Question of the Day, Wednesday, August 9, 2023

[misty8723]

Tornadoes. It's not super common here, but there have been outbreaks.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

I've only lived in this city two years so don't know whether it's at risk from bushfires. There were flash floods in low-lying areas last summer after some severe thunderstorms.

 

[neely]

We also have a portable solar power station in case the power goes out for an extended time.

That's very wise. I've seen the commercials for a home generator backup and have seriously considered getting one but I think they're pretty expensive.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

Tornadoes, blizzards and extreme cold. There have been very small earthquakes in Minnesota, but they are rare. I think the last one was in 2017 and it was less than a 3 on the Richter scale.

 

[Tobermory]

That's very wise. I've seen the commercials for a home generator backup and have seriously considered getting one but I think they're pretty expensive.

My brother has one that runs on propane that’s installed directly to the house. They lost power for eight hours a few weeks ago and didn’t even realize it for awhile because the generator comes on automatically! Must be nice. Mine is a portable thing that will run a few creature comforts (coffee! electric skillet!), but nothing major like the fridge.

 

[Norachan]

how close is the nearest city?

There's a small town about 30 minutes drive from here, but the closest big city is about an hour and a half away.

Just enjoyed a movie of a huge woods in the shadow of Fugi calle "sea of trees"

I've seen it! Yes, I enjoyed that movie too. The Sea of Trees is Aokigahara. It's a lovely forest, I go hiking there all the time. It's a very tranquil, beautiful place, not scary at all

 

[iPappy]

Derecho winds are becoming more and more common. Tornados are always a threat. Flooding is a huge problem around here. Snowstorms/blizzards.

 

[iPappy]

My brother has one that runs on propane that’s installed directly to the house. They lost power for eight hours a few weeks ago and didn’t even realize it for awhile because the generator comes on automatically! Must be nice. Mine is a portable thing that will run a few creature comforts (coffee! electric skillet!), but nothing major like the fridge.

We had a derecho come through in the fall of '21 that knocked the power out at work. We have a generator there, and the power stayed off. I went outside to see why it wasn't running, and the thing was chugging along trying to fire up. It sounded like a diesel truck that wouldn't turn over.
We had it serviced and so far, it kicks on every week as a test as it should, but it really shook my trust in having it kick on when absolutely needed so I stay prepared just in case.

 

[Tobermory]

it kicks on every week as a test as it should

My brother says his comes on once a week for a few minutes, too.

 

[lizzie]

Mostly I worry about the tornados.We're used to blizzards and survived the ice storms we've had so far.

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

Blizzards and hurricanes

 

[Jem]

Blizzards and heavy snow/ice are the most common/probable issue for my area. But our water table changed with new development, so flooding might now become an issue...we flooded for the first time ever this spring...this is just a local/neighborhood issue though.
We seem to have been getting more tornado warnings over the last few years, however we have not been hit by one (locally) yet...we have had a couple microbursts though...that was pretty intense. We get earthquakes sometimes...but they don't feel like anything more than if a big transport truck would drive by your house. Wildfires could be an issue as we are surrounded by bush/forests.
We're lucky overall...we aren't at risk for any of the "big" weather disasters (hurricanes, large tornados, tsunamis, etc..)

 

[susanm9006]

A few posts reminded me that ice storms are the worst. They bring down power lines and trees plus you just have to wait them out because travel is dangerous or impossible. Winter snows rarely shut us down but an ice storm certainly can.

 

[margecat]

Blizzards, hurricanes, floods ( lot of floods this Summer), heavy rain, extreme cold/heat, tornadoes. I like having options, but this is ridiculous.