What happened to Middle-earth?

[Airetalathwen]

(Okay this is for all of you who are sick of the numerous 'who is the coolest elf?' threads! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img])

When the Valar came from the West and destroyed Numenor and the whole of ME was changed, where did the peoples of ME go to? Esspecially the ones along the coast and such (like Cirdan for example.) Were they destroyed? (Obviously he wasn't.) Or did they travel to somewhere else, because they knew it was coming? I'm sure there must be someone out there who can explain this!!

Also, is the Middle-earth we know today what was once beyond Ered Luin (now called the blue mountains?) That would make sense, but then that leads you to my above question; how then, did all the peoples survive?

Or...was the actual continent of ME unmoved, but the landscaping was so changed that you can't see any reselmblance to the way it was of old??? [img]smilies/confused.gif[/img]

Help!

~Airetalathwen