What's worst - earthquakes or tornados? (Omaha: apartment complex, mobile home, tornado)

[AZ_singlemother]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4mFh-I1Epc[/url]

If you can get into this one, I was in this quake and am scared to death of earthquakes. This one lasted forever.

[ehenningsen]

Tornados happen FAR FAR FAR more frequently, however, one earthquake alone in Northern California was probably more destructive than almost all the tornados combined...

[Pathwalker]

Honestly, I think I'd rather deal with the threat of an earthquake instead of the threat of a tornado. Yeah, an earthquake can produce more widespread damage, but you're not likely to have your house completely blown to smithereens, with all your important belongings (pictures, books, important documents, etc...) completely blown miles away from you. There's more of a sense of being able to survive an earthquake than there is when you see an ominous funnel cloud bearing down on you and you can't get out of its path quickly.

[ehenningsen]

I can see your point, but the problem with an earthquake is that it does demolish homes and buildings and at a much more widespread and more of a sure threat at hundreds of miles in radius than a 1/4 mile wide tornado , most tornados do not cause damage just like most earthquakes... and if you want to look at it this way, in Omaha's history it has had 1 major tornado (150 years of history) that caused probably under $10mil of damage... let's compare that to earthquakes in california's history

[Pathwalker]

Oh sure, I understand your point. I'm just talking about which one would cause more dread within me. I know earthquakes are more widespread and overall cause more damage. But in mind somehow, I'd rather be standing in the middle of a room when an earthquake is rumbling through, as opposed to standing in the same room with a tornado somewhere in the vicinity. I HATE tornadoes. Of all weather/natural phenomenon, they freak me out the most. I've seen them forming in the sky, and I know the sick feeling they cause when you can't see where they're going to hit and you have no basement to go to for a modicum of shelter.

[ehenningsen]

Yikes!!! I would freak if I didn't have a basement in a tornado warning... that is a very bad feeling especially when we get 3-4 tornado warnings (not actual tornados, those happen much less often :-)) every year, the weather event is usually awe inspring though, watching the clouds in the sky, even in the night when the lightning lights up the sometimes very odly shaped and sometimes very artsy cloud designs but I have a basement to go to, so yes I can completely understand your fear

[future texan]

well I have experienced earthquakes, being a native californian...I always found them to be fascinating, but at the same time, they hit you totally out of the blue, like a punch to the gut when they start..instant fear, rapidly replaced with an adrenilyn rush.... where a tornado, you have warnings, and predictions ahead of time...yes your stuff does not get blown away, but if the quake is hard enough, it can break your gas line and cause a fire.....how about having a safe room built, to store important papers and pictures, and a place to go in the event of a tornado...they cost a few thousand, but to me, would be worth it for the protection of your family and pets, and all of your important papers....just a thought...

[Hawkeye48]

It depends on where you live. Most places that have frequent earthquakes now have superior building standards so for the most part you are safe. But I read that there is actually a huge earthquake fault line that runs down the eastern seaboard that is extremely overdue for a quake.

Tornados are just nasty business. One just recently destroyed an entire town in Kansas. I'd take California and her quakes any day.

[future texan]

yea but you don't get that build up of excitement that you do with tornados...last summer, lightening struck a mountain top 10 miles from where I live, and it caused a big fire...now that was exciting! ....but earthquakes strike, no warning at all...plus they are few and far between...

[Pathwalker]

Hmmmm....no offense, but somehow I'm not concerned about getting an adrenalin rush when facing a natural disaster, whether it hits suddenly or not. Excitement is the last thing on my mind. I'm more concerned about whether I'm going to survive.

Garden variety thunderstorms are exciting. Tornadoes aren't. Trust me.

And when you live in an apartment complex or mobile home, you can't exactly build a safe room.