Ryan Bishop: [Hurricane] Harvey was wild. I learned about the randomness of the location and intensity at which a storm can hit even within a localized area and the power of community that comes out of nowhere to rally around people.
Elaine Fulton: Firestorm 1991... we lost our home... our kids were 6, 7, 14, 17. We had good insurance but had to fight for what we were owed. I learned not to stress over minor things... after this, most everything was minor. We could live in a barn. Credit cards were good to have. The kindness of strangers filled my heart. We were always the givers... it was hard and humbling to receive the kindness of neighbors and friends... but oh so welcomed. Still makes me cry to think of how great they were. My kids did not have nightmares... They were resilient and followed our lead... Don't sweat the small stuff is what I learned... everything but health is small stuff.
Lisa Swinson: Katrina taught me be prepared. Have food, water, clothes, flashlight, etc., in the car, in the house and in a work locker.
Wayne Nicholls: I lived in Everett when Mount St. Helens erupted. I learned that no matter who you are or what you do, if Mom Nature wants you dead, there's nothing that you can do about it. I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area during the Loma Prieta quake in 1989. I learned that no matter who you are or what you do, if Mom Nature wants you dead, there's nothing that you can do about it. I lived in Otis Orchards during the Ice Storm of 1996. I learned that no matter who you are or what you do, if Mom Nature wants you dead, there's nothing that you can do about it.
Terri Jo Rice: As a child, I experienced Mount St. Helens erupting. We were in the car heading in the direction of the ash. It looked like a storm. Once we realized what happened, we headed back to Spokane. I remember hearing "Dust in the Wind" on the car radio. I remember a week off of school while everybody tried to clean up the ash.
Peter Knight Remington: St. Helens in Pullman. The first time I learned to leave the house with a mask on. ♦
Editor's note: Normally, we ask our question of the week of people we randomly encounter on the street. But with the Inland Northwest in lockdown, we instead asked our followers on social media to share their thoughts.
