I hate earthquakes

[Elefantino]

Had a 4.0 quake a little less than an hour ago, epicenter just up the street. Literally. We're on the top floor of a condo so we got a pretty good jolt.

Nothing broken, but the CSI did fall over. No damage, thankfully.

Have been through too many earthquakes to count, including Loma Prieta, Mexico City, Oroville, Livermore ...

Having been through enough of them, give me hurricanes any day.

[A1CKot]

Here in Okinawa I experienced both for the first time. Well typhoons but all the same. Earthquakes are far more interesting to me. As soon as I feel one I'm googling where and how strong it was. Lucky I have spend most of the typhoons off island looking after our jets but the few I've been here for remind me how people panic when they know sever weather is coming. Nothing like waiting an hour in line to buy water or gas.

[MattTuck]

You may be living in the wrong region.

[FlashUNC]

Office was rocking a bit here in Civic Center this morning. Couple decent, sharp hits.

[fogrider]

Had a 4.0 quake a little less than an hour ago, epicenter just up the street. Literally. We're on the top floor of a condo so we got a pretty good jolt.

Nothing broken, but the CSI did fall over. No damage, thankfully.

Have been through too many earthquakes to count, including Loma Prieta, Mexico City, Oroville, Livermore ...

Having been through enough of them, give me hurricanes any day.

glad all is fine. I slept through this one, not sure if I would trade for hurricanes...I think hot and humid weather comes with hurricanes!

[JimmyTango]

...And then it hit pretty suddenly. I thought this was a strangely abrupt quake.

Usually I feel some faint undulations before it crescendos and then fades. This was just a few assertive jerks.

[Rubeboy]

Yeah, this was a weird one. Just a few seconds, but the initial jolt was more intense than I've felt before. Probably due to my proximity to the epicenter - a few blocks.
I don't like awaking to the house a-shaking.

[bcroslin]

After experiencing a 6.9 in Seattle I'll take a hurricane any day as well. I didn't sleep for 6 months and was convinced our first floor condo was going to be pancaked in the "big one."

[Saint Vitus]

You may be living in the wrong region.

Or maybe not:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one

[texbike]

Had a 4.0 quake a little less than an hour ago, epicenter just up the street. Literally. We're on the top floor of a condo so we got a pretty good jolt.

Nothing broken, but the CSI did fall over. No damage, thankfully.

Have been through too many earthquakes to count, including Loma Prieta, Mexico City, Oroville, Livermore ...

Having been through enough of them, give me hurricanes any day.

That'll get you up on a Monday!

Glad that it wasn't worse...

[joosttx]

I felt it in Marin too

[fa63]

Or maybe not:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one

Yeah, the Pacific Northwest has a subduction zone off the coast which is capable of creating a far larger earthquake (in magnitude) then the strike-slip ones in CA.

But maybe MattTuck meant he should pack up and move to the East Coast. You want to stay away from Charleston and its vicinity; FL is very safe when it comes to earthquakes (but sucks for pretty much everything else); where we are in Atlanta is pretty good too, plus we have hills and mountains and don't get hurricanes (but we get the rare tornado).

[MattTuck]

Yeah, it was a bit tongue in cheek. Like someone from Louisiana saying they hate heat and humidity.

Move to the east coast, we've got low earth quake risk.


Beware the New Madrid fault too... that thing is bad news.

[tumbler]

We felt this one as well. This was my first earthquake, so I guess it was good to get that out of the way. I was working in my office and got a fair bit of swaying as it's suspended off the back of the house by posts. I jumped into the kitchen to be safe. Lady tumbler, also an earthquake newbie, yells "Earthquake!" and probably woke up the neighbors who are used to these things. I'll have to apologize to them later...

[gngroup]

We felt this one pretty strong in San Francisco as well. I ended up spending the next 20 minutes reading about how the Hayward fault is overdue for a 'big' one . . .

[bikeridah]

Having grown up in the SF Bay area, I've been through a few myself and would trade a 5-8 second quake over a 3-month winter her in the NE any day of the week.

Coincidentally we had a 2.7 one a few days ago one town over from me, but I slept through it.

http://patch.com/new-jersey/mendham-chester/25-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-morris-county-0

[Saint Vitus]

Yeah, the Pacific Northwest has a subduction zone off the coast which is capable of creating a far larger earthquake (in magnitude) then the strike-slip ones in CA.

But maybe MattTuck meant he should pack up and move to the East Coast. You want to stay away from Charleston and its vicinity; FL is very safe when it comes to earthquakes (but sucks for pretty much everything else); where we are in Atlanta is pretty good too, plus we have hills and mountains and don't get hurricanes (but we get the rare tornado).

Yeah no doubt, I mostly posted that link for my neighbors in the NW as well as the fact that it was something I'd read very recently so it was fresh on the mind. I'm in San Diego, our fault zones seem to be fairly mild (like the weather...) in comparison to SF or even LA.

[oldpotatoe]

Had a 4.0 quake a little less than an hour ago, epicenter just up the street. Literally. We're on the top floor of a condo so we got a pretty good jolt.

Nothing broken, but the CSI did fall over. No damage, thankfully.

Have been through too many earthquakes to count, including Loma Prieta, Mexico City, Oroville, Livermore ...

Having been through enough of them, give me hurricanes any day.

Pay yer money, take your chances. It's a matter of when, not if, the 'big one' happens, the one that makes parts of Nevada beach front property.

[cnighbor1]

Has an architect I hate earthquakes
Has an Architect who worked mainly on the west coast of USA every time one hits I start to figure based on the building type I am in will the dam building hold together
I was involved in many large buildings (schools Hospitals etc) retro fit or remodel and the question of meeting the code for earthquakes always came up
We always did something but would it work was always the ?
going up to NAPA where last big quake hit you could see many retro fits didn't work

[Jgrooms]

Earthquakes, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, mother nature has a unique offering for everyone. Us in the great plains have to worry about mile wide twisters...


http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/17/a48bbeca15f850cff3207e40ded21dcb.jpg

[stronzo]

Just curious, anyone ever been riding their bike during an earthquake?

[Tony]

I dislike spare the air days in the Sacramento valley.
Today's forecast 104 and smokey.

[gasman]

Just curious, anyone ever been riding their bike during an earthquake?


I was on a group ride July 4.
A 4.2 hit about 15km away, never felt a thing though a few people in their yards asked us if we felt it when we rode on our way out of town.

[tiretrax]

Be careful what you wish for Elefantino. If memory serves me, you moved from Florida. You must have been lucky in your time there if you're willing to challenge the Gods by stating your preference. I worked on several hurricane recovery and long term planning efforts. It's never a pretty picture. Also, besides the heat and humidity, there are mosquitoes. West Nile Virus is alive and well in Dallas, not just along the coast. There are people who contract dengue every year, too.

That said, I'm petrified of earthquakes. I was in a remote part of Mendocino County and driving back to the airport the day the Northridge Quake hit. It wasn't until we were in Marine did we hear where the earthquake hit. I was petrified that the GG bridge was gone and we were going to go into the drink from an aftershock.

[ultraman6970]

4??? Wait till you experience two 8 Richter scale and then we talk about.

[blessthismess]

I usually wake up 6:45/6:50am, quake jolted me up this morning and the alarm went of literally 1 min later. Wasn't necessary today. Nothing damaged or broken and woke up with lots of energy :D

[unterhausen]

I was driving in Dayton OH. when an earthquake hit. I thought something was funny, and asked someone at my next stop if they felt an earthquake. They looked at me like I was crazy since it was a fairly significant event. I think they mostly get 3's, but things definitely start shaking

[joosttx]

I was on a group ride July 4.
A 4.2 hit about 15km away, never felt a thing though a few people in their yards asked us if we felt it when we rode on our way out of town.

I probably wouldn't noticed unless it was the big one

[gasman]

I probably wouldn't noticed unless it was the big one
Yep, I agree it would take a lot to feel it on a bike.
My wife was at home and said she heard the rumble and felt the shake.
But she can feel the force I swear.

[Elefantino]

Be careful what you wish for Elefantino. If memory serves me, you moved from Florida. You must have been lucky in your time there if you're willing to challenge the Gods by stating your preference.
I challenged them all the time when we lived there. Went through Floyd in 1999, then the four (Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne) in 2005.

I was in the auxiliary press box at Candlestick for Loma Prieta in 1989.

I was in an elevator in a high-rise hotel in Mexico City in 1965.

I prefer storms.

[alessandro]

Or maybe not:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one

Yeah, the Pacific Northwest has a subduction zone off the coast which is capable of creating a far larger earthquake (in magnitude) then the strike-slip ones in CA.

But maybe MattTuck meant he should pack up and move to the East Coast. You want to stay away from Charleston and its vicinity; FL is very safe when it comes to earthquakes (but sucks for pretty much everything else); where we are in Atlanta is pretty good too, plus we have hills and mountains and don't get hurricanes (but we get the rare tornado).

Yeah no doubt, I mostly posted that link for my neighbors in the NW as well as the fact that it was something I'd read very recently so it was fresh on the mind. I'm in San Diego, our fault zones seem to be fairly mild (like the weather...) in comparison to SF or even LA.

That New Yorker piece is mind-blowing, because of the potential for destruction and loss of life far greater than anything we've seen in recent history, because the existence of this subduction zone was unknown 45 years ago (and its ability to cause earthquakes was unknown 30 years ago), and because of the way that article builds to a crescendo.

Kenneth Murphy, who directs FEMA's Region X, the division responsible for Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, says, "Our operating assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast."

[froze]

I use to live in So California and went through a lot of quakes, got to the point it was just something that happened and never worried about them. I even went through the Northridge Eq, nothing got destroyed from the actual shock except for some glassware, it was a power outage and restart surge during a major aftershock that killed everything electronic in the house; which was ok, it gave me an excuse to buy a new stereo and other stuff with my wife's ok!

As crazy as this sounds but I would rather deal with eq's then hearing tornado sirens going off and TV warnings because those put fear into a person before the tornado hits. With a EQ you don't get a warning thus no fear, it's just WHAM then it's done and time to clean up.

[SeanScott]

I was visiting SF with the family for the week and stayed on the 20th floor.
That little quake scared us pretty good.

On a side note I was very impressed with the skills of the local cyclists. That is a crazy town to ride in! There are so many hazards to be aware of from all directions.

[jbf]

I remember my life in LA, and there were plenty of quakes. Always early in the morning, don't know why. Moved to NYC/CT - no earth quakes for 18 years. It's hard to remember how scary they are.

[jkbrwn]

Just hit by my first earthquake since moving to Los Angeles in February. 4.8 magnitude about 8 miles from home. That was WILD. Real shaking came and went in less than 10 seconds. Could feel some vibrations for maybe another 10 seconds.

Dang. Didn’t love that.

[dgauthier]

Yes, earthquakes. Just what we need right now. As if life's not full enough with coronavirus and wildfires...

[barnabyjones]

Just hit by my first earthquake since moving to Los Angeles in February. 4.8 magnitude about 8 miles from home. That was WILD. Real shaking came and went in less than 10 seconds. Could feel some vibrations for maybe another 10 seconds.

Dang. Didn’t love that.

The Northridge quake caused billions in damage and resulted in almost every freeway bridge and overpass being reinforced. Some parts of the valley looked as if they had been hit by a bomb. Tens of thousands of people were temporarily homeless. That was a 6.7. The Big One is predicted to be an 8 plus. Can I take your place in the UK? :bike:

[colker]

Had a 4.0 quake a little less than an hour ago, epicenter just up the street. Literally. We're on the top floor of a condo so we got a pretty good jolt.

Nothing broken, but the CSI did fall over. No damage, thankfully.

Have been through too many earthquakes to count, including Loma Prieta, Mexico City, Oroville, Livermore ...

Having been through enough of them, give me hurricanes any day.

Tell me about it. Half my life is in Mexico.
Last time i got a call from the wife telling me not to worry and she was safe . I had no idea a massive quake hit DF w/ buildings collapsing all over. She was on the road close to town and suddenly lamp posts and massive structures began to move right there on the highway. She turned the car around and headed back to the country.

[PTinz]

Hate ‘em too.....lived in Japan in 2011 for that March 11, 9.0.....and in The Anchorage area in 2018, when the 6.0 one struck on 1 NOV-that one was 5 miles from the house and a mile deep, and it was immediately full strength, not a build up like others i have experienced. Been there, done that, no more thank you very much!

[tmf]

I had just moved to the SF Bay area in late September '89 for my first job out of college. On Oct. 17, I was mountain biking in the east bay hills behind Berkeley when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit at 5:04pm (the one that hit during the across the Giants/A's world series). I didn't feel a thing from the earthquake - everything just felt like a normal mtb ride. I'm guessing I was probably bombing downhill and didn't notice the extra shaking/vibration. This was a 6.9/7.2 magnitude.

I remember seeing a column of smoke from the SF Marina and a smaller fire around the UC campus in Berkeley. I thought to myself "wow, someone must have started a fire in San Francisco then came and started one in Berkeley". Not a serious thought - just a fleeting one. After riding, I stopped at a pizza place in Berkeley for a couple of slices. Saw a guy in line listening to a radio pressed to his ear, but figured he was just keeping up with the ballgame. It was so weird looking back at this - everyone was completely normal and that radio was my only clue something was going on but I didn't pick up on it. In my car heading home it was about 7:30-8:00, I was picking up some very concerned strange talk on the radio. Someone said something about the Bay bridge collapsing, etc. The exact second I realized what happened, the street I was driving on went total pitch black - the power was out and all the street lights in that area were out. Total Twilight Zone moment!!

I figured I was one of the last people in the country to know about the earthquake (about 3 hours had passed), and I was right there.

[d_douglas]

It’s a bit weird, but I am Fascinated by both earthquakes and tsunamis and yes, I live in the PNW. The impact of these events is so varied...

[verticaldoug]

I think the water is far more frightening. Whether is is heavy rains from a hurricane when it hits the mountains like Irene did in Vermont in 2011, Harvey in Houston and Katrina in New Orleans, or the effing Tsunami like the 2004 Indian Ocean and 2011 Tohoku Tsunami both caused by offshore earthquakes, these are by far the most destructive.

The fact the tsunami can get you from an earthquake 100's of miles away, you may have no time to prepare. This seems the worse to me.

[C40_guy]

Having grown up in the SF Bay area, I've been through a few myself and would trade a 5-8 second quake over a 3-month winter here in the NE any day of the week.



Well, thanks to global warming, 3 month winters in New England don't warrant mounting snow tires any more. I still do, out of habit, but can't remember the last time I drove in real snow. Maybe the snowmageddon of 2015.

[Sawas]

Yeah, the one here in SoCal in the middle of the night was crazy. Starting to remind me of the quake decade we had in the 90s.

[Elefantino]

The OP is happily ensconced away from earthquake country.

[robt57]

I find myself wondering exactly who likes them.

[bicycletricycle]

I like them, i grew up in Pasadena and was up for the 6.7 which was pretty close. Felt like I was surfing the driveway :)