- Record high temperatures.
- 1000 year flood.
- Hurricane Matthew, and
- fires in the Appalachian Mountains so large that the smoke came all the way to Charleston, South Carolina.
This leads me to ask, "What next?"
I fear an earthquake.
We've already had wind, water, and fire. Earth would be next, I think.
Many people don't know that there is a major earthquake fault line on the East coast. Most people only think of the "San Andreas Fault" on the West coast if they hear "earthquake fault," but the "Woodstock Fault" is located on the East Coast.
On August 31, 1886, the most destructive earthquake ever to hit the east coast, hit Charleston, South Carolina. The ground rose and fell causing major property damage and claiming 110 lives. Some say the quake and its aftershocks were felt as far away as Boston and Chicago. Geologists estimate that the earthquake would have been around 7.7 on the Richter Scale.
The earthquake caused about $5,500,000.00 worth of damage in 1886.
$5,500,000.00 in 1886 → $133,699,250.72 in 2016
Pretty much every building in the city was damaged. Over 14,000 chimneys fell. Whole buildings fell. So many windows were broken. Masonry destroyed. Foundations ruined.
They used "earthquake bolts" to pull the structures back upright and support them after that earthquake. Any building you see in Charleston, SC with real earthquake bolts dates back prior to the 1886 earthquake. I say "real" because some modern buildings have "fake" earthquake bolts installed to better blend in with the cityscape.
Now, the old sayin' goes, Charleston, SC only gets a big earthquake like that once every 100 years.
Hmm...1886? 2016? Seems we are 30 years overdue. Not good.
Let's hope the elements have finished with us for awhile and there will be no earthquake, no more floods, no more hurricanes, and no more fires. Let's hope the next few years bring us brighter, happier and more prosperous days!
Still...I wonder....
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