Earthquake or Hurricane?

[8675309]

I know I'm new to these boards but I'm curious what other MM'ers would do.

It's been a little ridiculous out here in So Cal. Too many earthquakes in a short amount of time. (Another one just 30mins ago). Starting to panic that "the big one" is coming. Which would you rather deal with?

[apelila]

I was born and raised on the east coast of Florida, and i voted hurricane I'd rather have a week's worth of notice to prepare and/or gtfo!

[apelila]

duplicate post, whoops

[dev22]

Earthquake for sure - but as a native So Cal resident, I am just totally used to them at this point. It is VERY rare that we have one big enough to do any damage.

[emilyinchile]

Earthquake. I'm from California and live in Chile, and in the 8.8 earthquake we didn't even have a glass break. In places where buildings are built to withstand earthquakes, most of the time you're going to be just fine.

And supposedly little earthquakes help relieve the pressure to prevent big ones!

[y4m]

Earthquake for sure. I don't want to see my natural disasters coming and have to make difficult decisions about them. Better to have to always be prepared, build buildings stronger, and not think about it otherwise.

But of course I am a californian.

[8675309]

Aug 29, 2012 16:08:13 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

Earthquake. I'm from California and live in Chile, and in the 8.8 earthquake we didn't even have a glass break. In places where buildings are built to withstand earthquakes, most of the time you're going to be just fine.

And supposedly little earthquakes help relieve the pressure to prevent big ones!

I hope this is true. We've had WAY too many in my town. I'm thinking 7-10 that were over 4.0 this summer.

[drloretta]

Aug 29, 2012 16:06:58 GMT -5 dev22 said:

Earthquake for sure - but as a native So Cal resident, I am just totally used to them at this point. It is VERY rare that we have one big enough to do any damage.

This. I think they're kind of cool actually. But the ones I've experienced have been relatively small (or away from the epicenter) and haven't caused major damage.

[fuckstick]

Born and raised in CA. I barely even feel a 4.0 anymore.

[minniebee]

I've never experienced either (Midwesterner here), but I voted earthquake. In an earthquake, stuff gets broken. In a hurricane, stuff gets broken and wet.

[yourmom]

I've lived through both. I much prefer earthquakes. I actually had my first tornado experience last summer while travelling for work. Earthquake over tornado as well!

[Deleted]

Magnitude of each is an important consideration.

[emilyinchile]

Aug 29, 2012 16:28:06 GMT -5 @misoangry said:

Magnitude of each is an important consideration.

8.8! And I'd still take that over a hurricane.

[kangaroo11]

I prefer one earthquake I can feel every 5-10 years over multiple hurricanes every season.

<-- Californian

[Deleted]

Oh, I clicked earthquake.

Fear not. LOL.

[zeewifeandmama]

I would rather be in an Earthquake....in a place that regularly gets earthquakes. They dont bug me really at all and around here most structures are built with earthquakes in mind.

[wannabe]

OP, I dig your screen name.

[drloretta]

We had an earthquake when I was a sophomore in college. At 2am. The gal from Wisconsin was hysterical and calling her parents to tell them. The gal from Nicaragua, who had been a child in the major earthquake there in the early 70s, was beside herself and on the phone to her parents. My BFF (from Alaska) and I (a CA native) cleaned up the broken vodka bottle and went back to bed. Everyone thought we were crazy.

[mollybrown]

I used to say hurricane for the same reason listed in the poll. I grew up in SoCal, and have had the crap scared out of me several times by earthquakes that start at the most inopportune time (like the middle of the night when I'm dead asleep and can't make sense of what's happening).

However, we never had any damage. Not even things falling off of shelves. So I guess I'd rather take being surprised over knowing that a hurricane is coming but being far more likely to lose my home or belongings.

[evynsmama]

Born and raised in Cali I will take an earthquake anyday over a hurricane , hurricanes come every year multiple times a year and earthquakes are usually small and happen every few years, and don't typically do too much damage

[ejpint]

I said earthquake, though I've never been in either one. My reasoning is the same as many others.

When faced with this decision, I'm glad I live on the No Coast. I like not having to worry about either one. Though...my hometown was destroyed by floods a few years ago, and we have tornadoes, so...I guess there is no safe place when it comes to natural disasters. I have no real point here.

[macmars45]

I've never lived outside of WA state. In my 26 years I've only ever been in one earthquake. There are no hurricanes here. I'd take one earthquake in 26 years over the threat of multiple hurricanes every year in a heartbeat.

[carfar]

Another Cali person voting for earthquake.

[8675309]

Aug 29, 2012 16:33:06 GMT -5 wannabe said:

OP, I dig your screen name.

Thanks, wannabe. Little joke between my big brother and I. He used to send this number to my pager (yes I'm old) and I would call it everystinkintime like a moron. Obv I'm also 1 of 2 billion Jennifer's born in the 70's.

[8675309]

I guess I worry more about earthquakes now that I have small kids. Part of me would rather deal with hurricanes so I can just run from them.

When I was in highschool during the Northridge quake I was more worried about my winter formal dance being cancelled that night than anything else. Teenage Priorities.

[rubytue]

Hurricane. You know it's coming.

We had this debate at work after the earthquake last year. The coworker from California said hurricanes were scarier. The rest of us east coasters voted earthquakes. That shit was freaky. Hurricanes are all about planning.

eta: Ha! I posted this from my phone, so I didn't know it was an actual poll, and that I used the exact same wording as the poll.

[drloretta]

Ah, but your priorities may be different if you lived in FL vs SoCal. You may wish you had to deal with an occasional earthquake in a bldg built to code vs packing up yet again to get away from yet another hurricane. Or fighting over that last loaf of bread at WalMart before you battened down the hatches.

[formerlyak]

Aug 29, 2012 16:01:57 GMT -5 8675309 said:

I know I'm new to these boards but I'm curious what other MM'ers would do.

It's been a little ridiculous out here in So Cal. Too many earthquakes in a short amount of time. (Another one just 30mins ago). Starting to panic that "the big one" is coming. Which would you rather deal with?

I was always told growing up (grew up in LA) that the more smaller ones we have the less bad "the big one" will be because it relieves pressure on the faults. Of course this all depends on which fault the smaller ones occur on and which fault "the big one" decides to happen on.

To answer the question, I'd pick earthquake any day. I was here for the Northridge quake in 1994 and it was scary, but it only lasts a very short amount of time and then you figure it out. I think the anticipation of a hurricane would freak me out.

[stingsharkruns]

Hurricane - When I was a young teenager I always said i'd NEVER go to Cali bc the earthquakes scare the shit out of me.

[Deleted]

Earthquake. Nothing about a hurricane sounds fun. A hurricane comprises all of my least favorite elements for far too many hours.