Final answer:
A catastrophe that overwhelms local capacity for safety and response is known as a disaster, encompassing natural events like hurricanes and man-made events like bioterrorism, with response measures often involving agencies like FEMA.
Step-by-step explanation:
A catastrophe that threatens or overwhelms an area's capacity to get people to safety, treat casualties, protect infrastructure, and control panic is known as a disaster. Disasters can be caused by a variety of factors including natural events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, or man-made events like bioterrorism. These events test the state capacity to maintain order, ensure public safety, and provide critical services. Effective disaster response often involves multiple agencies such as FEMA in the US, which is charged with coordinating relief efforts during such catastrophes. Moreover, political leaders face the challenge of managing the economic risks and ensuring that the needs of the affected populations are met. Disasters may also intensify underlying issues, causing visible signs of damage that extend beyond the immediate impact, such as infrastructure damage, economic crises, and population displacement.