8 Things Disaster Movies Have Taught Us To Avoid

Life Lessons from the "Everything is Awful" Genre

Disaster movies, besides providing us with vital entertainment, also teach valuable life lessons. Watch carefully, and you might learn a thing or two from this epic, apocalyptic films about how to stay alive when everything falls apart.

Bad Weather

Twister, The Perfect Storm, and the timeless classic Sharknado have all taught us the dangers of bad weather. Simply put: don't go head first into a major storm. It's not a difficult concept to grasp.

Volcanoes

If Dante's Peak taught us anything, it was to avoid Pierce Brosnan films. Volcano, on the other hand, was far more satisfying, with its portrayal of Los Angeles as a city under besieged by a volcano which decides to form, pressurize, and then erupt in the middle of the city.

Germs

The Cassandra Crossing, Contagion, The Crazies, and I Am Legend have helped spawn mysophobes all over the globe. While complete annihilation at the hands (spicules?) of bacteria isn't likely to be around the corner, it's still a good idea to wash your hands properly (and often).

Floods

2012 and The Day After Tomorrow have already burned the images of high rises sinking beneath a rising tide into our minds. However, with the 2014 release of Noah, people are now questioning if they should avoid floods or just Russell Crowe.

Sharks

Jaws successfully kept Americans out of the water for an entire generation. While your risk of being attacked by a shark is pretty low, it's still a good idea to obey warning signs posted at beaches.

Nature

Anaconda, The Birds, Arachnophobia, and The Happening just proves that nothing good comes from nature--anyone who goes outside is sure to be killed, maimed, or scarred for life.

Boats

On the big screen, almost nothing good happens on boats. Titanic, The Poseidon Adventure, The Perfect Storm, Jaws, and Captain Phillips are just a few examples from a long, long list. For a long and healthy life, keep your feet on solid ground.

Abandoned Buildings

Let's face it; almost every good disaster movie has an abandoned building somewhere in there: I, Robot, Terminator, I Am Legend, etc. Bottom line--if you want to stay alive, simply stay out of abandoned buildings.

When disaster strikes, it's always good to have a plan—at the very least to avoid the fate of the above-listed movie protagonists. Lara Vivoli, who holds a Master's in Emergency Management, says fictional portrayals of disasters often sensationalize them to the extent that people tend to panic more when one does occur. She advises those who wish to learn more about disaster preparedness to do so through their local emergency services and Red Cross guidebooks. Real world disasters can be as terrifying as the ones portrayed in cinema, but with preparation and calm you can survive any and all Sharknados you encounter!