More Earthquakes!
Recently, I realized that I have no idea what to do in the event of an earthquake. I can’t really blame anyone else for that. There was little reason to prepare me for earthquakes while living in the Great Lakes region, but it is of some concern now.
This occurred to me when I was trying to think of what to do during an earthquake. My first, natural reaction would be to find a ditch. I don’t know why, but that seems to be my gut level reaction to all natural disasters. It’s probably valid for tornadoes and lightning, less so for hurricanes(wind, yes.. water, no.) It’s possible, I suppose, that leaping into a ditch(or hiding under a bathtub.. I don’t know why, but that seems pretty good to me, too) could actually be the opposite of the appropriate course of action. Perhaps the ditch turns out to be not a ditch at all, but the beginning of a rift in the earth itself, a great maw that threatens to swallow me whole.
I have been told that the greatest threat from earthquakes is the aftermath and resulting destruction. I’m going to ignore that, and assume that the greatest threat is things falling on me. I think, in order to be safe from things falling on me, I’m going to subscribe to the Willy E. Coyote school of thought: I will carry around a tiny umbrella and a sign that says, “Help.” If I happen to notice a shadow rapidly growing around my feet in the shape of a, oh, let’s say a grand piano, I will hold the umbrella up meekly, followed by the sign. I will be crushed flat by it, but I’ll be just fine after the fade to black.
December 7th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Mostly you sit there and wonder if it’s about to get worse or if it’s almost over. I’ve only been in one that ever really caused me concern. My mom and I were downstairs watching TV or talking or something. After maybe 30 seconds of gentle shaking a slight jolt hit. Just as I was about suggest we go outside, it stopped. I don’t think it even made the pictures crooked. I actually not sure how many quakes I’ve been in, cause we you’re in bed, they often shake the bed about as much as when the cat’s sitting down by your feet scratching the back of her ears.
March 24th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Speaking of earthquakes and grand pianos, we had a 6.8′er once when I was a senior in high school (http://www.seattlepi.com/local/quak28ww.shtml). All us poor little highschool students immediately dropped to the ground and put our heads under our chairs like all kids who live on a fault line are trained to do.
Meanwhile, my music history teacher practically shoved students out of his way to go hide under the grand piano in the band room.
Jerk.