Facing a Natural Disaster

Will you ever be part of nature’s disasters? Most natural disasters can be foreseen with the aid of advanced technology, but, overall, nature’s wonders occur unexpectedly. The majority of the human population does not know what to do before, during, and after a catastrophic event. The most common questions asked are: what is it, where will it take place, when will it happen, and who will be affected. It is important to have an understanding of what natural disasters may be and what could be experienced during a time of chaos.

During a recent reading, I got some insight of a personal experience Samsuardi and his son, Rizal, faced during a natural disaster: a tsunami. To start off, over three months ago, on December 26, 2004, a tidal wave struck many countries including Indonesia where Samsuardi resided with a family of twenty members. Today, only Samsuardi, age forty, and Rizal, age six, have survived. Everyday Samsuardi goes to the site that once was his home. He said, “If I come here I can remember my wife and my children….When I come here my mind is more calm. I want to stay here forever, but I know that isn’t realistic.” Next, through this article I discovered that survivors went back to their so-called home, signs were spread to keep looters away, and people cried without tears; many families were destroyed experiencing depression, isolation, and psychosis. Finally, every day when Samsuardi arrives at what once used to be a beautiful community, Rizal is there to add comfort to his father; despite this fact his father mentioned that he fought against the waves to stay alive, but in the end he was left with nothing, which reminds me of a personal experience I faced a few years ago (Seth, 2005).

Approximately eleven years ago ...

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...e who is involved in the middle of a natural disaster, directly or indirectly, experiences a change in personality and behavior. Survivors of natural chaos and their acquaintances develop a new sense of understanding. Most survivors learn to appreciate life after living through a horrendous experience Mother Nature created. On the other hand, people are not informed of the outcomes of a natural happening and, therefore, cannot relate to those who had lived it. Now, when someone tells me or read about an unexpected environmental tragedy, I become very emotional and I give thanks to the being responsible or luck that I am here. A natural disaster cannot be measured to create a change in an individual’s state of mind. I think that a person can be changed mentally, emotionally, as well as, physically with any natural disaster no matter how extreme the event itself is.