The Top Ten Disaster Movies

Turning from the grim realities of preparing your family to survive emergencies and disasters, Hikingware.com would like to present instead a list of the top ten disaster movies.
Maybe you've seen some of them, and hopefully there are a few that you haven't viewed yet.
So put on your crash helmet, warm up the DVD player, break out the popcorn, and review these flicks where Mother Nature turns nasty . . .

Twister.

Along with flying cows, one of the more interesting twists in the storm-chasing thriller Twister is its leading couple. In movies like Outbreak, Independence Day and 2012, it’s the stagnating husband who has to win back his jet-setting ex. Not so in Twister, where Bill Paxton is the collared shirt wearing sellout, while soon-to-be ex-wife Helen Hunt has to lure him back to the passion project that united them.

The Day After Tomorrow.

Some say the world will end in fire, but in The Day After Tomorrow Dennis Quaid tells us emphatically it will end in ice. Of course no on listens to him, so when the North Atlantic Current abruptly reverses course the world’s leaders are caught unprepared--some quite literally--by the biggest planetary weather event in more than 10,000 years.

Contagion.

Stephen Soderbergh brought the multilinear style he used in 2005’s Syriana to the disaster genre in 2011 with Contagion. The style, sometimes known as hyperlink cinema, was a natural fit for a disaster movie. It allowed the director to track the rapid spread of a lethal disease from a variety of simultaneous viewpoints. The film's all-star cast includes Laurence Fishburne, Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bryan Cranston.

Earthquake.

A giant earthquake, a suicidal wife and psychotic national guardsmen are just a few of the problems Charlton Heston faces in 1974’s Earthquake. With help from George Kennedy and Shaft himself, Richard Roundtree, Heston leads a ragtag band of survivors through the ruins of Los Angeles. What's not to like?

Outbreak.

In Outbreak, Dustin Hoffman and Rene Russo race to stop the deadly Motaba virus before Donald Sutherland drops a giant bomb on an infected California town. Though the speed with which Hoffman synthesizes a magical cure may not be scientifically accurate, the rest of the movie feels eerily plausible. Fun fact: The capuchin monkey in Outbreak also became a sitcom star when he played Marcel on Friends.

Armegeddon.

Admit it, you can still sing every word of the Aerosmith theme song to Armageddon. Directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Armageddon was the flashier competition to the summer of 1998’s other astronomical disaster movie, Deep Impact. Though today it falls squarely in the guilty pleasure category, the movie nonetheless features a great cast, sharp dialogue and a striking visual style. Get some more butter on that popcorn, stat!  

The Poseidon Adventure.

Though not the first disaster film, The Poseidon Adventure nailed down the blueprint for future entries with its strong ensemble and stunning effects. Gene Hackman stars as an unorthodox preacher leading the handful of survivors smart enough to ignore the morons urging everyone to go the wrong way. While all disaster movies feature tragic deaths, The Poseidon Adventure delivers some of the most devastating sacrifices in the genre.

The Impossible.

The Impossible is set against the backdrop of one of the most devastating natural disasters in recorded history. The movie is based on the real-life story of Dr. María Belón and her family, who were vacationing in Thailand when it was hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami that took the lives of over 240,000 people in fourteen countries.

Titanic.

It may not have aged well but in 1997 Titanic was, to quote its leading man, the king of the world. That year James Cameron’s period spectacle won a whopping eleven Oscars. Sadly, as we all know, the romance at the heart of the film ends in tragedy when an older and obviously insane Rose throws away a priceless diamond necklace that could have put all her grandchildren through college.

The Towering Inferno.

The Towering Inferno had all the elements that defined disaster movies in the 70s: a huge, all-star cast led by racing rivals Paul Newman and Steve McQueen, dazzling special effects, and a complex web of intertwined storylines. It also fell just short of winning the Best Picture Oscar when it was nominated in 1975, losing to a little movie called The Godfather: Part II. Which only goes to prove that, in Hollywood at least, crime DOES pay. 

Confronting and Defeating Asbestos in Your Home

Every family should be prepared for a major catastrophe. And while most families have some sort of plan in place for natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, or floods, very few are adequately prepared for asbestos exposure. However, it’s imperative that you understand how to respond.

Hikingware.com encourages you to follow these five simple principles in order to minimize your risk of asbestos exposure and consequent health problems:

Hundreds of thousands of homes around the country have asbestos lurking behind the drywall and hiding in the insulation. And while it’s typically fine when left undisturbed, it can be a real danger to your health when it becomes airborne. 

1. What to Know if Your Home Contains Asbestos

Everyone wants to know what they should do if their home contains asbestos. The best answer is to proceed with the utmost caution.

“f the structure was built in the 80s or prior, it’s best to assume there’s asbestos in the drywall and other building materials. This means that you shouldn’t do serious renovations without professional help. Intrusive sanding, cutting into walls or ceilings to install fixtures or outlets, removing or cutting down walls in renovations all have the potential to sicken your family.

If you want to be certain whether or not your home contains asbestos, then you can have your walls tested. There are both DIY and professional tests available.

2. Know Where it is Found

While most people are aware that asbestos is found in insulation, did you know that it can also be present in other home construction materials? It is commonly found in steam pipes, boilers, furnace ducts, cement sheets, resilient floor tiles, shingles, siding, and more. It’s also found in old vehicles – specifically in brake pads and gaskets.

3. If Asbestos is Disturbed…

The unfortunate reality of the situation is that you probably won’t know if asbestos is disturbed. However, if you suspect that it may have been released in the air – perhaps due to tearing through drywall – then a calculated response is necessary.

For starters, you should immediately use a respirator to avoid breathing in the fibers. Next, you should seal off the affected area to prevent fibers from traveling to other areas of the home. It’s also smart to cut off the HVAC in order to kill airflow.

Remove your clothing and leave it in the affected area and then call a professional to assess the situation. A professional can determine if there’s an  exposure risk and take any necessary action. Should the professional determine that the area needs to be cleaned, he will use a respirator, HEPA vacuum, and disposable clothing.

4. Have a Method for Evacuating

It may seem like overkill to have an evacuation plan for asbestos, but it’s better to be prepared than to end up with a health crisis on your hands. With this being said, an evacuation plan is a smart idea.

An evacuation plan should account for multiple exit points and a plan of action for gathering important items – such as keys, clothing, and more. Generally speaking, you can use the same evacuation plans for things like natural disasters.

5. Don’t Reenter Until the Problem Has Been Resolved

After exiting your home, you should get in contact with the appropriate parties. They have all of the right equipment to handle the situation. Never personally reenter the home until the issue has been identified and fixed.

Don’t Let Asbestos Sneak Up On You

The likelihood of asbestos entering your home and harming your family is quite low. However, in homes that were constructed prior to 1980, it’s entirely likely that asbestos is lurking behind walls. It is also still found in building materials that are imported from overseas, especially China. So be safe and have your house checked for asbestos.