Tornados vs Earthquakes

[Laurel]

Hi all... Earlier today, I posted a call-out on the front of the site for people living in Tornado Alley to write to me and tell me their experiences. The stories I heard were harrowing, and the opinions interesting - it was all too good to keep to myself, so I thought I'd start a BB thread in the hopes that some of you who wrote to me would stop by and share your stories with the whole class.

The subject stuck in my head after I watched an MSNBC documentary on that place, nicknamed Tornado Alley because of the frequency of (yes, you guessed it) tornados in that area. People from other states are aways asking me, "How can you live in So Cal with all those fires and earthquakes?" I've been through countless earthquakes in my life - only 2 of which were anything to write home about - but I have yet to have my house swiped from its foundation, my family carried off (unfortunately), and my pets whisked away.

Anyhow, thought I'd open the topic up for discussion and allow everyone here the chance to read the crazy stories you all out there have to share.

 

[Whispersecret]

Laurel, I think people think that we here in California get a lot more earthquakes than we do. I know the two quakes you're referring to. Those were rough, and of course the aftershocks for a while afterward are pretty frequent and scary.

But really, I'd rather live with the quakes that come once in a blue moon and only really affect you if you're close to the epicenter, than an annual threat, like tornadoes, floods or hurricanes. The damage from earthquakes is NOTHING compared to the complete devastation from tornadoes. (Unless you look at footage from a third-world nation where the buildings aren't as strong.)

Then again, The Big One has yet to occur.

[This message has been edited by whispersecret (edited 04-10-2000).]

 

[Lovely Latina]

Hi Laurel...wanted to introduce myself as a new member who just joined today and let you know that you have an outstanding board here.

As someone who has lived both in KY (the STATE, not the lubricant) where tornadoes occur, and now in So Cal (just 5 miles from the epicenter of the 1994 Northridge quake), I'd have to say that for me, earthquakes are much scarier. A major reason is because there's no warning WHATSOEVER with quakes, whereas with tornadoes, warnings come in plenty of time to get to safety and can affect only certain areas while leaving others untouched. There's just nowhere to hide from an earthquake. And not to mention the aftershocks that came night after night making you relive the horror you felt when the original quake occurred. I had panic attacks for weeks. When you feel the ground moving below you, it makes you realize how truly *small* we are. The morning of the quake, it felt like someone had picked up our tiny little apartment and was shaking us like a margarita mix with the sound of a freight train running through the place! Our huge wall entertainment center had fallen just inches from my head. I can't say that earthquakes do more *damage* than tornadoes (though sometimes they do), but in terms of my own personal safety (and not overall devastation), if I had to choose, I'd take my Toto and ruby red slippers and head to the basement anyday! But that's just me.

LL <nervously awaiting the BIG ONE with Whisper>

[This message has been edited by Lovely Latina (edited 04-10-2000).]

 

[John1965]

Hi Laurel,

I live in Plano Texas which is roughly 150 miles from the epicenter of Tornado alley. I have seen many funnel clouds and three on the ground. Fortunately, living in a big city area, tornadoes rarely touch down. That was till 3 weeks ago when one tore through downtown Ft. Worth, destroyed skyscrapers and killed 4 people. I've lived here all my life so I am just used to it and know what to look for. My sister has lived in San Fran for the past 20 years and experienced a few earthquakes including the big one a few years ago. She said she will take the earthquakes over the Tornadoes any day!

 

[ZULUBOY]

Guy's, comming from and now living in an area which isn't afflicted by either phenomenom, and having seen a couple of tornado's while travelling through the States, all I can say is I take my hat off to those of you who live with the threat, day in and day out; however remote it might actually be.

 

[Lmj]

Laurel,
I have a very vivid memory of being woken in the middle of the night by my father he tossed me over his sholder(I was about 6or7 years old)looking back down our long hall and seeing my mother caring my baby sister with a look of pure terror. We ran down the hall threw the basement door down the stairs and into the southwest corner of our basement. My mom and dad put us aginst the brick wall and sheilded us with their bodies. I could turn my head and see out the basement window there was just enough light to make the trees visable in the yard, then the train came it really is the only way to discribe the sound and the trees disappeared and then there was complete and total silence. We lost all the trees on the back side of our house along with the garden and the garden hose. The house was not damaged in the least nor were any other houses in the neighborhood but alot of trees and several garages were not there in the morning. I have seen 2 other tornados up close in my life, one while driving, 1 while I was shopping in an enclosed mall my mother, aunt and sister were shopping on a nice early summer day obliveous that the weather had turned bad outside and one end of the mall we were shopping in was wrecked by a tornado we had no clue what was happening until the power went out and the store we were in announced they were closing. Thought it was from the power outage. We went outside got in the car drove around the side of the mall and one whole wing is gone and a whole bunch of cars on that side of the lot were messed up.
That is my experiance with the mighty twister they are weird and wild beasts no rhime or reason to them but I have to say I would risk the twister rather than to feel the earth move under my feet. We do live on an amazing lump of rock though.
LMJ
Oh yea I have only had 1 reacuring nightmare my entire life. I am swept off my fathers sholders and sucked up into the vortex of a huge twister as I scream the air is sucked out of my lungs, I usually wake up in a sweat totally out of breath I have never gotten any further in the dream. It really does scare the shit out of me.

 

[Laurel]

lmj - yikes! That's wild - I'd have nightmares too... Earthquakes aren't all that bad, mainly because they only last for a minute and usually don't cause any serious damage. If you've ever felt a sonic boom, it's kind of like that. I would love to see a tornado in my lifetime, for the same reason I want to ride the big coaster at Magic Mountain.

On the subject of nightmares... I've never dreamt of earthquakes, but I have had nightmares of giant waves - tsunami size 100-ft tall walls of water - coming down on me or chasing me.

 

[Hung_Like_Horsey]

Looking for something?

 

[Neoapril]

Hi, y'all! Sorry, just had to say it!

Thanks Laurel, for starting this thread. Just so everybody know, I'm a Cali native, unfortunately living in Arkansas, part of Tornado Alley, or so I'm told. I've only been here for about 8 months so far. I've "seen" 3 storms come through this general area. The first one was back in Sept. or Oct. It went through the area south of Little Rock proper. About 15 to 20 miles away, but it scared the crap out of me! I was watching the progress on TV, and if it started to get any closer, I was gonna throw some stuff in the car and "beat feet" as they say!

I even got the cat carriers out of the outside storage! Luckily, it didn't get any closer, and I don't even remember if there was an actual touchdown. I live in near constant fear of the weather, and really don't want to stay here, but there's not much choice. My hubby's in the military, and I can either stay and pray we survive, or I can leave, and that's not happening.

Now, I have to agree with John1965 about being used to it. I am used to earthquakes and brush fires, and don't think much about them. But even tell me there's a tornado, and I start guaging how fast I can get to the car, and run! I hate to correct whispersecret, but I believe that there are earthquakes in Cal. every single day, but almost all of them are too small to notice. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

Well, that's long enough, so I think I'll go now. 'Night.

[This message has been edited by Neoapril (edited 04-10-2000).]