August 23, 2011

Earthquake!

When I lived in Wales, I used to tell the children about our weather in Maryland. We have hurricanes (see: Irene, arriving this weekend), blizzards, tornados, and temperatures from 0° to 100°F. connor in a snowbankNow we can add earthquakes to this list, as a 5.9 earthquake just hit the area, resulting in lots of people who are "all shook up” and not much damage. Naturally, I was in the car, driving along a bumpy road and didn’t feel a thing, but when I got back to the office, everyone said our 150+ year old stone building was shaking. Lift 028 EEK!

17 comments:

  1. It was very creepy here in Annapolis. I lived in Seattle when Mt St Helens blew, and this was way more unnerving. Knowing how my greyhound and beagle reacted this afternoon, my heart goes out to Connor. Be sure to give him extra love!

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  2. I was just reading about your earthquake on the Vancouver Sun (newspaper) online website. We get immediate coverage of events like this, both national and international. It sounds like the epicentre was close to you.

    We get many tremors here in Victoria, as we're on the fault line. The biggest quake I've experienced was a 7.1 quake several years ago. I was at work and all of a sudden my computer started boucing across my desk, heading for the edge. Even though we'd recently had an earthquake drill, I was frozen to my chair, just staring at my computer, thinking, "Oh my God, a real earthquake!".

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  3. I was at work in our 150 yr old building in Georgetown and I never felt anything like that before and hope I don't again! New cracks on the walls -oops!

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  4. I was in the car and thought, "Oh my gosh we just got this car...why are the wheels falling off?" They didn't fall off but felt very weird going down MLK. Glad you are safe.

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  5. Glad you are o.k. That's a quite handsome office building, by the way.

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  6. EARTHQUAKES SHOULD HIT IN THE DESERTS...DON'T YOU THINK? :):) WE HAVE HAD TWO IN CENTRAL INDIANA IN THE PAST 5 YEARS. BUT I NEVER DREAMED I WOULD HEAR OF ONE ON THE EAST COAST. PEOPLE IN INDY ARE SAYING THEY FELT IT..I DID NOT.STAY SAFE.SMILES, SUSIE

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  7. Here in Carney, I was watching my 2 year old grandson. My cocker spaniel, Lucy, actually howled when the earthquake started, which made the grandson cry as the 3 of us stood in the bedroom doorway waiting for it to end. Scared me!

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  8. Felt it on Long Island. My cottage is full of hanging lamps, and they were still swaying back and forth five minutes after the tremor stopped. I felt like I was in the hold of a ship... not a good feeling whatsoever!

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  9. Here in Silver Spring, it started with a low rumble and shaking. It got so bad I thought the house was going to explode. Ran outside with the dogs and the ground was shaking too. It was a very long 50 seconds until it all stopped. Lost a piece of pottery that fell from a bookcase. I have experienced many small earthquakes and tremors living in the Balkans, but this one was by far the worse. It was all pretty upsetting. An apartment building in PG County has been condemned, so there has been damage in the Washington area.

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  10. WE have those puppies all of the time here in So. California. But I think that the effects of your temblor were more widespread because of the rock structure and relatively shallow quake. It is rather spooky for a couple of days after a big shaker and I think that there is a great sense of community as a result. See, it's not all bad.

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  11. I'm in NYC and was at home on the 11th floor of an apartment building. Felt the floor vibrating under my feet for just a few seconds and thought I had imagined that the building trembled for just a second or two.

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  12. It was quite surreal here. I live very close to the epicenter (30 miles-ish) and I first thought my 16 yr old son and his friends were jumping upstairs. As I was screaming at them to stop I noticed the walls moving and a shade flapping like the wind was blowing in. No damage at my house but school is out today.
    It was a pretty good shake.

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  13. We live close to a quarry and occasionally feel some vibrations when they are using dynamite, so for a couple of seconds I didn't think anything of it. Then it became stronger and noisier ... dishes in china cabinet clinging, picture fell off the shelf etc. By the time I realized what it was( lived in Southern California), it was over! I guess it's a matter of perspective because my first experience in California was a 3.2 ,and at the time that was a little scary. So at 5.8 - 6 it was frightening!

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  14. We are used to tremors in S. CA. Have friends in Washington DC area and they were rockin & rollin! A scary time for everyone, so glad everyone is safe! xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

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  15. Meg,
    I was reading yesterday that they had a 5:3 in Colorado due to movement in the Rockies. It surely must be linked in which case the USA just moved!
    Di
    :-)

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  16. Glad to hear not much damage. And that you and Connor are fine. California is known for quakes and I have felt my share growing up. I was young when shaken out of bed during a quake in the night when I lived in Pasadena. My mom thinks I suffered from PTSD since I found it very hard to sleep without someone close by for so many years. It is strange to have what should be so solid and secure start shaking under your feet.

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  17. I went through what Anon. did, minus the breakage. It started as a rumble. I did not think "bomb," nor "trucks." I did half wonder plane crash. Since this was my second earthquake, I figured it out pretty early on.

    As the rumble increased, the windows started rattling, the walls were warping, and the floor was in a rapid shaking motion. "I" shook for some time after--not nerves, but just the vibrations rattled me insides. I felt a quick aftershock just seconds after...mainly in the floor, then nothing else.

    What is worrying to me is that I have ancient trees on my property, and now a windy hurricane coming, and I am wondering if the earthquake loosened the roots and the wind will be taking down 60+ foot oaks. I pray not.

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