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Thread: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

  1. #1
    Kaiyla
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    Default Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    Does anyone else experience this? I have been living in San Fernando Valley, CA for two months now and I'm experiencing like, RIDICULOUS anxiety about the big one. I'm in the midst of preparing my "earthquake kit" and sad to say, every night I sleep fully clothed. Also, embarassing enough, I also pack all four of my bearded dragons in their travel bag, just in case I have to grab them and run. My bf thinks I am obsessing and though I know I am, I just am sooooo afraid of what will happen if we have one. We live in a first floor apartment and I'm CONSTANTLY wondering if an earthquake does happen, is it better to run out the front door or stay inside? Can anyone with some earthquake knowledge offer any advice?
    Also, how long do these things last for? How likely is it that a tsunami would follow? Anyone have any earthquake stories and what their experience was like during one, and what they did to remain safe?
    I knew I never should have watched that TLC Earthquake special..

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    I cant imagaine an earthquake. Hurricanes are pretty scary here,I went through Ivan and Katrina but at least we get warning. I hope you never have to go through an earthquake..... but its good that you are taking precautions. Sorry I cant answer your questions though.
    Last edited by Xiomara; 09-12-2006 at 12:21 AM.

  3. #3
    aussiepunkshocker
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety


  4. #4
    mermaidnz
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    omg! i know how you feel.

    when i was in japan i was sooooo worried about earthquakes, so much so when someone told us the big one was about to hit, we got on the next (ok a few days later) flight out to thailand, where we narroly missed the tsunami!!

    the first quake i was in freaked me out, but sometimes they were fun, our whole building swayed, and a few things fell over/down, but it was relativly safe. i was scared as hell of being on the underground trains tho,just in case.

  5. #5
    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    I think you'll get over it eventually. They keep telling us there's a 'big one' coming here soon...(it was 'soon' when I moved here 14 years ago)...you can't live your life in fear!

    Be prepared, get informed, then move on and live your life. If an earthquake hits, get under something that won't collapse. Don't run outside, since you can't predict the falling debris. Under a doorframe is probably best, far from windows and mirrors.

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  6. #6
    Kaiyla
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    Aussie, thnx for the site, checking it out right now..
    Yeah living in fear of this suuuucks. I just wish I KNEW the right thing to do..run outside or stay inside. I live on the 1st floor of a 3 level apartment complex. What if it comes down on my head?

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    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    That's why you're under the doorframe, so that you are protected.

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  8. #8
    God/dess Paris's Avatar
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    The BIG ONE has been coming since I was a small child in the 1970's. I've been through many, many earthquakes, and have never been hurt.

    If you have your stash of food, water, money, gasoline, medicine (prescriptions), and anything your pets may need to get through a week, that is about all you need.

    Earthquakes in the US are not nearly as devistating as they are in the rest of the world. We have uber-high building standards, we don't clear cut our forrests, and the USGS is ready to alert everyone to get to a safe place.

    You may only get a couple of minutes of warning before an earthquake, but the geologists have equipment set up to record movement. They can likely predict the epicenter before the earthquake hits.

    The last thing you need to do is to "ground" yourself from listening to, watching on TV or reading on the internet, anything that has to do with earthquakes. I do that with the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. I can't emotionally deal with attacks, so I just have to stop looking at that media. Same with the tribute programs about Hurricane Katrina.

    ^^Trust me, you will feel better if you don't let other's infulence your thoughts.


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    Veteran Member azcustomer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    ^^^^ What Paris said...

    I lived through many earthquakes in LA and never had anything bad happen from them. Most were fun - seriously, it's like a free good ride at Disneyland.

    Be aware that the biggest sales tool is fear. The newspapers and TV know this, that's why they place the insurance and cold remedy ads next to the stories on the "next big one".

    I had to help build structures in L.A. - it's absolutely ridiculous how well built everything is. Seriously, the next time you're in a big building and get a chance, ask the security guards to explain the ground suspension systems they have in place - it's freakin' amazing.

    And the same goes with any house or apartment. My college apartment swayed like a motherf**ker during the Sherman Oaks quake but it did what it was designed to do. And aside from my roommate losing some beer steins, we were none the worse for wear. We laughed during the whole experience.


    "Life is not about the number of breaths you take.
    It's about those moments which leave you breathless."

  10. #10
    Kaiyla
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    Paris, you had so many good points in your post and these responses are soooo reassuring. <trying to associate earthquake with disneyland ride>

  11. #11
    Newbie Chrome's Avatar
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    Well... you can also obsess over the fact that you are dying right now or you can decide to live while you can and get over fear. Obviously you don't want to put yourself directly in harms way but I'd have to say you probably have a greater chance of being bit by a shark than dying in an earthquake. So smile and get some sleep.

  12. #12
    Featured Member lunchbox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    You should be more concerned about what is going on at CERN.

    http://lifeboat.com/ex/particle.accelerator.shield

  13. #13
    Kaiyla
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    hmm, black holes..

    better than thinking about EQ's I suppose. I'm devising a new EQ plan since running outside is looking like a bad choice.

  14. #14
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Severe Earthquake Anxiety

    Haa... I spent my first two years in L.A. in a similar state of panic, and I sleep clothed in case of earthquakes, too. However I'm starting to mellow out about it now and actually I would kind of welcome one as long as I wasn't injured... we could use it to bring rents down.

    Just be aware of where the safest place in every room of your apartment is - that would be a small interior hallway or a doorway far away from windows or other glass and furniture that could fall on you. Have plenty of canned food and a manual can opener on hand, and if an earthquake does hit, immediately fill your bathtub with cold water in case the water supply becomes contaminated. (Sometimes the stores close after an earthquake to protect from looters, so you might not be able to buy water right away.) And avoid riding the subways in the early morning, as that's usually when earthquakes hit. My boyfriend is a native Angelino and this is the advice he gave me, and it definitely makes me less scared.

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