November 3, 2002
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EARTHQUAKE
The aftershocks haven’t yet stopped. The initial shake lasted about half a minute. First it shook, rapidly and hard. Then it shifted to a seasick rolling motion. That’s when stuff started falling off shelves and the TV/PS2 monitor over Doug’s head, where he slept on the floor, did a little jump. That’s when I started yelling for him to wake up and roll under my bed. I was standing in the doorway.
Getting there wasn’t easy, with the floor moving unrhythmically under my feet and the dog running frantically back and forth between my feet. And the epicenter of this one wasn’t even close to us. It was miles and miles away. We had a pretty good shake right under us a week or so ago, but it was deep enough it didn’t do surface damage. There was another earthquake epicentered near here recently that, at 6.4 was the biggest quake I had ever felt. This one, at 7.9, tops that.
I’ve seen no news reports yet of damage nearer to the center, nor have I had any answers yet to the emails I sent to friends nearer the quake’s epicenter. Last time I checked, the NOAA NEIS (Nat’l Earthquake Information Service) Near Real-Time Earthquake List hadn’t yet added this one. I wouldn’t have that epicenter and preliminary magnitude info if I hadn’t subscribed to BIGQUAKE email notification.
I think I’ll go smoke a little dope and let this adrenaline subside.
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Comments (9)
Woah! Good plan. Be safe.
Very scary. Hope you’re well.
Yikes! I think I’ll stick to my hurricanes down here, thank you. Glad you’re ok. And I’m really glad it didn’t knock out your web access!
Damb 7.9 if that had hit anywhere near here my building would be sitting on top me. The largest quake I have been in is the northridge quake and that was not even near here. I am so glad to hear you are ok and to see you still have net lines for communicaiton. I was not sure if that would get knocked out or not. We didnt even hear about it here yet..
hugs to you! I prefer the rock and rollers to the jolts the jolts are so much more violent..and seem to do more damage at least here in CA. Ive grown up with quakes..those are my worst fear lol i was glad to move to san diego and have them gone.. dont know about MO but hope there arent any there
And i really hope your friend is ok!
belinda
Wow…scary. Hope you’re calmed now. Stay well.
I didn’t realize there earthquakes there!!! Gees, that is HUGE! How scary! There will probably be aftershocks for quite awhile with one that big.
Im glad your ok. Since everything is alright, that means you get to laugh and joke about it! I laugh about when I was little, I slept through a tornado that went through our back yard. It wasnt one of those movie-sized tornados, it was just a moderate one. My parents didnt move me because they said it came and went so quick they didnt have a chance, and when they asked me about it, I told them I never woke up. hehe
I hate and fear earthquakes!
I experienced 7.2…that was enough for me! Stay safe! Spot
Wish I was smoking with you and hanging out during the rolling… can you believe I have lived in Northern California (Sacramento) my ENTIRE LIFE and never have experienced a real earthquake?? I was too young in ’71, I was in my car during the ’89, and I caught a brief roll from one in Tahoe in ’95. Most I got was one last autumn (October ’01) from a quake up in Quincy that was shallow enough to roll Sac a little. But I have never (knock on wood) experienced a real earthquake. And I have a terror of them. Still, I’d like to be smoking with you and riding them out. Something appealing about it…