A Calamitous Plague On All Our Houses

"Natural" is not a word that links logically with "disaster." But together the words emphasize how little control humans have over the events they describe. Almost without pause, nature lately has shattered, crushed and flooded the earth with a series of cataclysms that have killed hundreds, caused incalculable damage and left survivors shaken.

On the same day in mid-August, a volcano erupted in Alaska, an earthquake hit near Alaska's Andreanof Islands and another rocked Kyrgyzstan in the . former Soviet Union. Two weeks ago, Hurricane Andrew hit the Bahamas, then ripped through Florida and Louisiana. Last week the chain of disasters continued. Tropical Storm Polly drenched eastern China and killed at least 150 people. Typhoon Omar, which had earlier raked Guam, headed for the Philippines. In Afghanistan flash floods swept through the valleys of the Hindu Kush, leaving hundreds dead or missing.

Probably the most spectacular of the week's calamities began with a major earthquake under the Pacific Ocean 30 miles off the west coast of Nicaragua. The temblor spawned tsunamis, commonly known as tidal waves, that towered as high as 45 ft. in spots and rolled over dozens of small towns along 200 miles of coast. Surging inland, the waves crushed houses and hotels and swept people out to sea. Nicaraguan civil defense officials said 116 were killed and 150 missing.

Managua called urgently for international assistance, and several countries, including the U.S., responded with money and supplies. President Violetta Chamorro also asked Washington to resume its assistance program, which was abruptly cut off last spring to underline U.S. displeasure over the continuing political influence of leftist Sandinistas.