Tsunami, could it happen here?

[Scunner]

One positive for Calis/Fethiye, if there is such a thing, is it's proximity to high ground. Assuming there is some sort of warning, getting high isn't a massive distance away.

[Baznshir]

Sorry Kieth, but if you haven't got transport, getting high is quite a fair distance away from Calis and so one would need quite a bit of warning. One interesting fact to note with the devastation in Japan is, most of the buildings there are almost wholly constructed from wood and so getting upstairs, in Calis, might , should the need ever arise, be a very good idea. Anyway, it doesn't bear thinking about and it won't be high on my list of worries when I next visit.

[tiddly winks]

Considering the age gap between myself and a lot of you guys here, even only I had heard of tidal waves when I was younger though I had some DK science encyclopedias which I remember mentioning the possibilities of a 'tsunami'. Having not known of one until 2004 I thought it was just a science prediction of something that could happen.

Same as Baznshir though, I won't be worried when returning this summer  

[Scunner]

The proximity of mountains to the coast has nothing to do with whether you have a car. My point was simply that you are better being in Calis than Norfolk or the Maldives, in the event of a Tsunami in the local area. Incidently, from personal experience on whether to go upstairs, downstairs or outside in the event of an earthquake, I found that I, and most people I know were immediately overcome with confusion and a total inability to recall what to do - and when we finally did, it had finished anyway. So like you, I don't let it concern me too much.

[Baznshir]

The last notable earthquake that we were in was in Jan 2005 Kieth. We were in bed at the Didiman Hotel in Antalya and Shirley paniced and asked, 'what do we do now'? The answer was that we stay where we were as we were far too many floors above ground level to worry and it was over in no time at all but the beds certainly moved and we were not doing anything that we shouldn't have been doing. Like you say, confusion takes over and by the time that you have got your thoughts together, it is usually over and done with.

[Scunner]

Yes Jan 2005 was the one we remember as being a bit worrying too Barrie - that was also my first. I remember hearing things falling and smashing, but all next door, nothing in our place. The house seemed to shake from bottom to top in the style of twanging a comb or ruler - huge lateral movement, then quickly it finds it's middle and the movements seem to get quicker but shorter till it all goes quiet again. Something like a tall steel reinforced jelly rather than concrete. One of the kids got up and asked what had happened and we decided (in our shocked state) to say it was nothing. At 4 years old the reply came back "well if it was nothing, why are the lights still moving?".

The other thing I remember is how everyone's recollection of events differed. I think it went on for about 15 seconds; I heard everything from a few seconds to 15 minutes! Some people noticed the birds stopped singing, others claimed dogs started barking before it struck, several of those types of observations. My main observation remains that there is nothing I have experienced in all my life that is as scary - you can't prevent it, you can't choose to opt out of it and you can't fight it. When it comes you are just as well just standing where you are and seeing how you fare.

[Baznshir]

My sentiments entirely Kieth. What will be will be!

[Scunner]

For anyone interested, here is the topic "as it happened" from CBF, January 2005...

http://www.calis-beach.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=3845