Which would you rather be in: Tornado, Earthquake or Hurricane

[train]

Let me put some numbers on it, and to think of each - you would be living in the areas for it to occur at drastic levels...

Tornado - F4
Earthquake - 7.8
Hurricane - Category 5

I'd have to go with earthquake... no wind to cause further damage, etc. Yeah - some aftershocks on the way - but hopefully much better than the others.

 

[Spiderman]

I'd say Tornado... just gotta hunker down and wait it out.

Hurricane adds the water, and I'm a bit uneasy about trusting buildings not to fall in an earthquake.

 

[EricBess]

I've been in a few earthquakes, but nothing that big since I was 2. I was back east once when there was a tornado warning and we all had to the specified areas of the building, but nothing ended up happening.

I think I agree with Spidey, but if you are talking a "direct hit", I might go with earthquake instead.

 

[rokapoke]

Speaking as someone who is doing research on making buildings more earthquake-resistant, I'd rather be in a tornado. Everything around you is going to get thrown around in a 7.8 quake, whereas I think retreating to the basement for a tornado would leave me relatively safe (though likely without my possessions).

 

[DarthFerret]

Having been in 2 out of 3 (although the hurricane was only a Cat 3 when it hit us, and never been in an F4 tornado) i would go with tornado. The hurricane lasted a lot longer and wiped out such a wide swatch through our area, we were out of power for 6 days (short compared to the almost 1 month some people were out), water was undrinkable, roads closed due to felled trees. Tornado's are more centralized and concentrated, but also over quicker. No input on Earthquakes, but not sure any building around here would survive.

 

[Oversoul]

I've already been in an earthquakes before, albeit never a 7.8. Between an earthquake and a tornado, I guess it depends where I am. You see, my house is built like a bunker into (the top of) a hill. A tornado could easily take the attic, but the rest of the house would be fine, and I wouldn't be in the attic, so that's no problem. An earthquake might render the well useless, but the house itself should be fine unless the faultline is right underneath us somehow.

But if I'm not in my house, that changes things. In other buildings I wouldn't have basement to retreat into for a tornado and if I'm outside and I get caught in it, that would be bad. But if it's an earthquake and I'm outside, I'm perfectly fine. And if I'm in a building, I can make a mad dash for the exit or if that isn't feasible, try to hide under something. It might be risky, but not so much as a tornado.

Still, I'll take the hurricane. By the time it crosses the entire United States to get to me, it will probably be reduced to a gentle breeze or something.

 

[Spiderman]

I don't think that's an option. The idea is you get and are in the full-force of whatever disaster you pick. So would you rather be in a 7.8 earthquake, a F4 Tornado, or a Cat 5 Hurricane

 

[Mooseman]

F4 for sure
No flood waters and the ground isn't opening up under you

 

[Oversoul]

I don't think that's an option. The idea is you get and are in the full-force of whatever disaster you pick. So would you rather be in a 7.8 earthquake, a F4 Tornado, or a Cat 5 Hurricane

But I live in Washington. By the time a category 5 hurricane gets here, it will be negligible. Not my fault there's a whole continent between me and the Atlantic Ocean.

 

[Spiderman]

Dude, I live in Maryland. The likelihood ANY of those happening here is remote.

The point of the question is to see which one you'd "prefer" to be in, regardless of locale or the likelihood of it actually happening in reality.

Suspend belief and reality for the moment and just pick one. Or if you *really* need to have justification, pretend you're visiting or traveling to an area where the chances of each of those events occurring are the greatest.

 

[train]

I was an architecture student and knew a bit about tornadoes from being in TX (for sure) but we just had a tornado near Fresno, CA... Of course - been around or had family in the hurricanes...

Of all:
I picked the earthquake because of the raw damage the tornado and hurricane can cause when things start "Flying"... but also - the flooding/surge of a hurricane can be more overwhelming than the physical damage of an earthquake or Tornado. Almost all heavy equipment and aid vehicles are useless in flood ravaged lands, until the water recedes.

So being around tornadoes and earthquakes - I'm sure more comfortable with them, and then just between the two, would have to take the quake - it doesn't last as long as most tornadoes... and the tornado is definitely the unpredictable one when it comes to movement over an area...

 

[Oversoul]

Dude, I live in Maryland. The likelihood ANY of those happening here is remote.

The point of the question is to see which one you'd "prefer" to be in, regardless of locale or the likelihood of it actually happening in reality.

Well, I get that, but my point is different from that. I don't live in a tornado-prone area but it is, in principle, possible for a tornado to be generated in my area. And earthquakes aren't usually a problem here either, but it could happen. A hurricane, by definition, starts in certain waters (mostly the tropical region of the Atlantic). It's a really odd convention, but that's the way it is.

Of course, I can imagine some circumstance in which I'm over on the wrong coast for some reason. Or even a sort of regional worst-case for each. Somewhere in Tornado Alley (maybe Kansas) for tornadoes. Some particularly active place along the ring of fire for earthquakes. Somewhere in the southeast for hurricanes (Florida?).

In that case...

I'd take the earthquake. The hurricane is right out. I'd probably be confused and wouldn't know which way to go to get away from it. No thanks. The tornado would be tempting just for the experience, but I'm assuming that this scenario involves a tornado that is coming down very near me, and not one that I can safely observe. I don't know how common storm cellars are in tornado-heavy regions, but I'd rather not count on finding one. In contrast, an earthquake should be pretty safe as long as I can be anywhere that has open sky above me, which should be easy enough.