Earthquake...

[Kayelle]

Near Cheryl!! I'm waiting to hear from her via IM.

6.4 magnitude at 10:30 am, and we had a little rocking here but she must have really been shook up. Keep her in your thoughts...this is no small shaker.

 

[dragnlaw]

Cheryl noted it in "what are you doing" seems to be OK as at 1:30 or so.

 

[Cheryl J]

Just now got power back after 5 hours. I'm OK - a little banged up and will probably have some nice bruises tomorrow. That 6.4 hit about 20 minutes after the little 4.2 foreshock. 150 aftershocks since then.

I was trying to get out of the house and into the clearest area in the backyard and got knocked into the dining room table - hit my head on the table and landed hard on my knee. The earth was violently shaking so hard I could barely walk. Picture frames, wall decor, lamps, vases were crashing to the floor. Very loud thundering noises deep within the earth. I have never been so scared in my life.

No structural damage that I can tell to my house, but other areas here weren't so lucky. Thank you for thinking of me, all.

 

[dragnlaw]

OMG cHERYL! How scary! Glad you are OK. Just check with someone to make sure no structural damage.

I have felt earthquakes - but certainly nothing like that. I can only imagine how scary it must be.

 

[caseydog]

When i saw the news, I thought about you. I didn't know exactly where you live, but you descriptions in past posts seemed to put you in the area or the quake.

Glad you weren't seriously hurt. Keep your nose vigilant for gas leaks.

CD

 

[Kayelle]

OMG Cheryl........I see now that you posted on the other thread before the 6.5.......
Ykies... How very scary getting out of the house! What got broken in your house?
Hope your head and knee will be ok along with your poor jangled nerves! Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[Cheryl J]

Thank you so much dragn, Casey, and Kay. Casey, my brother advised me on the gas lines too, and I'll have the house checked out. Fortunately I do have earthquake insurance.

Kay, the only casualties were a few picture frames and glassware that I had washed earlier that were on the counter drying on tea towels. They jumped 8 inches or so and crashed to the floor.

My brother lives a couple of blocks from me, and the china cabinet in his dining room fell over. Weird how some things are disturbed, and others aren't. As things were flying off the walls here, the bottle of water sitting on the windowsill was still there after all the shaking.

Aftershocks are still going on, I'm afraid to go to bed tonight. I gathered up every flashlight in the house to put in one place just in case another one hits and the power goes out again.

 

[Kayelle]

I know that it's 97 degrees there now, but will it cool off enough to sleep outside tonight Cheryl? I can feel how scared you must be, alone and all. Maybe you and brother should have a sleep over tonight? Huggs your way.....

 

[Cheryl J]

Thanks, Kay...
He wouldn't do that, lol. I think it'll probably just be a dozing in the recliner night - closer to the doors that way. I'll get over this in a few days, hopefully.

 

[GotGarlic]

Oh, Cheryl, I'm so sorry! That must have been really frightening! I'm glad it wasn't worse. Take care {{{hugs}}}

 

[Cheryl J]

Thank you, GG. If this magnitude had happened in a big city with tall buildings, it probably would have had a very different outcome. The Northridge earthquake of 1994 was 6.7, this one was 6.4.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Good gosh, Cheryl, that sounds like a real mess-your-pants kind of event you had there! I hope your boo-boos feel better and that you ended up getting a good night's sleep. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably pull an all-nighter reading books and skimming the internet for more news stories.

...I gathered up every flashlight in the house to put in one place just in case another one hits and the power goes out again.

Maybe should have those flashlights in a handled basket, along with your cell phone, and carry it with you wherever you go around the house. That way there are right there if you need them. A small bottle of whiskey might not hurt, either.

 

[dragnlaw]

Almost 7am here, hope you had a good night Cheryl. Did you get any sleep at all?

Liked you idea CG of all that stuff in a basket. If you don't have a basket maybe even a spacious shoulder bag, across your chest, this would leave both hands free to hang on.

 

[Cheryl J]

Thank you, CG and dragn.

I slept maybe an hour. It's almost 4:30 AM here, just had a 5.4 aftershock - shook the house good. The aftershocks were all night long, but this last one was the biggest.
I have my purse hanging on the front doorknob with my phone, water bottle, etc.

 

[Just Cooking]

Glad you are ok, Cheryl..
We have been through a few of them over the years but, have never been knocked down by one..

Keep safe and keep us informed if you can..

Ross

 

[dragnlaw]

With a little time you should be able to look back and maybe have a smile and a giggle about this, ... hopefully.

 

[Andy M.]

Glad you're OK, Cheryl.

 

[roadfix]

Good to hear you're ok, Cheryl. I'm about 150 miles south of you and I also felt the big aftershock early this morning (just minor jolt here, but woke me up).

 

[Kayelle]

Thank you, CG and dragn.

I slept maybe an hour. It's almost 4:30 AM here, just had a 5.4 aftershock - shook the house good. The aftershocks were all night long, but this last one was the biggest.
I have my purse hanging on the front doorknob with my phone, water bottle, etc.

Thanks for checking in this morning Cheryl. I didn't wake up with the 4:30 aftershock.

Thinking back to my earthquake experiences, I was visiting in San Francisco for the big Northridge quake in 1999, but the one I remember most vividly was when I was a little kid in 1952 with the 7.2 in Tahachapi. We were hit hard with that one here and my Dad almost killed me by throwing his huge body on top of me to "save" me from falling plaster that didn't fall. All the grocery store stock was off the shelves and stunk to high heaven with broken bottles of pickles and assorted condiments. Funny what kids remember most.

 

[Just Cooking]

Living in Fresno, CA, I was watching the start of the World Series when the1989 Loma Prieta earthquake happened..

I rushed to the back yard and witnessed 2 foot high waves in the pool.. Fresno is approx. 185 miles from SF.. It was fascinating to see that much action from that distance..

Ross