Hurricanes and other environmental catastrophes

This morning I experienced one of the scariest things ever. An earthquake struck our island with a magnitude of 5.6.There was a huge bang and the house shook for about 3 seconds. I was in the garden sitting down and the ground moved visibly. The table I was at was shaking and swaying.
I understand no one has been hurt but it was the biggest we have had here since 1996. I heard part of the roof collapsed at the airport. There have been 10 smaller aftershocks. WOW!

Good to hear no-one has been injured. Take Care.

Phew - how scarey - glad you`re ok.

Tony Blair clearly wasn't lying about Iraqi WMD after all.

Have you had more information on the quake CI? Because I think Cyprus is a bit prone to quakes. The big ones were somewhere between 300 and 500 AD I think. Find out if there were more shocks to the east and west in the Med.

Keep safe and take note of the behaviour of your pets, esp. If you have dogs. They've recently discovered that a strange smell alerts dogs hours before the quake happens. Those noses!

Good luck.

I knew that about animals behaving oddly but our 3 dogs did not. All the birds went silent though..We had 10 aftershocks but I only felt the first which measured 4.0. The others were only 2+.
I am a tad nervous about sleeping tonight as we live in an old stone house extended in the 80's. Not sure of the construction of the old house but it withstood the 6.3 in 1996 so we should be ok. Might sleep in the extension tonight as it is deffo built on a raft.
If I don't check in tomorrow tell the rescuers I am under the house lol

Empty your cupboards and bookcases and put everything on the floor, as they do in California ...
Bonne chance

Glad your ok !

Still OK, Chirps?

Tigger wrote:Still OK, Chirps?

Aaw thanks for your concern Tigger. All quiet here last night though I admit to being a bit nervous in
my bed.
Seems the Gods have been appeased for now. Been watching RD Hall's vids.

Glad to hear that you're OK and no damage was done to your house or yourself.

Mentioning the birds going silent reminded me of when I went on a tour of Italy many years ago we went past the Vajont dam which was the scene of an horrendous disaster in 1963.  The top of the mountain slid into the reservoir during the night and 2,000 people were drowned.  Many villages were wiped out.

The coach driver said that before the landslide struck all the animals disappeared from the villages and the birds went silent.  It's amazing that all animals have an acute sense of an impending disaster and can even sense sadness or illness in their owners and can react to that with great feeling.

I found a website about the Vajont dam -

http://www.environmentandsociety.org/arcadia/expecting-disaster-1963-landslide-vajont-dam

One for the dogs..

http://theilovedogssite.com/are-dogs-psychic-5-things-dogs-sense-before-they-happen/

Today there was a 6.1 off Crete with an aftershock of 5. I am due to fly there on holiday next month. Having serious second thoughts.
As one approaches the downhill slopes of life occasional thoughts of how you may meet your demise enter your head. I never imagined my end would happen in an earthquake. I hope I am correct.

chirpyinsect wrote:Today there was a 6.1 off Crete with an aftershock of 5. I am due to fly there on holiday next month. Having serious second thoughts.
As one approaches the downhill slopes of life occasional thoughts of how you may meet your demise enter your head. I never imagined my end would happen in an earthquake. I hope I am correct.

Glad everything is ok with you chirpy.  You have more chance with flying than an earthquake, go and enjoy your hols.

Glad you're okay Chirpy, I can imagine how terrifying that would have been

chirpyinsect wrote:Today there was a 6.1 off Crete with an aftershock of 5. I am due to fly there on holiday next month. Having serious second thoughts.
As one approaches the downhill slopes of life occasional thoughts of how you may meet your demise enter your head. I never imagined my end would happen in an earthquake. I hope I am correct.

But if the earth moves for you, so to speak, in your final moments.... ??

It was on the earthquake simulator in the Geological Museum in London that I first heard this - needless to say, I had no idea what it meant apart from the obvious as we stood on a shaking platform. The meaningful glance I got from my boyfriend didn't help. Years later .......  

Chirpy. When can I come for a holiday...

Andrew wrote:Chirpy. When can I come for a holiday...

Andrew you know you would be welcome anytime. Flirt flirt.

chirpyinsect wrote:

Andrew wrote:Chirpy. When can I come for a holiday...

Andrew you know you would be welcome anytime. Flirt flirt.

Haha - off to book my flight shortly.

120 plus dead now. Awful stuff.

http://news.sky.com/story/people-trapped-as-earthquake-hits-central-italy-10549508

A terrible disaster, heartbreaking..