I think you're absolutely right - they would have still been tragedies like the cities that you mentioned, but they wouldn't have been a special case.

So, in this day, this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ_X43zcXcU

Sorry, I was listening it and remember it was today. Here the news only do a small report about it!

Interesting read,
 

and, I believe that none of the crew had no idea of the consistency,they did what they could but in reality, what stage after which they were not knowing, perhaps in theory but not in the practical sense.