Patti, that's the fault (the New Madrid one) that we're almost on top of! Just last week they had some meteorologists on TV, describing the damage that could be expected at various strenghs of earthquakes. Depending on its strength on the Richter scale, it could be really murderous. About eight or ten years ago, there was a scientist in the area (for the life of me, I can't remember his name), who predicted that we'd have an earthquake here in early to mid December of that year. Although it didn't happen, it really was good that he made that prediction. Although we always have fire and tornado drills for everyone at school, we didn't have earthquake drills. We started having them (by then, we all (the adults) had to stop for a minute and try to remember which signal was for which kind of drill!) And we had emergency room personnel come to give talks about what to expect, and how to react. The talks were given to about two or three classes at a time, and always in the Library (which was my territory). One of the things they'd point out was that every book in there, in an earthquake, was a potential flying missile that could kill. The whole school was issued bungee cords, to secure lockers, boxes, whatever might fly around during a quake. The whole school, that is, except for the library!! They had already told us that it was the most dangerous place in the building, other than near a lot of windows, but we were left to our own devises about what to do, other than to stand in a doorway if one hit. Well, there were (and still are) only two doorways there, and if we had a class when it happened, most would have to just try to hide under the tables. We did have containers of water, as did every room and office, and we were issued two bullhorns, to use when the signal came to get the kids outside and away from the building. (Although the students didn't know it, we also had body bags.) At home, I got extra bottles of my husband's medicines (all 15 of them!), and a container of oxygen, and put them in the trunk of the car, along with canned foods , can opener, dog food for our German shepherd, warm clothes for Ed, blankets, jugs of water, etc. Luckily the school was only about three miles from our house, and I figured (hoped) I'd be able to get home fast, once we knew the kids were all right. I told him, if there was an alarm, to go into the hall bathroom and shut the door (taking the dog with him, of course,)and the cordless phone. I didn't know (and never will) if he'd have been able to follow the plan, but there wasn't a darn thing I could do about it except pray. I couldn't just quit my job at that stage of the game..we needed the money!! The quake never happened, thank goodness. Since the one the other day, everyone on TV is reporting how it's inevitable that there will be one here within the forseeable future. At least, in our particular area, there aren't many (if any) tall buildings, which would be deadly. I'd much rather live in an area where they have no earthquakes or tornadoes. Hurricanes would be OK, as they're more predictable, and because I've been in more than a few. (You know the old saying that a known horror is better than an unknown one). But I guess we don't get to choose our catastrophes, do we??! On that cheerful note, I'll stop rambling!! Barbara in MO (but originally from N

Barbara, The KC area is in the third ring of possible damage from that fault. I once was in the position of having to persuade a city council they should include earthquake damage prevention in their city codes. Big joke! No one could believe it could happen here. All they really needed was to re-enforce the chimney structures. Didn't happen. I remember the stuff about the proposed earth quake but did not know you it was taken so seriously by the residents. Glad it was a false alarm. My only serious experience with earthquakes was the 1964 quake in Montana. It shook in the night and was several hundred miles from my location but it was a good one -- the side of a mountain went and a lake was created. It always some natural disaster or another isn't it? Patti ----- Original Message ----- From: <BCofer612@aol.com> To: <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 2:44 AM Subject: [ARMSTRONG-L] Re: ARMSTRONG-D Digest V02 #349 > Patti, that's the fault (the New Madrid one) that we're almost on top of! > Just last week they had some meteorologists on TV, describing the damage > that could be expected at various strenghs of earthquakes. Depending on its > strength on the Richter scale, it could be really murderous. > > About eight or ten years ago, there was a scientist in the area (for the life > of me, I can't remember his name), who predicted that we'd have an > earthquake here in early to mid December of that year. Although it didn't > happen, it really was good that he made that prediction. Although we always > have fire and tornado drills for everyone at school, we didn't have > earthquake drills. We started having them (by then, we all (the adults) had > to stop for a minute and try to remember which signal was for which kind of > drill!) And we had emergency room personnel come to give talks about what to > expect, and how to react. The talks were given to about two or three classes > at a time, and always in the Library (which was my territory). One of the > things they'd point out was that every book in there, in an earthquake, was > a potential flying missile that could kill. > > The whole school was issued bungee cords, to secure lockers, boxes, whatever > might fly around during a quake. The whole school, that is, except for the > library!! They had already told us that it was the most dangerous place in > the building, other than near a lot of windows, but we were left to our own > devises about what to do, other than to stand in a doorway if one hit. Well, > there were (and still are) only two doorways there, and if we had a class > when it happened, most would have to just try to hide under the tables. We > did have containers of water, as did every room and office, and we were > issued two bullhorns, to use when the signal came to get the kids outside and > away from the building. (Although the students didn't know it, we also had > body bags.) > > At home, I got extra bottles of my husband's medicines (all 15 of them!), and > a container of oxygen, and put them in the trunk of the car, along with > canned foods , can opener, dog food for our German shepherd, warm clothes for > Ed, blankets, jugs of water, etc. Luckily the school was only about three > miles from our house, and I figured (hoped) I'd be able to get home fast, > once we knew the kids were all right. I told him, if there was an alarm, to > go into the hall bathroom and shut the door (taking the dog with him, of > course,)and the cordless phone. > > I didn't know (and never will) if he'd have been able to follow the plan, but > there wasn't a darn thing I could do about it except pray. I couldn't just > quit my job at that stage of the game..we needed the money!! > > The quake never happened, thank goodness. Since the one the other day, > everyone on TV is reporting how it's inevitable that there will be one here > within the forseeable future. At least, in our particular area, there aren't > many (if any) tall buildings, which would be deadly. > > I'd much rather live in an area where they have no earthquakes or tornadoes. > Hurricanes would be OK, as they're more predictable, and because I've been in > more than a few. (You know the old saying that a known horror is better > than an unknown one). > > But I guess we don't get to choose our catastrophes, do we??! > > On that cheerful note, I'll stop rambling!! > > Barbara in MO (but originally from N >