School project help from people not in UK

[The Annoying Hoverer]

Hi! I'm doing a project for school and I need some help if you guys are able to. It's got to be about natural disasters like one or more of the following:

Avalanche
Volcano
Tsunami
Earthquake
Flooding
Cyclone/Tornado/Hurricane
Heatwaves
Droughts
Hailstorms

And other stuff like that. I'm wondering if anyone here can give any first hand accounts of experiencing a disaster, what it was like, how it felt and stuff like that. I can get numbers from the internet and the library but personal accounts would be great too or even something a relative or friend can tell you. I know in the UK we don't get much of anything but my mum says some of you live in Australia, America and other places where natural disasters happen so I thought I'd ask you first before anyone else.

If you can't help that's ok but it would be great if you could. Thank you very much.

Jessica.

P.S. - yes my mum did my spelling and big words - I'm still really bad at it

 

[Purple Nurple]

as with arse i'm afraid i can't offer personal accounts but look up tectonic plates and ting for a basic understanding of causes and stuff

sorry i couldnt be more help

 

[Arseface]

Despite what your mum may say, Australia isn't all that dangerous for us suburban folk. I'm lucky enough that I've never been involved in any kind of major disaster, and nor do I know anybody who has. All I can really do is point you to some Australian news reports that have personal testimonials in them from some recent disasters we've had.

Mr Morrow said he and his young family had lost all their possessions in the fire, including several houses and their business.
The family were not even able to grab their wallets on the way out, and Mr Morrow's daughter now has no primary school to go to.
"It's a life-changing event, our lives will never ever be the same again,'' he said.
He said he knew of two single men who stayed to defend their homes and survived, but others had paid the ultimate price. The police have not yet included any Marysville deaths in the official tally.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/marysville-devastated/2009/02/08/1234027832317.html

"It's just absolute devastation and people have seen things today that have been absolutely horrific," she said.
"There's a lot of families in Strathewen that we haven't been able to account for.
"The school's gone, the hall's gone... some people left it too late. We've lost friends, and we're just waiting for more - children, loved ones."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-02-08/absolute-devastation-victoria-gutted-by-deadly/287092

'I saw arms, hands, grey hair, and that was it'
A distraught Grantham local said he thought bodies he saw being thrown about in turbulent floodwaters were trying to swim, until he realised they were dead.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/env...ntinues-its-march-20110112-19my3.html#Witness

Hope some of that helps you

as with arse i'm afraid i can't offer personal accounts but look up tectonic plates and ting for a basic understanding of causes and stuff

sorry i couldnt be more help

Haha, reverse ninja'd

 

[Purple Nurple]

Haha, reverse ninja'd

cheekay

 

[Angel]

Despite what your mum may say, Australia isn't all that dangerous for us suburban folk.

Of course it's dangerous. It's not even real for starters...anything could happen.

 

[Arseface]

Of course it's dangerous. It's not even real for starters...anything could happen.

It's only dangerous if you live in the country. Totally found a huge spider chilling in the drain of my shower the other day though, WITH THE WATER ON. It was all "Yeah, I'm getting wet. Aint no big thang."

 

[Necromancer]

It's only dangerous if you live in the country. Totally found a huge spider chilling in the drain of my shower the other day though, WITH THE WATER ON. It was all "Yeah, I'm getting wet. Aint no big thang."

How big are we talking? (please no pictures)

 

[Arseface]

How big are we talking? (please no pictures)

Maybe two inches across? Three or so with legs stretched out fully. Looked like a huntsman though, but it was alarmingly colourful. Put the bastard outside in a pot plant where he belonged.

 

[Necromancer]

Put the bastard outside in a pot plant where he belonged.

It belongs burning in hell.

 

[Arseface]

It belongs burning in hell.

Spiders are people too.

 

[Necromancer]

I beg to differ.

 

[Tsuyu]

It's only dangerous if you live in the country. Totally found a huge spider chilling in the drain of my shower the other day though, WITH THE WATER ON. It was all "Yeah, I'm getting wet. Aint no big thang."

The spider wasn't getting wet; the water was getting spider!

Anyway, up here in Sweden the most exciting things we get are either thunderstorms or hailstorms. Pretty boring and safe. Though one time it was hailing hail the size of golf balls.

Was just after school ended and it stopped all of us from being allowed to go home for about an hour. :/

 

[Cain]

I beg to differ.

They may not be people, but you can't deny they are an important part of the ecosystem. We rely them to keep fly and other insect numbers down.

 

[Necromancer]

They may not be people, but you can't deny they are an important part of the ecosystem. We rely them to keep fly and other insect numbers down.

Alright, but why the hell do they have to look the way they look? I freak the f*ck out every time I see one that's bigger than a dime. If we need things as small as insects and arachnids, why the hell couldn't we just have smaller furry mammals about that size instead of bugs?! They could be cute and good for the ecosystem. :thumbsup:

 

[D3m190d]

Alright, but why the hell do they have to look the way they look? I freak the f*ck out every time I see one that's bigger than a dime. If we need things as small as insects and arachnids, why the hell couldn't we just have smaller furry mammals about that size instead of bugs?! They could be cute and good for the ecosystem. :thumbsup:

This isn't cute?

It's a furry, fuzzywuzzy snugglebeast that can hug your hand with four times as much love!

 

[Cain]

Alright, but why the hell do they have to look the way they look? I freak the f*ck out every time I see one that's bigger than a dime. If we need things as small as insects and arachnids, why the hell couldn't we just have smaller furry mammals about that size instead of bugs?! They could be cute and good for the ecosystem. :thumbsup:

Its a predator, its not meant to look cute. It looks creepy because thats natures way off scaring of its own predators or larger insects or animals. Not that it works, but looking cute wouldn't help either.

 

[Skotekal]

This isn't cute?

It's a furry, fuzzywuzzy snugglebeast that can hug your hand with four times as much love!

It looks prickly. Minus the fangs and I'll go a foot closer to it.

 

[Tyloric]

I sat through both Hurricane Katrina and Ike. Katrina just grazed the area I'm in, so we didn't suffer so much, but Ike was devastating. The power was out for several days, lamp posts had been knocked over, trees had been uprooted and tossed to the other side of the rode, and downtown even shut down for a couple of weeks simply because there was so much debris and structural damage to some buildings.

I remember one tree in particular that was lining a side street that had been uprooted, and took a massive chuck of the sidewalk with it, leaving a huge crater in the ground.

Anyone who has lived on the Gulf Coast can tell you similar stories.

 

[Necromancer]

Its a predator, its not meant to look cute. It looks creepy because thats natures way off scaring of its own predators or larger insects or animals. Not that it works, but looking cute wouldn't help either.

Then those other predators should have brains that are hardwired to think that things that are cute to humans are actually scary.

And Demi and Skotekal, could you guys please take that picture out of your posts? Thanks.

 

[Tsuyu]

Nobody is forcing you to look at the photo.