Topic: Earthquake, I was there !!

[GiovaneDinamitardo]

last week I was in Avezzano, not so far from L'Aquila, to attempt to a formation meeting.

The anchorman was talking about the backup system of his software house when someone aksed: "do you have a server farm, to backup it in case of disaster ?"

He answered: "well, not yet but this is a good idea. By the way, why this question"?

The man: "Who knows...... IT COULD HAPPEN AN EARTHQUAKE" !!!

24 HOURS AWAY IT HAPPENED !!!!

"Wow", I thought, "just one more day and I could be under a lots of tons of stones" !!!

I'm still giving thanks to the Holy Mother  _/-\o_  _/-\o_  _/-\o_

[veehive]

Good to hear from you, and glad you're okay.

vh

[janus]

how serious was this earthquake, 6.0?

[FallinG_StaR]

6.3... and with aftershock around 4.8 one hour later... and several other small ones during the rest of the day...


Good to see you're ok Giovane... hope that the other Italian forum users are ok too...

[sidzero]

Was this your first earthquake? They're kinda fun if you don't get all scared when they hit.

[FallinG_StaR]

I don't see what's fun about +200 dead people and more than 50000 people that are homeless because of your idea of fun...

[UruseiNeo]

I think sid was talking about other people aside.

[FallinG_StaR]

And I'm saying that there's nothing fun about a natural disaster that can kill people... you included...

[cata]

Sid, it would have been better if you could've shut your mouth and kept your hands from typing this time.

I'm also glad that you're ok Uncle Gio. My heart goes to those who have lost their homes and their loved ones.

[sidzero]

Please. People die every day. What does it matter if it's from an earthquake that comes unexpectedly or a drunk driver. If you're going to feel sorry for them, you should feel sorry for EVERY person that dies in this world. I don't see anyone making a big deal about the random deaths that don't make the nightly news. Putting aside my own beliefs that death is not something to mourn, I think it's completely moronic to cry over one (or 200+) death and not over any other.

On another note, if you look past the people who were killed and the people who were inconvenienced (being made homeless is an inconvenience, they're still alive, and with all the attention they're getting they'll be taken care of), it was only an average earthquake. 6.4 is nothing. A 4.8 aftershock is nothing. Just last year we had one here in Illinois that was about the same strength. And guess what? Not one person died in that earthquake. And then there was living in San Francisco. You get used to earthquakes when they happen that much. The truth is, the earthquake didn't kill ANYONE, it was the fact that people weren't prepared for an earthquake that killed them.

And yes, I do think earthquakes are fun. Watching everything shake around, feeling the earth itself vibrating beneath you, and that little ping of adrenaline that the human body will naturally produce when it senses danger, they're all fun to me. You don't like my sense of fun? That's not my problem.

[UruseiNeo]

Sid, I think the reason people are mad is because the way you say earthquakes are fun makes it sound like you might be wishing for another to occur soon which I think you can understand the problem with that.

[sidzero]

Sure, I don't mind when they happen. If people take simple precautions and follow some common sense procedures when an earthquake strikes, they're really no danger at all. Now, I'm not going to come out and say people who die in earthquakes are stupid for not being prepared, but it's like anything else the world can throw at you, if you're smart, you'll be okay.

[GiovaneDinamitardo]

Was this your first earthquake? They're kinda fun if you don't get all scared when they hit.

Well, this was not my first one !!

Most of all I remember this earthquakes:

- 1977, distruction of Gemona (Friuli, North East Italy): 11° Mercalli (about 8,1° Richter): thousands of deads;
- 1980, distruction of the whole region of Irpinia (near Avellino, South Italy): 9° Mercalli (about 6,9° Richter); over 28.000 deads;
- 1997, distruction of Colfiorito (Umbria, Center of Italy), 8°-9° Mercalli (between 6,5°-6,9° Richter).

I'm not able to use the Richter's system (based on the "magnitudo") to understeand the violence of an earthquake because I think is only few years that Italy use this standard: at school, in my childhood, teachers explained to me to refere to the Mercalli's system (based on the damages caused).

In any case, the worst documented disaster of the modern history of Italy still remain the Messina's Tsunami (Sicily): happened in 1909, 12° Mercalli (the top of this system, more than 8,1 Richter); over 300.000 deads !!!

[janus]

let's not worry about sidzero taking this kind of matters so lightly, this will just cause some unnecessary trolling.
Sorry mods for stepping in a bit into your territory, but in this kind of topics there we have to be discreet so we don't offend other members (or readers), who might direct or indirectly affected by this.

[cata]

Janus:
I'm glad to see that you're back. Anyways, I can't ignore what Sid said.

Everyone:
Let's talk about the facts that I HEARD on TV. The earthquake was in a small village so the houses and all those infrastructures were old and not prepared to face an earthquake. Also, the italian Civil Protection or whatever it's called, said in the previous day of the earthquake that everything was okay, no need to panic and that people could relax.

How do you expect people to be prepared when an organization that's supposed to be trustworthy and professional tells you that there's no need? If they said that there was an earthquake threat, many people would have survived: not only because they had those backpacks prepared and hide below tables and all that but also because many people would leave the village.

In my opinion, the Civil Protection didn't say a word because of the same reason when it was that Tsunami after an earthquake in the Ocean and I can't remember where or when it was but it was a few years ago: the Government doesn't warn people due to money. If people leave, they get no profit. If people stay they receive money from commerce, etc.

And then disasters happen.

Sid:
If a person let's call it "A" is drunk and goes driving and dies, it's his fault. If someone is in the car with "A" and they both die, it's their fault. If "A" is alone, drunk and hits someone with a car, and that person dies, it's his fault and then we can get disgusted by "A"'s action and be sad for the loss.
If someone (let's call it "B") kills many innocent people or people that don't desearve to die, like a few years in jail would be enough,  then I don't mind that "B" get's killed.
Many people die everyday. It's true but some death are inevitable and some aren't. The losses in Italy could have been avoided, and no I'm not agreeing with you. I guess if you were there, you would be laughing your ass off while other people are getting killed. You were laughing at them and at the earthquake. I almost wish that your mom was there and almost died in the earthquake. And then there she was in the hospital, full of bandages around her and blood on her body and bruises. Then you looked at her, laughed at her called her stupid.

It's better if I shut my mouth right now before saying what I don't want to.

Sorry guys, I had to get this weight off of my shoulders.