Saturday, September 14, 2013

Disaster-philia?

I loves me a good natural disaster. Blizzards, hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes, meteors, and of course floods - I love them all.


Seriously, I think I'm probably the only person in a landlocked state with no friends, relatives or financial interests along the coast who monitors the National Hurricane Center on a regular basis, just to find out if I'm gonna get to watch storm coverage any time soon!


Don't get me wrong, it's not that I wish pain and suffering on anyone, there's just something about mother nature rearing up and stating in no uncertain terms that she is in charge, that I find irresistibly compelling.


And it's not just real life events either, I'm a total sucker for disaster movies... I just love them. It doesn't really matter how improbable the plot, or how terrible the acting or special effects, I simply can't help myself!


Of course disaster movies offer the added benefit that the evil bad guys who offended mother earth in the first place are always punished. I just love how the intrepid scientist always manages to survive by the skin of his teeth, while the money grubbing bad guy gets swallowed up by the volcano or whatever the disaster du jour might be.


As you might expect, my love for all things disaster extends to post-apocalyptic dystopian films as well. Recently Netflix (which has obviously got me pegged) suggested that I might enjoy the TV drama "Revolution" where some sort of man made calamity has caused the rules of physics to be turned on their heads and all electricity has ceased to function.

Never mind the fact that the entire premise is utterly ridiculous - human bodies, after all, rely on electrical processes to function - I fear I am totally addicted to this show. It's sorta like a disaster that just keeps coming.


Speaking of disasters that just keep coming, you may have heard on the news that my fair state has been suffering with some of the worst flooding in its history. While conditions in my neighborhood are unremarkable (I was just thankful to get some rain on the garden) folks to the north and east of here are completely inundated.


I have to say that I'm completely exhausted just from watching the round the clock coverage of the disaster. The area north of Denver received an amazing amount of rainfall - over 18 inches in some places - which is more than we usually get in an entire year! Most of the water fell in the foothills, causing dangerous situations in the mountain towns and canyons.


Of course now, the bulk of the water has flowed into the South Platte river swamping towns on the plains to our east.


The damage is rather incredible, with a vast number of roads, bridges and railroad lines taken out, not to mention the loss of property, farmland and life. There are numerous towns and areas that are completely cut off, and the National Guard has been shuttling people out by helicopter because thousands of folks are isolated by the damage to the infrastructure.


So, the obvious suffering here really causes me to wonder... what's with me? Why am I so attracted to this sort of thing? Do I have some sort of a death wish? Am I a mean spirited person who actually enjoys watching other people suffer?


You know, when it comes right down to it, I think it's this: When these sorts of disasters happen, all of the form over substance bullshit that so consumes this society just seems to melt away, and suddenly people become much more human.


It's like people come out of their collective fog for a brief moment, and suddenly remember what life is supposed to be about.


We suddenly realize that the purpose of a house is to provide shelter, not to show off how wealthy you are... that clothing is important because it protects your body from the elements, not because it's "cute" or "fashionable"... that telephones are for communicating, not playing endless hours of Candy Crush... that food is designed to nourish our bodies, it's not simply for a quick sugar buzz... and that we are all inevitably bound together by forces that are so much larger than anything we can conjure up.


Of course, none of it will last. Pretty soon life will return to "normal". The news will stop being a place where people turn to get vital information, and go back to being a place where we report on the release of the latest iPhone, or the antics of some stupid celebrity, or god knows what other idiocy.


We'll forget that our government and public officials work tirelessly day in and day out to provided us with infrastructure and services that we are completely dependent on, but which most of us simply take for granted.


People will stop helping each other, and we'll be back to the social climbing, backstabbing, divisive vitriol that we're all so used to.


But for the moment I think I'm just gonna send up a little prayer for the folks in peril, and rejoice in the fact that sanity and compassion have made a brief comeback.



32 comments :

  1. I think this is a complex issue because there are so many levels to it. In a very basic kind of way, we like following natural disasters because it's like riding a roller coaster. There is the thrill of danger and not knowing what is coming next. But of course, when we stop and think about it,we feel guilty about being excited just as you stated in the beginning. Then generally we are an empathetic people and our heartstrings are pulled as we watch the bad things that are happening to others. We all need a good cry sometimes without having to do the suffering ourselves. But lastly, the most important thing that draws us to disasters is wanting to help. And it reminds us what is really important as you eloquently wrote.

    I am glad that you are spared from the flooding, but my heart goes out to your fellow Coloradians who aren't so lucky.

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    1. I totally agree... there's a whole mix of emotions - maybe that's part of the appeal, I dunno. I'm feeling rather lucky... the big hailstorm that took out my garden, roof and storm door a few summers back seems like child's play compared to this!

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  2. I was wondering if you had suffered any flooding. Glad to hear you are ok.

    I'm not really someone who follows natural disasters a lot. I find, especially after having had children, that I have to limit my exposure to media about disasters/accidents because I start thinking, "what if that had been my family?" and I get in a big funk about it. I try to follow the news enough to not be an ostrich with my head in the sand but not so much that I get obsessed about it. I think you are spot-on in that disasters have a way of reaffirming what it truly important for us.

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    1. I think about the what-if's too, but somehow the idea of responding to disaster tends to make me think I could somehow spring into action. That's probably a ridiculous thought since these things tend to take people by surprise. I have to say though that I've been worried sick about all of the horses and other animals that have been stranded. This picture in particular tugs at my heartstrings:
      http://media.thedenverchannel.com/photo/2013/09/13/stranded%20horse_1379112071138_910523_ver1.0_640_480.jpg

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  3. I am so glad you are ok. I cannot believe the amount of rain you got up there. I remember when I was young, the Big Thompson sending a huge wave of water down the chute and we got swamped down here in Nebraska, and if I recall it was the mid 60's when that went on as my dad helped sandbag the town.
    And speaking of water, we are watching as I comment as I live not very far from the South Platte. We are keeping an eye on the amount of water coming down our way. The North Platte is out of Wyoming and will spill into Lake Maconahay, which is our largest lake here in the state, and that is nothing unless Wyoming gets a deluge also. My town sits directly between the two rivers when they merge into one as the South Platte, just east of my community. Way to go when they built the Union Pacific Railroad.
    Keep us posted as I am not getting much reports as we do not get Colorado news here at all and little on our local news.

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    1. I remember the Big Thompson flood too. It was actually in 1976. It's burned into my memory because my mother was out of town dealing with her father's funeral so we were staying at my dad's house. My stepmom was driving home from the mountains that day and Dad was terrified that she'd been caught in the canyon. Fortunately, she'd taken a different route.

      However, Denver had a huge flood in the mid-60's, and I'm sure that one sent a big surge down the Platte too.

      At any rate, if you're anywhere near the South Platte, I'd start getting ready to evacuate. The water levels in the Big Thompson are several feet higher than they were in the '76 flood. Most of the gauges along the South Platte have been knocked out by the flooding, but at last measurement it was at 20 feet, which is about 5 feet above it's record. At this point the town of Fort Morgan is just starting to flood. To make matters worse, we got a bunch more rain today and tomorrow is supposed to be even worse.

      So stay safe and take care of yourself!

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    2. Thank you for jogging my fatigued brain....yes you are right, the Denver flood is what we battled here in the 60's, plus Big Thompson in the mid 70's. I was in high school then. I remember not having some school days because of it.
      We are just watching for now, and that is all we can do. Thank you for letting me know about Ft Morgan.
      Please take care.

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    3. Thanks. All's well here, though more rain is falling!

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  4. I'm glad you're okay, I was wondering about you and your cats.

    Last summer we had a cyclone, which led to flooding in the town where I was doing my fieldwork. We were staying in tents so it wasn't much fun while the rain was bucketing and the wind was howling for four days straight.

    But afterwards quite a few of us were stranded because the highway flooded and we couldn't get back to Brisbane. Everyone kind of pulled together to make sure we had enough food and we kept each other updated about the roads. And yes, we went into town to look at the flooding river (once it was safe) and it was pretty cool.

    But yeah, everything was back to normal pretty soon afterwards.

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    1. Yikes! Riding out a cyclone in a tent sounds somewhat harrowing!

      It will be interesting to see how quickly things get back to normal here - there's just so much infrastructure damage. But, the 24/7 news coverage has ended and the TV's full of football today, so I guess that's a sign! :-)

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  5. I honestly don't know how you cope with all the natural disasters that seem to hit America. I mean, in Ireland, the worst we currently get is a heavy downpour but our country would obviously be equipped for it since we get it a lot. And our storms would be a bit of thunder and lightning, although they are very rare - seeing as I'm 21 and I finally witnessed my first storm about a month ago, and it was epic!

    Would the children be taught in school how to deal in a natural disaster? Like when I was in school, they taught us about farm safety since agriculture is a huge part of Irish life, so I was wondering would there be some sort of equivalent?

    Hope Mother Nature settles herself soon and ye are all safe :)

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    1. Ha! Well, America is a pretty big place, so I don't think it's exactly a fair comparison. I think the state of Colorado is probably bigger than Ireland.

      But, Colorado is know for severe weather. Lightning, hail, tornadoes, blizzards, avalanches and forest fires are all commonplace here. What isn't common is this kind of prolonged rain. In fact, rain in September is almost unheard of - it's generally a spring & summer phenomenon.

      I do remember being taught how to deal with severe situations in school - what to do if you're caught in a storm or avalanche, recognizing the signs of hypothermia etc. I guess it just seems normal to me! Perhaps that's why my state is known as a place full of hardy, rugged folks! :-)

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  6. Once again you have successfully meshed oddity with truth. I can tell you that being a person who lives in an area that gets made fun of for it's weather, we experience a little bit of your interest in bad weather elsewhere. You see, not matter how much people joke about cold weather and snow, it doesn't wash people's homes away, blow buildings off their foundations or choke and kill living things. Bad weather elsewhere is salve to our climate situation.

    So, you're note entirely alone!

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    1. Ha! It's weather schadenfreude!

      It's funny when I think about it because one of the big attractions of Colorado is the weather. I guess we're used to lots of days of sunshine punctuated by periods of craziness. I honestly can't remember so much prolonged rain in my lifetime, and my part of town has been mostly spared!

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    2. Schadenfreud was exactly the sentiment I had in mind when I posted this!

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  7. I think you are right that there is a humanity that comes out when bad things happen and there seems to be more and more disasters..both man-made and nature-made...over the last few years. The weather related items just seem unimaginable as to how water, wind or fire can destroy so much so quickly.

    As always, I love your choices of pictures.

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    1. It's nice to see people helping each other, but it's also just nice to see people stop caring so much about the stupid irrelevant stuff.

      I have to say that I'm amazed by the amount of damage... so far I've heard reports of 1400 homes destroyed, and thousands damaged, over 30 bridges completely gone and at least that many more damaged, and the worst is that over 1200 people are still missing.

      Here's hoping that humanity and compassion will be enough to get everybody back on their feet!

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  8. I also live Denver, and am very lucky to have avoided the flooding. I’ve been glued to the screen watching and reading the disaster and the aftermath unfold. It is compelling – I think most of us know it can happen to us or to people we know - fortunately, those I know have experienced minor if any, flood damage. It is heartwarming to see how people pull together and help each other out. It really shows people at their best, and that we survive and thrive best through communities and mutual support – so sick of the backstabbing survival of the fittest thing.

    I think about how I’d save the cats, though I’ve yet to develop a real emergency plan. I fantasize about losing all my possessions in a fire or flood and then living free of stuff as an extreme minimalist; I don't usually admit this fantasy given people’s very real heartbreak over losing precious photos and family things to the flooding.

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    1. Ha! I've had the exact same fantasy... with the exact same associated guilt. Some part of me loves the idea of camping in a small studio apartment with no furniture, but I'm sure the reality of it would probably be a bit different.

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    2. We don't have many possible disaster landscapes here in the mid valley of Oregon. House fire, earthquake, that's about it. However, I suppose a massive flood could overspill the Willamette River and even flood where I am, but that would take a really huge amount of rain. Much of this town flooded a couple years back when storm drains became clogged and the storm drain system could not handle the run off of lots of rain. I got caught in that, trying to get home, turned down one street after another, all flooded, some in three feet of water, ended up on the sidewalk in my little car, so it would not suck in water and drown. I think in case of flood, the only one of the three disasters where I might escape first, where I could go with all my cats, and how I would get them there in my tiny car.

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    3. I too am fairly shielded from experiencing most disasters personally. My house sits atop a big hill in one of he highest spots in Denver, so it would take one helluva flood to touch me.

      I think the worst that's ever happened was a few years ago when we got back to back blizzards around Christmas. In that case the hill became a big liability! Usually our big snow storms are in the spring or fall, when it's warm enough to melt off rather quickly. But that one hit at the darkest time of year and for some reason they didn't plow the side streets. These giant ice ruts formed, and I couldn't get the car out for several weeks! Thankfully I didn't have any sick kitties at the time!

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  9. It's a bit sad that we can't hold on to the perspective given during a natural disaster or tragedy, and that we regress to the "normal" that you described. I guess the best we can do is enjoy it while it lasts.

    Oh, and if you like disaster movies, one of my favorite quirky one is It's a Disaster. Funny stuff.

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    1. Agreed. And thanks for the tip on the movie, I'll have to check that one out!

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  10. I can't say I enjoy watching a natural disaster unfold, but I do love to watch a severe storm come through my area. I love listening to the howling winds and feeling the change in air pressure. I even like losing power and seeing total blackness for once at night. I do find the power of Mother Nature to be something to watch, but I have mixed feelings when seeing an area hit with something truly dangerous. I have that rush of the event which reminds me of how little control we have over our environment yet I have the fear and empathy for those in the path.

    Now for movies, love a disaster movie, good or bad, for most of the same reasons you do, and I've seen the first season of Revolution as well.

    Having been through Colorado a few times I'm pretty familiar with the layout of the state, I was pretty sure you were safe, but glad to hear it confirmed.

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    1. You described my feelings so well. I LOVE being snowed in during a blizzard, though it would totally suck if there was a medical emergency or something, and my heart breaks for the people who have lost everything.

      I'm almost through the first season of Revolution. I have to say that I'm getting a bit tired of the shoot 'em up kill 'em up stuff, but other than that I'm enjoying the complicated characters and twists of plot. I wonder if people really would be so horrible and violent in such a situation, or if that just makes for good television.

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  11. I prefer post-apocalypse books and movies to real life news; I guess I feel safer when it's fiction. I love the point you make about how we never notice the government services we receive (such as transportation infrastructure) until they're threatened.

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    1. Ha! Yes, the idea of having to survive by one's wits in a world gone bad is much more appealing than the reality would be.

      And I never really thought about the importance of things like bridges before all this, but the phrase "can't get there from here" has taken on a whole new meaning lately!

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    2. Have you seen "The Road"? It's not bad as a post apocalypse movie. I love your post, it's very creative and expresses my feelings too about "normal" society.

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    3. Ha! I just saw "The Road" the other day. I thought it was probably the most realistic post apocalyptic movie I've ever seen.

      Glad you liked the post, and yes... normal people scare me!

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  12. Good pos5. I share your feelings to an extent, I love getting snowed in (as long of large pieces of tree do not fall on my house) and I kinda like power outages unless the temps are belong 50 or above 90 -- which, of course, seems to be the only time we have power outages so never mind. The only thing that keeps me from enjoying such events is the thought of all the animals who die, get abandoned, and we never hear about. That keeps me from enjoying natures smack down. We humans, after all, are the ones bringing it on, but as usual, they are the ones that suffer most.

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    1. Agreed. I cried for weeks after hurricane Katrina watching the footage of those poor abandoned animals. Apparently a lesson was learned from that experience though. The rescue efforts here included pet rescue... the National Guard flew out helicopter load after load of cats, dogs, birds, iguanas and any other pets. They made a point of it specifically because during Katrina, so many people refused to evacuate because they couldn't take their pets and wouldn't leave them.

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