Little Disasters, Big Consequences

With threats of an H1N1 pandemic flu, the waning weeks of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane season, and fluctuating economic uncertainty, it's often easy to overlook disasters that can occur suddenly on any given day right in your local area or place of employment. Such was the case on June 9, 2009 when a natural gas line explosion occurred at a ConAgra Foods plant in Garner, NC. Fire, debris, ammonia gas, and a collapsed roof contributed to the death of three workers and sent scores of employees to several area hospitals. Luckily, the local neighborhoods were not impacted like nearby Apex, NC after an explosion a few years earlier at a chemical plant. The ammonia gas release did not affect residents, businesses, and schools adjacent to the ConAgra plant.

Almost three months later the plant, where they made the popular Slim Jim beef jerky products, has restarted operations with a reduced staff. Approximately 300 ConAgra employees will be laid-off as soon as November 2009 as a direct result of the June explosion.

The ConAgra plant accident did not obtain the dramatic glory given to major catastrophic disasters in the 24-hour news world we live in. However, several disasters are evident upon closer inspection most notably, the loss of life and loved ones. A sudden unforeseen death in the family is a particular type of disaster event that often causes shock and distress among those left behind. It impacts relationships both positively and negatively. The sense of loss can be very profound, and may last for years, decades, or for the remainder of one's entire life.

The loss of employment during the current global economic downturn not only forces a family to abruptly and drastically change their lifestyle and habits, it can be demoralizing to a "sole bread winner". The ripple effect may lead to changes in family ties, marital harmony, and living conditions such as home foreclosure and unrecoverable financial debt.

Children in nearby schools were held within the confines of schools until conditions were deemed safe for egress to the outdoors. In this case, the results could have been horrible if the ammonia release had contaminated the breathing spaces on the interior of the schools. This disaster was averted but it should at the very least compel parents and school officials to better plan and prepare on the community level, if not redefine the roles and limits in oversight of schools over the parent's wishes for their children.

When perceiving potential disasters remember that they can occur across many different scales of society, technology, and geography.