There is certainly an order in the world. The planets move around the sun in precise orbits; the earth turns on its axis accurately; the moon orbits around the earth; these are just a few ways. The list is infinite. From the vibration of atoms, to the orbiting of the planets, there is an order in the universe. How then do devastating natural disasters occur? Immediate thought about them seems to reveal that natural disasters are freaks of nature. It does not seem sensible to see weather running berserk. Rain, which has been helping nature in its cycle, suddenly sows havoc. There are floods; thousands of plants, animals and humans perish. It looks as if a usually kind and gentle person suddenly become violent and kills for sport. Natural disasters come in many shapes and dimensions. Some natural disasters are easily predicted, others occur without warning. There are of course countless studies which show how natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts and typhoons occur. Scientists who spend their lifetimes studying the phenomena are able to analyse the causes. By causes all that we really know is what leads to them. We know that there is a fire below the earth, that at certain points the fire bursts forth and we have a volcanic eruption. We even know that the fire is a leftover from the fire that first begun burning when the earth was formed. With a lot more study, scientists have even been able to predict the extent of a coming volcanic eruption. There is even a way to say that an eruption is imminent. Without doubt, it is useful to know all this. In the countries where this kind of technology is available, lives can be saved through timely evacuation. What is so far not known is how the eruption can be prevented. Nature is just too powerful for any study to be possible in this area – at least so far. The same can be said for the other types of disasters including: floods, typhoons and earthquakes. Research stops short of prevention. Meanwhile the slaughter continues. All of man’s defences are too weak against nature. Perhaps it is nature’s way of telling us that we are still rather puny when compared with the vast powers of nature. It is often speculated that natural disasters are nature’s way of keeping the human population in check. Perhaps this is too much to assume, but it cannot be dismissed straightaway. Are any of these disasters caused by man? Well, we can see that man is not the cause of volcanic disasters or earthquakes, but perhaps we do in some way cause weather-related disasters such as droughts, floods and typhoons. We all know that the weather is being affected by the clearing of forests on earth. This is within our control. Hence some disasters could be controlled. All we can do is hope that a day will come when we can control all natural disasters. Till then we have to remain at the mercy of nature.

When you have major natural disasters occur like the cyclone in Myanmar (Burma), the massive earthquake and on-going aftershocks in China, the devastating tornadoes in the US or the last major hurricane Katrina, everyone is dramatically affected by the pain and suffering. The massive destruction and chaos left behind in such widespread areas is not only devastating for the people directly hurt by the disaster but very disconcerting and unsettling for people everywhere.

In the two most recent disasters we can – in real time – see and feel the pain and utter hopelessness of those directly involved in China and can only image the devastation and destruction in Myanmar. The same holds true for all the tornado victims in the Midwest and Southeastern US – or fire victims in California and Florida. And now, the storm center has again predicted for this year a large number of hurricanes and named storms.

While somewhat remotely viewing all of this destruction and devastation elsewhere, we realize that the rest of us have been spared. It could have been us whether we live in hurricane, earthquake and tsunami territory, flood zones, tornado alley or the heat and drought areas. We all realize the obvious real-time destruction pales in comparison to the enormity of the loss. While you can see the look of despair in the eyes of the victims, you can also see the disquieting look of sadness and helplessness in your neighbors’ eyes.Helping Others Requires Nurturing of Self

Even though millions regularly and generously reach out to help those living through the loss of loved ones, no homes to return to, no income and massive destruction, it is important to nurture self at the same time so you are in a position to help others.

Tragedy of fellow humans zaps the energy out of all people, especially those that live in areas where a natural disaster is always eminent on the horizon. So just what can you do to nurture self while maintaining respect for those in such great need? Three Steps to Nurturing Your Energy

While you are in the process of doing what you can to help others in such great need, there are a number of things you can do to nurture and uplift your energy. First, limit the amounts of time you sit in front of the television watching such a tragedy unfold – no matter what your feelings are about the tragedy. While it is appropriate to view the news so you can obtain the necessary information about what is happening in a disaster area, in your surroundings and in the world, too much viewing of such great loss imbeds that negative energy in your mind, body and spirit. You need to balance all of that negative energy with some positive viewing. Find some light programming that will bring a smile to your face or make you laugh to help re-energize self. Listening to soothing music before bedtime also helps. Go for a walk, bake some cookies, talk to a friend, meditate or pray. Take positive action to uplift your spirits.

Next, do something kind for someone you know that is in need. Perhaps a friend just had surgery and would like a newspaper, your son and daughter-in-law need someone to baby sit their newborn so they can just have a couple of hours of quiet time together – or one of your family members could use a few words of encouragement and someone to say “you are doing a great job under the most difficult of circumstances”.

Even though you may give money or donate food and clothing to those suffering from a major disaster, you may not be able to travel to where the natural disaster actually occurred to help in person. By helping someone nearby, you will be giving them positive energy and hope. At the same time you will be refueling yourself so you can move forward in your life with your own hope regenerated. If the strong among us during such times is not filled with hope, those in need will have no one to turn to in order to help restore their hope. Without hope, life has no future.Third, mentally make a list of all of the things for which you are grateful. You can even do this on a tablet or in a journal if it is hard for you to remember everything you wish to put on the list by doing it mentally. Create a Gratitude Journal and use it regularly – it will bring balance to your life.

One of the greatest positive energy builders in your life during a crisis perceived or real, is to recognize the numerous “good things” in your life and your surroundings. It can be little things like being grateful for your pets, a good neighbor or a friend – to huge things like freedom, your children, a good income, a roof over your head and good health. The more things you can put on this list, the more you will replenish your energy that is being depleted when such catastrophic disasters occur. The gratitude list should be a perpetual list that you add to regularly and look at often.

As unsettling as it may seem, a major natural disaster often brings the best out of the vast majority of our citizens. It is up to those of us on the periphery of such catastrophic disasters, whether on our soil or abroad, to maintain hope so we can share it with those in such great need. Remember to limit your viewing time of so much negative energy, do something kind for someone in need and create your “gratitude list”. Hope is positive energy. It rapidly becomes contagious when shared with others, especially those in need.

© Pat Heydlauff, all rights reserved 2008

None of us really like to think about natural disasters but unfortunately, they do occur from time to time. Perhaps we are in a location that is prone to natural disasters, such as hurricanes or earthquakes. How secure is the information that is on your computer should tragedy strike? Many people do not really take into consideration the fact that they need a backup service in order to make sure that their data is secure. If you don’t think about this, however, you could really be in some trouble should something unexpected happen. For some areas that are prone to natural disasters, you may see the disaster coming from a long way off. Still, every area is susceptible to something unexpected happening. If you are in the habit of backing up your data locally, you may not be able to save it if something should happen in this regard. Of course, the first thing that you need to worry about is your own personal safety and that of your friends and family. The last thing that you want to do, however, is to be putting back the pieces of your life together and trying to put your business back together as a result of data loss. For this reason, it is a good idea for you to have a remote backup in case this should happen. Not only can a remote backup protect you from natural disasters, it may also be able to protect you from many other disasters that may happen on your computer. For example, have you ever experienced a computer crash? If you have, you can certainly understand how quickly data loss can occur. Everything can be going along smoothly and then suddenly, everything is down and unable to be restored. How much sensitive data do you have on your computer? Many individual store such thing as e-mails, pictures and personal letters in the form of documents. Unfortunately, if you don’t back these things up they can be gone in the blink of an eye. How much is this data worth to you? Many people, when they really think about it, could not put a price on the things that they keep on their computer. This is another reason why it is very important that you protect your computer at all times through the use of a remote backup service. The same is true in a business environment. You may have irretrievable data on your computer that would bring your business to a grinding halt if something should occur that would make you lose it. Fortunately, there are some remote backup services that will be able to protect all of your sensitive data should a natural disaster occur. Even if you should lose everything, you can still restore these important files whenever you are able to finally get back to life as normal. It’s bad enough whenever a natural disaster disrupts your life, don’t allow it to disrupt your computer data as well.

Until December 2004, most of us thought of tsunamis as the makings of a good disaster movie, if we knew what “tsunami” meant at all. But with the awful devastation of 2004, we realized how much damage a tsunami can do.

What a Tsunami Is

Tsunamis are not large tropical storms caused by high winds. They are the result of undersea geological events like volcanoes, landslides, or earthquakes that occur with massive tectonic displacements. Earthquakes that reach 6.5 or above (Richter scale) can produce devastating waves that move at up to 300 miles per hour, reach heights of 100 feet, and last from several minutes to several hours from first wave to last surge.
In the open sea, the tsunami may not be noticeable, but when they enter shallower waters, the begins to “pile up” on itself, creating a massive wave that can destroy tall buildings and even travel inland for miles with great power.

Where Tsunamis Strike

Coastal areas in the Pacific Ocean basin are the most frequent targets of tsunamis, reflecting the greater vulnerability related to the famous “Ring of Fire” where tectonic plates meet to form a great circle on the sea floor. Japan has experienced many tsunamis. In fact, tsunami is a Japanese word. They’ve also hit Alaska and Hawaii in the Pacific Basin and Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in the Atlantic basin.

The Indian Ocean area has experienced many tsunamis as well, the 2004 tsunami taking more than 250,000 lives and destroying billions of dollars in property.

Preparing for a Tsunami Emergency

If you are in the water and feel a strong earthquake, leave the water immediately, getting as far from the beach as you can. Try to go to high ground, or go inland as far as possible if the ground near you is flat.

If you can see the incoming wave, you can’t escape it. You simply don’t have time. The best thing to do in that case is to get as high as you can as quickly as you can.

If you sense a strong earthquake and you are not at the beach, tune your radio to a local station that broadcasts during emergencies. They will notify the public in case a tsunami watch or warning has been issued, and they will let you know where emergency relief centers are.

At this point, you should know where your family members are. Make sure everyone knows about the alert. You should have an agreed-upon meeting place in case you’re not all in the same place when the emergency is announced. Your meeting location should be as far from the shore as possible but not so far that people can’t get to it in time.

Be sure to prepare for family members with special needs. If your family includes elderly, ill, or small children, be prepared to have help for them or try to evacuate them early. You may also want to prepare to evacuate your pets as well, bringing emergency food and water for them.

You should have prepared emergency supplies in your home. Bring them with you when you evacuate. At least take fresh water, some food, and extra clothing. Most important, have a first aid kit in case of injuries.

If you have time, you might try to secure your house, but not at the risk of your own life. There is little you can do to protect your possessions from an incoming tsunami, so focus on saving lives first.

Tsunami Watch or Tsunami Warning

The two terms have important different meanings. When authorities issue a tsunami watch, it means that a tsunami is possible, but no one has reported seeing one or a sighting hasn’t been verified yet. A watch may include estimates for when and where a tsunami may strike.
When they issue a tsunami warning, it means that a tsunami has been reported and confirmed. By the time they issue the warning, the tsunami could be close. The warning will also let you know where to expect it to strike and when.

During the Wave

If you are unfortunate enough to find yourself at the mercy of an incoming tsunami, climb onto a rooftop or the highest point you can reach. The more stable the building, the safer the support will be. But get as high as you can no matter what. Hold on as tight as you can to any stable and heavy object available. If you must, climb a tree.

If you’ve already been overtaken by the water, grab something floating that’s large enough to support you and hold onto it until you can find stable ground or get help. Grab anything that seems firm and try to get out of the water. The current will be strong, and you could be hurt by debris in the water. If you can get any part of your body out of the water, do so.
You have to accept that tsunamis, like most natural disasters, are uncontrollable. You will have the earthquake warning to give you time to escape.

Keep your head. Remain calm. The better prepared you are, the better your chances of surviving.