katasztrófa
Katasztrófa is the Hungarian term for disaster or catastrophe. In everyday use it denotes a large-scale, harmful event that overwhelms a community’s ability to cope, causing substantial loss of life, injuries, damage, or disruption. The word reflects the severity and rapid onset of the event, rather than a purely fictional or tragic element. In Hungarian, katasztrófa is often distinguished from tragédia by emphasizing scale, disruption, and collective impact, though the two terms can overlap in describing misfortune.
Etymology and usage: The term derives from Greek katastrophē, via Latin and other European languages, and was
Types and scope: Katasztrófa encompasses natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, storms, droughts, wildfires, and volcanic
Impact and management: Disasters cause loss of life, displacement, infrastructure damage, and economic costs, while also