The Terror of Tsunamis

Imagine a wave is coming at you hundreds of miles per hour, people are screaming, cities are destroyed, and communities are left devastated. This is a fear dozens of people suffer from. One person I’m going to focus on is Karson Doan. 

Karson developed a fear at 6 years old. He got the phobia from hearing stories about the horrible disasters that have occurred. Karson's grandma used to tell him stories about tsunamis she has experienced. One of the stories that stood out was her experience with several tsunamis in the Philippines. 

One of these tsunamis is the Moro Gulf earthquake that later led to the Moro Gulf tsunami. This was a terrifying time for the citizens being the largest tsunami they have ever faced with over 8,000 deaths. This left the community devastated and in crippling condition, taking years to rebuild. Karson's grandmother faced these types of challenges several times. 

Natural disasters can leave extreme trauma on communities not only from losing others but also reliving those moments and having several triggers. Even though Karson hasn't faced a tsunami himself he has personal experiences that built on his fear of tsunamis. 

When he was younger his grandmother also told him about people she lost due to tsunamis. One being one of her best friends. This affected her mental state, giving her immense amounts of anxiety. 

Karson was scared of many factors of a tsunami, he was scared that he would be harmed whether it was not being able to find shelter and being left in critical condition or dying all together. He was also scared that he would lose a family member or just someone he cared about, along with losing things that are important, like houses, schools, and being left in a devastating position. Karson thinks it's important to do research about natural disasters and the safety precautions to take in order for a tsunami (and other natural disasters) to take place. 

Karson said “I think it is important to know the danger of where you are and being self aware.”

After most disasters, many families are displaced or unable to find each other. Some of the worst tsunamis have had over 1.7 million families displaced and over 200,000 are children who end up never reuniting with their families again. 

When Karson was a child he went to the south padre beach with his family. While he was here a wave caught him and his sister, dragging them into the ocean. Their dad had to come and save them. This was a major contribution to his fear. This led him to be scared to go to the beach for about four to five years. When his family would go to the beach he would go to a friend's house, stay at home or just sit in the car, waiting nervously to leave. 

Karson said “ I was extremely scared and every time I went to the ocean  I always had anxiety thinking something  was going to happen. I was  super theoretical so every time the waves went in a little bit I'd be like ‘oh no, it might  happen.’ I would tell my mom and she would get really mad and then I would just have to sit in the car for the rest of the time and that would make me sad.”

Karson was left out and unable to experience many things because he was too scared to get out there in case of an emergency. He was not only left out with family but also with his friends. He wouldn't want to go to the beach with them so he missed out on opportunities with the people around him.

Karson was able to get over his fear when he was about 11 years old. This happened with the help of his mom and keeping a positive attitude. 

Karson said, “My fear taught me to be just more relaxed and at ease but I’m not scared too much  now just living in the moment, and if it happens it happens you can't really do anything. So why worry about it? You can't get as many experiences if you're too scared to get out there.”

Everyone deserves to live with purpose and not in fear. Educate yourself so you know you have a plan when worst comes to worst.