"THERE ARE NO NATURAL DISASTERS"

The United States is one of the most natural disaster-prone countries in the world. Our climate is situated between the cold, dry air over subarctic Canada and the warm, moist air above the Gulf of Mexico. This makes it perfect for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. The Pacific coast makes up the northeastern quarter of the tectonic Ring of Fire, where active volcanoes and earthquakes are common. Throw in some hurricanes, blizzards, floods, and wildfires, and you’ve got a nature-made warzone.

 So around here we’ve got a pretty good grasp on what natural disasters are and how serious they can be. 

It has been argued by social justice advocates and other groups that “there is no such thing as a natural disaster.” The disaster, they say, comes from the administrative response to (and protection against) a natural phenomenon. 

For example, hurricanes can be tracked and their predicted target areas can be evacuated, tornadic conditions can be watched and warned ahead of time, and structures can be built to better withstand floods and earthquakes. What it really comes down to, then, is evasive action: What can we do to prevent the loss of life?

The answer to that depends largely on the disaster. We can’t predict the exact path of a tornado, or even predict where one may touch down—not by a long shot. We can, however, do this for a tropical storm or hurricane. 

The most striking evidence in our recent history supporting that claim of the nonexistence of natural disasters is Hurricane Katrina. The details here are gory (not just by turn of phrase), but it is thought that Katrina was such a devastating event, not because of the storm’s sheer violence, but because of the state and federal response both to the threat and to its aftermath. 

Without ignoring the inherent danger these events carry, we must recognize that the preparation for—and response to—threats of disaster are crucial. As severe weather events increase due to new climate conditions, people face a greater risk now in this way than we ever have before. We live in a meteorological hotspot, anyway. Preparation and policy now are key investments to the safety of the future.