A few years ago the Mississippi was really high and our levee was really weak, and we thought we were going to lose the business there for a couple of weeks. I live in one state, but he nearest civilization is on the other side of the Mississippi in another state. When they close bridges, it’s a pain in the butt.
I was in the South shortly after Katrina, and I was awed, speechless.
I was through Joplin shortly after the tornado ate the town, and it was not believable that a thriving town had been there shortly before.
I don’t think you can get a real sense of these disasters through TV and photos. It’s just too big. If I have the opportunity to view the devastation without being in the way, I do. It’s not thrill seeking, it just increases the depth of my empathy for other in the situation.