What is a Disaster?

Disasters come in many shapes and sizes.

As the photo of my neighbours house shows, disasters can strike at any time and anywhere.

Floods, fire, storms, earthquake. These are the types of events most people think of when you mention the word disaster.

What about something that has been in the news a lot recently - unavailability of EFTPOS, ATMs and internet banking. Is this a disaster?

 

If you are a customer of the bank trying to pay a bill, withdraw cash or make a purchase, it's probably only an inconvenience.

But what if you are a business that relies heavily on EFTPOS?

 

Perception of disasters is different for different people.

 

I have teenage kids, and I know that for them, the loss of internet or mobile phone connectivity is a disaster..without connectivity they cannot update their Facebook status or play their favourite games..their life is as good as over.

 

Yet to me, it's not even a minor inconvenience.

 

We've had some pretty big floods in Queensland over the past year or so and the media keeps writing about the flood disasters and the negative impacts it's had on the state.

 

True, many towns and businesses were flooded (and several people lost their lives), however, to a majority of the population, the flooding has been little more than an inconvenience, and for some, an opportunity.

 

It's all about perception.

 

Until next time.