Emergency Bulletin: The Flooding in Nepal

On December 26, 2004, the deadliest tsunami in recorded history occurred in the Indian Ocean. An enormous tidal wave, caused by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, blasted across the Indian Ocean and took roughly 230,000 lives in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.

What occurred in Nepal on August 26th was something that I had never imagined: a tsunami in a landlocked country. The collapse of an enormous glacier, and the subsequent landslide, created a wall of ice, stone, and water that raged down the Trishuli river valley, at times 600’ high, demolishing bridges and buildings with the force of a runaway train. As of this writing the confirmed death toll is at least 675, with over 2,400 missing. As in 2004, people saw their entire families swept away in an instant.

In January 2005 I was sent to Sri Lanka by Mercy Corps, an international aid organization, to write about the tsunami’s impact, its social consequences, and the locally-based rebuilding programs funded by the organization. Soon after I was joined by my friend and colleague Dwayne Newton, an extraordinary photographer who helped Mercy Corps build a video and photographic record of the disaster’s aftermath. Though what we saw was often hopeful, witnessing the degree of grief, shock, and suffering among the survivors — and understanding the overwhelming power of the water itself — was a deeply affecting experience.

I don’t know how Dwayne feels, but for me the Nepal catastrophe has stirred up a kind of PTSD. The heartbreaking stories of the survivors, along with the sheer horror of the videos I’ve been seeing — especially the annihilation of the Gyirong Port border station and its inhabitants — have been visceral, rattling my body to its core.

I send my prayers and deepest compassion to the victims and survivors of this terrible (and possibly climate-related) tragedy, unfolding amidst a Himalayan landscape that has long been — for myself and so many others — a place of beauty, wonder, and spirituality.

Nepal needs our help. If you are moved to contribute to the relief efforts, I suggest a donation to the Nepal Red Cross Society, UNICEF, or #wehelpNEPAL