Tell Me! What Horrors of Nature?

[thebitterguy]

Because I live in what is a mostly tectonically stable inland area, I find myself rarely beset by anything that could be considered a natural disaster (other than the months between November and April). However, I know that not everyone is so fortunate. So, I would like to ask, what natural catastrophes do you find yourself prone to?

[Poll #1263034]

Comments

[bald-ruminant.livejournal.com]

You listed "earthquakes" twice.

[thebitterguy]

That's because they're twice as horrible.

[brand-of-amber.livejournal.com]

Toronto was hit by a hurricane once. It's why we've got an island rather than a peninsula.

Still, I couldn't check the "likely" box, because once a hundred years ago isn't really likely.

[thebitterguy]

Well, there was Hazel in '54. But, yeah, the likelihood of a repeat is thankfully slim.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Speak for yourself man; the damn thing took the roof off my church. Don't think I've forgotten about that.

[thebitterguy]

At -12 years old? You hold some strong grudges, there.

[thrashgrrrl.livejournal.com]

I am fortunate enough not to have experienced any of the above mentioned distasters. Well, maybe some very very mild flooding but not that bad I've had to move out.

My sister Becky was in Thailand when the Tsunami happened but luckily she was nowhere near where it actually struck. I was so worried that Boxing Day that I couldn't even get dressed until there was word that she was fine.

[sarahnade.livejournal.com]

You left out fires. In California, fires are often caused by lightening, and then exacerbated by drought and wind. Therefore, natural disasters.

Also, there are land/mud slides as well, but mostly on the coast.

Also, I didn't check it, but a large portion of my family and friends now live in places that are at risk of hurricanes or tornadoes, and so I worry about them as well.

[thebitterguy]

I was thinking fires, but apparently I decided I needed Earthquakes twice.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Instead of listing snowstorms or blizzards at all. Obviously pandering to the Californian demographic in your flist, I see.

[thebitterguy]

If I loved them so much, why did I leave out brushfires?

[rbowspryte.livejournal.com]

I have been in three localized near-miss tornadoes.

I believe they are stalking me as part of the rarely mentioned "nature is killing herms" protocol.

[thebitterguy]

I find that, generally, if it's out to get you it'll use lightning.

Or micrometeors.

[xxgeek.livejournal.com]

I'm from earthquake country and have been through many an earthquake and find them to be quite pleasant. :P

But that being said, I'm adding some to the natural disaster list:

Blizzards
Avalanche

Do riotous citizens count?

[thebitterguy]

Riots were one of the original options, but they were lost because I'm forgetful. Avalanches were also clipped. Blizzards were left out because I'm Canadian and, well, we don't like to think of them as disasters.

[xxgeek.livejournal.com]

Blizzards get pretty diasterous here. My friend Brandon was trapped in his apartment and the building it was in collapsed. He ended up breaking his back. I say blizzards can be disasterous.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

My mother and I almost died in a blizzard when I was young (I kid you not -- we were saved by the blind-ass-luck of just happening to walk in the right direction). I agree that we don't like to think of them as disasters, but that doesn't mean that they aren't necessarily disasters.

You might want to check with the folks who live along the lake-front effect of Huron about that one, too: didn't they have a blizzard a few years back that came off the lake and slammed into the coastline with a force nigh-unto a sledgehammer?

I seem to remember there was this guy interviewed on NewsWorld who was talking about how the storm front came off the lake, hit his house hard enough to break windows, tip over furniture, and topple fragile objects to the ground, and then a few short minutes later he and his house was under enough snow he had an emergency dig-out situation on his hands... 8p

Thank heavens we're further away from the "snow belt" than that... yikes.

[kaijugal.livejournal.com]

Other : Fandom Drama

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Now, there you go. Given TBG's hobbies, I'm surprised he didn't put that in the list. Or more specifically a "certain member of a certain game-company's local con demo team" or something like that... 8>

[thebitterguy]

Fandom Drama is like poison ivy. Annoying, but very rarely fatal.

[kaijugal.livejournal.com]

Well then I have to say Tornados since Southern Ontario gets them from time to time.

In many ways tornados are like annoying people in fandom, Localized blow hards in an otherwise pleasent atmpsphere. :D

[thebitterguy]

FTW.

I think I've completely passed the point where I have time for fandom drama. I'm just tired.

[elizard100.livejournal.com]

mwa ha ha ha!

[texaslawchick.livejournal.com]

I'm dealing with hurricane right now...

[thebitterguy]

It was the situation down there that inspired the poll.

[momentrabbit.livejournal.com]

Solar Flares happen to be my personal favourite excuse for technological failure states. I believe we're over the hump though, and down the declining-frequency part of the 11-year cycle, so it's not an excuse I'll be able to use often for a while.

[thebitterguy]

Well, how many people know that, really?

[elizard100.livejournal.com]

The way things are going I'm not ruling out anything so I clicked on everything. :)

[doccross.livejournal.com]

First off, the vast majority of earthquakes are pretty fun.

Secondly, add Wildfires to my answers.

[thebitterguy]

If I knew how many Californians were reading this, I'd have added wildfires instead of Lahars.

Stupid Lahars.

[bandersnitch.livejournal.com]

I live an hour away from you... so I chose other.

Mostly because I feel the urge to participate and feel like I contribute!

[thebitterguy]

That's cool. Remember, we're vulnerable to ice storms and floods. In the basement, at least.

[uhlrik.livejournal.com]

I'm in southern California, the City of Los Angeles specifically... we get earthquakes here. The partos of the LA area I frequent aren't up in the hills or off in the brush, so the fires and the landslides don't have much impact on me, other than occasionally impacting air quality or being visible in the extreme distance. So I only listed earthquakes. I'm self-centered enough that I take your statement of disasters I'm likely to experience very literally indeed.

[noizangel.livejournal.com]

What, you've never heard of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Fault Line (http://gordonkorman.com/mrwizzle.htm)?

It's a lesser known fault line.

I had such a crush on Bruno Walton. Anyway, we still get tornados, and I worry about another hurricane. Never know. Flooding is unlikely, but it happens.

[thebitterguy]

Oh, man. The War with Mr. Wizzle is 28 years old?

[noizangel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I didn't need to know that.

But given my NKOTB t-shirt is 18 years old, I shouldn't be surprised.

God, I loved those books. Gary never read them, so I feel the need to dig out 'I Want To Go Home' at the very least to make him read it.

[thebitterguy]

MacDonald Hall : the Next Generation. Good idea, or Great idea? I mean, Bruno and Boots for the Facebook generation! It's pure genius!