Charles Francis Richter Quotes

If there were a major earthquake in Los Angeles, with bridges and highways and railroads and airports all shut down and huge buildings collapsing, I don't care how much planning you do, the first 72 hours is going to be chaotic.

The outpouring of support from millions of people in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti has been impressive.

I lived in Bandra East, on the 12th floor. There was a small earthquake; I could feel the building shaking. I was halfway down the stairs when I realised I'd forgotten my laptop, and all my scripts were on it. If I lost the laptop, I'd lose all my work. I ran back up to get it!

Strange and mysterious things, though, aren't they - earthquakes? We take it for granted that the earth beneath our feet is solid and stationary. We even talk about people being 'down to earth' or having their feet firmly planted on the ground. But suddenly one day we see that it isn't true. The earth, the boulders, that are supposed to be solid, all of a sudden turn as mushy as liquid - From the short story "Thailand

The current situation of the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear plants is in a way the most severe crisis in the 65 years since World War II.

I used to love to call L.A. when I lived in New York... Is that the Big One I hear in the background? Bye, you lizard scum! Bye!

Sometimes the Earth trembles; sometimes you can feel it breathe.

An earthquake achieves what the law promises but does not in practice maintain - the equality of all men.

But did thee feel the earth move?

My mother-in-law had to stop skipping for exercise. It registered seven on the Richter scale.

An earthquake is such fun when it is over.

We learn geology the morning after the earthquake.

They seem to be getting it together. How much damage will the picture of people spending four or five days on rooftops do That depends on how well it goes from here on out.

All those years on the psychiatrist's couch and suddenly the couch is moving. Good God, she is on that couch when the big one hits. Maidy didn't tell you, but you know what her doctor said? She sprang from the couch and said, "My God, was that an earthquake?" The doctor said this: "Did it feel like an earthquake to you?

Hurricane [Katrina] hit the Gulf Coast and destroyed much of the Gulf Coast - that was an act of God ... Now what happened to New Orleans, that was a complete failure of the federal government. Complete negligence by the feds.

During the time I was in office we have seen the beginning of the elimination of the fire season completely and are having fires all year round. I think we have seen the major problem of the destruction of land and property and lives that is a major problem because we don't have the resources for that many fires and we don't have the resources and the manpower to fight those fires throughout the year.

What changed in the United States with Hurricane Katrina was a feeling that we have entered a period of consequences.

••If you work with a jackhammer during an earthquake, stop, otherwise you are working for nothing.

Do we pour $40 billion into grandiose Louisiana engineering projects or do we instead put up no trespassing- signs in the areas below sea level? All are hard choices with various merits and pains. The important thing, however, is for America to decide whether the current policy of inaction is really the way we want to deal with the worst natural disaster in our history.

Many feel that sitting at a screen sweating over the design of handrail details for the next cute downtown boutique hotel just doesn't make sense when more than 150,000 people have lost their lives, more than five million people have been made homeless and whole towns have been swept away.

The outpouring of support from health professionals who want to volunteer for Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts has been tremendous.

n case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died - an entire town destroyed.

Hurricane Katrina was caused by political correctness. I said it!

In the wake of Katrina, what you're witnessing and what we are very careful to depict is a form of patriotism.

Whenever a natural disaster occurs, it is always the Red Cross that responds quickly and compassionately. I am honored to lend my voice to their cause, and thrilled to serve on the Celebrity Cabinet for 2010.