Up to 117,000 dead!

[Bob_Skurka]

Nature alters the landscape, destroys structures and takes lives. Man kills much more selectively and oftentimes with far less fanfare.

Rowanda recently killed just over 1,000,000 in a genocidal frenzy, but if it were not for an "art movie" titled HOTEL ROWANDA that might actually win an Oscar, many people would never know about it (and unfortunately not very many people saw the movie that tells a true story about a hotel manager who saved a thousand souls during the genocide)

But you are right about the whole concept of naming this disaster. We name hurricanes that do far less damage. But here is probably the largest natural disaster in terms of loss of life and in terms of the scope of damage, yet we have no name for it.

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue">I believe that the Iran/Iraq war killed over 150,000...</font>
Here's a link to the Wikipedia article (it was up to 1.5 million deaths and the Iranians used 9 year olds).

BTW, storms are named because there are, relatively speaking, many of them each year and it's easier to remember Ivan than the ninth storm of 2004. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif A natural disaster of this magnitude is extremely rare. I don't think anyone will need a name to remember it.

What do all these man made 'disasters' have to do with the effects of the earthquake and tsunami, the subject of this thread? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Normally, thread drift doesn't bother me, but in this case, it does. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

If people want to help, here's a link to a page with a number of organizations that will be glad to accept your donation. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

WGN news is interviewing Bud Crandall, on site director of Operation Care in Indonesia and they just said that due to disease, and estimating the number of missing and unaccounted for people involved, this Tsunami death toll may reach as high as 400,000 as estimated by an Indonesian ambassador.

 

[EastTexFrank]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> Tsunami death toll may reach as high as 400,000 </font> )</font>

It's horrific, isn't it? Fortunately large Tsunamis are rare which is just as well because the survivors will probably rebuild in exactly the same places because for most of them, they don't have a whole lot of choice.

 

[Junkman]

Four tsunami's have hit Alaska, 1946, 1957, 1958, & 1964. Luckily there wasn't a lot of lives lost. I believe that this latest one had a large expanse of water to travel so it was able to gather momentum, which many of those in the past couldn't do. If you are interested in reading about the Alaskan Tsunami's, Click here

 

[frank_f15]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It's horrific, isn't it? Fortunately large Tsunamis are rare which is just as well because the survivors will probably rebuild in exactly the same places because for most of them, they don't have a whole lot of choice.
)</font>
yes it is unfortunate, but alot of people would rebuild, even if given a choice. JUST HUMAN nature to rebuild! and think it won't happen again.

 

[DaveNay]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( yes it is unfortunate, but alot of people would rebuild, even if given a choice. JUST HUMAN nature to rebuild! and think it won't happen again. )</font>

I would have to think that rebuilding at the same location is not really that high of a risk. The odds of another tsunami hitting the same areas during the remainder of the survivors lives is probably quite low.

Dave

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue">...because the survivors will probably rebuild in exactly the same places because for most of them, they don't have a whole lot of choice. </font>
People in Florida, as well as other states affected by hurricanes, do it all the time.

 

[Junkman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( .............. The odds of another tsunami hitting the same areas during the remainder of the survivors lives is probably quite low.

Dave )</font>

Alaska had 4 in 18 years and 2 of them were a year apart. Tsunami's are more common than we realize, but usually they don't hit highly populated areas like this last one. It is like earthquakes in New England. Many people don't realize that they happen, because they are not severe like the ones in California, but they do happen, but not much is made of them because there is rarely any damage.

 

[EastTexFrank]

I'm sorry to resurrect his thread but a friend emailed me this link to before and after satellite photos of the disaster that I thought some might like to see.

Before and After Photos

With the death toll at over 400,000 the only bright side, if it can be called that, is seeing how the American people and American industry are responding to calls for aid.