wave?” David felt sick.
“Remember when I said that the wave goes out from the seismic event like ripples from a stone tossed into a pond? Well, the pebble causes more than one ripple. Tsunamis work the same way. The wavelength—the distance between the waves—can be about six hundred miles. That means that the second wave would strike a little over an hour later. That wave is less intense, as are subsequent waves after that. The initial tsunami does most of the damage, but the second wave is a killer too. The locals see that the water has receded and return to the shore area to retrieve their belongings and look for lost loved ones. By the time they realize that a second wave is on the way, it’s too late.”
David rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. Turning his chair he faced the RRT members. “It’s time to get to work,” he said. Of Gail Chen, the quiet, intense department head of communications, he asked, “Any word of our workers?”
“We had two works going on in the affected area,” she replied, brushing away her straight black hair from her brown skin, “one in Vishakhapatnam, India, and another in anorphanage outside Cox’s Bazar. We have been unable to connect with either one. We have some people in Calcutta who are trying to make physical contact, but that is going to be difficult because of the destruction and chaos.”
Gail Chen didn’t say it, but everyone understood her intent: There was a good chance that Barringston Relief staff had died in the catastrophe.
David already knew the answer, but he asked the question for those who didn’t. “How many of our people were … are in the damaged area?”
“Five in Bangladesh, six in India.”
“Stay with it, Gail. I want our best people on the communication boards. We have the finest equipment available; let’s make sure we get everything we can out of it. In the meantime, I’ll personally contact their family members and let them know we’re doing everything we can. Let’s not give up hope.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Albert, how are we fixed on resources?”
“Resources, medical, food, and temporary shelters are in good supply, but none are in the area. I’ll need to draw from our reserves in Tanzania, but it can be done.”
David nodded. He went around the table formulating a plan of action. Food and tents would be sent, and so would medication. Barringston Relief wasn’t big enough to handle this alone. It would work closely with other organizations. Tom Templeton would handle those contacts.
The discussion went on for twenty minutes, each person clearly defining a next step. The discussion was fast paced and intense. So much so that it took Osborn several attempts to get their attention.
“Yes, Oz, what is it?” David asked.
“I think we may be overlooking something here.”
“Like what?” Kristen asked.
“Hurricane Claudia. I know that what has happened in the Bay of Bengal is disastrous, but let’s not forget that another tragedy is just a day away.”
The reminder sobered David. Osborn was right. They were facing catastrophes on both sides of the world. David shook his head, “Two major natural disasters occurring within days of each other. What are the odds of that?”
“Better than most realize,” Osborn answered. “In fact, it’s not unusual at all. Multiple natural disasters are common, but they are not always this intense.”
“Common?” David said.
“Sure. August 1992 saw a volcano eruption in Alaska as well as an earthquake. Shortly after that, Hurricane Andrew struck the Bahamas and tore through the southeastern states of Florida and Louisiana. A week later Tropical Storm Polly inundated eastern China and took 150 lives. Typhoon Omar impacted Guam and the Philippines. In Afghanistan, flash floods swept through the valleys of Hindu Kush, killing hundreds. Most people aren’t aware of these events because many of them take place on foreign soil. You’re not aware of it because Barringston
“Remember when I said that the wave goes out from the seismic event like ripples from a stone tossed into a pond? Well, the pebble causes more than one ripple. Tsunamis work the same way. The wavelength—the distance between the waves—can be about six hundred miles. That means that the second wave would strike a little over an hour later. That wave is less intense, as are subsequent waves after that. The initial tsunami does most of the damage, but the second wave is a killer too. The locals see that the water has receded and return to the shore area to retrieve their belongings and look for lost loved ones. By the time they realize that a second wave is on the way, it’s too late.”
David rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. Turning his chair he faced the RRT members. “It’s time to get to work,” he said. Of Gail Chen, the quiet, intense department head of communications, he asked, “Any word of our workers?”
“We had two works going on in the affected area,” she replied, brushing away her straight black hair from her brown skin, “one in Vishakhapatnam, India, and another in anorphanage outside Cox’s Bazar. We have been unable to connect with either one. We have some people in Calcutta who are trying to make physical contact, but that is going to be difficult because of the destruction and chaos.”
Gail Chen didn’t say it, but everyone understood her intent: There was a good chance that Barringston Relief staff had died in the catastrophe.
David already knew the answer, but he asked the question for those who didn’t. “How many of our people were … are in the damaged area?”
“Five in Bangladesh, six in India.”
“Stay with it, Gail. I want our best people on the communication boards. We have the finest equipment available; let’s make sure we get everything we can out of it. In the meantime, I’ll personally contact their family members and let them know we’re doing everything we can. Let’s not give up hope.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Albert, how are we fixed on resources?”
“Resources, medical, food, and temporary shelters are in good supply, but none are in the area. I’ll need to draw from our reserves in Tanzania, but it can be done.”
David nodded. He went around the table formulating a plan of action. Food and tents would be sent, and so would medication. Barringston Relief wasn’t big enough to handle this alone. It would work closely with other organizations. Tom Templeton would handle those contacts.
The discussion went on for twenty minutes, each person clearly defining a next step. The discussion was fast paced and intense. So much so that it took Osborn several attempts to get their attention.
“Yes, Oz, what is it?” David asked.
“I think we may be overlooking something here.”
“Like what?” Kristen asked.
“Hurricane Claudia. I know that what has happened in the Bay of Bengal is disastrous, but let’s not forget that another tragedy is just a day away.”
The reminder sobered David. Osborn was right. They were facing catastrophes on both sides of the world. David shook his head, “Two major natural disasters occurring within days of each other. What are the odds of that?”
“Better than most realize,” Osborn answered. “In fact, it’s not unusual at all. Multiple natural disasters are common, but they are not always this intense.”
“Common?” David said.
“Sure. August 1992 saw a volcano eruption in Alaska as well as an earthquake. Shortly after that, Hurricane Andrew struck the Bahamas and tore through the southeastern states of Florida and Louisiana. A week later Tropical Storm Polly inundated eastern China and took 150 lives. Typhoon Omar impacted Guam and the Philippines. In Afghanistan, flash floods swept through the valleys of Hindu Kush, killing hundreds. Most people aren’t aware of these events because many of them take place on foreign soil. You’re not aware of it because Barringston
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