Natural disasters

Have you experienced a natural disaster ? Several of them ?

Which did you find the most frightening ?

I have been through numerous hurricanes (one a real monster, Camille), a volcano (Mt St Hellens), a tornado, a baby tsunami and one very large earthquake.

Of all of them, the one that upset me the most was the 7.1 magnitude San Francisco earthquake of 1989 (Loma Prieta). Why ? I think it was because of the suddenness. Not even one second to prepare.

Re: Natural disasters

The earthquake must have been really terrifying....

I was terrified in one much smaller than that only 4.9 in Kefalonia. I remember wanting to get on the next plane home but the locals were so used to it happening they just ignored it.

There was a big quake there in the 1950s that killed half the islands population....living there must be like living with a time bomb. I will never go back.

Re: Natural disasters

Newcastle (New South Wales) earthquake. Christmas 1989. We were living south of Newcastle in Sydney's northern beaches and we felt it very strongly. 13 people killed and 160 injured.Lots of damage all over the city. That was scary. We were lucky our building only suffered a few cracks. Bakerman I was in San Francisco in 1985 for a short time. I remember driving on the Nimitz Freeway. It was very sad to see it gone when I was there again in the mid nineties.

Re: Natural disasters

Hurracaine in the Caribbean only the tail end .
2 I think on the Richter scale .
All I can say ifs that’s the tale end goodness knows what the main bit is like .
Everything wrecked and the roads running with water trees all down .
The sound was terrifying .

Flooding in Spain
Flash flood caused absolute disaster luckily we got our car our of the underground car park where we were staying just in time Before it was completely flooded .

Re: Natural disasters

F;oated through a hurricane on HMS Ranee back in 1946 when my mum and I were going to join my RN dad in Bermuda. I was really impressed as I watch a sailor attached to a lanyard go up a companionway and when the hatch opened I could see a huge wave!
Earthquakes? We're used to them we get 14,000 a year most of course, are not noticeable about 3-4 above 6 Richter a year.
Volcanoes? You've probably all heard about the White Island eruption and the 1995 Mt Ruapehu eruption made me wash my car, a very rare event!
All part of the joys of living on "The Ring of Fire"

Re: Natural disasters

A Mudslide.....
After weeks of heavy rain had waterlogged a spoil heap from the local pit, it collapsed over the Hull to Doncaster railway line.....The line remained shut for over six weeks and put me out quite a bit when I had to take the bus to Sheffield Meadowhall and the cinema....