A. Fortunately, global wealth and technology allow us to better prepare for and respond to natural disasters. B. It does not necessarily mean that volcanoes and quakes are getting worse — but rather that there are more of us living in areas where we might be affected by a disaster, and we have more to lose. C. As global populations have grown and people have crowded into risk zones — like earthquake areas and flood plains — the toll of natural disasters has grown as well. D. According to the Center for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters, the number of catastrophic events has more than doubled since the 1980s. E. The Red Cross estimates that the economic damage from disasters rose fivefold, to $629 billion, from 1985 to 2005.