Earthquakes, Hurricanes, and Tornados

We've been in a lot of natural disasters.

When we lived in Florida we had  to evacuate for several hurricanes. Our house was two blocks away from the Atlantic Ocean. It was great, but when the hurricane warning went out we packed up all our pictures, valuables, and unreplacables into big boxes, stuck them in the back of our minivan and left. Usually we just had to go further inland, and being a six year old, I loved evacuating. Once I was in the Jeep with my dad and my mom and brother were in the van. My dad had stolen all the Tootsie Rolls so in the middle of a highway, going 60 mph we threw Tootsie Rolls from one car to the next. See? Fun. 

We always went to different peoples houses, it rained, the waves got really big on TV. I knew what was happening to my home, but I knew everything would be fine in the next week, and it always was, the house usually lost most it's shingles. Our backyard, fences, and trees were destroyed but we could fix that. We always had each other.

Then in Virginia a tornado warning came. I was nine. It was 3:00 and I was getting ready to get on the bus and go home. The principal spoke through the intercom and we all filed into the hall for the tornado. All of us fourth graders curled up in balls with our hands over our hands and waited. 

And waited. 

And waited. 

Finally, they decided it was safe enough to let us out. Kids were crying everywhere, breaking down, scared that they were going to die. Not me, I'm tough like that. I'd been in worst situations, we'd live. But when I finally got home and my mom wasn't there, I got scared. Very scared. I took the keys out of my backpack and tried to unlock the door, it was pouring outside and very, very windy, I could barely see because my hair was blowing everywhere. Then, car headlights shone through the rain. My mom had come home, turns out she had been waiting at the bus stop and I had run right past her.

Then the earthquake in Japan. I've never been in an earthquake. I'm scared of them. I'm not scared of hurricanes or tornadoes, to me they're not that big of a deal. But I do not, want to be in an  earthquake. So to all those in Japan, who can't contact their family members, don't have a home anymore, I'm sorry, and I'm thinking about you. I've always had my family through these things. Some of you don't anymore. Stay strong, tomorrow will be better. Hopefully.