earthquakes and my shitty reactions to them.

[frellnik]

I just realised I haven't posted since Halloween.  Wow.  Lots has happened since then and I'll go back later and write it up but for now I just need to get something off my chest.

I got home from work about an hour ago and learned about the earthquake in Chile on facebook.   A M8.2 (8.3 depending on the source) and tsunamis ranging from 2 to 3 feet to over 6 feet.  I'm  glad it wasn't worse.  I am so glad that it wasn't worse.  But honestly, my initial reaction shocked the hell out of me.  It seems quite selfish.  My initial reaction was HOW THE HELL IS THAT FAIR??? and I almost cried.  An M8.2 earthquake and all they got was a 6 foot tsunami (maybe as high as 10ft).   Japan's earthquake was an M.9 and it was about an M8.2 in Iwaki, where I live.  The tsunami that hit my town was over 7m. And that was nothing compared the the 20m tsunami that hit Iwate area.  So far only 5 deaths have been confirmed in Chile and I am beyond happy about that...My town alone suffered quite a lot more deaths than that.

My reaction to this bothers me.  I know it's not an irrational reaction, but it bothers me.  And I still feel like crying over the unfairness of it, not that theirs was so light (in comparison) but that ours was so terrible.  I hate that there are so many BIG quakes happening everywhere.  I wish they would all stop.

Comments

[danceswithgary]

I totally understand your reaction, I think it's only human. *hug*

[ameshinju.livejournal.com]

Thanks, that makes me feel a bit better. :) *hug*
Tsunami is hitting Japan now. It's quite noisy outise right now with announcements to stay away from the beach. Thankfully it's quite small and shouldn't do any damage. I think the highest recorded here so far is 40cm. I work right next to the beach so I wasn't sure about work today, but it seems fine, so I'm off to work. Have a good evening!!

[interchanges.livejournal.com]

I get what you're feeling and I think it's a normal reaction to have. When I read people in CA talking about how 'scary' the earthquakes were there, ones that caused barely any damage, I was just sort of like you have no idea what you're talking about TRY EXPERIENCING A M9 AND THEN WE'LL TALK. Which I know is irrational, as I don't WANT other people to ever have go through that. But I just feel like it's, as you said, unfair that we and Japan had to deal with something so intense that no one who hasn't experienced it will ever understand.

[ameshinju.livejournal.com]

Thanks hun. *hugs*
I had forgotten how noisy those tsunami advisories are. I'll be very glad when all of this is over. I'm late for work again...so I have to go. I'm hoping to see the tsunami since my school is practically right on the beach. I have a great view of the oecean from the 3rd floor.

[ninja007.livejournal.com]

If anyone in CA are talking about the earthquake being scary and it wasn't that big on the Richter scale, then they didn't feel the one that occurred in San Francisco in 1989 (or the one in 1983 that destroyed Coalinga, CA, and I won't even talk about the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed San Francisco). I live 3 hrs away from San Francisco and it did damage here. I remember them the 1983 and 1989 quakes VIVIDLY.

CA, like Japan, is covered in fault lines. I'm not saying the Japanese quake in 2011 wasn't fierce or tragic. Just saying that whomever is saying their earthquakes are scary, that are small on the scale, weren't exposed to really tragic and frightening quakes. It's just their perspective. You have a different one from experiencing the one you and Frell Nik did.

We're still waiting for the BIG ONE.

[ninja007.livejournal.com]

I agree, you're reaction is completely normal. I think the tsunami that hit Japan was bad because of WHERE the earthquake hit. It was further out to sea than I think the one that hit Chile was (not sure exactly where that one hit). So, don't feel bad about your reaction.

*hugs*

[darkestnight01.livejournal.com]

*hugs very tight* I think it's a completely normal reaction to have and don't beat yourself up over it. <3

I'll try to be online this weekend. Staying at work so nobody should disturb us :)