In a recent interview Robert Oppenheimer (Director of the first U.S. Nuclear Weapons Tests) said, “We did the devil’s work”. This statement makes us realize that people who were in charge of carrying out the first nuclear weapons tests, during the 1960’s, themselves realize that the tests they had participated in are having several unforeseen ill effects in the future. The book Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place, written by Terry Tempest Williams, talks about the unforeseen effects of these nuclear tests on a local Salt Lake City family. The book also talks about the flooding during the winter of 1982 through the summer of 1984 that devastated Salt Lake City. Terry Tempest Williams goes into specific details on the effects of the flooding on a local bird migratory refuge. This scene of natural devastation is played out on the backdrop of her mother’s battle with cancer, as a result of living downhill from a nuclear weapons test site. William’s ability to deal with both of these major changes in her life is mainly discussed in the book, with the advocation of a ban on nuclear weapons testing.

Terry Tempest Williams, a fifth-generation Mormon, grew up in S

Sillitoe, Linda. Floods: Salt Lake County, Centennial History. 22 September 2002

Peterson, Joel. Great Salt Lake Ecosystem, Utah. 14 July 2002

Planet Earth goes through amazing and intricate changes on a daily basis. These intricate changes effect something we take for granted at times, the weather. All over the world, weather seems to be a very important aspect for our everyday lives. For instance, sunny weather can bring on a very harmonious and beautiful atmosphere, while cloudy and rainy weather can bring about tragedy. River floods occur along rivers and usually happen because of heavy rain over a small area. Salt Lake City normally averages 16.07” of rain during a yearly period, however the city averaged 23.22” of rain during a three-year period from 1982-1984 (Lawrimore 1). This great increase in the amount of rain received let to local flooding and destruction of property. The 1981–82 water years had broken all records; then September 1982 climaxed with ten times more moisture than normal. A sense of foreboding grew valley-wide, as autumn mudslides closed Big and Little Cottonwood canyons and creeks flooded, damaging three hundred homes, roads, and bridges. In fact, September's "once-in-a-century flood" turned out to be only a bath. Although January and February 1983 proved mild, March again broke records with deluges of rain and snow. The entire state felt the effects of the deluge, humorously summed up by Governor Matheson in his much-quoted statement, "This is a hell of a way to run a desert" (Sillitoe 1). These extracts from Linda Sillitoe’s article makes one realize the extent of the damages in the city. Williams also similarly discusses the damages on the city, but she places most of her attention discussing the effects on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Some topics in this essay:
Tempest Williams, Salt Lake, Refugee Williams, Lake City, Youth University, Hardtack Plumbbob, Planet Earth, Congress April, Whistling Swan, City Williams, salt lake, lake city, salt lake city, nuclear weapons, terry tempest, terry tempest williams, book refuge, tempest williams, operation plumbbob, lake ecosystem, changes life, city williams, salt lake ecosystem, unnatural history family, bear river migratory,