Earthquake! Whee!!

Aug 23, 2011 14:24

It's like I never left California!  

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Comments 18

angearia August 23 2011, 18:26:03 UTC
Seriously! The thing is, though, our buildings aren't built for this. YEESH.

Pretty scary. My poor dogs are still freaking out.

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2maggie2 August 23 2011, 18:33:34 UTC
My first earthquake in CA was much smaller -- but it took a long time for me to get over it. Having the earth give way beneath you is unnerving!

If we get aftershocks, head for the nearest door frame! I was shocked to realize that not everyone knows that's what you're supposed to do.

ETA: Poor puppies! Mine's home alone. I hope she's OK!!

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angearia August 23 2011, 18:38:29 UTC
Yeah, this was my first earthquake. But I grew up in MN so I had to learn my way around tornados, so the natural disaster scenarios were drilled into me as a kid.

Yeah, I was sitting at the dining room table, listening to loud music on my computer, and I felt the shocks, grabbed one puppie's collar who was sitting next to me, got under the nearest doorway and called for the other dog.

Heh, I spent about three minutes standing there clutching their collars.

Phew, it wasn't too bad. I just wish I could get in touch with my cousin since she works near the Capitol.

eta: I hope your pup's okay, too! It probably just shook her up and she'll be so happy to see you when you get home.

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fenchurche August 23 2011, 18:36:53 UTC
That's why I totally don't think it's overreacting that they're evacuating buildings. Seriously, our buildings here in Seattle are generally built either on bearings or with floors on suspension cables nowadays. They move a lot in quakes, but stay structurally sound. I can't imagine how freaky it would be to have an quake in an area not prepared for it!

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louise39 August 23 2011, 18:37:44 UTC
My cats dived behind the couch and the plants swayed!

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2maggie2 August 23 2011, 19:05:21 UTC
Poor kitties! There was a big earthquake out in the desert one weekend and it lasted long enough for my cats to have time to run up and down the stairs three times before scrambling under the bed. Hours later, one finally peeked out to see me and immediately there was another earthquake! She gave me a "you bitch" glare before heading back under the bed. I didn't see either of them for another two days!

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norwie2010 August 23 2011, 20:47:26 UTC
:D

Poor Maggie! (and poor cat!) - but, oh! that's so cat-like. (Sorry, I'm laughing, but it is funny.)

I have stuff to tell about, too: I was born in an earthquake region (the African plate presses against the Eurasian plate south of Italy and this pressure gets redirected and then released near my town of birth). So, I'm like you Californians! (Only, our quakes are mostly in the 0,5 to 2,0 scale - but we did have a 5,9 in the nineties, i swear! ;-)

I hope your cats forgive you for your almighty earthquake-powers. :)

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tennyo_elf August 24 2011, 02:04:44 UTC
My cats acted so weird during my first earthquake (when I recently moved to southern California). Like those wild weasels that stick their head out of holes, standing up on their hind legs with wide eyes and a WTF expression...and that was before the earthquake hit.

I love my cats, but they confuse me.

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shapinglight August 23 2011, 18:44:36 UTC
I'm glad you're all right.

Only felt an earthquake once in my life. My husband slept through a bad one in Uganda, though.

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2maggie2 August 23 2011, 19:06:16 UTC
There will be a lot of noise about it because of the novelty -- but someday a slightly bigger quake will happen on the east coast and it will do a lot of damage because they aren't built for it here.

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shapinglight August 23 2011, 19:35:47 UTC
We have the occasional one over here too. Not usually more than 4.something with minimal damage.

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diebirchen August 23 2011, 18:50:14 UTC
I was in Seattle for the 9.2 in Anchorage in 1964 and the 6.5 in 1965 that caused a huge campus building to be declared unsafe and demolished and pieces of buildings to collapse into the streets in parts of Seattle. My huge dorm wobbled to the extent that footing was unsteady. I've never forgotten.

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2maggie2 August 23 2011, 19:02:39 UTC
Big ones are definitely scary. The Northridge quake demolished the facade of the building where I worked and the power was out for ages -- and we were a good ways from the epicenter.

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tennyo_elf August 24 2011, 02:09:50 UTC
My husband's sister actually slept through the Northridge quake, the whole family was grouped together but nope not my sister in law...she was sleeping away peacefully. They lived in Alhambra at the time, right near downtown LA.

But yeah, big ones are crazy, I'm glad I haven't been in anything that bad since I got here.

I'm also glad both of you were alright.

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tennyo_elf August 24 2011, 02:12:51 UTC
I'm really shocked an earthquake hit the east coast. I have family over there and heard about it on their facebook, so I know they're fine but dang, another crazy thing.

Glad you and your puppies are OK! Gah, can't run from natural disasters.

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