Natural Disasters

[Eamonnca1]

Could see this death toll climbing quite a bit. Heard some reports from friends over that way saying a primary school was hit and children are missing.

[seafoid]

Global warming is going to play havoc on weather systems in the US and Australia.
It will be the poor as usual who pay but thank god for Fox TV who say everything is fine .

[J70]

Been glued to CNN since I got in.  It's absolutely shocking what damage this has caused.  Praying that the kids are in a basement in school or have escaped before it hit.  Some have been found at a nearby church, but still more unaccounted for.

Surely a school, especially in a town with a tornado history like this one, should have a shelter? Or is that just nanny state, evil liberal talk, like the questions about the West, Texas, fertilizer disaster?

[armaghniac]

Surely a school, especially in a town with a tornado history like this one, should have a shelter? Or is that just nanny state, evil liberal talk, like the questions about the West, Texas, fertilizer disaster?

Absolutely, it is a complete no brainer that a school or the like would have a reinforced concrete core where people could shelter if you live in a zone where this type of tornado occurs. Pre-fab schools are one thing in Ireland, but not in a town demolished only 14 years ago by a previous tornado.

[moysider]

Just watching the devastation in Oklahoma...how lucky are we in Ireland that we don't get wrecked by tsunamis, tornadoes, twisters, hurricanes, etc, etc.

do you ever go outside? theres the first part of a famine going on right outside your door. we are the top grass growing country on the planet and we are hauling in hay and straw from france.. most of last years spuds werent dug and are being plowed into the ground. i think i heard there were some sheep killed by snowfall in county down.. isnt that near you or was that the other county down

+1

A lot of farmers are on their knees and we re well into another bad summer. Winters (as regards housing and feeding livestock are now 8 months long. It might not be as  spectacular as a tornado but it is morale draining and a disaster none the less.

Sadly the suicide rate in the farming community (which has always been high) has increased as a result.

[Franko]

I agree with those on here RE the structure of buildings.  You have to question the mentality of someone who sticks up a ramshackle timber frame building right in the middle of the tornado belt.

[Aerlik]

Endured a full-on typhoon in 1997 in Japan, three days of hell, including 26" of rain in 24 hours; saw - from a distance of about half a mile - a mini-tornado tear the shite out of several streets (again in Japan) in 1999; used to get woken on a not infrequent basis by the tsunami warning system on the Toyogawa river (surprise surprise...in Japan); and then there was the small issue of living in a city built on one of the major tectonic fault lines.  All fun and games.

Over 70 people killed in violence in Iraq in the last 24 hours.  Yeah but that's not significant.

[lawnseed]

just in case anyone thinks I'm being unfair to the victims of the Oklahoma tornado i fully sympathise with them and wish them all the luck in the world as they search for survivors.

today's front page of the Irish news spud prices soar fast food prices set to double!! it 'IS' as bad as that.

chicken farmers- those feeding for kentucky etc are reporting heavy fianancial losses due to high concentrate (grain) prices.

[The Iceman]

Some sad scenes on the news. When Sandy hit NJ we had about 40 volunteers drive across the country from OK and set up camp in our Church parking lot and working with the red cross the fed thousands every day. Hopefully they get all the help they need from across the country.

[moysider]

just in case anyone thinks I'm being unfair to the victims of the Oklahoma tornado i fully sympathise with them and wish them all the luck in the world as they search for survivors.

today's front page of the Irish news spud prices soar fast food prices set to double!! it 'IS' as bad as that.

chicken farmers- those feeding for kentucky etc are reporting heavy fianancial losses due to high concentrate (grain) prices.

Ye'know thats the sad part. The only way that a social/personal/financial crisis among farming communities can be approached is by addressing how it impacts consumers. Farming crisis is just not cool enough to sell papers.

Also if spud prices double it will be because the retailers will be importing, not that local growers will be making double. They re probably broke because their crop sunk.

A lad at work ( appalled that farmers might get more aid) said it all. ' Dose this mean that next time we have a good summer, farmers will pay more tax?.

Same lad would have no problem with bank bailouts, nama etc. Farming just isn t cool enough. Never was. We had so much going for us besides.

[Oraisteach]

Iceman, interestingly enough, both of Oklahoma's senators, Coburn and Inhofe, voted against Hurricane Sandy aid. Hmm.....

[Aerlik]

A lad at work ( appalled that farmers might get more aid) said it all. ' Dose this mean that next time we have a good summer, farmers will pay more tax?.

Same lad would have no problem with bank bailouts, nama etc. Farming just isn t cool enough. Never was. We had so much going for us besides.

Anyone who is not in any way connected with agriculture is often unwittingly oblivious to just how difficult farming is.  There is no weekly/fortnightly/monthly pay packet with overtime bonuses etc.  It is a struggle from day dot. It really pisses me off when I hear ones commenting on "farmers whinging".  Little do they know.  But then again milk comes from a cardboard box/plastic bottle.

[macdanger2]

Sadly the suicide rate in the farming community (which has always been high) has increased as a result.

Very true, apparently there has been a big increase in farmers committing suicide over the past couple of months - presumably due to the fact that it's a relatively isolated existance in that everything that happens comes back to you and you alone.

[The Iceman]

Iceman, interestingly enough, both of Oklahoma's senators, Coburn and Inhofe, voted against Hurricane Sandy aid. Hmm.....

Watching the news tonight the OK folks themselves said they would be waiting a long time on the government to do what was necessary.
They said the Baptist men are out in force already.
It was Baptists we had come to our aid too.
OK is right in the middle of the Bible Belt. They wil all come together to help their fellow Christians.

[NAG1]

A lad at work ( appalled that farmers might get more aid) said it all. ' Dose this mean that next time we have a good summer, farmers will pay more tax?.

Same lad would have no problem with bank bailouts, nama etc. Farming just isn t cool enough. Never was. We had so much going for us besides.

Anyone who is not in any way connected with agriculture is often unwittingly oblivious to just how difficult farming is.  There is no weekly/fortnightly/monthly pay packet with overtime bonuses etc.  It is a struggle from day dot. It really pisses me off when I hear ones commenting on "farmers whinging".  Little do they know.  But then again milk comes from a cardboard box/plastic bottle.

So is this all farmers or just the smaller type farmers?
What are we to make of the farmers then who are buying new tractors, driving range rovers and generally living the good life?
Are these just grants or are they making money?

Also not that long ago I was reading that farming was just about the only industry that the banks were actually lending too for investment purposes, so to me there seems to be a paradox there. Dont get me wrong I know thats not the case for all farmers.

PS I dont think this thread is the correct place for this discussion but anyway