Living through disasters

I was thinking about the folks in Toronto who lost their hydro and other utilities this week.

So what have I lived through?

The big ice storm of 1998.

The major power outage that hit Ontario and places in the U.S. This was in the nice weather and I sat out in the evening with my neighbours and chatted. Betty who was a fan of taping tv programs said she would have to go in to put on her tape of her favourite program. Hum...

A major power outage that hit downtown Ottawa. Something got wet and the local Hydro station went down. It was a while getting it all restarted.

There was a Christmas ice storm in Ottawa - very pretty to look at but not so nice to be out and about in. Of course it was hard on the trees.

A flash flood in the east end of the city. Fortunately this was before I finished my basement because I lost most of my indoor/outdoor carpets. The neighbours helped me to move them out and they even took them to the dump for me.

*****

My mom lived through the ice storm.

There was a fire at a local plastics factory. She had a knock on her door and there was a police person asking her to leave. It was her bridge night so she asked her hostess whether she could come and bit early and bring her toothbrush and stay overnight.

Kathi and I both saw a news clip about the fire on the national news.

*****

Of course, both Ottawa and Vancouver are in earthquake zones. There were some that were easily felt in the Ottawa and Lachute area. It depends where you were and what you were doing when it hit whether you felt it or not. Then you could compare information with your friends and the local media.