Earthquake!
Each area of the country we have traversed has presented us with new and exciting things to learn such as different critters, topography, plants/trees, culture, and weather. The weather differences have been rather interesting the longer we have stayed in each state. Over the years, we had the good fortune to vacation for a week in many parts of the country picking the time of year we wanted to be there mostly due to the season. Staying longer in areas, however, has given us a new appreciation for longer weather seasons including the humidity near the ocean, the dryness and heat of the desert, and the cold and elevation of the mountains.
We are no strangers to changing weather. Growing up and living in Minnesota we have gotten used to the heat and humidity of summer, the fluctuations of fall, the freezing temps and dryness of winter and the schizophrenic nature of spring. Minnesota weather has a little taste of all the places we have wandered so far.
Each season back home, we spent time planning for the worst. Whether it was safety lessons on falling through the ice, frostbite, mosquito and biting fly attacks, heat stroke, flooding or tornados, there was no shortage of education. Of all the ill will that nature could wreak havoc on us, tornados scared me the most.
Perhaps it started during my formative years where we practiced hiding under our desks in school for tornado drills or being inundated with education during April about finding shelter in the lowest level of the building or the bathtub for an alternate safety spot. If all these grownups were concerned and we had to spend so much time learning this, perhaps I should be scared.
Those early memories included many summer nights spent listening to the robotic voice on the weather radio while wrapped in quilts lining the bottom of my grandparent’s basement bathroom shower. My sisters and I sat eagerly waiting for the all clear while trying to remember where the towns being announced were located in relation to Paynesville. Sometimes we had other relatives down there with us as they didn’t want to be alone during the storm. My grandpa was paralyzed on the left side of his body which made it hard for him to navigate stairs. Often he chose to ride out storms near the top of the stairs as the effort was difficult going down and back up again. My anxiety increased when I heard his cane thumping down on the well-worn wood, as it meant he was concerned. I remember an underlying current of tension until we knew the threat had passed.
I guess it is the powerful wind that frightens me. Over the years I learned not to try and outrun it in a car (as reinforced in the movie Twisters), get away from windows, and certainly don’t stand out in the middle of your lawn with a beverage hoping to get a glimpse of it. Seeing the destruction of buildings on the news and uprooted trees around town proved that I wouldn’t stand a chance if I was swept up or something came crashing down on me.
Although I can’t control tornados, I can control how I react to them. For me, control is found in education and preparation. Practicing drills for so many years, scoping out storm shelters ahead of time during severe weather season, and being “sky aware” has lessened my fear when the sirens do go off. Who knew a little rumble could bring me right back to that scared kid in the basement shower.
We were FaceTiming our Sam and Sydne, catching up on life and sharing funny stories from each of our weeks when James and I heard a low rumble. It sounded like a very large dump truck driving towards us. This was a different sound from the helicopters and planes that flew over us consistently, yet I couldn’t place it. The rumble grew and grew, louder and louder. Our camper started shaking just enough to rattle the dishes and the shades. We were sitting on the recliners in the slide when, instinctually, we both jumped up and moved to the center of the camper. My first thought was something large hit the side of the mountain we were staying near. I had no reference to this kind of rumble and shake. Then, an ear-piercing alarm came across our phones- EARTHQUAKE. The emergency message said, “Earthquake Detected! Drop, Cover and Hold On! Protect Yourself!” I know “Stop, Drop, and Roll” for if I am on fire. Coincidently, for the amount we practiced this technique, I thought I would be on fire more often in my life. In this case, I wasn’t sure what to do to truly protect myself, James and Kaia in our 5th wheel. We didn’t practice Earthquake survival in Minnesota and I wasn’t prepared for this. By the time I was finished reading the emergency message, the shaking and rumbling had stopped. My mind had not. Scenes from Superman crept in where Lois’ car was swallowed up by an earthquake created crevice. What if one opened up here? What about aftershocks? Aren’t we supposed to stand in a doorway? Is it the same for a camper? What if this was the BIG one where California fell into the ocean like many have predicted?
Nothing else happened for several minutes and I realized we were still on the call with the kids. They got to experience it with us live, seeing my look of concern and James’ look of “yeehaw, this is cool!” Hanging up after a few “holy cows” and I love you’s, my mind returned to the practical and I wondered if we would need to relevel, if the slides were damaged and if the glass of lemonade I put in the fridge an hour ago, tipped over. It didn’t. Whew. We found out the moderate 5.2 quake’s epicenter was about an hour northeast of us. The good news is, no one was hurt, our 5th wheel is fine, Kaia slept through it, and my feed is now filled with reading material about what to do if you are driving or in a 5th wheel during an earthquake. I’ll be prepared for the next one.
