Disasters: Stories We Share

A traveling exhibit

Creating Stories

We recall memories through monuments, learning environments, anniversaries, and rituals. As we recollect, we create interpretive frameworks.

As we observe these commemorative efforts, we need to pay attention to who is in charge of the telling, who is included or left out, and the kinds of images used as we remember together.

Dust storm, Elkhart, Kan., May 1937. | Courtesy of Library of Congress
Three women standing across the street from the burned-out shell of a building from which hangs the sign, “Girls wanted.” | Girls wanted / Glintenkamp. 1916
Any questions?
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Retelling Stories

How widely the news initially covers a disaster and how the story is repeated has an effect on how it is remembered. The story can change over time, and be incorporated into various forms of media. Some stories fade while others continue to generate wide interest. These stories have power and can lead to positive change.

  • What is a disaster? The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines a disaster as “An occurrence of a natural catastrophe, technological accident, or human caused event that has resulted in severe property damage, deaths, and/or multiple injuries.”
  • What is a natural disaster? A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard, particularly when the hazard affects large numbers of people or property. People are central to what we consider a “disaster.” Natural hazards can and do take place regularly without affecting people, but a disaster is the result of the hazard’s interaction with humans. Because the number of people (or amount of property) affected by a disaster is integral to the definition of a disaster, people really are central to the definition.