktae have caused terror in Kerala in the past, and there are still no apparent signs that cyclones won’t hit the state again. Being a country surrounded by water bodies, it can never be foreseen when natural disasters like cyclones may strike with maximum severity and leave behind trauma.
Different Natural Disasters In Malayalam
Here is a list of some more disaster words with English translations that we frequently hear worldwide. Learning these will improve your vocabulary and make talking with locals more manageable and enlightening.
| English | Malayalam | Pronunciation |
| Avalanche | ഹിമപാതം | himapātaṁ |
| Blizzard | ബ്ലിസാർഡ് | blisārḍ |
| Dust storm | പൊടിക്കാറ്റ് | peāṭikkāṟṟ |
| Erosion | മണ്ണൊലിപ്പ് | maṇṇeālipp |
| Fire | തീ | tī |
| Famine | ക്ഷാമം | kṣāmaṁ |
| Hailstorm | ആലിപ്പഴം | ālippaḻaṁ |
| Hurricane | ചുഴലിക്കാറ്റ് | cuḻalikkāṟṟ |
| Heatwave | ഹീറ്റ് വേവ് | hīṟṟ vēv |
| Landslide | മണ്ണിടിച്ചിൽ | maṇṇiṭiccil |
| Sandstorm | മണൽക്കാറ്റ് | maṇalkkāṟṟ |
| Typhoon | ടൈഫൂൺ | ṭaiphūṇ |
| Thunderstorm | ഇടിമിന്നൽ | iṭiminnal |
| Volcanic eruption | അഗ്നിപർവ്വത സ്ഫോടനം | agniparvvata sphēāṭanaṁ |
| Whirpool | വേൾപൂൾ | vēḷpūḷ |
How To Prepare For Emergency Situation
To make your trip even more secure and stress-free, here are some tips on preparing before your journey to face any difficulty without any worries.
- Do your research – It is always essential to know the current status, events, and reports on the disaster level of the country you are traveling to. Go to a relevant website and note down what you need to know. If possible, memorize the emergency helpline numbers to be able to call for help immediately.
- Use waterproof cases – In cases of flood or heavy rainfall, waterproof bags will come in handy to store your essential things like id proof, mobile, cards, and passports.
- Learn the basics of the native language – When you know the language, you will instantly understand warning announcements and news reports, making safety precautions easier and faster. You can also get instant help and ask them about safety procedures.
- Time your travel correctly – Many states in India, like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, etc., face heavy rainfalls and landslides affecting roadways. Thus, ensure the site mentions that it is safe to visit the desired place. If not, India is a vast country, and you would still have many options.
Emergency Phrases You Should Know
Here are some sentences that will help you during emergencies. For detailed learning, check out emergency vocab in Malayalam.
| English | Malayalam | Pronunciation |
| I need help | എനിക്ക് സഹായം ആവശ്യമാണ് | enikk sahāyaṁ āvaśyamāṇ |
| Please help the kid | ദയവായി കുട്ടിയെ സഹായിക്കൂ | dayavāyi kuṭṭiye sahāyikkū |
| Do not panic | പരിഭ്രമിക്കരുത് | paribhramikkarut |
| Everybody stay calm | എല്ലാവരും ശാന്തരായിരിക്കുക | ellāvaruṁ śāntarāyirikkuka |
| Someone please help the old lady | ആരെങ്കിലും വൃദ്ധയെ സഹായിക്കൂ | āreṅkiluṁ vr̥d’dhaye sahāyikkū |
| Call the police immediately | ഉടൻ പോലീസിനെ വിളിക്കുക | uṭan pēālīsine viḷikkuka |
| Don’t lose your children | നിങ്ങളുടെ കുട്ടികളെ നഷ്ടപ്പെടുത്തരുത് | niṅṅaḷuṭe kuṭṭikaḷe naṣṭappeṭuttarut |
| Be careful with your belongings | നിങ്ങളുടെ സാധനങ്ങൾ സൂക്ഷിക്കുക | niṅṅaḷuṭe sādhanaṅṅaḷ sūkṣikkuka |
Wrapping Up!
Learning disaster phrases and words can give you the ability to solve problems and face unanticipated situations. You never know when a catastrophe may hit you in the face and lead to agonizing anxiety. Thus, it is always safe to learn some words that will help you out in times of hazard and reduce panic.
However, this is not the end. If you found this blog post helpful, try out other posts like food vocabulary, moods and emotions, and common vocab in Malayalam created by Ling. It will polish your skills further and make you a better language speaker.
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