Quote:
Originally Posted by 2014 Warthog
If you were to plot all the areas on the earth that didn't have any sort of at least occasional natural disaster, you'd have a very small plot of land to build on. Possibly zero!
While there are a few places that are /extremely/ likely to have a natural disaster on any particular acre of land. Most of the time the disasters are quite pin point, random, and on any acre of and, very very rare. Even living is a "disaster area" doesn't mean that your chance of personal being affected by one is more than 10,000:1. And for those others, that's why insurance exists.
I've lived in Ca my entire life (52 years) and though I have felt plenty of earthquakes, and live quite close to several faults, I have yet to have even a book fall off a shelf at my house. Same goes for everyone I personally know. In fact if you were to look at the number of people actually seriously affected by one (or for tornados whatever) compared to the population of the area as a whole you would see that it is ridiculously small % wise.
Life is a series of chances. You are more likely to die on the highway anywhere in the country (like hundreds of times) than to die in a flood or earthquake even if you live in a "prone" area.
Better sell those 4runners!!!
[Edit] In fact using this recent earthquake as an example is particularly weak as this fault has been dormant for over a million years. It seriously is like saying the entire United States should be evacuated because Yellowstone is overdue for a super eruption :P [/edit]
|
I totally disagree with your premise and example. This thread is about human nature, not the odds of dying. My point is this:
If you live near a fault line, don't b!tch if you are in an earthquake. If you live in Florida or even worse New Orleans, don't b!tch about a hurricane wiping you out. If you come out of it unscathed don't pretend that "you must be living right" or anything else. YOU chose to live there. YOU chose the increased risk. It's like people who live in higher risk areas are "surprised" when something like this happens! Why be surprised? Now, if someone living in Death Valley dies in a flood, then yes, we have the right to be surprised. Any person who gets hit by an asteroid has a right to go "WTF?"
You can mitigate the odds of dying is a car crash by driving slower, having a safer car or driving defensively. You can mitigate the odds of heart disease and cancer by not smoking or being a fat ba$tard. My point is you could mitigate the odds of dying (or at least not having your house blown away) by moving off the Outer Banks in NC.
To me, anyone who lives in a higher risk natural disaster area and is incredulous when something happens has the same credibility as the fat slob who smoke 3 packs a day, dying when he is 38 years old, showing up at the Pearly Gates thinking "Huh, I wonder why I'm here?"
That's the human nature I am talking about! Why, when people choose to live in higher risk locations, are surprised and dumbstruck when the proverbial brown stuff impacts the spinning machinery suspended from the ceiling?
Yes, we live in a free society and we can all make choices to determine our fate. I just wonder why those who tempt it make a big deal about it when it happens.
