The tornado we had last Thursday has just been upgraded to 50 miles of devastation and 1 hour and 20 minutes on the ground. It has been since the year 1821 since we had a tornado. The weather-man said that they are usually on the ground for 5 minutes. I hope it never happens again!.
Natural disasters are so scary!

Sylvia

I don't know too much about earthquakes. I do remember that NY had one several years ago. Mom gave us all spankings for ruff houseing so hard up stairs that we made a vase and a picture fall the wall downstairs. Later we found out it was an earthquake. So it couldn't have been to big or strong. Nothing like the west coast's

I heard recently that the safest place to be in an earthquake is not under, but next to, a desk or sofa. If the ceiling comes down, there will be a crevice next to the desk or whatever, and there's more chance of survival there.

Pat in Rockport, TX, who also prefers more warning to my disasters.

As a native CA I am familiar with earthquakes having experienced my first one when I was a wee one in 1954 (or around then). I remember being told to stand in a doorway. Then my next "big" shaker was 1971 in the Los Angeles area. That one caused our brick and board bookshelf to collapse....again, we headed for the doorway. The "biggie" for me was the 1994 Northridge earthquake which woke our world at 4:30 a.m. That one caused a freeway overpass to collapse thereby trapping us to a certain extent in the Santa Clarita Valley (north of L.A.) Our house was a disaster. To give you an idea of the mess, my china cabinet fell over and everything in it broke. I don't like earthquakes but I've always thought that if you have to live in an earthquake prone area, then CA is your best bet because their building codes are better for that type of natural disaster. In January 1994, more people died in the ice storms on the east coast than died as a result of the CA earthquake. But the effect on the infrastructure of the area can be devastating.

Sylvia - I had not heard about the tornado. We have them frequently in TN and had one in my town several years ago. It is amazing the damage they leave behind. Glad you are okay.

And glad no one was hurt in the earthquake.

I'm very sorry, I hope everyone is feeling better, I live in CT, I have only had to deal with hurricanes, so far. But I am glad to hear everyone is doin fine. Everyone is in our thoughts and prayers. Debbie

Believe it or not I think I prefer hurricanes....plenty of advance warning so we can get the heck outta town!

[I live in NH and we had a tornado last Thursday that did so much damage. It went through 11 counties in 40 miles. Killed one woman who was shielding her baby grandson. It completely leveled the house. She was only 57 years old. The devastation is unbelievable. We don't typically have tornadoes here so no one knew what to do. Our weather is changing so much it's scary!

Sylvia[/quote]

Sylvia, that tornado sounds terrifying. I think I prefer our earthquakes, they don't last as long and rarely cause that kind of devastation.

JoAnne

I am glad you are all OK. Very scary stuff. I have a nephew who lives near there and he was also frightened.

I live in NH and we had a tornado last Thursday that did so much damage. It went through 11 counties in 40 miles. Killed one woman who was shielding her baby grandson. It completely leveled the house. She was only 57 years old. The devastation is unbelievable. We don't typically have tornadoes here so no one knew what to do. Our weather is changing so much it's scary!

Sylvia

Hi all -- I am thinking of all you in CA -- probably still shaking -- we didn't feel it here in Colorado. LOL

Sharon in HOT Colorado

I talked to my brother who lives in Orange, CA and he said the shaking was terrifying and it took him a while to stop shaking! However, he thinks the only damage was to pictures that fell off his shelves.

My sister who lives in Agoura Hills said she was in a restaurant at the time and they definitely felt the quake. Everyone ran to the doorways.

I'm about 4 miles from the epicenter, the jolts and shaking were awful, the worst I have ever felt and I've been in so. CA all my life. It took me about 20 minutes to stop myself from shaking. Some things fell off the shelves, nothing broke. Some damage occurred in stores, items falling off shelves, bottles breaking, etc.

We've felt a few aftershocks and sure hope that this 5.4 one isn't a foreshock. This is the first time an earthquake has ever scared me!

JoAnne in Diamond Bar, CA

I'm a little north west of Santa Barbara I felt just a little motion. I have heard that there is some damage but nothing drastic.

Hi, Brink & Judy! I was emailing a TQS member when everything began to shake. I stayed sitting on the couch, waiting for the shaking to stop--then it began to build and continued to shake for about 30 seconds. Nothing fell off shelves here and we're fine. I've been in worse earthquakes. The shaking for almost 30 sec. was a little unnerving, though! Thanks for thinking of all of us here in California. Judy in Torrance