Tsunami - another Word destined for overkill?

I realise that the beauty of the English language is that it is dynamic. Old words take on new meaning, new words are created from old. However, as discussed in a previous post, sometimes words appear out of nowhere and we the listener and reader, are subjected to a continuous barrage of the latest "in word" from consultants, marketers and the media.

Today I came across another one. In three different articles, I have seen the word "tsunami." Not in relation to the devastating tsunami last year, but to describe an onslaught, something massive or overwhelming.

For example, in an article claiming that South Korean scientists have cloned a human embryo, Woo Suk Hwang (or Hwang Woo-suk, Hwang), says, "The issue was whether we could derive stem cells regardless of any diseases. This fellow always said it would be the `Stem Cell Tsunami` if we could solve the issue. And we made it." Another described Chilean soldiers trapped in a tsunami of snow.

My point is this. Before the Dec 26 tragedy, I doubt he would have used such a word. Having seen it used three times in one day, tells me that for the next few months, it will be used at ever opportunity.

It's bad enough that every tin pot celebrity and minor starlet who want to boost or revive their careers, are jumping on the tsunami bandwagon.

Maybe I am getting old, but the awful event of Dec 26 will live in the minds of many forever. To use the word "tsunami" at every inappropriate opportunity is a slap to the face of the hundreds of thousands who died or who were affected - and for those who gave their hearts and help to strangers they didn't know, in places many had never heard of.