Earthquake...

[Cheryl J]

Anyone that hasn't been in a big one can't believe the force and noise, our first one was around 5 in the morning, it sounded like a train in out bedroom, my wife woke up and grabbed me and screamed what's happening?? I knew straight away it was a quake and yelled at her it will stop in a second. It didn't, it took about 2 mins with violent shaking, we couldn't move just rolled with the bed jumping up and down. It was very very frightening. Anyone in socal will know what I mean. We are on a tech plate down here, in the pacific rim. The next one the 7.1 was different but none the less scary, about 90 died.

Russ

Wow, that's for sure, Russ. The noise is almost indescribable - the sound of a train below the earth's surface is a perfect analogy. I can't imagine a full minute, let alone for 2 minutes - the big one here was maybe 30 seconds (?) but when you're hanging on to a doorjamb or whatever you can find for support, it seems like an eternity. So sorry so many perished in your area, Russ.

 

[Souschef]

They have only just decided to rebuild it, to my satisfaction. Our cathedral defines our city. Thanks.

Russ

I was there in 1998 It was a beautiful cathedral, and I hope it gets restored to its former glory

 

[Rascal]

I was there in 1998 It was a beautiful cathedral, and I hope it gets restored to its former glory

Yeah I'm a big supporter of plans to rebuild. As a kid I used to climb up to the top and look out over the city. I WANT my grandkids to be able to do the same.
Can't wait to watch the rebuild. I'm glad you enjoyed your time here.

Cheryl, thanks for thoughts we are still getting wee ones after 10 years. I'm hoping the worst is over.

Russ

 

[taxlady]

In 1994 I went to visit my parents in Orange County, CA. I arrived on January 16. At 04:30 the next morning, I was woken and baffled by the shaking. I remember thinking, after seeing the chandelier swinging, "Oh come on. An earthquake, I haven't even been here 24 hours yet." It was scary, but not too bad because we were about 50 miles away from the epicentre of the Northridge quake. I was really glad my parents had moved from my childhood home, which was less than four miles from the epicentre of that quake.

 

[dragnlaw]

Montreal is actually in a quake zone. I've felt a couple while living on the West Island but the centres were a fair distance away. I knew immediately what it was as the noise and the motion of the house came up from the ground. Was weird but not scary.

Have had them out here but the only significant one was while I was in the car driving and didn't even know about it til I got to town and their power had gone down for a couple of minutes and everyone was talking about it. I think it was a category 4?

As people have often mentioned - unless you have ever been in a "big" one you've no idea just how scary it can be. I'm just glad I've not had that experience to be "scared".

I've been keeping tabs on what's going on and as Cheryl says - Thank goodness it wasn't in the city!

BUT... I must admit I got a very large jolt when the quarry that is about 3 clics from me did a blast that shook my walls today. There is now a crack in the cement walk between the stable and chicken coop. I knew what it was of course, but reading all about these quakes right now .... well....

 

[taxlady]

I was quite surprised the first time I felt a quake in Montreal. I had no idea it was in an earthquake zone. At first I thought that I was feeling the Métro (our subway), but then I saw street lamps starting to sway and figured it out. Yeah, not so big and pretty far away, but a real surprise.

We used to get tremors when I lived in the country. We lived close to Mont Tremblant - the trembling mountain. Heck, it would shake in a good thunderstorm.

 

[rodentraiser]

New York City has a couple of fault lines running under it.

Yeah, the noise of an earthquake is really unique. The only movie I've ever seen that gets it right is Missing with Jack Lemon and Sissy Spacek. I lived in California for years before I felt my first earthquake and then it seem like we had hundreds of them in the next decade. It got so I could just tell by the noise we were having one rather than by the shaking.

When I lived in Washington, I lived next door to a guy who used to play his music so loud the walls rattled. After the Nisqually quake, his wife came over, shaking and crying, and told me his speakers had fallen off the wall. I was "YES!" I genuflected to the earthquake gods for that one.

 

[Souschef]

In 1994 I went to visit my parents in Orange County, CA. I arrived on January 16. At 04:30 the next morning, I was woken and baffled by the shaking. I remember thinking, after seeing the chandelier swinging, "Oh come on. An earthquake, I haven't even been here 24 hours yet." It was scary, but not too bad because we were about 50 miles away from the epicenter of the Northridge quake. I was really glad my parents had moved from my childhood home, which was less than four miles from the epicenter of that quake.

I lived 4 miles from the epicenter of the Northridge quake. Fortunately I was on a cruise ship in the Atlantic when it hit.

 

[Cheryl J]

Very interesting reading about all the earthquake experiences here! No doubt they are very scary. Hurricanes, tornadoes and such can be forecast with time to prepare....hopefully one day there will be technology that can prepare for earthquakes.

Souschef...wow, you were lucky to be on a cruise, what with you living so close to the epicenter. Otherwise, it may have had a very different outcome for you!

Looking back, my daughter was 17 and visiting her dad in Northridge when the big one hit. Their condo was destroyed and they had to leave immediately. Thank goodness they were all OK. Back then, the lines of communication were so tied up, I couldn't even get hold of her until afternoon....at least 10 hours after it hit.

 

[Kayelle]

As I mentioned, in the big destructive earthquake in Northridge in '99 my husband and I were on a weekend trip in San Francisco. I turned on the TV in the morning to see all of the horrendous destruction near home. We flew back to Los Angeles that morning and the drive home from the airport north was beyond weird with NO traffic at all, and dust clouds from the quake remaining in the hills. It was like another world from some movie.

 

[caseydog]

We have a new phenomenon in Texas and Oklahoma. Fracking earthquakes. The aren't big -- most are barely felt at the surface, but some have done damage to structures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csbdeOfhKTM

CD

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Cheryl, how are you doing after this last 4.9 shaker today? I hope you're fine and your nerves have settled down. (hugs) I also read that you guys have company in this earthquaking thing - North of Seattle had a 4.6 one today. Better move closer to K-Girl before the west coast slides up to the North Pole.


For anyone interested in visuals of how the earth moved, this NPR article has some interesting data and images. The first image reminds me of the pictures the kids used to make when we would visit either Cedar Point or Geauga Lake - you would drizzle paints onto a 5-8 piece of paper mounted to a platform that was spinning. Fun stuff!

 

[Rascal]

We had a minor shake last week, if you had a big one, expect a few more years yet. Ours started 9 years ago.

Russ

 

[taxlady]

Cool article CG. Thanks for linking it.

 

[Cheryl J]

Cheryl, how are you doing after this last 4.9 shaker today? I hope you're fine and your nerves have settled down. (hugs) I also read that you guys have company in this earthquaking thing - North of Seattle had a 4.6 one today. Better move closer to K-Girl before the west coast slides up to the North Pole.

For anyone interested in visuals of how the earth moved, this NPR article has some interesting data and images. The first image reminds me of the pictures the kids used to make when we would visit either Cedar Point or Geauga Lake - you would drizzle paints onto a 5-8 piece of paper mounted to a platform that was spinning. Fun stuff!

That 4.9 hit at around 6:10 this AM when I was in bed. It was a jolt one, rather than side to side. Woke up the community, and my phone blew up with calls from family, friends, and neighbors. It felt like being in an elevator and it stopping 2 feet above where it was supposed to stop, then suddenly falling. I'm exhausted, and the few nerves I have left are shot.

Interesting article CG, thanks for sharing. I also read about the one near Seattle. There are deep fissures out in the desert here that weren't there before.

 

[GotGarlic]

That 4.9 hit at around 6:10 this AM when I was in bed. It was a jolt one, rather than side to side. Woke up the community, and my phone blew up with calls from family, friends, and neighbors. It felt like being in an elevator and it stopping 2 feet above where it was supposed to stop, then suddenly falling. I'm exhausted, and the few nerves I have left are shot.

Interesting article CG, thanks for sharing. I also read about the one near Seattle. There are deep fissures out in the desert here that weren't there before.

Yeesh, Cheryl. All I can do is offer you hugs {{{Cheryl}}}

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...It felt like being in an elevator and it stopping 2 feet above where it was supposed to stop, then suddenly falling. I'm exhausted, and the few nerves I have left are shot. ...

Aw, honey, I can't do anything for you but send you good thoughts and offer up humble prayer. Hey, if you feel like cleaning and sorting through lifetimes of "stuff", you're more than welcome to stay with us a while. As IF!

I can share a slightly amusing story about my most remembered earthquake in hopes it makes you smile. It's from January 31, 1986. If you remember, that would have been three days after the Space Shuttle Challenger catastrophe. One of the astronauts, Judy Resnik, was from the Akron area. The quake struck just before noon while the kids were at the kitchen table eating lunch before heading off to pre-school. I had my back to them, so as soon as I sensed sound and movement, I said "what are you two doing over there!" before I turned and looked...at two very surprised kids with the look of wonder and concern on their faces. My first thought was that there was a jet flyover going above our house from NASA to Temple Israel in Akron, about 10 airline miles from our house, as a tribute to Judy Resnik for her funeral that day. I chase the kids outside and we look up for...no planes. Instead, I turned the radio on to find out it was an earthquake centered about 50 airline miles from our home. It was a 4.9 almost five miles down, for the record - a mere shrug compared to yours.

 

[Cheryl J]

Kay....heard there was an earthquake swarm in Ventura.....most pretty small but a couple of 3.5ish ones.....Yikes.....

 

[Kayelle]

Ugh..yep we had a small 3.4 at 5am this morning, but it didn't wake me up. I heard we have had a swarm of several very small ones within the last day or so. Holding my breath...or what's left of it after evacuation from the Maria fire. Sigh.
Are you still having noticeable aftershocks over there?

 

[Cheryl J]

Yikes...earthquakes down in that area are pretty much unheard of. Yes, still small aftershocks here....but quieted down somewhat.