I've never experienced an earthquake even though I lived for years not far from the Balcones Fault in Texas.
But once in 1994 we were visiting a friend on Johannesburg, getting ready for bed and everything started shaking. It was probably only for a few seconds but it made me feel off balance. I didn't know what was happening. My future husband who was South African said it was the mines below the city and it happened once in a while. No damage occured it was such a strange sensation.
Experienced an earthquake back in the Philippines when I was a kid. Scary and really shakes things up. Thinking about it today, it's just the earth shifting doing its thing. That we humans are not in control. That mother earth is reallybtge boss. It's best to be humble and exist with humility. ❤️
There were two earthquakes in Virginia several years ago. The first one happened early in the morning when I was feeding that cats. There was a loud noise, the house shook, and the cats freaked out. The second one was a month later,and stronger (maybe a 5.4). It was during the day and I was at work. The building shook and it sounded like someone was rolling a large, heavy cart on the floor above us. Then I noticed the lights swaying. Earthquake! The adrenaline rush lasted for hours!
Hi Teri, I didn't realize Virginia had earthquakes. I got an earthquake alert on my phone, the other day. I didn't feel it, but both cats came out from their hiding places to check things out.
Hi Janice...there are at least three seismic zones in Virginia. The “big one” was in 2011 and was a 5.8, with the epicenter in central Virginia. It was felt up and down the entire East Coast, making it the most felt earthquake in US history. You can read more about it here, if you like geeking out about seismic activity:
The article has several charts that are quite interesting.
The smaller one might have been a 2.2 a month earlier (although I thought both occurred in September...go figure) with its epicenter in Maryland. That would have been an entirely different fault.
I remember watching the World Series as this happened. At the time - I was 18 - the idea of living in California for what has become half of my life wasn't even a thought, let alone a consideration.
I've felt my share of minor earthquakes. I always knock on wood that the larger ones stay in unpopulated areas. Very scary stuff.
You just never know. Years ago my parents visited and asked about earthquakes. Then, a day after getting home to WNY, they felt a 4.2 centered across the border in Canada!
Hi Rocco, I hold my breath every time I feel the beginnings of one. You just never know. I'm hoping these last few small ones are just an easing of the tensions and not a warning of something bigger to come.
That's it exactly. We all have this hope, don't we? However, I have to say I am as prepared as possible - with everything I need to camp out for two weeks. I update my supplies every year.
Hi Sharron, You are very smart. I am not that well prepared, but I do have some food and my daughter lives close by so we have some tentative plans in place. I do worry about the cats though. The one would be very difficult to manage.
I was a business banker in the early 2000s when the Seattle-Tacoma area had a quake. As soon as I realized what was happening I yelled to all the staff to "take cover!" I dived into the leg-well of my desk just as a huge, gridded light fixture fell from the high ceiling, shearing off an entire corner of my desk. Obviously my number wasn't up yet since I avoided being shredded; that spot was where I had been standing when I first felt the shaking.
Hi Carol, I remember that earthquake because my brother lived up there at the time. I would say you were very fortunate - and thank goodness you were so quick to move.
Of course I remember that quake even though I was in Canada. It was front of mind when a couple years later I moved to the Bay area to go to chiropractic school (eventually in San Jose). Where I came from we learned what to do if a bear or cougar was around, had no clue what to do if there was a quake. I remember my roommates quizzing me and I said I would run outside to be safe so they thought that was quite hilarious and promptly gave me a lesson in earthquake safety🤣
Well, I for sure wouldn't know what to do if I saw a bear or a cougar. Although many years ago a bear cub and I came eyeball to eyeball - he ran away, fortunately.
Thank you for sorting out this posting, Janice. A harrowing experience. All Californians can tell you where they were in 1989 when the quake hit - in great detail! Santa Cruz was hard hit - the epicenter was only 20 miles away. I was in Italy at the time and it took three days to get through to my family by telephone! So scary.
How scary to have experienced that!! I haven't personally felt any quakes living in western Canada. But in 1995 my mom lived in Kobe, Japan when a magnitude 7 earthquake struck. It happened in the wee hours while she was sleeping and everything in her apartment was destroyed. She lost everything. Over 6000 people died and over 43,000 injured in that quake. I felt so blessed that my mom wasn't one of them. The photos of the destruction online and in her personal collection are mind-numbing.
I can only guess that some of it was due to that. My mom has pictures from walking around her community after the quake and at some houses, the only thing left standing was a toilet.
In addition, all the raised freeways had crumbled and fallen over probably killing hundreds of commuting motorists.
I've never experienced an earthquake even though I lived for years not far from the Balcones Fault in Texas.
But once in 1994 we were visiting a friend on Johannesburg, getting ready for bed and everything started shaking. It was probably only for a few seconds but it made me feel off balance. I didn't know what was happening. My future husband who was South African said it was the mines below the city and it happened once in a while. No damage occured it was such a strange sensation.
Experienced an earthquake back in the Philippines when I was a kid. Scary and really shakes things up. Thinking about it today, it's just the earth shifting doing its thing. That we humans are not in control. That mother earth is reallybtge boss. It's best to be humble and exist with humility. ❤️
There were two earthquakes in Virginia several years ago. The first one happened early in the morning when I was feeding that cats. There was a loud noise, the house shook, and the cats freaked out. The second one was a month later,and stronger (maybe a 5.4). It was during the day and I was at work. The building shook and it sounded like someone was rolling a large, heavy cart on the floor above us. Then I noticed the lights swaying. Earthquake! The adrenaline rush lasted for hours!
Hi Teri, I didn't realize Virginia had earthquakes. I got an earthquake alert on my phone, the other day. I didn't feel it, but both cats came out from their hiding places to check things out.
Hi Janice...there are at least three seismic zones in Virginia. The “big one” was in 2011 and was a 5.8, with the epicenter in central Virginia. It was felt up and down the entire East Coast, making it the most felt earthquake in US history. You can read more about it here, if you like geeking out about seismic activity:
https://energy.virginia.gov/geology/earthquakes.shtml#:~:text=The%20August%2023%2C%202011%20Magnitude%205.8%20Mineral%2C%20VA%20Earthquake&text=The%20earthquake%20was%20felt%20over,other%20in%20United%20States%20history.
The article has several charts that are quite interesting.
The smaller one might have been a 2.2 a month earlier (although I thought both occurred in September...go figure) with its epicenter in Maryland. That would have been an entirely different fault.
I remember watching the World Series as this happened. At the time - I was 18 - the idea of living in California for what has become half of my life wasn't even a thought, let alone a consideration.
I've felt my share of minor earthquakes. I always knock on wood that the larger ones stay in unpopulated areas. Very scary stuff.
You just never know. Years ago my parents visited and asked about earthquakes. Then, a day after getting home to WNY, they felt a 4.2 centered across the border in Canada!
Hi Rocco, I hold my breath every time I feel the beginnings of one. You just never know. I'm hoping these last few small ones are just an easing of the tensions and not a warning of something bigger to come.
That's it exactly. We all have this hope, don't we? However, I have to say I am as prepared as possible - with everything I need to camp out for two weeks. I update my supplies every year.
Hi Sharron, You are very smart. I am not that well prepared, but I do have some food and my daughter lives close by so we have some tentative plans in place. I do worry about the cats though. The one would be very difficult to manage.
Goodness!
Thankfully our island is not on a fault line. Not so in New Zealand.
Hi Prue, It isn't a pleasant experience, in my mind.
I was a business banker in the early 2000s when the Seattle-Tacoma area had a quake. As soon as I realized what was happening I yelled to all the staff to "take cover!" I dived into the leg-well of my desk just as a huge, gridded light fixture fell from the high ceiling, shearing off an entire corner of my desk. Obviously my number wasn't up yet since I avoided being shredded; that spot was where I had been standing when I first felt the shaking.
Hi Carol, I remember that earthquake because my brother lived up there at the time. I would say you were very fortunate - and thank goodness you were so quick to move.
Of course I remember that quake even though I was in Canada. It was front of mind when a couple years later I moved to the Bay area to go to chiropractic school (eventually in San Jose). Where I came from we learned what to do if a bear or cougar was around, had no clue what to do if there was a quake. I remember my roommates quizzing me and I said I would run outside to be safe so they thought that was quite hilarious and promptly gave me a lesson in earthquake safety🤣
Well, I for sure wouldn't know what to do if I saw a bear or a cougar. Although many years ago a bear cub and I came eyeball to eyeball - he ran away, fortunately.
Thank you for sorting out this posting, Janice. A harrowing experience. All Californians can tell you where they were in 1989 when the quake hit - in great detail! Santa Cruz was hard hit - the epicenter was only 20 miles away. I was in Italy at the time and it took three days to get through to my family by telephone! So scary.
You're right - it was a very nerve-wracking experience - one I don't care to repeat. I expect you were very concerned being so far away.
You bet -- I got the first flight home.
How scary to have experienced that!! I haven't personally felt any quakes living in western Canada. But in 1995 my mom lived in Kobe, Japan when a magnitude 7 earthquake struck. It happened in the wee hours while she was sleeping and everything in her apartment was destroyed. She lost everything. Over 6000 people died and over 43,000 injured in that quake. I felt so blessed that my mom wasn't one of them. The photos of the destruction online and in her personal collection are mind-numbing.
Hi Kristi, Oh my goodness . . . Was it in part because the building codes weren't stringent enough - at least in part?
I can only guess that some of it was due to that. My mom has pictures from walking around her community after the quake and at some houses, the only thing left standing was a toilet.
In addition, all the raised freeways had crumbled and fallen over probably killing hundreds of commuting motorists.
I've never experienced an earthquake. We do have minor tremors in the UK occasionally but thankfully, we're not on any major fault lines.
Stay safe ❤️