Are You Ready for Armageddon?
By matersfish
@matersfish (6306)
United States
August 24, 2011 5:31am CST
No, this isn't religious at all. But since I've been thinking hard about the proverbial doomsday scenario since yesterday, I definitely think it concerns people.
How would you handle a doomsday scenario and are you prepared for one?
As I was trying to grab a quick nap yesterday, I heard this loud rumbling that sounded like the wind blowing. Because there's a hurricane creeping up the east coast, and I live in Virginia, I assumed we were just getting some winds and whatnot.
But then I heard my air conditioner begin to jar around. As I opened my eyes and looked up, I noticed that the walls were buckling (no way to accurately describe this unless you've seen it), and that my dresser mirror was shaking like mad.
The rumbling grew louder and I couldn't discern what was going on. So after I realized that this wasn't the wind, my next thought was that a meteor had just hit nearby.
I immediately went into survival mode. Although I wasn't physically moving much, my mind was going over a million different things. I was thinking about grabbing my survival kit, which includes a flashlight, some medicine, some food, etc. I was thinking about grabbing up my bottled water and getting low on the ground. I was wondering about finding my radio, a gun, some cold-weather clothes.
But most of all, I was thinking, "HOLY CRAP! I really don't want this to be happening!"
I've long been a fan of end-of-the-earth, doomsday-scenario movies and literature, and since I do know full well that it can happen at any time, I try to be a little prepared. But in all honesty, I was a literal train wreck of emotion for the minute or so the earth was shaking.
Although the earthquake that happened in Mineral, Virginia (about an hour away from me) was short-lived, the panic felt like an eternity.
I've never experienced an earthquake before. It never crossed my mind until it was over that it could have been one. I thought the meteor came and that we were three months away from Mad Max!
I'm logistically prepared for disaster somewhat, but I admit that I was not mentally prepared!
Luckily, it was over quickly, no one was really hurt, and now it's just kinda "cool" that I've experienced my first earthquake. However, I'm reminded that should this doomsday scenario ever happen, it's going to be really tough to get through it.
What about you? Are you prepared for something big?
1 person likes this
9 responses
@estherlou (5015)
• United States
25 Aug 11
No...I'd be unprepared. I'm a born and bred city girl...good isn't hunted or fished...it comes from the supermarket. I have had a garden before, and canned, so that's something I could do. I'm used to cooking with my microwave and stove, so over a campfire would not be cool. I like my running water, and I like my electricity. I'd hate to "rough it". And, I'm also partly handicapped. I'd be the one someone had to help out of a fallen building or whatever, and I don't think wheelchairs do well in rubble etc. Wouldn't want to experience a tornado, hurricane, fire, or any other major catastrophe. I can't imagine camping out in a stadium without usable water and toilets like in New Orleans. As for Armageddon, I wouldn't want to go there either. What a bad mind picture you painted.
@estherlou (5015)
• United States
25 Aug 11
Sorry...look at my stupid typo...FOOD comes from a supermarket. Yikes!
@estherlou (5015)
• United States
28 Aug 11
I can't imagine what your family is going to have to cope with. I hope everything turns out alright for them!
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
26 Aug 11
Camping out in a stadium would certainly suck to no end. But while my heart really did bleed for victims of Hurricane Katrina a few years ago, there was still a part of me that realized a lot of those people could have fled beforehand yet chose to stay.
Some people cannot flee. And I understand that. However, everyone can do a little something to be a bit more prepared. Stockpiling some water, some food, some survival gear (just flash lights and a first aid kit), etc, is essential I think, especially if you live in an area prone to be hit by hurricanes and earthquakes and tornadoes.
Something like a fire, earthquake and even a tornado happens a little too unexpectedly to get away from. But you can literally see a hurricane coming from a mile away.
I'm not trying to bash the victims here, but a lot of people did just sit on their hands and assume it was someone else's responsibility to help them.
As people, I believe we cannot have that attitude. If I saw you and knew you needed help, I would do my best. But if I saw able-bodied people crying and whining and begging for help, I can't promise I'd stop. I may just shrug my shoulders and say oh well.
I don't believe in an every-man-for-himself mentality per se. But I will steal a line from Dennis Miller: I'll help the helpless, but I don't give a damn about the clueless.
But at the end of the day, my biggest hope is that we can always avoid disaster!
I have family on the coast of Virginia, and they're already getting away and out of Irene's path. They don't really have the means to travel, but scraping to escape is better than the potential alternative.
Thanks for the response!
@mantis36 (4219)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
Armageddon?
6 months before that meteor collide to us, science will discover it and will give a warning to the public although plenty will no believe it, but at least, it will be aired freely to the public....
so, 6 months of preparation is enough for us to repent our sins we committed to everyday living....
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
24 Aug 11
Hopefully, scientists would discover a meteor on a path with Earth far more than six months in advance. They can look out past our solar system and see something and calculate its trajectory and time and place of impact within a few degrees and minus a few variables.
However, I highly doubt that the general public would be told about this.
Any meteor the size of a small town or larger, there is a great chance that it would annihilate civilization as we know it. The initial impact would incinerate anyone without its viewing vicinity. Upon impact, the blast and shock wave and fallout of the meteor would decimate nearby towns and cities. If it hit in the ocean, which would still be hitting land technically, it would create massive tsunamis and wipe out miles and miles of coast around the globe.
Then the debris from the impact would get thrown into our atmosphere, superheat, and fall back down to the Earth in a literally firestorm. The clouding of the atmosphere and massive heat generated would cause the planet's surface to heat up tremendously, maybe to the point that all materials able to combust would combust. At the least, the immediate air would rise by hundreds of degrees across the entire planet.
If they told the public of a meteor strike in advance, everyone in the public would know this information. This would create a type of panic the world has never seen. Religious groups and rioters and criminals would wreak havoc on the planet long before the meteor came.
I don't think for a second they'd let anyone know. And if the information was leaked, it would be treated like sightings of that little guy in your avatar instead of anything legitimate.
Those in a position to know about it in advance are in the best position to survive it. They can horde the spots and resources and take themselves out of harm's way. There's no way they'd allow for a free-for-all environment.
I'm afraid we're on our own when it comes to a meteor strike.
Thanks for the response!
@mantis36 (4219)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
I think, there are already 4 times as an evidences that Armageddon already happens on planet earth,
but in a different day and date happened.
so, it is not impossible that it will happened again here on earth but please, not now, i'm still young....
it happened also to Jupiter i think, its Shoe Maker Levey 9 comet that bombardment on planet Jupiter way back when i was in high school....
@GardenGerty (160708)
• United States
24 Aug 11
I have some things on hand that can be eaten cold, I have some water, some pet food. I have flash lights, cutting tools,etc. Propane lighters. We do not take any meds, but I have the usual first aid stuff. Oil lamps, and candles, etc. I am a creative and flexible person who has had to do without in the past, so I think I would do as well as anyone in a pinch.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
24 Aug 11
Yeah, a lot of us are prepared for events. But I think the true test for us all comes in having to lose everything comfortable indefinitely.
A bad storm could wipe out the power for a week or take a home. Eventually, though, things will probably return to normal. But in a doomsday scenario, we'd all have to make it longer than batteries would last. And I don't think I'm prepared that far ahead.
I'd like to think I'd do well, but a little earthquake was able to shake me. 
So here's hoping that the worst doesn't happen!
Thanks for the response!
So here's hoping that the worst doesn't happen!
Thanks for the response!1 person likes this
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
26 Aug 11
I thought the same thing too. But when my house started shaking, I was like a deer in the headlights and was really hoping it would just stop! 
If it was the worst-case scenario and I had to flee, I could have probably eventually pulled myself together. But I wasn't ready on that day.
Thanks for the response!
If it was the worst-case scenario and I had to flee, I could have probably eventually pulled myself together. But I wasn't ready on that day.
Thanks for the response!
@way2vision (613)
• Canada
24 Aug 11
I am glad you are well prepared. But personally, I don't think it's going to happen for a while. With all these conspiracies about Armageddon,I think human are going to panic and start it ha ha (some dude panic's in a military base and launches something).
If Armageddon is going to happen, the idea is everyone should die, so I will happily accept it, if it occurs. If everyone should die, there was probably no chance of me surviving.
You know, people argue that "global warming" is a naturally occurring thing and people argue on the other side, that it is the reason why nature is f'ed up. But I am a liberal who say, yes, global warming is naturally occurring, however, we humans are making it faster, as instead of the earth naturally releasing carbon, we are also naturally releasing it.
What ever happens, happens, in my case, if it was my time to die, there is no chance I could have stopped it. If I did stopped it, it means it wasn't that time yet. Kind of a philosophical way of thinking on my part.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
26 Aug 11
Well, there are certainly some end-of-the-world scenarios I do not put much stock in.
Nuclear war, for instance, is one I think we can avoid and will avoid at all costs. So I don't think we'll be shivering in the ash of nuclear winter any time soon.
I also do not put stock in the messiah's return (whichever messiah one believes in, as I believe in none). So the true version of "Armageddon" is not something that concerns me.
As far as global warming goes, the top "scientists" of the day back in the 1970s predicted that we'd be experiencing an ice age by now. And according to Al Gore's charts, we should be breaking out our snorkels already. Maybe mankind is causing global warming to happen more rapidly, but none of the changes our planet is experiencing can be definitively linked to man-caused warming.
And I get you on the philosophical point, but if there's any way I can avoid biting the bullet, I'd like to try.
Meteor impact is probably the one doomsday scenario that concerns me, and that's because it can realistically happen at any time and will inevitably happen. Our moon is a record of how violent the solar system can be, and our planet is absolutely riddled with massive impact craters.
So if I can get away from that, I'd be sure to try.
Thanks for the response!
@rohit999999999 (96)
• India
24 Aug 11
Well ,
It is hard to think how to prepare for end of all things. I must say preparations must be made to save soul.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
24 Aug 11
Having my soul saved would be nice. But for the immediate future, I'm just trying to save my @$$.
Thanks for the response!
Thanks for the response!
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
24 Aug 11
That must have been really scary. I never felt any sign of the earthquake at all, thank heavens. Like you I am also a fans of these doomsday movies but I never want be involved in anything similar. Right now I am just thrilled that Savannah is not on the path of Hurricane Irene. I did stock up in batteries and water but I needed to replenish my supplies. I just dread the thought of having to evacuate with my 3 dogs and one kitten.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
24 Aug 11
I know it probably seems like a silly thing to some people who have lived through big earthquakes and other disasters. But never having experienced an earthquake, I was definitely rattled when the entire house started to shake. It's definitely something I've never experienced.
My brother has his own little survival kit. He gets rechargeable batteries and has rigged up a little electric generator with a bike pedal hand crank. In a pinch and with about two hours of elbow grease, he can get 'em charged up and ready to go.
It's a scary thing for some people to think about, but I definitely believe we should all be a little prepared for big events, regardless of where we live.
Pets are certainly an issue. What to do with my dog crossed my mind.
If it ever really did happen and a meteor hit or they send the nukes to DC and we inevitably retaliated to start the big one, I'd really have a huge decision on my hands - bring him along with me or let him rough it on his own.
I'd probably go with the former, most definitely, but it would weigh on my mind whether or not I could take care of a pet.
One advantage with my dog, though, is that he weighs over 80 pounds and has a bite that can crush brick (literally; he bit into a cinder block one time when he was a pup. Don't ask me why ) So he might be an advantage.
Thanks for the response!
) So he might be an advantage.
Thanks for the response!
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
24 Aug 11
I think that while it's critical to be provisioned and prepared for such a scenario, it's just as important to be emotionally prepared. Have you done drills where you grab all your stuff and implement your plan, even jumping into the car or taking off through the woods? If not, do so. You will be more mentally and emotionally prepared that way. Do it at least every 90 days.
I do this and include my dogs in the drills. We are all three now trained and ready as we'll ever be and that came in handy last year when a tornado came close. When my kids were young they also went through the drills and as adults they handle emergencies calmly and efficiently.
Practice makes perfect and also makes it a lot less traumatic!
I haven't been through an earthquake but I would imagine it would shake me to my core. There can't be much scarier than the entire world moving! 
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
24 Aug 11
I've never really acted out the drills. I have a few steps that I cling to; things I've learned to do during a nuclear event and whatnot (and they don't involve hiding under the desk like they taught those poor kids all those decades ago ).
Even though my mind was frantic and I was certainly confused about what was happening, I still had the presence of mind to go over those steps. I was on my way to collect everything I needed to get out of Dodge. Luckily, it was all over by the time I had to seriously entertain packing up the car and finding my family.
Practice certainly does make perfect in probably any situation. And it's time I got a little more mentally prepared to react quicker and cleaner.
Thanks for the response!
).
Even though my mind was frantic and I was certainly confused about what was happening, I still had the presence of mind to go over those steps. I was on my way to collect everything I needed to get out of Dodge. Luckily, it was all over by the time I had to seriously entertain packing up the car and finding my family.
Practice certainly does make perfect in probably any situation. And it's time I got a little more mentally prepared to react quicker and cleaner.
Thanks for the response!
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
24 Aug 11
I'm great in an emergency. I've proven to myself that I can handle emergencies over and over. It's what happens once the dust settles that I question. That's when I fall apart. 
I was kinda like you yesterday in that I had no idea what had happened until I heard more about it. I'm in Winchester, not far from you. I was also taking a nap when I was awakened by what I thought was my dog under the bed frantically scratching herself and bumping the bed as she did so. (The rumbling I thought was just a large truck going up our road.) It wasn't until the text messages and I read one particular discussion here yesterday that I understood what it really was that I was feeling.
As for armageddon, I kinda hope I don't make it through anything that may come my way. If I heard that missiles were heading toward the U.S., as in World War III, I don't think I'd want to live through it. I'd head toward D.C. where I'm sure missiles would be aimed.
But, if it were just a minor thing, something short of the end of the world, I think I'd do okay. I've always been a survivor. I know a lot about nature and what is okay to eat for survival. I know how to build a shelter, although I'd probably need someone else to do it for me as I'm not very strong these days. I know how to distill water. Heck, my first apartment was filled with furniture that I built!
Yeah, I think I'd do okay and probably try to organized a communal-type living arrangement to benefit a larger number of people.
I was kinda like you yesterday in that I had no idea what had happened until I heard more about it. I'm in Winchester, not far from you. I was also taking a nap when I was awakened by what I thought was my dog under the bed frantically scratching herself and bumping the bed as she did so. (The rumbling I thought was just a large truck going up our road.) It wasn't until the text messages and I read one particular discussion here yesterday that I understood what it really was that I was feeling.
As for armageddon, I kinda hope I don't make it through anything that may come my way. If I heard that missiles were heading toward the U.S., as in World War III, I don't think I'd want to live through it. I'd head toward D.C. where I'm sure missiles would be aimed.
But, if it were just a minor thing, something short of the end of the world, I think I'd do okay. I've always been a survivor. I know a lot about nature and what is okay to eat for survival. I know how to build a shelter, although I'd probably need someone else to do it for me as I'm not very strong these days. I know how to distill water. Heck, my first apartment was filled with furniture that I built!
Yeah, I think I'd do okay and probably try to organized a communal-type living arrangement to benefit a larger number of people.@matersfish (6306)
• United States
24 Aug 11
I'm surprised it didn't hit Winchester any harder than it did. I mean, people in Toronto felt the effects of the quake. And on the news, all I've heard about all day is how those poor, posh New Yorkers were devastated by the shaking.
It didn't exactly wreak havoc here in Front Royal, but it busted up the water mains at an apartment complex, knocked a bunch of stuff down in some people's homes I know, and generally scared the piss out of just about everyone with some sanity left.
I'm totally hoping that an end-of-the-world scenario doesn't play out in my lifetime. But seeing as it can come from a meteor/comet, virus, nuclear war, earthquake, supervolcano eruption, and a dozen other threats out of our hands, I do try the best I can to prepare myself.
And while you're hustling to DC, I'll be heading due opposite and getting out of the way.
I'll be sure to honk at you if we pass on 340.
Thanks for the response!
It didn't exactly wreak havoc here in Front Royal, but it busted up the water mains at an apartment complex, knocked a bunch of stuff down in some people's homes I know, and generally scared the piss out of just about everyone with some sanity left.
I'm totally hoping that an end-of-the-world scenario doesn't play out in my lifetime. But seeing as it can come from a meteor/comet, virus, nuclear war, earthquake, supervolcano eruption, and a dozen other threats out of our hands, I do try the best I can to prepare myself.
And while you're hustling to DC, I'll be heading due opposite and getting out of the way.
I'll be sure to honk at you if we pass on 340.
Thanks for the response!