Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board
Voicelessness and Emotional Survival => Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board => Topic started by: sKePTiKal on August 23, 2011, 04:07:19 PM
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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.
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...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
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Gosh, I've never been in one :o
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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! :D
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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!!!!!
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aftershock a little while back...ugh.
not as big as the original.
xo
Hops
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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.
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((((((((((((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
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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
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Ninnihood! :D :D
Thanks, (((((((TT))))))))
Nobody killed or seriously injured that I know of.
Two aftershocks last night but I slept through the 2nd one...
xo
Hops
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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
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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.
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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 ...
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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
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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... :D 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....
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How is everyone faring up the coast from the hurricane?
We got a nice rain and a little stronger than usual breeze.
tt
Still waiting........
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Started raining around 5:30 (last night) here in Kitty Hawk.
I slept a few hours... then the thought of tornado warnings got me up around 1:30. Had a stupid dream that I was feeling guilty for things I KNOW I've never done... sigh....
Anyway, so far all is well here. Even down the beach, what I'm seeing on the Weather Channel & local news isn't too bad at all - yet. The center of the storm is just now coming into the Pamlico Sound between Hatteras & Beaufort... and probably won't get close to me for hours yet. It's predicted to turn east, just south of us (yeah, right - this one wobbles big time).
Bones is gonna have a long wait before it gets "interesting".
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Lots of love and mental plywood to those brave coastal folks!
Be safe, everyone!
Haven't caught the news this morning but I hope NYC fares all right....
Mother Nature is in charge and she's pissed.
Hops
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Thanks Hops - I think I'm working on elevating "safety" to an art. But I need to work on napping too. Been up since 1:30 am.... sheesh!!
At my house, it's not all that awful - however... a mile or so away the town has cut off the water east of the bypass due to the risk of water main breakage and cross contamination. The town fire station has no power. And lots of folks sans power (so far, not me). Curfews in place in a couple towns - and it's quite likely by the time the wind shifts to the west... there will another inlet cutting Hatteras Island off from road travel again, like in Isabel.
Here's the kicker: the storm is so big - Bones & B'more areas are starting to see a little rain - and it's STILL raining/blowing down in Atlantic Beach, Ocracoke & Hatteras. So it'll still be 12 hours before the west winds make their mark on the soundside... right now the pictures are of a sound with no water -- it's all been pushed west by the wind and once it shifts, the water will come sloshing and flooding back. That's why the skinnier parts of OBX are in huge danger of being cut off right now.
Scuttlebutt has it that no one (except residents with proper docs) will be allowed in until Tuesday. There will be a huge effort to get as close to "normal" as possible for the big Labor Day weekend.
[And Bones - if you want to document Ns... you should see them come out of the woodwork when their vacation week is threatened! Then there was the guy who said anyone who stayed, should take a sharpie & write their SS# on their torso, to ID the bodies... I told him I was saving them, for their intended purpose - to address care packages to the folks in big cities who are next, who don't have any idea what they're in for if they get THIS...]
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Thanks Hops - I think I'm working on elevating "safety" to an art. But I need to work on napping too. Been up since 1:30 am.... sheesh!!
At my house, it's not all that awful - however... a mile or so away the town has cut off the water east of the bypass due to the risk of water main breakage and cross contamination. The town fire station has no power. And lots of folks sans power (so far, not me). Curfews in place in a couple towns - and it's quite likely by the time the wind shifts to the west... there will another inlet cutting Hatteras Island off from road travel again, like in Isabel.
Here's the kicker: the storm is so big - Bones & B'more areas are starting to see a little rain - and it's STILL raining/blowing down in Atlantic Beach, Ocracoke & Hatteras. So it'll still be 12 hours before the west winds make their mark on the soundside... right now the pictures are of a sound with no water -- it's all been pushed west by the wind and once it shifts, the water will come sloshing and flooding back. That's why the skinnier parts of OBX are in huge danger of being cut off right now.
Scuttlebutt has it that no one (except residents with proper docs) will be allowed in until Tuesday. There will be a huge effort to get as close to "normal" as possible for the big Labor Day weekend.
[And Bones - if you want to document Ns... you should see them come out of the woodwork when their vacation week is threatened! Then there was the guy who said anyone who stayed, should take a sharpie & write their SS# on their torso, to ID the bodies... I told him I was saving them, for their intended purpose - to address care packages to the folks in big cities who are next, who don't have any idea what they're in for if they get THIS...]
Thanks, P.R.
We're getting bands of rain in my area and I'm still waiting for the winds to pick up.
Out of curiosity, I looked up the history of two other hurricanes I remember experiencing....Hurricane Hazel and Hurricane Agnes. With Hurricane Hazel, I was a little over two years old but I remember the flooding, the rowboats for evacuation, and that flood-stench that stays in the memory forever. I remember wanting to play in the water and my Dad preventing me from doing so. I was too little to understand how dangerous that could be. Hurricane Agnes was NASTY!!!!!!! Both of them came through the DC Metro area and left a lot of damage behind!
Bones
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So the storm has passed up North now from you guys correct? Is your power and water on etc.
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So the storm has passed up North now from you guys correct? Is your power and water on etc.
Some parts of Maryland lost electricity.
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We've been offline since Sat evening - around the time the eye passed over us. First the cable-phone-internet went out, then the power - and sometime during the night the cell phones, too. Generator kicked on and ran faithfully for 48 hours, before the power came back. It's weird what is/isn't powered by the generator. We'll be tweaking that in a month or so. It'll take that long for the service crews to get to everyone and take care of all the issues... and rest. Water pressure dropped since Kitty Hawk shut down water to folks east of the bypass (US 158) but never went completely out here.
Other folks down here have lost everything. Beach road, one can hardly tell there was a hurricane... and usually it's the hardest hit area. This storm, it was the west side folks, Hatteras & Ocracoke and Manteo and mainland that suffer the worst. Colington Harbor is still underwater and the west side of Kitty Hawk - and our little pirate enclave - is STILL underwater. The cable just came back up a couple hours ago. Before we lost power, I saw video that there was 5 ft of water over the causeway to Manteo @ Whalebone Jct. That's when I went out to look at our creek - it was still 4-6 ft below it's normal level. A couple hours later, called Hubs outside to look... because it looked like the creek was going to flood over our bulkhead. I called my neighbor on her cell... and we went to bed.
The ONLY communication with the outside world we've had is radio. One station is manned 24/7 during storms and aftermath to try to get accurate info out to people who might not have any other way to know when help is expected, where to call if they can, and what the officials are deciding. I've also heard ABC news is the only network still covering the weeks worth of work and helping out our neighbors that we have ahead of us... if anyone is looking. There are lots of websites too - www.obxconnection.com is usually full of locals, so it'll have better info.
Everyone I see and talk to is exhausted. Sleep has been a scarce commodity because, the storm started Fri. night... and it wasn't "over" until Sunday morning for us. Sat was the worst wind - it shifted from east to west and got stronger and drove the previously driven water (plus 10+ inches of rain) BACK at our western coast. Like a mini-slower moving - tsunami.
Yet - Monday a.m. the dentist called to move my appt up to 11 from a late afternoon time and everyone was there. I saw the guy who services my generator and he stopped to chat, tell me he was glad we stayed and to call him if the power wasn't on yesterday so he could change the oil. He asked if we'd seen him & his wife stop by to check on it Sat/Sun night - I didn't and didn't expect him to do that. We went out today to Walmart and the grocery store - and at 10 am the road was backed up from Duck Rd to as far as we could see over the bridge and while stuck in traffic, we chatted with someone who evacuated Hatteras, by staying in our neck of the woods and is still waiting to be allowed back to his house and business. Visitors are being allowed in for their Labor Day Weekends - even tho' the waitresses, housecleaners, pool service people and cashiers - probably have to stop at a shelter to take a shower or the Salvation Army location for a hot meal. There are people with holes in their roofs, or on top of cars... no power or water... who are having to go to work so that these other people can have their "perfect" beach vacation. SOME of those tourists are actually volunteering to help out... and are being extremely considerate. People are talking to complete strangers in parking lots... kindly and humorously.
People who suffered here are desperately trying to get help and supplies and power to Hatteras and Ocracoke... despite the traffic and the official "rules" about entry; most by boat. And the locals & visitors are showing the most incredible compassionate - and self-sufficient - sides of themselves. (and YES, there have been people who were so irate and mean to waitstaff about not having everything on the menu in inventory... that the poor girls wound up taking a break to go cry... SIGH... wish we had an N-checkpoint across the bridge that would not allow "that kind" entry, until we've really recovered. They're awful enough then.)
We've been takin' care of ourselves and our mess - and checking on neighbors. I've had a bum ankle for a month or so... so have to pace myself. Now Hubs just twisted his... so while I can see myself cooking and serving hot meals... I'm letting others more fit and younger have a go at it - and trying not to NEED help, ourselves.
But, we're fine... it was scary Sat night for sure... and while only a Cat 1, it was extremely unusual for a Cat 1. Another storm will be completely different. And we know now, what we need to change and do... before the next one.
More later - even I've missed the TV!! Hubs has had information tech withdrawal symptoms and just isn't into the manual labor that dealing with our mess requires... at least, not yet. I haven't been into it either - but have known it's better for me to something productive rather than just sit around and fret.
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When the storm hit it wasn't as bad as I thought, thought. The power held out and at 6am the next moring power went out here. It was spotty going out (my sister) still had hers. Mine came back 6 hours later then my sisters went out. The some of my friends that Still do not have it. Floods, lots of down trees, school canceled (safety shelter). My friend/neighbor's husband was stuck at work (emergency services). She called her S and my S to come and help her. I thought she needed something moved so I went over.
When I arrived I saw her putting block on the end of the tree stump. The 60ft tree was up rooting . I could hear it snapping as well as feel it. OMG! Get in the Damn STREET ..The guys grabbed chain saws. It swayed so bad left to right. Left was her house. Right was the other neighbor's. The wind was so bad (but they got a cut) and it went left and hooked on to the other tree. The guys jumped on the roof cutting it up but the wind took it again. It was now leaning and going to take out the side of the house, deck, car, ect. Got the car moved cut some more and BAM down the rest came.
The tree next to that one is up -rooting also. The shcools are going back tommorrow (although) many people Still have no Power. They are opening the showers for the kids (extending home room).
My phone works then sometimes don't work. They evacuated where my D works yesterday. When the power came back it caused a surge and worried about an electrical fire.
We are cleaning up and everyone here is safe.
Love
Deb
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Hey, PR and Deb,
Very glad to hear you're both okay after such a long and traumatic experience.
PR, how about changing this thread title to Earthquakes and Hurricanes?
It's early in extreme weather season, alas.
Stay safe, all,
Hops
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Fortunately, Hurricane Irene didn't do as much damage as was feared, and I'm grateful for that. It could have been MUCH uglier given the SIZE of the storm! When I got on Facebook, I encountered one posting from someone grousing that the East Coast Earthquake and Hurricane Irene were, in his words, "weak-ass" and he thought that the geologists and meteorologists were over-exaggerating. It sounded like he was WHINING about these events NOT being more destructive than they were! :?
I told him he should be GRATEFUL that they were NOT more destructive! What is WRONG with people?!?!?!?!?
Bones
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Hops sweetie...
I hope your nerves have started to calm down and that you're sleeping and breathing and relaxing now. I apologize for "hooking" your thread over to my issues and having a side convo with Bones re: the hurricance. It was my anxiety running away with me - which of course is so much easier to see in hindsight. I guess it kinda escalated to maximum craziness beyond the confines of my awareness... 'coz I'm so used to that way of "ignoring" my feelings especially anxiety.
And I'm gonna move all this on to a new thread, I think. Something I've noticed through all this, how Bones takes charge, you knew just what to do and did it, how Deb jumped right into what was a potentially DANGEROUS situation that kept changing on her, and sort of a "common thread" between all these experiences... and some post-event processing.
I've heard there have been as many as 18 aftershocks since the quake. I know I've felt the same weird dizzy feeling that I had during the first incidence, again. Like my feet are moving when I'm not. I don't really have a theory about what's going on... but I'll toss out that the age of those mountains should keep things more stable than not. Earth's "time reference" is a lot longer than ours... so it's "resettling down time" may very well extend a couple of years as the current abruptly shifted material "settles in" and gets comfortable. With each following incidence of movement being less and less intense.
I hope you're resettling in faster than that Hops!
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Hi PR,
Actually, I meant my suggestion. I think it'd be nice for a thread to be about anybody's storm or extreme nature experience.
I like it when threads expand and morph, but this one's yours, not mine! So you can manage it however you like.
I'm not thinking about the earthquake any more (too many ordinary-life weather events, though the earthquake was memorable, that's for sure). And I was extremely lucky not be be affected by the hurricane.
I hope you and Hubs are safe and well and your area recover quickly. You too, Deb...
xo
Hops