The story of the day, of course, is the earthquake and tsunami that struck countries surrounding the Indian Ocean yesterday. With an official death toll of 21,000 almost certain to rise and a rating of 9.0 on the Richter Scale by the U. S. Geological Survey it’s a natural disaster of historic proportions. The Moderate Voice has a run-down of first-hand accounts from Sri Lankan, Indian, and other Asian bloggers.
Disaster relief organizations are beginning to respond to the catastrophe. Good alternatives for contributions include The American Red Cross, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, World Vision, and Catholic Relief. As you might expect, these organizations’ web sites are swamped right now. Please be patient.
I don’t have a great deal of wisdom to offer in the face of such a disaster. Some will conclude that preventive measures or warning systems should have been put in place or should be put in place. Some will conclude that the affected countries should have better disaster preparedness. I believe that there will always be catastrophes beyond our ability to prevent or avoid. Our challenge is to respond to them to the best of our abilities.
I note that Wretchard has come to a similar conclusion.
I wonder if this major earthquake is a prelude to a magnetic reversal of the earth’s outer core?
Most interesting observation by Gail Armstrong-Hall. Wondered about the same thing. Curious to see what type of responses will be posted.