Some of the hyperbole surrounding the recent hurricane in the American South is thrown into relief by Fletch:
I swear, if i hear another American Reporter on CNN describe Hurricane ‘Katrina’ as the ‘American Tsunami’ I’m going to go off my trolly…
Correct. The levee of “perspective” seems to have been swept away by the hurricane. I propose a Disaster scale.
It would make sense to categorise such events onto a scale: Grand Registry of Severity (GROS). Thus deaths, whether (no pun) caused by “Nature” and/or “terrorists”, numbering in excess of 10,000 people and causing damage estimated to be more than $2 billion qualifies as a cataclysmic tragedy (GROS I). Note, however, that the dollar value of such events is not paramount; the Grand Registry of Severity scale is not First Worldcentric by taking into account the world-cultural heritage significance of losses caused by the event. Should this GROS I event occur in any of the world’s modern, First World cities, the concept “apocalyptic” may be used. For example, the earthquake in Bam (26th December 2003). See also, “Asian tsunami” (26th December 2004) and Rwanda (April to June 1994).
A hurricane ploughing pass towns in hurricane territory, however, does not qualify as a GROS I event..
GROS II level events include death and destruction of between 1,000, to 9,000 deaths and damage of up to $2 billion. Such events are catastrophes.
A hurricane ploughing pass towns in hurricane territory, however, does not qualify as a Disaster GROS II.
A plane crash – usually with apprx. 100-300 deaths – is an accident (GROS IIIa). Should this take place in a non-media friendly location (for example, a remote mountainous area of Venezuela), it is possible to designate this as a
mishap (GROS IIIb).
Hmmm, looks like we have a mishap in New Orleans.
