Have you ever lived through an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, flood?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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The Sticks, Northeast PA.
Have you ever lived through an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, flood or any other natural event? Assuming, that you'd be perfectly safe, is there one event you'd like to experience.
When I was ten , in Massachusetts, the eye of a hurricane passed overhead. It was weird seeing rain going sideways in a circle about a mile from you, and it was, sunny and calm in the middle. I always wanted to feel a tornado and an earthquake- just little ones. :)
 

I was a little girl, asleep on the couch before grandma and grandpa added the big room that had an indoor bathroom, the dining room table, the laundry room and the space for my roll away bed. It was hot that night but the screen door was latched. It took a lot to wake me and I woke up to the screen door rattling very loudly. I yelled for my grandma, she came to me and said it was an earthquake and for me to sit in the doorway. Growing up in SoCal I felt several quakes, none really big!
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Have you ever lived through an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, flood or any other natural event? Assuming, that you'd be perfectly safe, is there one event you'd like to experience.
When I was ten , in Massachusetts, the eye of a hurricane passed overhead. It was weird seeing rain going sideways in a circle about a mile from you, and it was, sunny and calm in the middle. I always wanted to feel a tornado and an earthquake- just little ones. :)
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@fuzzybuddy You remind me of my older daughter. She loves storms of any kind! I am a great lover of snow storms but only since I no longer have to shovel the stuff!

As to hurricanes, I lived through a powerful one, called Juan! It caused wide spread destruction and a power failure that lasted four days for many of us.

At the moment we are expecting Hurricane Lee. It is supposed to be downgraded to a tropical storm but so was Fiona last year and we are still repairing the damage she caused! I am presently battening down the hatches, making sure that everything on my balcony is being moved inside. Even a downgraded Hurricane can make things fly!
 
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Hurricane Carol in the 1950's blew all the fences down & a few trees; Superstorm Sandy, about 10 years ago, the rushing water in my street rose to a height of four feet and electric out for about a week. All stores closed for over a mile; luckily my son was still at home and was able to go shopping for me.

We had a small earthquake. Very weird sensation, the whole world shook, my cats freaked out.
 
In the UK we get earthquakes, but nothing like other countries do. Ours are small ones and don't cause any damage.
We get a lot of flooding in various locations and thankfully, that's never happened to me.

I honestly don't know how people cope living in areas where these natural disasters happen often -
losing loved ones, homes and possessions. It must be terrifying especially if you know it's on the way. I really do feel for you all living in those parts around the world.
 
I've experienced 2 major wildfires, 2 earthquakes, and 1 flood.

I was so close to not escaping the wildfires in time, I swear the seat of my pants was on fire. Luckily, my cabin was spared.

I didn't live at the epicenter of the earthquakes, so for me, they were mild. Pictures fell off the wall and some books leaned over during the first one, but nothing broke during either of them.

The flood was a drag because we couldn't drive for a while and a lot of places had to close. But the water didn't get in the house because our street was on a little hill. Still, I laid sandbags all along the front, 3 bags high in some spots, just in case. The yard was totally underwater, though. The flood receded within a few days.

Tornadoes are beautiful and awesome from a safe distance. I have no desire to encounter one up-close, though.
 
Maywalk said:
Lived through one of the worst winters in the UK, in 1947.
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@Maywalk Since winters in the U.K. are usually relatively mild compared to the continent I sympathize! I, on the other hand enjoyed harsh, cold winters with loads of snow (still do)! All the sledding and skiing and diving into six foot drifts of the new stuff! Pure paradise! This was in the late forties and I will always fondly remember that part of my youth!
 
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I would prefer not experience any of those voluntarily. I've been through small tremors that we have periodically in the mid-west, which have been enough for me. Thankfully we aren't in a flood zone. Tornadoes have come close to us which has been too close for me.

The only hurricane was Ike who went through Ohio in 2008. The top half of Ohio received the rain while the bottom half was hit by the wind. We were without power from Sunday around 1 pm until the following Friday at 5 pm. Everyone was scrambling to find a generator, which we found about 25 miles away at a store on Monday. Not everyone lost power in our county & surrounding areas, but if you did, you didn't have power for a long time. Some went as long as 2+ weeks without power.

Snow storms & a few blizzards we get. The blizzard I remember one was when I was a kid during '78. The rest after that I would describe as snow storms. My husband & I had no choice but to go into work during the snow no matter how bad since we were both in law enforcement. One day my 30 minute drive took 1 1/2 hours to get in. Now we enjoy sitting back & watch it snow in front of the fire. šŸ˜
 
Earthquake in the middle of the night when stationed in San Diego.
Initial thought as I awoke, was that someone had broken into my room and was rattling and rummaging through stuff.

Two tornadoes since retiring here in lower Alabama.
One (EF-4) hit the high school and 9 killed, 8 were children.
Second tornado was smaller. Stood on my porch and watched as it snapped pine trees like matchsticks across the street.
Sound of a tornado coming is quite unmistakable. Like standing on tracks with a full speed freight train bearing down.

Although close to Florida, hurricanes have been significantly diminished by the time they make it here, 25miles into Alabama.
Lots of wind and rain.
 
Quackers said:
In the UK we get earthquakes, but nothing like other countries do. Ours are small ones and don't cause any damage.
We get a lot of flooding in various locations and thankfully, that's never happened to me.

I honestly don't know how people cope living in areas where these natural disasters happen often -
losing loved ones, homes and possessions. It must be terrifying especially if you know it's on the way. I really do feel for you all living in those parts around the world.
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Actually some of them DO cause damage. My Aunt Jean died in Scotland when he house ( tenement block) collapsed during an earthquake in the 60's in Scotland.. also during that earthquake, we as in my mum and dad, and siblings, were thrown out of bed.. and the big heavy drawers all fell out from the Chest .. we lived in a Prefab at the time...


In Spain at my home about 10 or 12 years ago, we had a tornado so severe that it took the roof off my house... I have a flat roof, and it lifted up all the slates, and took a 7 foot Satellite dish which was cemented into the roof ( solarium) with it.. I was home at the time on my own... The Palm Trees in my garden were flattened and on the whole gated community as well as some being torn to shreds.... I was terrified, I can't explain how sacred I was.. :eek::eek:
 
I experienced a typhoon in 2004. I can remember watching the news and the predictions of where it might end up. Then a day or two later when I was at a factory I was working at, they closed the factory as the typhoon was heading towards us.

They sent everyone home and I went back to Hotel Nikko in Yoyohashi. I think I was on the 28th floor. I was convinced I could feel the building moving from my room. Needless to say I then took the stairs to the lobby and stayed there. I couldnā€™t help wondering whether it would have been safer if Iā€™d stayed at the factory.
 

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