While researching important dates in history, I decided to research 1913. Don't ask me why I chose this date, it was just the first number to pop in my head. My first result when searching headlines from 1913 was titled "The Great Storm of 1913." I had absolutely no clue what this was about, so I clicked on it. Apparently on November 7-10, 1913 a blizzard struck with hurricane force winds that devastated the Great Lakes Basin. It remains the deadliest disaster to ever hit the great lakes, killing more than 250 people, destroying 19 ships, and stranding 19 more. The financial loss was an estimated 5 million US dollars, equal to approximately $100 million today. I was amazed to discover such an event because you would think that a disaster like that would still be mentioned in some classes. Granted along these times there was plenty happening with World Wars and the depression heading the early 1900's, but I feel this is pretty major.
The parallel that I made with this article to today is the comparison between this and Hurricane Katrina. Katrina struck the US back in August of 2005, killing approximately 1800, and causing 81.2 billion dollars. I know Katrina makes the Great Storm of 1913 seem minimal, but thinking harder, they have a lot in common. Clearly the New Orleans region was much more populated and developed in 2005 then that of the Great Lakes region in 1913. Had this storm struck the Great Lakes in 2005, I think the damage may have been much closer to that of Hurricane Katrina, and thus becoming one of our countries worst natural disasters. I wanted to just mention this date in history to honor people killed from this tragic event that may have been forgotten over the years.
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You're absolutely right, why wasn't the Great Storm of 1913 talked more about over the years of our history courses in school!
You know, I wouldn't be surprised in about a hundred years if Hurricane Katrina is forgotten as well.
That's needless to say that we haven't documented the event much more elaborately than the Great Storm, but still...there will be other "current" events of the future that will consume people's time.
It's unfortunate, as cynical as it sounds, but people simply "don't have the time" to recollect our triumphs over nature. It's one thing to be in a war with people - the playing field, for the most part is even...but it's an entirely different thing to be in a war with nature. And to win against nature is quite the miracle.
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