If the spreadsheets and workbooks are not secured and backed up regularly, the information stored in them is vulnerable to a failure or catastrophe.
noun /kəˈtæstrəfi/
1
a terrible event in which there is a lot of destruction, suffering, or death. SYN disaster.
a terrible disaster
a sudden event that causes many people to suffer.
a sudden event that causes very great trouble or destruction
an event that causes a lot of damage or makes a lot of people suffer
A catastrophe is an unexpected event that causes great suffering or damage.
environmental/nuclear/economic etc catastrophe
The Black Sea is facing ecological/'ikə'lɑdʒɪkl/ catastrophe as a result of pollution /pə'luʃən/.
prevent/avert a catastrophe
Sudan/suˈdæn/ requires food immediately to avert a humanitarian /hju,mænɪ'tɛrɪən/ catastrophe.
The oil spill was an environmental catastrophe.
Experts fear a humanitarian catastrophe if food isn't delivered to the refugees soon.
a global/nuclear/economic catastrophe.
an area on the brink of catastrophe.
Early warnings of rising water levels prevented another major catastrophe.
They were warned of the ecological catastrophe to come.
an economic/humanitarian/natural catastrophe.
From all points of view, war would be a catastrophe.
If the world is to avoid environmental catastrophe, advanced economies must undergo a profound transition.
2
an event which is very bad for the people involved. SYN disaster.
an event that causes one person or a group of people personal suffering, or that makes difficulties
a bad situation
used about an event that causes serious difficulty for a particular person or group of people
catastrophe for
If the contract is cancelled, it’ll be a catastrophe for everyone concerned.
The attempt to expand the business was a catastrophe for the firm.
We've had a few catastrophes with the food for the party.
The emigration of scientists is a catastrophe for the country.
catastrophic adjective /ˌkætəˈstrɑːfɪk/
The effect of the war on the economy was catastrophic.
a catastrophic drought /draʊt/.
catastrophic effects/losses/results
a catastrophic illness (= one that costs a very large amount to treat)
An unchecked increase in the use offossil fuelscould have catastrophic results for the planet.
It would be a catastrophe if we didn’t qualify for the World Cup next year.
catastrophically adv /ˌkætəˈstrɑːfɪkli/
The dam failed catastrophically, flooding the entire valley.
to fail catastrophically