Do you refer to the people who endured the hurricane as "victims" or "survivors"?

In general, do you refer to people as "victims" or "survivors"? As in Cancer victims/survivors, etc.

Hurricane - survivors
Cancer - survivors

I said sufferers but I'm not sure that's a valid word.

i'm not trying to be all 'politically correct' and tell anyone how to speak, but i heard some guy on tv whose famliy is staying at the astrodome, and the reporter talked to him referred to his family as "victims" and he said, very nicely, "no, we're survivors, not victims."

i just thought that was cool. it stuck with me.

..you know..I've always said "victims"..but after reading what the guy said; maybe I should choose my adjectives more wisely...

survivors

the victims are perhaps in body bags

If they still have their lives, then both

Both. The words have different meanings though.

Survivors - have endured something and have lived to tell the tale.

Victims - have been damaged by something - they can be dead or alive.

I think now they are victims or during it they were. Now they are survivors...though for our Benefit, we said victims. Now I wish we had said survivors Where was this thread when I needed it?

I use the word victim when a person doesn't survive their ordeal.


M