Natural Tragedy

For those living safely away from the effects of a colossal earthquake and tsunamis centered off Indonesia Sunday, the way to measure the terrible effects was in the number of people killed. They were counted first by the hundreds, then when that proved inadequate, the thousands. There are only a few comparable measures for more than 22,000 killed in a few hours and no enemy to blame it on.

There was only powerful nature, but no one needs to hear about the human race’s infinitely small place in it over the eons, and that thought is likely not at all on the minds of the survivors in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia. Nor, for that matter, would they see death by the thousand-count.

But news reports emphasize the numbers.

Earthquake, 9.0 on the Richter scale; largest in 40 years.

Tsunamis at least 30 feet high, moving up to 400 mph.

Nine countries report at least 22,000 dead; many thousands missing.

The numbers aren’t the dead or missing. The dead are a lost father, a missing mother, the body of a child washed along a beach. Individual losses, family losses, villages lost. The dead are names, which outsiders largely will not know, and anyway, what is one name amid 22,000? The dead are reported to be a health hazard.

Five percent of the population displaced in Sri Lanka.

At least 400 fishermen missing in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Effects felt 3,000 miles away.