Natural disasters

[quietfan 233]

Trivial subject, but it's the off season and that's what the ATC forum is for:

I was thinking about how every section of the country seems to be prone to its own particular type of natural disaster(s). Here in Alabama we have to worry about tornadoes and hurricanes. California has earthquakes, mudslides, and wildlfires. New England has ocean storms and blizzards. In the Midwest grain belt they have tornadoes, floods & droughts. Even Hawaii has typhoons, volcanoes, and tsunamis.

So, which sort of natural disaster(s) do you fear the most? If picking a place to live based solely on the natural disaster risk, where would you choose and why?

[And I'm not talking about human-caused disasters: riots, crime waves, terrorists attacks, etc.]

[AUJarhead 72]

I think I'd pick the gulf coast. You know the Hurricane is coming, and should have time to get out of it's way.

The nor'easters aren't so bad in the NE, you know they are coming, and hopefully, you don't have to go anywhere.

Earthquakes don't bother me, but I think the reason I'd not choose to live in a place like SF has nothing to do with earthquakes.

Tornados scare the crap out of me. Not a whole lot of warning.

[AURaptor 1,137]

Natural disaters don't scare me so much, but that's not to say that NATURE isn't scary. One scenario which always brings chills to my skin is being caught on a small boat out in the middle of the north or south seas, near the poles, where conditions are the worst. ( And this was BEFORE I'd ever seen the crab fishermen ) The image of bone chilling cold, harsh winds whipping by as you're tossed about on mountains of water under a dark, gray sky.......alone. ~ shivers

[jumbo 0]

Not being able to see my belt!

[Tiger in Spain 0]

Wildfires and flooding. I can't think of 2 worse ways to die than being burned to a crisp or drowning. This is why I would never consider living in a place where fires break out every year (such as California) or down along the coast. I will never build a house next to a river, either.

[Tigermike 3,903]

Stranded for the entire winter in a small cabin in the North Canadian wilderness, with my ex wife.

[townhallsavoy 2]

Having lived in New Orleans for 11 years, I'd choose to live on the gulf coast. Sure, there are hurricanes and tropical storms every year, but the odds of one being like Katrina hitting you dead on are rather slim. You might get some damage but most of the time, it's not bad enough to cause serious problems. Also, you do have a lot of warning before it hits.

My biggest fear? Asteroid. Not kidding. Even if we had a warning, there isn't much you can do to escape it. It's like knowing a nuclear bomb is going to go off in your backyard - good luck staying alive!

[otterinbham 0]

An F4 or F5 twister. I have a nice secure basement that could probably withstand anything but that.

[TitanTiger 21,665]

I'd have to go with earthquakes. You get no warning at all unless you work in a seismology lab. With tornadoes, you typically get some warning of a least a few minutes. Hurricanes, you usually have several days warning.

[vatz22au 146]

I'd have to agree with asteroid. Scares the hell out of me that one could wipe life out as we know it upon one direct hit and that we could probably do nothing about it.

On a reasonable scale, I'd go with earthquakes. No warning, no nothing... just the earth crumbling before your very eyes. Imagine driving in California arriving upon a huge deep gap in the Earth that was created in a matter of seconds..... creepy.

[GalensGhost 0]

After visiting Pompeii last year, I've got to confess that I'm no fan of volcanoes.

[quietfan 233]

My biggest fear? Asteroid. Not kidding. Even if we had a warning, there isn't much you can do to escape it. It's like knowing a nuclear bomb is going to go off in your backyard - good luck staying alive!

I'd have to agree with asteroid. Scares the hell out of me that one could wipe life out as we know it upon one direct hit and that we could probably do nothing about it.

On a reasonable scale, I'd go with earthquakes. No warning, no nothing... just the earth crumbling before your very eyes. Imagine driving in California arriving upon a huge deep gap in the Earth that was created in a matter of seconds..... creepy.

If we're talking extinction events, or worldwide threats to humanity as a species, I think a worldwide pandemic scares me more than the asteroid threat simply because it's more probable, IMO.

The recent story of the "super-TB" carrier on the plane:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18960857/

reminds us how easily disease can spread in this day and age. Besides the possibility of new natural disease emerging from the rain forest or old diseases mutating into more virulent forms, we as a species might carelessly trigger our own demise through biological WMD research. Of course, it's highly unlikely that any disease would completely wipe out a species by itself--there will probably always be the rare individuals that escape due to natural resistance or isolation. But a 90-95% death rate worldwide may as well be extinction as far as its affect on life as we know it.

In the asteroid event, I'd much rather be at ground zero and die instantly than survive the impact to suffer a lingering death in the nuclear winter that followed. [similarly, at the height of the Cold War, I once had fantasies about being a survivalist and surviving in my private shelter. Then I realized that in a full scale US/USSR nuclear exchange the lucky ones are those who go out on the first strike, not the ones who survive for a few more weeks/months and slowly die of starvation, disease, etc. while watching their loved ones do the same. My fantasy changed to living right next to a silo or other 1st strike target!]

Regionally? Earthquake is a big reason (but hardly the only--and I'm a liberal!) youll never find me living in LA or San Francisco. I just know the day I even pass through those cities for business or vacation will be the day the Big One hits, and I'll be trapped in LA-LA land with no food, shelter, or public services of any kind, surrounded by millions of equally desperate crazies.

[SupperClub 0]

Wildfires and flooding. I can't think of 2 worse ways to die than being burned to a crisp or drowning. This is why I would never consider living in a place where fires break out every year (such as California) or down along the coast. I will never build a house next to a river, either.

This pretty much sums up the way I feel.

[Guest Frank Burns]

Land sharks.

[TigerHeat 9]

Land sharks.

Thanks, just when i thought I had no real fears you bust out with this one. I nearly crapped myself.

[abrnfanatc 6]

Land sharks.

Candygram

[Tiger in Spain 0]

I'm only a dolphin, ma'am

[AURaptor 1,137]

Collecting for U.N.I.C.E.F. .......

And after some review, I'm not fond of volcanoes. That's my final answer.

[autiger518 1]

I'd have to agree with asteroid. Scares the hell out of me that one could wipe life out as we know it upon one direct hit and that we could probably do nothing about it.

On a reasonable scale, I'd go with earthquakes. No warning, no nothing... just the earth crumbling before your very eyes. Imagine driving in California arriving upon a huge deep gap in the Earth that was created in a matter of seconds..... creepy.

You apparently have never seen the movie Armageddon...were all good man...no worries!

[quietfan 233]

I'd have to agree with asteroid. Scares the hell out of me that one could wipe life out as we know it upon one direct hit and that we could probably do nothing about it.

On a reasonable scale, I'd go with earthquakes. No warning, no nothing... just the earth crumbling before your very eyes. Imagine driving in California arriving upon a huge deep gap in the Earth that was created in a matter of seconds..... creepy.

You apparently have never seen the movie Armageddon...were all good man...no worries!

Deep Impact...only because I find Tea Leoni slightly hotter than Liv Tyler, personally. Not that I'd turn down either!