Last week, my home town experienced an earthquake, a hurricane, a tornado and a flood. Which gets me to thinking not just about whether or not I should really start keeping more emergency stores in my basement and possibly buy a generator, but what about YOUR home towns or home bases? What types of disasters are you susceptible to? How would you prepare for one?
If one did hit, what you you do, characters? Would you hunker down with your families, rescue others or do a little creative looting?
45 comments:
Oh, Christine, that's terrible! Four natural disasters in a row?! I certainly hope that you and your family are okay.
Anyway, it's times like these that I'm even more grateful to be living in an underground town in southern Kentucky. No hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes happen down here, and while floods are possible, our stalwart walls make them pretty unlikely.
Fortunately, each of the events was pretty minor for its kind. The earth quake shook us up the most (no pun intended) because it was so unexpected and so rare. My office just started shaking and rattling like crazy on Tuesday for several minutes. My first thought was a bomb or gas explosion, but there was no sound other than the rattling. The other events were related to the hurricane, so we had warning of them.
Folks round here are calling it "The Hurriquake."
I tend to cause earthquakes, I guess.
You took the words right out of my mouth. Now if you can work out how to put the mountain back after bringing it down...
Wow, Aidan, you can move mountains? You're even more talented than I realized.
A hurriquake, Christine?! That's hilarious - despite, ahem, the possible loss of life, of course.
It was an accident! And it did shut the gate so the demon legion quit coming through...
It just was a little more than I mean to do.
We get terrible blizzards here. Faldur and the rest of the rangers often have to rescue those who are stranded, but he would never brag about it.
We prepare by having lots of food stored up and cutting plenty of firewood. Winters here are long and hard. Very long.
We get hurricanes sometimes, but not like in Florida or the Outer Banks. They usually blow out by the time they hit New Jersey, and are just tropical storms. Still, the governor ordered everyone to evacuate the shore towns for this last one. There was some damage and lots of flooding, but it wasn't too horrible really.
Thank God for radar and such so that we know what's coming ahead of time. But I guess I'm one of the "hunker down" types. Of course, now that I have magic I suppose I could help people.
Wow, Ginger. I didn't realize that you were magical now. So, what's that like?
Um. Very awkward. When I'm nervous, I get these sparks on my fingers. I just got home yesterday, so I'm planning to tell my family if they see them that I'm just really staticky.
I don't know if they'll buy it, though.
And you don't want to get me mad. But I suppose some people already knew that.
You did a fabulous job of closing the gate, Aidan. You stopped the legion and saved our world from being taken over. Collapsing the mountain was a small price to pay.
Come here, my lord.
Dust storms, brush fires, tornados, flash flooding... you name it.
Great. Another hurricane headed for New Orleans. Thanks, Mother Nature.
What do you need, Marenya?... Oh.
Marenya and I are going to go... over here. For awhile.
Later!
Aidan is a walking natural disaster, so I'm used to them.
He's rather unnatural, if you ask me.
I hope you come through all right, Laura. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Aidan and Marenya are so cute together. I get the feeling their honeymoon is never going to be over.
Kaelin compared them once to a small woman being pulled around by great dane.
Thanks, Ginger. Of course, I'm not in New Orleans at the moment, but my apartment is. Sigh.
P.S. As for Aidan and Marenya, what an image!
Haha Kaelin. Remind me to kick your ass when I see you next time.
Right.
*shakes head*
You two are too much.
Are we? I don't get it. Do you Kae?
Not really, no.
I came out to the driveway yesterday and found a Ferrari. Kaelin said he had it delivered while I was in the shower
So, yes, they are too much.
Should I have gotten you something else?
No! Of course not. I was just... a really big surprise. Most guys would have gotten flowers.
That guy Kaelin is so screwed and he doesn't even know it. Unless I miss my guess, he has just made New Husband Mistake Numero Uno: buying a present for his wife that is really a present for himself.
I seriously doubt she wanted a Ferrari.
I already drive a car I like. It is actually for her. She can return it and get anything else she likes,
Dude, my bro drives a Bugatti. For him, a Ferrari is the entry-level into sports cars. And you'd have to know him...
Seriously, he really was getting it for her.
but Kaelin, maybe flowers wouldn't hurt either...
Ooh, I like it when my honey brings home flowers... which he often does for no reason at all. He's definitely a keeper!
I thought this was about the weather. How did you get off onto flowers?
I was recently released from an underground gaol, so I'm suffering a love affair with all weather currently, even bad. Lately we're sleeping out doors and I love it.
And for the record, I would adore a Ferrari. I must buy a car when I get back home.
Well, Saxen, it certainly started with weather, but as often happens around here, we veered a bit off-topic. Course, on occasion, I think that's when the really interesting things get said.
Anyway, let's see, where were we? For the record, I wouldn't mind a Ferrari either - it would be especially fun to drive around on windy South Padre. And I'm with you, Laura - I love getting flowers from my hubby (hint, hint, Michael).
And as for weather, I've almost always had to worry about hurricanes and floods. After all, I grew up in New Orleans (where, during my first year of birth, I apparently had to contend with Hurricane Betsy), and for the last two decades, I've lived on South Padre Island - which, as a barrier island, is by definition a storm barrier for the mainland of Texas. So, I've had quite a few frightening experiences, believe me. In fact, I had to face one of those scary storms in Laura's novel Hollow Souls - until she cut it, that is.
I didn't want to cut it, Liv - but no one seems to like prologues these days. Who knows, though? If I can't find a traditional publisher, I might just put that back in!
I'm not really a sportscar kind of girl. I'm not exactly going to drive a Ferrari to ShopRite or Costco, you know? Seriously, my first husband was into the status symbols and I hated it. I love my Explorer.
But I really don't want to hurt Kaelin's feelings, either. So I'm not sure what to do.
And, speaking of weather, my Explorer can get through anything. Ice, snow, standing water, mud, whatever. The thing is a tank.
A Ferrari, not so much.
Hurricane Betsy! Hahaha!!! Did it come right after Hurricane Aidan?
Hi, Saxen! What kind of car do you want to have?
Everyone seems to pick on Aidan a lot. He seems really nice. I feel kind of sorry for him.
Ginger. You aren't going to hurt my feelings. It's just for fun.
We can take it back. Or you can just drive it sometimes, if you want. This reminds me, I need to check your Explorer. It's burning through oil. I noticed before I left.
Thanks, Marrianne!
Hi Ginger. I'm not certain. Likely something more practical than a sports car. But as I recall Raynor was rather fond of the Bugatti.
Saxen, Raynor never rode in a car before the Bugatti!
Why are you living underground, Devi? If you don't mind my asking.
I don't mind at all, Marianne. Believe me, I've heard the question before. Simply put, although I grew up aboveground (in Kentucky) and spent much of my adult life in New Orleans, I always knew (on some level) where I really belonged - in the underground village of Ruby Hollow into which I'd stumbled as an adolescent, while visiting Mammoth Cave National Park with my family. At some point - once I knew that my husband and three daughters would be okay without me - I decided to return to Ruby Hollow, where I've lived happily for the past three decades.
So, it's not so much being underground that matters - it's being part of the Hollow that I really care about. If the village were aboveground, that'd be alright, too.
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