seared

The sun seared, the water jugs were warm.

I have rarely seen a witness more credible and believable than Ford, who testified that the assault was indelibly seared into her memory and continued to haunt her as an adult.

Images from 2002 of flooded metro stations, residents being evacuated in rubber dinghies and elephants drowning in the Prague Zoo are seared into the local memory.

“Right up until the last second against the beautiful black night sky, I can see the ball, it’s seared into my mind, this is happening, this is really happening,” Voda recalls.

But also seared into survivors’ memories in Normandy are massive Allied bombing raids that pulverized towns, villages and the cities of Caen, Rouen and Le Havre, burying victims and turning skies fire-red.