A student checks the radar on a MacBook after school to see what the weather is like outside. Photo by: Kathryn Sommers
By Kathryn Sommers
Some people wish they had experienced some type of natural disaster like a fire, tornado, earthquake, flood or hurricane just to see what it feels like. At PHS some students have felt what it is like to experience some of these events.
Fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and tornadoes are just some of the natural disasters this world throws at humans year-round all over the world. Some of students just happened to be in the right place at the right time to experience one of these events. Sophomore Mason Reed said, “I have been around a tornado before, multiple times.” Freshmen Anna Piazza has been in a flood once. A unique event that usually can not be experienced in Indiana is an earthquakes and one student that has been in one is junior Joe Knapp.
Since these events usually do not occur around Plymouth, students would have experienced some of these events on a vacation or in a different state or countries. Senior Zach Mahan said, “The flooding occurred in late January or February of 2008 at my house.” Joe Knapp was in California on vacation and when there was a earthquake. One of these events occurred here in Plymouth by the schools. Sophomore Shelby Pratt said, “The tornado was over by Riverside, and my mother and brothers were on our their way home.”
When things happen suddenly or spontaneously, people get mixed emotions and start doing, saying, thinking or feeling odd things. Junior Chelsey Thomas has been in three tornadoes before, “during these times, I was frantic. All I could think to do was get to a safe place and close my eyes until I no longer heard any noise.” Some were not accepting it so they were really shocked. Knapp said, “I didn’t know what was going on, I was shocked.”
Tornado safety guildelines are kept in all classrooms in case Plymouth should encounter a tornado. Photo by: Kathryn Sommers
Everyone reacts to different situations in all different ways. It is what makes people all unique. Piazza’s family was sort of nervous. Piazza stated, “I mean, who would want all their stuff to get wet? It wasn’t a horrible flood, but it was definitely unexpected.” Thomas said, “We, of course, were all scared. All we could do was think to just all get to a safe place and make sure everyone was safe.” Mahan’s family was appalled because this kind of thing never happened to them before. In some families, they know what to do so they are calm and careful what they do. Pratt said, “My older brother sort of took charge, he was always that type of person that knows how to react to things and stays calm.”
These experiences sometimes happen so fast that it can be hard to remember what all happened, like a dream when one wakes up. All the memories start to come back slowly. Knapp could see and hear things shaking. Reed said, “Well, it was dark and you could hear the tornado ripping the ground apart and the wind shaking violently.”
When bad things happened to usually people they learn from their mistakes or from that event and do things differently if one should have to go through it again. Thomas learned to look for signs of a tornado. Reed said, “ I learned when there is a tornado… record it!” Knapp learned to be ready for an earthquake if he ever goes to California again.
Natural disasters occur year-round, often when no one is not ready for it. People need to be on their toes and have plans with their family for when one of these disasters happen. People may think nothing will happen around where they live, but this world has a mind of its own.