How do you define a "disaster"?

[Bruce Chafkin1]

oirst we had the Costa Concordia "Disaster", according to CNN.
A $600 million cruise ship ran aground and tipped over.
Many people were scared and inconvenienced.
A few dozen people died.
Everyone got a refund and damages covered.

Then we had the Costa Allegra "Disaster", according to CNN.
An old car ferry converted to "luxury" cruise ship had an engine room fire.
Many people were scared and incenvenienced for 3 days.
Nobody was injured or died.
Everyone got a refund and a free vacation.

This week in America they have had a "Tornado Outbreak", according to CNN.
Hundreds of massive tornados have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, causing damages in the Billions of dollars.
As many people were killed as in the Costa Concordia "Disaster".
Many families, lives, and careers have been destroyed.
Some people are getting a refund from their insurance companies.
Many are getting nothing.

Can someone explain to me why the cruise ship incidents were "disasters" and the tornado damage was an "outbreak" ??

[hockeynut]

I think the first Concordia "disaster" was more of an accident than a "disaster". Thats not to take away from the lives that were lost or the seriousness of the incident. I do think disaster might be the wrong term for that.

The second Concordia "disaster" certainly was not a disaster. More like an unfortuante event, or just a fire. We have fires across the US in many homes every day, but they aren't typically labeled a disaster, even if people die.

As for the tornado "outbreak". There were so many of them across multiple states in a short time so I can see a headline such as "Tornado outbreaks causes disaster in multiple states".

It's just to get more people to click on the article and the best way to do that is by a "catchy" headline.

[Manuel]

To most people, it's a disaster when the incident happens to them.

TM

[kandajones]

To me a 'disaster' is a personal totally unexpected event, where-as something like a series of killer tornados are pretty much expected in the US, so the press don't bother hyping the reports up in order to sell the stories.

Again where our hearts go out to the families who lost loved ones in the Concordia accident or tragedy, I wouldn't call it a disaster unless it was to bring the whole company down, and with the high levels of insurance that will paid out, total ruin of a division of Carni Corp is highly unlikely.

Alan.

[Manuel]

The Concordia incident was a disaster to the families who lost loved ones.

TM