I remember how appalled the country was when nearly 2,000 people were killed in Hurricane Katrina. It seems like so many unnecessary deaths.
But in comparison to other natural disasters around the world, that was nothing.
Think about the recent cyclone in Myanmar. According to current estimates, 22,000 have died. The count is still growing.
Even in the U.S., we’ve seen worse disasters. A 1900 hurricane in Galveston, Texas, left about 6,000 people dead.
And remember the tsunami in Indonesia in December 2004? That has to be the worst death toll so far: 170,000 people from 11 different countries were killed.
I’m not trying to belittle any losses – whether the death toll is 10 or 10,000, it’s a terrible tragedy for the families that are affected and for the world in general. Just thought it was interesting to point out how our perspective can broaden if we make an effort to pay attention to the world beyond our country borders.
Deborah,
I feel that the Katrina disaster was as devastating as the cyclone in Myanmar because there were survivors who died due to their country’s pathetic disaster response.
I do not find a natural disaster as appalling as the deliberate neglect of a government to come to its people’s aid in a time when their very lives depend on it and especially when the resources are available and plentiful.
In both cases there was a deliberate negligence that I find more incomprehensible than the devastation caused by cyclones and hurricanes.
By: Wangui Banks on June 19, 2008
at 6:46 pm