Holiday Disaster Stories

[Leysan Torri]

Jenkinswas 13 that year of 1963. Her mother had a brilliant idea to deck the tree with real candy canes. She even removed them from their wrappers before hanging them. It looked great. Everyone was impressed.

The tales of Christmases gone wrong, of Hanukkahs that took an unhappy turn, of Thanksgiving dinner debacles, eventually become the stories we tell and retell, probably embellish and, hopefully, laugh at with the passage of time.

In many ways, the holidays are a set up. The social expectations have become so ludicrous that failure is inevitable. And not everyone is in a position to make merry during the coldest, darkest time of year.

The couple pulled into a motel in Battle Mountain, an old mining town between Winnemucca and Elko. When they checked in, they thought the flickering candles in the reception were for Christmas ambiance. But when they went to a diner next door, they learned most of the power was out in the area. On the upside, they were offered what tasted like canned stew, which they ate by candlelight.

Temperatures outside that night dropped to 30 degrees below zero. Their motel room had no heat and they had to stuff a rug at the base of the door where icy air whipped through a gap. Nichols said he and his wife fortunately had sleeping bags in the car. Kline put on every stitch of clothing she had and slipped into her bag.

For Helen Rodriguez of Windsor, the errant appliance was a fan in the bathroom that conked out just as she and her husband were hurriedly readying themselves to host Thanksgiving dinner for the first time ever.

Her husband ran down to Home Depot and grabbed a new fan while Helen stayed home to work on dinner. He was almost done installing the fan when he cut himself on one of the sharp blades, flinging blood all over the bathroom like a horror movie.

It was her first Christmas since her divorce and Walton was stuck, against her will, in upstate New York. Even so, she was determined to keep up her family tradition of driving into the country and cutting down their own tree.

Alas, Walton had jammed the tree into the car trunk-first, leading to a pitched battle to extricate it that ended with broken limbs, shredded bark, flying needles and the ugliest tree I had ever seen.

A Christmas Horror Story is a 2015 Canadian anthology horror film directed by Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban, and Brett Sullivan.[1] It premiered on July 20, 2015, at the Fantasia International Film Festival and had a limited theatrical release on October 2, 2015, along with a VOD release.[2] The film is a series of interwoven stories tied together by a framework story featuring William Shatner as a radio DJ.

Dangerous Dan is an alcoholic radio DJ stuck pulling a long shift at the Bailey Downs radio station during Christmas. During his broadcast, he keeps receiving notices of a disturbance at the local mall, telling his listeners to stay away. Dan keeps playing his music while a series of four stories are witnessed:

Scott Peters is a police officer who worked the murder case of the two students the year before, but had to take a leave from the force due to the trauma of it. On Christmas Eve, much to his wife's reluctance, Scott convinces his family to go into woods owned by "Big Earl" to chop down a Christmas tree for their house. During the trek, Scott's son Will wanders off and gets lost. He and his wife Kim manage to find Will inside of a tree and are overjoyed to find him. This joy is short lived after Will begins to act strangely, culminating in Big Earl contacting the family to warn them that Will is actually a changeling. After the changeling kills Scott, Kim brings the changeling to Big Earl, who states that he's unable to help her find her son because it is up to the changelings. This ultimately ends with Kim shooting Big Earl, who was containing the changelings in the grove. Finally free, the changeling returns to his home and frees Will.

While preparing for a busy Christmas, Santa Claus discovers that all of his elves and his wife have turned into zombies after one of the infected elves dies following a fit of rage. He manages to kill them all, but is then forced to fight against Krampus. However, right when he's about to kill Krampus it's revealed that "Santa" is actually a Mall Santa named Norman, the weather forecaster on Dangerous Dan's radio show, who had a psychotic break while working overtime that caused him to see regular mall goers as zombies during the Christmas Food Drive. The police arrive and manage to gun him down just as he goes to kill "Krampus", revealed to be the mall's manager, Mr. Taylor.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 23 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7/10. The website's consensus reads: "If you're in the mood for a fun enough genre film that kills its holiday theme, look no further than the surprisingly astute A Christmas Horror Story."[6]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 49 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[7]

Jake Dee from Arrow in the Head rated the film a 5/10, calling its overlapping segments "uneven", and stating that only the final two segments managed to be memorable.[8] Brett Gallman from Oh, the Horror! offered similar criticism, stating that the film would have been better if its segments had played separately.[9]

The aftermath of the Halifax Explosion saw an outpouring of support worldwide. The global humanitarian response was instrumental in helping the city rebuild and recover. Donations poured in, and volunteers arrived to assist with the reconstruction efforts. The disaster left scars on Halifax and forged a stronger, more united community to carry the lessons learned from that fateful day into the future. The Halifax Explosion is a poignant chapter in history, highlighting the indomitable spirit of a community that rose from the ashes with resilience, determination, and a commitment to rebuilding.

In 1953, the Tangiwai Rail Disaster unfolded as a tragic Christmas Eve event in New Zealand, impacting the affected community. The disaster occurred when the Tangiwai Bridge collapsed, causing a train to derail into the Whangaehu River. Amid the emergency, the response from the community was swift and courageous. Ordinary citizens and emergency services worked tirelessly to rescue survivors and provide aid to those in need. The immediate community response showcased resilience and a remarkable spirit of unity as individuals united to support one another during a profound tragedy.

The aftermath of The Christmas Tsunami witnessed a remarkable global humanitarian response. Nations, organizations, and individuals worldwide mobilized resources, funding, and personnel to aid recovery and rebuilding. The disaster prompted a collective commitment to strengthening early warning systems and disaster preparedness measures to mitigate the impact of future tsunamis. The tragedy, while heartbreaking, became a catalyst for positive change, fostering a spirit of international cooperation and a renewed dedication to building more resilient communities in vulnerable regions. The Christmas Tsunami remains a poignant reminder of the resilience that surfaces in the face of immense challenges and the enduring human capacity for compassion and solidarity.

The Christmas Blizzard 1982 that impacted Denver, Colorado, in the United States. It marked a significant weather event that transformed the holiday season into a test of resilience for many communities. As snowfall reached record-breaking levels, transportation was crippled, power outages ensued, and daily life ground to a halt. In the face of this unexpected winter onslaught, emergency services, residents, and volunteers banded together to tackle the challenges posed by the blizzard. The emergency response showcased the strength of community bonds as people opened their homes to neighbors, shared resources, and worked collaboratively to clear roads and restore essential services.

However, the year had started with a bang, too. NOAA notes, On January 30th and 31st, 1982, a 1-in-70-year snow event occurred from the eastern Ozarks to central Illinois with the heaviest axis of snow blanketing St. Louis, Missouri. So, 1982 came in and went out with a wollap.

Feel free to share your thoughts and reflections on these historical events in the comments below. Let us know what you think of Unwrapping History: Remembering Famous Christmas Disaster Events. Were you involved in helping to respond to any of these events? Do you know any additional exciting stories associated with them? If so, share your thoughts in the comment section below. At Disaster Empire, we are all about sharing and increasing our knowledge of these and other crises to build resilience and learn from past disasters.

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All Disaster Recovery Centers helping Kentuckians recover from the April 2 storms will be closed for the July Fourth holiday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced. The closure begins Wednesday, July 3 at 7 p.m. ET and centers will reopen on Friday, July 5 at 10 a.m. ET.

The recovery centers were open in the wake of severe storms which hit the state on April 2, bringing straight-line winds, tornadoes, landslides and mudslides. Their normal hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. They are closed on Sundays.

Those affected by the storms in Boyd, Carter, Fayette, Greenup, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Mason, Oldham, Union and Whitley counties can apply for FEMA assistance at any of the Disaster Recovery Centers. Representatives with FEMA can help with applications for federal assistance and provide information about other recovery resources.

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