HOPS! Earthquake?

[sKePTiKal]

What was your experience? Are you OK? That was pretty strong - BIL felt it in Harrisburg, PA; my D in B'more; my friend working in Chantilly called on her way home - not evac'd; normal end of day at 3.

[Hopalong]

...being a ninny and a coward, I did not like it AT ALL. I had felt a previous quake here many years ago, but never this strong.
 
Sitting at my 'puter and heard/felt this enormous sound...loud deep "crack!" (like thunder times 100, but not from overhead) and then what I was guessing was a huge explosion (I thought, natural gas underground...something BIG coming this way FAST)...few seconds later, the building and floor began to shake. I bolted for the door just on instinct, then so did everybody...(boss yelled "Everybody out!) and we all stood in the parking lot (feeling it continue to vibrate under our feet). That lasted another couple minutes after the serious shaking.

When I got home I found a large picture on the floor, glass shattered...and nearly every other picture askew. My housemate had books tumble off the shelves, etc. Her little dog had begun to act frantic 15 minutes BEFORE the quake.

I hope for no aftershocks, as I am a total coward!

But all is well,

Hops

[river]

Gosh, I've never been in one 

[sKePTiKal]

I'm so glad you're OK. I heard that cell service was spotty in your area; a lot more disruptions in those kinds of things. They don't happen often on this coast - so I guess it'll be news for a while. All I noticed here, was an odd dizziness around that time; two different episodes close together that passed quickly. Hubs says since we're not part of the mainland, that's why we didn't feel much. I too, hope there are no aftershocks...

I'm busy watching the track & intensity of a hurricane... which (fingers crossed) looks like it's going to be waning by the time it gets to my neck of the woods.... or beach! 

[BonesMS]

I'm in the DC Metro area and it caused a bit of a mess in my development....ruptured water heaters and flooding.  What a mess!!!!!

[Hopalong]

aftershock a little while back...ugh.

not as big as the original.

xo

Hops

[sKePTiKal]

Bones - (I'm smacking my forehead... of COURSE, I knew you were in NoVa... DUH) - I'm hoping this turns out to be a once in a lifetime shift of the old appalachian dirt from the mountanes, for you all. "Slip-sliding away" with gravity or something. My neighbors 1 1/2 hrs west of you, checked my old house and said things looked OK... but we'll have to get up there soon & go in or get my D to drive down & do it.

Hops, ole' mama nature is just bein' grumpy this week! She'll calm down in a few days, don't you worry! It is interesting, though, that I've heard folks in Ohio talking about feeling it... hubs bro in PA, too. I remember a couple of small quakes when I was kid in Ohio. I remember reading about a big quake in 186?, centered in Charleston, SC... but I don't think I ever studied the fault lines on the east coast.

There's an old Carol King song going through my head: "I feel the earth. move. under my feet... I feel the sky tumblin' down..." I guess we're going to experience all of that in the next few days... latest track for Irene is a lot like Isabelle, which put a good bit of Alexandria under water and this one has the potential to even run as far north as Boston & Cape Cod. Ocracoke Island has mandatory evacuation orders this morning; Hatteras is usually next, then if it looks like a direct hit (or the odds are high)... then the northern beaches. These orders do not apply to residents - they can't make us leave until martial law is invoked. Most don't. Some folks have days long blizzards... some folks have hurricanes; here - this is just the expected weather in the fall, along with nor'easters. Hopefully we can get enough people to stand on the beach facing east to BLOW and turn Irene out to sea before she decides to sight-see further north along the coast.

[BonesMS]

((((((((((((Bones,))))))))))))

You're an Amazon too.  I hope all the damage is fairly easy to fix and that yours is minimal.  Thinking of you.

tt

Thanks, TT.

I did a walk-about this morning to see what other damage there is.  I didn't really look yesterday as we were all dealing with the water crisis.  I've spotted cracked walls, ceilings and fixtures.  Then it suddenly occurred to me that there could be structural damage that CAN'T be seen and only a professionally-trained structural engineer can assess it!!!  I've already sent a message to the HOA Board, Property Management and the Safety and Security Committee to discuss it.  It may be expensive and, at the same time, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Bones

[BonesMS]

Hops/Bones,

I'd be the first one in line for ninnihood if I felt the earth move under my feet!  Things will be ok, given time.  I hope under the circumstances you're both doing well, sleeping well, eating well, loving well etc.

tt

TT,

Being afraid of earthquakes doesn't make you a ninny!  After yesterday's experience, I understood how bad it could REALLY get if we ever have a stronger one!!!  Stuff crashing down inside my unit or the building itself collapsing.  When I saw the aftermath of what happened in Northridge, California, it gave me chills because I had BEEN THERE back in 1982!!!!  Even back then, I had experienced a small earthquake...about a 3 point something on the Richter scale.  What I experienced yesterday, in my own home, was a HELL of a LOT STRONGER than THAT!!!!!  GEEZ!!!!!

Bones

[Hopalong]

Ninnihood! 

Thanks, (((((((TT))))))))

Nobody killed or seriously injured that I know of.

Two aftershocks last night but I slept through the 2nd one...

xo
Hops

[BonesMS]

You're right Bones.  In the face of the danger you were in (and many others when disasters occur)  fear follows and it's okay.  I'm glad you're doing well. 

tt

Thanks, TT.

Ironically, I haven't felt any aftershocks in my home area.....yet.  Hard to predict.

Bones

[bearwithme]

Hope all is well Hops. Earthquakes are crazy things but I've learned to embrace them and to be prepared.  I'm from Los Angeles.  So I'm Earthquake trained and the only thing they do now is surprise me.  They don't really bother me all that much.  I grew up during all the bad ones and my house has been through all of them as well:  Whittier Narrows, Northridge, Sylmar, and more!! And it is still standing solid, as am I.  Shaken but standing.

I think earthquakes are worse for those who don't experience them that often.  They do less damage and cause less deaths (statistically speaking) than hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms and floods.  Only because of the latter disasters being so prevalent around the globe.  Also, Los Angeles has been retrofitted beyond retrofitted.  Every major city should follow suit.

I've learned to be friends with earthquakes by keeping this in mind:

Rule No. 1:  They do not crescendo.
Rule No. 2:  They do not crescendo.
Rule No. 3:  They do not crescendo.
Rule No. 3:  When you first feel one, remember Rules 1 through 3 and stay away from large shelves and windows, regardless: don't run outside.

The 8.7 (or was is 8.5?) in San Francisco in the late 80's was bad.  Most lives were saved because people knew it started out bad and reacted.  The Nimitz Freeway collapsed during the world series and killed so many people.  That is the worst part, that a double-decker freeway was allowed to be built in th midst of serious fault activity and was could not take the jolt of a quake larger than 7.5 (or something like that).

No matter where you live, people have their beef with natural disasters.  I'll take earthquakes over hurricanes and tornadoes, floods and ice storms...but that's just me...


Bear.

[sKePTiKal]

Yah - for me, the frightening thing about earthquakes is there isn't an early warning system. Nothing at all to signal an immanent change in our basic environment. (sort of like Nmoms...)

On the other hand - 24/7 weather channel - even if one is disciplined enough to only pay attention to the information, still exposes one to the doomsday sensationalism; the conveyance of emotions - fear, panic, it's the end of the world... this time I'm fighting it off. One can't make decent decisions from that place, because one is mostly reacting... instead of assessing and choosing... [that "one" being moi]. From what I've seen of Isabelle, some years ago - there was absolutely more damage on the mainland from tornados spawned by the 'cane... than there was wind damage on OBX. We're not vulnerable to flood surge - at least not in the history of FEMA (which isn't saying much). The risks seem lower, by sitting tight, knowing my situation and the tools at hand, versus all the unknowns of hitting the road.

This morning's job is to calculate how much propane the generator will burn an hour... and call the propane company. Check in with my neighbors... see who is staying; going. Then I'm going to be first in line, when my favorite beach rd drive-in opens up and I'm going to help him clean out his fridge/coolers of fresh fish... or whatever he has left. They'll board up by the end of the day and lift everything at least 4 ft off the floor.

BONES: not sure which suburb you're in, but I hope you're at least on the second floor!! The path of this storm is going to bring you more problems ...

[Hopalong]

thanks, PR...
I do not feel panicked or frightened.

I just didn't LIKE it and it felt scary. Proportionately scary.
We were all very lucky here, though.

Don't like hurricanes, either...but I love a good thunderstorm

xo
Hops

[Hopalong]

Hi Bear,
Meant to thank you for your post, as well.
Good for you for being shaken but not stirred!

I worked in Northern California and have cousins in Pasadena, and as
much as I love that amazing state, I honestly would probably not want to live
there.

Stories and histories of quakes just have a primitive terror, even
when rationally, you're certainly right about the relative risks.

I'm a triple Taurus...   Something about the earth moving under my feet...
Not that I know anything else or care about astrology, but given
my passion for dirt, and mountains, somehow made sense to me!

We did run outside at my workplace, maybe that was foolish. But it's an old, one-story
building. I usually think that the folks in the street are perhaps in greater danger from
shattered glass and other large things falling on them.

At any rate, my body took me out the door (I was sitting beside an open
door to the outside at the moment, enjoying the open air) before my brain
got involved!

Hugs and hope you're well, too--
Hops
to fall....