Big disaster anniversaries are hard and today is one of those — the 10 year anniversary of the April 27th Tornado Outbreak that killed 252 people.
I was in Tuscaloosa, Alabama a few days after the April 2011 tornado which to that point was the most severe tornado damage I had ever seen up close (months later I’d go to Joplin). It was devastating.
At the time something I had been learning about in New Orleans was how to capture the destruction of disasters, through photographs, as a way to communicate the extent of the need to those who were not there. This is an incredibly difficult thing to do.
Sometimes I see people talking about how video footage and photos of disasters are “capitalizing on disaster victims”. I understand the sentiment. Certainly, there are times where lines are crossed (I’m thinking here of the notorious post-Haiti earthquake photos). I also know that videos and photos can contribute to (and are often necessary for) effective response and recovery. The medium is a powerful driver of needed donations and volunteerism and can motivate political action. In fact, a lack of visual images can contribute to a slower response because people don’t understand the extent of the damage. It’s complicated.
I take very few photos when I go to disasters now, and post even less of them. We’re so bombarded with images of destruction that I try not to contribute too often. I have these photos from Tuscaloosa, though, and I think they are powerful. I guess if there’s ever there’s a time to share them it’s now.
