A Concrete Example of Catastrophe

'Catastrophe'... How is this word formed? What words are combined to m ake this word? What's the history of this term?
Those were like the questions our professor was asking before a concrete example came after a few minutes...
We were already in the middle of the 'falling' discussion (falling since we were like losing our performance on Terror Prof M's class) when classmate Lovelyn protested on classmate RC's answer to a question.
I was already dizzy... I took out all the papers I could find in my bag to look for the right answer to our professor's example when suddenly there were moans of anxiety around me. I thought Lovelyn said something wrong with her outburst of knowledge. But I heard Marielle mentioned the word "lindol" (earthquake) and I looked out of the window.
The open window, in which one of the airconditioner is placed with some wooden wall to support it, was shaking back and forth.
I felt it. There was an earthquake.
I felt glad to feel it--because I was excited with feeling its action. Call me mean but I did not wish any harm on anyone.. It's just that it felt fun during that moment when I felt like the whole earth was swaying me in its hammock. I could even fall asleep...
But it lasted only a few seconds. Bitin.
Our professor, ever so calm, told us to go out of the building. Luckily, her type of seating arrangement fits such situation; we all got out easily. And it was a good thing we were downstairs near the main door of the building. We joined the other people gathered beside the field of the university.
Bitin.
We were walking as I tried to hold all the papers I've taken out of my bag during class. The papers fell as I walked and I felt really stupid. At least the earthquake was done. No time to haste, I guess.
Bitin.