Earthquake rattles east coast of US
August 23, 2011 11:11 AM   Subscribe

Did the earth move for you too?
posted by Artifice_Eternity (148 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: This is a deeply thin link and there's already a metatalk post if people mostly just feel like chatting about the earthquake. -- cortex



 
(I'm in downtown NYC, near Ground Zero. I actually didn't feel it, but most of my coworkers did. At first we assumed it was construction-related blasting. Apparently not.)
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 11:12 AM on August 23, 2011


Really powerful in the DC area.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:12 AM on August 23, 2011


Obligatory xkcd reference.
posted by myelin sheath at 11:12 AM on August 23, 2011 [5 favorites]


Things got a little wiggly in way-down-south Brooklyn.
posted by griphus at 11:13 AM on August 23, 2011


Felt it on Wall Street, where I was for some meetings. I was initially worried about another attack and somewhat relieved it was ONLY an earthquake. Any reports from DC?
posted by TNLNYC at 11:13 AM on August 23, 2011


Felt in Boston area.
posted by Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific at 11:13 AM on August 23, 2011


My office in Hoboken, NJ has been evacuated. Two friends in Bay Ridge Brooklyn felt it. Nothing here in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
posted by spicynuts at 11:13 AM on August 23, 2011


USGS link
posted by vacapinta at 11:13 AM on August 23, 2011


Felt it in Hamilton, Ontario.

We move around like that all the time, when a speeding truck hits the brakes too hard. But this time, there was no truck, and it lasted much longer -- ten seconds or so.
posted by Capt. Renault at 11:13 AM on August 23, 2011


USGS says magnitude 5.9, epicenter in Virginia.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 11:14 AM on August 23, 2011


Here's the official USGS info: a 5.9 hit outside of Mineral, VA.
posted by griphus at 11:14 AM on August 23, 2011


Everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you.

How are you?
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:14 AM on August 23, 2011 [21 favorites]


There was also a pretty strong earthquake in Colorado last night. What's going on?

Patiently waiting for catastrophe here in San Francisco. Knock on wood and all that.
posted by eugenen at 11:14 AM on August 23, 2011


FRSIT
posted by griphus at 11:14 AM on August 23, 2011 [4 favorites]


Seconded in Boston. Shaking lasted 10-15 sec, all it seemed to do was make some light poles wobbly, but definitely felt it.
posted by the painkiller at 11:14 AM on August 23, 2011


Columbus, Ohio. Felt it. Was about to tell co-workers but figured they'd call me an ambulance instead.
posted by hal9k at 11:15 AM on August 23, 2011


Meh. Did it destroy your highways?
posted by GuyZero at 11:15 AM on August 23, 2011


It broke my heart.
posted by griphus at 11:15 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Felt it in SoHo.
posted by R. Mutt at 11:15 AM on August 23, 2011


Providence RI got a little taste too on its way up to Boston.
posted by safetyfork at 11:16 AM on August 23, 2011


My fiancée's office on Canal Street in NYC had stuff falling off the shelves; the building's been evacuated.
posted by nicwolff at 11:16 AM on August 23, 2011


felt it in jersey city. that was weird.
posted by Mach5 at 11:16 AM on August 23, 2011


Felt it a little in Toronto. I thought it was my phone vibrating, went on Facebook and it turned out I was mistaken.
posted by saturday_morning at 11:16 AM on August 23, 2011


Felt it in south central PA, too. I was just thinking about what an amazing time we live in that I can hop online and get live earthquake info from the government, then visit Facebook and see all my friends reacting, then turn on CNN to see even more live coverage.
posted by MegoSteve at 11:16 AM on August 23, 2011


Yep. We're near Dulles airport and the house shook for 10 or 20 seconds.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 11:16 AM on August 23, 2011


Felt a little jiggle here on Long Island.
posted by Edgewise at 11:16 AM on August 23, 2011


EarthQuake Map Here
posted by MechEng at 11:16 AM on August 23, 2011


Pretty strong here in MD.
posted by spaltavian at 11:16 AM on August 23, 2011


all my carefully sorted googly eyes fell off the shelf. :/
posted by elizardbits at 11:16 AM on August 23, 2011 [3 favorites]


Yes! North of Boston. We felt the building sway; truly odd.

This was my first earthquake. I've always really had a hard time understanding descriptions of earthquakes. To me, it felt exactly like being in a boat that's tethered to the dock when a speeding boat goes buy and causes you to rock while your boat pulls against the dock line.
posted by Miko at 11:17 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Felt it in PA, my first, and just sorta took it in stride figuring these things happen all the time. LOL
posted by hellojed at 11:17 AM on August 23, 2011


Totally felt it in upstate NY, near Ithaca.
posted by kestrel251 at 11:17 AM on August 23, 2011


Mores signs of the coming apocalypse. Next, Michelle Bachmann...
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy at 11:17 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


No. Wisconsin remains inert.
posted by quin at 11:17 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Felt it in Toronto/Mississauga. Stronger than the one in June of last year.
posted by methroach at 11:17 AM on August 23, 2011


Everyone in my office felt it (Hell's Kitchen) but I didn't notice a thing!
posted by sweetkid at 11:17 AM on August 23, 2011


Any reports from DC?

It was very very intense compared to the 3.5 I felt in Hawaii once. Everything's being evacuated, but I don't see any damage yet.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:17 AM on August 23, 2011


FRACKING. WAKE UP SHEEPLE!
posted by GuyZero at 11:18 AM on August 23, 2011 [3 favorites]


I thought I felt it in London but it turned out it was just the cat farting on my toes. I might still tweet about it, though.
posted by fight or flight at 11:18 AM on August 23, 2011 [6 favorites]


The Pentagon was evacuated (yes really)
posted by 2bucksplus at 11:18 AM on August 23, 2011


Cambridge, MA up 17 floors. Everyone in the office stood up at once and said, "What the hell was that?" Felt like a strong wind pushed our building and set it swinging.
posted by xingcat at 11:18 AM on August 23, 2011


Our offices in Pittsburgh shook a lot. We all ran out into the hallway and looked at each other and said, "should we be evacuating?" and then went back into our offices.
posted by octothorpe at 11:18 AM on August 23, 2011


Felt it here in downtown Ottawa. The whole top of the building wobbled.
posted by LN at 11:18 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


No. Wisconsin remains inert.

But tomorrow, the cows will give cheese curds.

B-domp-smash! I'll be here all week.
posted by Miko at 11:18 AM on August 23, 2011


Nothing in Bedford, MA.
The only earthquake I felt was the speed my facebook feed being filled with OMGEARTHQUAKE!
posted by jozxyqk at 11:18 AM on August 23, 2011


@sweetkid... same for me! Everyone started running around, chattering, and I was like... whut?
posted by kimdog at 11:19 AM on August 23, 2011


Mores signs of the coming apocalypse. Next, Michelle Bachmann...

It's not her fault.
posted by hal9k at 11:19 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Twitter feed went crazy, but that was the only evidence in Chicago.
posted by eriko at 11:19 AM on August 23, 2011


We had a 15 minute argument about evacuating the building and then unanimously decided that we didn't want to walk down 10 flights of stairs. DEMOCRACY IN ACTION.
posted by elizardbits at 11:20 AM on August 23, 2011 [5 favorites]


New Haven, shook pretty darned good here.
posted by dbiedny at 11:20 AM on August 23, 2011


Felt it in Toledo, Ohio (near Detroit)
posted by travis08 at 11:20 AM on August 23, 2011


Ah, yes, phase three of the "export California" master plan. You thought it was just going to be movies, weird music, produce and computer stuff, didn't you? No, we're going to export the California experience wholesale! Earthquakes for everyone! Next up, smog and traffic! And fire! Lots of fire!
posted by loquacious at 11:20 AM on August 23, 2011 [8 favorites]


Apparently everyone else in Asheville felt it but I was sitting on the porch patiently waiting for the city sanitation department to let me off hold and the earth, it did not move. An actual human did eventually answer the phone, though, which is a fairly earth shattering event right there.
posted by mygothlaundry at 11:20 AM on August 23, 2011 [4 favorites]


Real strong here in downtown DC. Everyone is out on the street, but I am back in the office, though not for long--gotta go check on my 1912 rowhouse!

I was in the Northridge earthquake, and a bunch of smaller ones in Guatemala (I lived near a volcano), and that panicky feeling is always the same.

The men on the scaffolding painting the building opposite me have just resumed, so everything must be fine.
posted by oneironaut at 11:20 AM on August 23, 2011


In related news, I really hate situations that tempt me to start using twitter.
posted by elizardbits at 11:20 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Wobbly in Philly. We self-evacuated. It's a nice day here ...
posted by carter at 11:21 AM on August 23, 2011


Hanging out at my brother and sister in law's place in Arlington, helping them out with their 3 week old. They're re-doing their closets upstairs, so there's been banging, hammering, and drilling all day. The guys called out "that's not us!" when the earthquake shook. The 3 week old slept right through. Not sure if the recent poop in her sleep is related.
posted by raztaj at 11:21 AM on August 23, 2011


Didn't feel it out here in SF.
posted by Lord_Pall at 11:21 AM on August 23, 2011 [4 favorites]


Felt it in ILLINO--::adjusts refresh rate:: nevermind
posted by obscurator at 11:21 AM on August 23, 2011


Well if they take our jerbs it's only fair they take our earthquakes too. Don't worry, we'll keep the nice weather and food.
posted by entropicamericana at 11:21 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Twitter beat CNN on this one.
posted by smackfu at 11:21 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Having been in SF in 1989 (at the bar at a trade show with my mom, reading Little Dorrit), on Greenwich and West Sts. on 9/11, and now here, I probably speak for a lot of NYCers in being glad it's just an earthquake. Phew!
posted by skbw at 11:22 AM on August 23, 2011


I felt it here in DC, but another guy in the office was driving and felt nothing. I also added a Google Plus message about the earthquake before I went and found a door jam to stand in.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 11:22 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


I felt it, I thought it was just me and I was really hungover.
posted by Ad hominem at 11:22 AM on August 23, 2011


On the good side: No tsunami warnings in the Ohio Valley.
posted by hal9k at 11:22 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


I was in the shower at the work gym. "This is why I don't masturbate at work," I thought as I rinsed the suds off.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:22 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


@kimdog I came back from the bathroom and everyone was standing up, looking confused. Then someone said the floor moved. Then someone checked Twitter and we heard about an earthquake.
posted by sweetkid at 11:22 AM on August 23, 2011


We felt the building sway; truly odd.

I'm guessing your building is built on rollers, for this reason.

Regarding myelin's xkcd post, I was on the phone with Ms. berjaw one night when an earthquake hit where she was, in Orange County. "Omigod! An earthquake!" she yelled into the phone. I was in San Diego, and by the time I was saying "Are you okay?" I felt the same earthquake. It was strange to hear about it before it actually happened.
posted by jabberjaw at 11:23 AM on August 23, 2011


Pretty shaky just north of Annapolis...weird feeling.

Well that was fun. Whats next? Oh yea Irene is in the Caribbean
posted by ShawnString at 11:23 AM on August 23, 2011


Twitter beat CNN on this one.

I think it says a lot about how my media habits had changed that as soon as we determined it was over, I went immediately to Facebook. I briefly thought of checking a news site, like Boston.com or the NYT, but I immediately realized that if they had anything on it, it would be linked on Facebook, and even if not, there would be plenty of other reports from all over.
posted by Miko at 11:23 AM on August 23, 2011


Wiggliness ensued in eastern Toronto. Aquarium water rocked gently.
posted by scruss at 11:23 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Malvern, PA: Pretty good shake.
posted by DWRoelands at 11:24 AM on August 23, 2011


I was cursing my lack of sleep and then I checked twitter.
posted by ob at 11:24 AM on August 23, 2011


Earthquake was so nonexistent on the (extremely long) list of things that I worry about that I thought at first it was just my cats being assholes. (How were they shaking my bed so hard?). When the doors started rattling I really freaked out, because now I was sure it must be a home invasion. When the windows started in I realized it must have been the crappy old building I live in falling down. (I always knew this would happen!) When the neighbors started running out, I decided it must be a gas line exploding or possibly a bomb dropped nearby. Yup, I thought bombing was more likely than earthquake.
posted by troublewithwolves at 11:25 AM on August 23, 2011 [2 favorites]


Had trouble googling for information on this. God knows why I didn't just come here first.

Facebook was useless (EARTHQUAKE OMG LOL!). I'm not a twitter person.
posted by Kwine at 11:25 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Washington Heights, NYC.. felt it. Small shimmy but enough to make me think, hey I wonder if that was my first tremor! Very cool. Glad it wasn't a major thing.
posted by ReeMonster at 11:26 AM on August 23, 2011


I'm guessing your building is built on rollers, for this reason.

I really doubt it - it's over 150 years old. It's been rehabbed but not that completely. It's brick. It was just that we were all swaying along with the ground. I was surprised the whole thing is more of a "bob and sway" feeling than a "shake and rattle" feeling.
posted by Miko at 11:26 AM on August 23, 2011


Got sick to my stomach in Boston! One more item to cross of the bucket list.
posted by bondcliff at 11:26 AM on August 23, 2011


In Virginia and not aware that I felt it. Bit disappointed really.
posted by idb at 11:26 AM on August 23, 2011


To me, it felt exactly like being in a boat that's tethered to the dock when a speeding boat goes buy and causes you to rock while your boat pulls against the dock line.

This was my first earthquake, here in Raleigh, NC. That's a good description. At first I thought it must be some kind of huge truck driving by, but it lasted too long.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:26 AM on August 23, 2011


This is because you deleted that 2012 post from earlier today, isn't it?
posted by mkultra at 11:26 AM on August 23, 2011 [4 favorites]


Pretty damn frightening in DC, actually.
posted by Navelgazer at 11:27 AM on August 23, 2011


I'm sure that the brick 19th century converted casket factory that our offices are in are is safe. Right?
posted by octothorpe at 11:27 AM on August 23, 2011 [2 favorites]


Twitter beat CNN on this one.

If Twitter can't beat CNN to things like this, it should stop existing.

(not saying that the comment is invalid; just that if the opposite was true, I would seriously think we could petition to be shutdown as useless to the world
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:27 AM on August 23, 2011


@hal9k

Mores signs of the coming apocalypse. Next, Michelle Bachmann...

It's not her fault.


Of course not. Its Obama's.
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy at 11:27 AM on August 23, 2011


In DC, currently evacuated.
posted by X-Himy at 11:27 AM on August 23, 2011


In DC, currently evacuated.

TMI
posted by griphus at 11:28 AM on August 23, 2011 [14 favorites]


Felt it here in Mechanicsville, VA, just east of Richmond. Our boss thought it might be very large trucks going by, but the rumblings went on way too long. My uncle is in Mineral, but I haven't been able to get through to him yet. People who were outside of my work building never even noticed the rumbling.
posted by gargoyle93 at 11:28 AM on August 23, 2011


Yesterday's LA Times article: How to prepare for Hurricane Irene -- or an earthquake. I'm pretty sure they didn't mean it quite like that.
posted by restless_nomad at 11:28 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Our entire, good-sized 70s office building swayed in Upper Marlboro, MD - a few things off the shelves +, apparently, a cracked wall.
posted by ryanshepard at 11:28 AM on August 23, 2011


So I have been having this discussion with my friend in New York since she told me: Why are all these Canadians and whatnot claiming to feel it when the distance is further than LA > SF, and we certainly don't feel one another's quakes out here? I say people like to think they felt it. She says according to science the East Coast is more wobbly.
posted by dame at 11:29 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


I was surprised the whole thing is more of a "bob and sway" feeling than a "shake and rattle" feeling.

We had one in Asheville about five years ago that I felt - my first and so far only earthquake - and I honestly thought a helicopter had landed in my backyard.
posted by mygothlaundry at 11:29 AM on August 23, 2011


Felt it strongly here in southeast DC across from the baseball stadium. Our building is evacuated, sitting out front with my laptop. I don't see any visible damage anywhere though. Cell phone network is mostly down, very difficult to get out.
posted by smoothvirus at 11:30 AM on August 23, 2011


Nothing here, but we're on solid ground up here in Washington Heights.
posted by Wylie Kyoto at 11:30 AM on August 23, 2011


FoxNews just reported that a DC cop says they are concerned that the Washington Monument is now leaning.

Of course, FoxNews does see a leftward tilt in everything, but still...
posted by Asparagirl at 11:31 AM on August 23, 2011 [2 favorites]



We had a 15 minute argument about evacuating the building and then unanimously decided that we didn't want to walk down 10 flights of stairs. DEMOCRACY IN ACTION.


Which worked out well today...
posted by edgeways at 11:31 AM on August 23, 2011


Forgot to add.. you can sure tell that this town is built on a filled-in swamp!
posted by smoothvirus at 11:31 AM on August 23, 2011


My mother called from Delaware to tell me that everything was fine. "I didn't want you to be worried!"

It took a lot not to say, "Um, I wasn't..."
posted by Madamina at 11:32 AM on August 23, 2011


In Toronto it didn't feel as strong as the one last summer. But that was 350km away versus today's quake which was 550km away.
posted by thecjm at 11:32 AM on August 23, 2011


I'm in L.A. (born and raised) and have the USGS bookmarked on all of my devices. Now I know what site to visit after the USGS...
posted by Sophie1 at 11:32 AM on August 23, 2011


Adding my experience to the DC pile. We evacuated our school building – thankfully kids haven't returned yet – though no one knew what our stated earthquake policy was. After a couple minutes we shrugged and re-entered. I also have to admit that "earthquake!" was not the first thought that went through my mind when the shaking started.
posted by BrotherFeldspar at 11:33 AM on August 23, 2011


So, is there something I should be doing right now in the aftermath of my first earthquake? Evacuating something or worrying about aftershocks or something like that?
posted by decathecting at 11:33 AM on August 23, 2011


Shouldn't this be on Ask?
posted by furiousxgeorge at 11:33 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


I was eating lunch at Chipotle in the Empire State Building and didn't feel it. When I came out there was a million people on the sidewalk, which is about 1% more than usual for 34th St.
posted by yeti at 11:34 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]



So, is there something I should be doing right now in the aftermath of my first earthquake? Evacuating something or worrying about aftershocks or something like that?


As a Northern Californian, my advice to you is to start drinking heavily. Preferably a local organic microbrew.
posted by entropicamericana at 11:34 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


At work in Alexandria, VA, in a FEMA library warehouse (appropriately enough) - it was fairly powerful here. The shelves and lights started jiggling, and I bolted as soon as the shaking stopped. Some of our boxes fell, but nothing was damaged. I've never felt an earthquake before, so it was ultra weird for me!
posted by timetoevolve at 11:34 AM on August 23, 2011


So, is there something I should be doing right now in the aftermath of my first earthquake? Evacuating something or worrying about aftershocks or something like that?

Tweeting, apparently.
posted by 2bucksplus at 11:34 AM on August 23, 2011


I say people like to think they felt it.

This time it was not very subjective.
posted by Miko at 11:34 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


I missed it thanks to working next to a major demolition site.
posted by tommasz at 11:35 AM on August 23, 2011


So, is there something I should be doing right now in the aftermath of my first earthquake? Evacuating something or worrying about aftershocks or something like that?

Panic is always an option, but no. With a 5.9, unless you're at the epicenter or your building is extremely unstable, just put the stuff back on the shelves, grab a box of Entenmann's and go back to whatever you were doing.
posted by Sophie1 at 11:35 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Felt it here in Central Jersey. An armoir jittered and I thought a cat was trapped behind it. But now every couple minutes my muscles feel kinda buzzy, so I assume some part of my brain is freaking out.
posted by FunkyHelix at 11:35 AM on August 23, 2011


I was on the DC metro when I happened and didn't feel a thinv. The train slowed way down. When we got out at Columbia heights everyone was out on the street talking about it. Cell networks are dead but 3g works.
posted by nestor_makhno at 11:36 AM on August 23, 2011


And here I thought moving to Boston from Italy would rid me of this pesky earthquake problem...
posted by lydhre at 11:36 AM on August 23, 2011


Didn't feel anything in Park Slope Brooklyn. I thought my girlfriend was joking when she texted me asking if I felt an earthquake.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 11:36 AM on August 23, 2011


Building felt like a kiddie amusement park ride for a bit in Berlin, CT. But my girlfriend didn't feel anything over in Meriden.
posted by haveanicesummer at 11:38 AM on August 23, 2011


OK, so how do we explain the people who did not feel it even if they were in the middle of the zone? What are the mitigating factors? Being in another moving vehicle - being on a soft sofa - being asleep - being prone to dizziness as a regular thing..? Because it's odd to see a few people on FB saying they didn't feel it at all, when they are not far from others who did?
posted by Miko at 11:38 AM on August 23, 2011


I'm outside of Poughkeepsie, NY, and neither me nor my husband felt a thing. I did hear an unusually loud truck rattle by when I was on the phone with my mom about an hour ago. Maybe that was really an earthquake? Damn, I miss all the fun.

(I was feeling unusually hyper this morning so I'd like to think that my animal brain knew something was up.)
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:38 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Its funny to see the reactions of a rare East coast earthquake.

By contrast, in 2007 when I was in a bar in San Francisco, the place shook, all the bottles rattled and the chandelier started swinging back and forth.

"Was that an earthquake?" I asked
"Yes" the waitress replied and continued with what she was doing. Nobody else in the bar looked bothered about it either.
posted by vacapinta at 11:38 AM on August 23, 2011


Yeah, felt it out here in Laurel, MD. I thought it was a bombing at first too.

Then you realized you were in Laurel, and no one will ever be so merciful as to bomb Laurel Maryland?
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 11:39 AM on August 23, 2011 [2 favorites]


I didn't feel anything here in Florida. I decided to panic, anyway.
posted by dirigibleman at 11:39 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


I was on the phone with a customer in NJ who had to get off the phone when he felt it. At the same time, Mrs. Deadmessenger called me to tell me pictures came off the wall where she is, in Staten Island, NY.
posted by deadmessenger at 11:40 AM on August 23, 2011


The Canadian Shield is unaffected. * insert flag waving beaver gif here *
posted by WinnipegDragon at 11:40 AM on August 23, 2011


Felt whole building shake here on Broadway and 9th in NYC. Someone suggested it was a subway train passing under us, and everyone nodded, because -- I guess -- we wanted some way to rid ourselves of fear and cognitive dissonance. The subway theory was pretty absurd, given that we're on the 5th floor.
posted by grumblebee at 11:40 AM on August 23, 2011


being prone to dizziness as a regular thing

I have Meniere's disease and I still felt it like whoa. I did initially think it was a srs bznss vertigo attack, though.
posted by elizardbits at 11:40 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


I was in the shower at the work gym. "This is why I don't masturbate at work," I thought as I rinsed the suds off.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:22 AM on August 23 [1 favorite +] [!]


Using my sin to conjure earthquakes is EXACTLY why I masturbate at work.
posted by FatherDagon at 11:40 AM on August 23, 2011


how do we explain the people who did not feel it even if they were in the middle of the zone?

If you are on the ground and/or walking around when an earthquake hits, it's easier to miss it. The higher up you are, the more you feel it. Especially a 5.9, which in the realm of things isn't really that big.
posted by ambrosia at 11:40 AM on August 23, 2011


And then the googly disaster occurred.
posted by elizardbits at 11:40 AM on August 23, 2011


heh, could you imagine what would happen if people on the West Coast posted an earthquake thread everytime they felt the earth move?
posted by bl1nk at 11:40 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Nothing in Downtown Detroit, but Facebook says I am wrong (or just tectonically insensitive).
posted by joe lisboa at 11:41 AM on August 23, 2011


The real question is what speed did you go down the stairs at, 1-10? We bailed on our 7th floor office in Tribecca, I'd say 7.5 out of 10.
posted by nathancaswell at 11:41 AM on August 23, 2011


We were on the road here in NC and totally missed it. My co-worker's mom called saying something about an earthquake and we both laughed at her.
posted by marxchivist at 11:41 AM on August 23, 2011


I was surprised the whole thing is more of a "bob and sway" feeling than a "shake and rattle" feeling.

Not that I'm an expert (living in Wisconsin and all), but there are different types of quakes, and this one was quite deep as they go. Quakes that involve fault slippage are a bit different.

Miko, I think the structure you're in can have a lot to do with it.

no one will ever be so merciful as to bomb Laurel Slough?

Metafilter: all my carefully sorted googly eyes fell off the shelf
posted by dhartung at 11:41 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


OK, so how do we explain the people who did not feel it even if they were in the middle of the zone? What are the mitigating factors?

I just said I didn't feel it, but I did used to live on a street that had the PATH train running under it that'd rumble the buildings every time one went by, so maybe I'm immune to the ground shaking. So maybe I did actually feel it?
posted by Threeway Handshake at 11:41 AM on August 23, 2011


Miko, some of it is definitely soil composition. Even in the 1906 SF quake, damage (and thus likelihood of feeling it) varied across the city, depending on if you were on rock (Bernal) or fill (SOMA). At least I think that is what PBS told me once. Also, hallucination.
posted by dame at 11:42 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Felt it up here in Chelmsford MA. I thought I felt the building shake but thought it might have been a truck. Then I got an IM from my friends in Boston, Cambridge, North Carolina and Virgina all at the same time just saying "earthquake!"
posted by lilkeith07 at 11:42 AM on August 23, 2011


What to do after a quake:

-- report what you felt to the USGS

-- drink.
posted by gingerbeer at 11:42 AM on August 23, 2011


I love how West Coasters always sneer about this, but then a thunderstorm comes and you have to console them as they weep and shiver.
posted by Miko at 11:43 AM on August 23, 2011 [7 favorites]


tectonically insensitive

Stop being such a little schist, and be gneiss to those around you.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:43 AM on August 23, 2011 [6 favorites]


So, is there something I should be doing right now in the aftermath of my first earthquake?

Look around for any damage to your building -- any cracked walls or stuff like that? Everything look okay outside too? Check your gas lines; California has lines that turn off automatically, even at individual homes, but I don't think east coast buildings have that feature. My house's gas line once shut itself off from the shaking from a big windstorm.

Find out if any of your neighbors need help -- especially if they're elderly and may have fallen over from the shaking.

Take this opportunity to put together an earthquake kit at your house, car, and/or office with bottled water, a flashlight, a Walkman radio, extra batteries, non-perishable food (peanut butter, trail mix, granola bars, whatever), Kleenex or toilet paper, first aid stuff, and a blanket, stuffed in an easy to carry backpack. Hey, if this doesn't get you to stop procrastinating and finally make a kit, what will?

Otherwise, just count yourself lucky, and enjoy getting an unanticipated work break -- and wait for likely aftershocks.
posted by Asparagirl at 11:43 AM on August 23, 2011 [2 favorites]


I've been responsible for some earth-shaking-don't-bother-knocking-if-you-see-the-van-a'rocking in my day, but I'm pretty sure that last one wasn't me. Unless it was good for all of you. Then it was all jivadravya, baby.
posted by jivadravya at 11:43 AM on August 23, 2011


Felt in Pittsburgh, PA.

First and hopefully last earthquake I will ever feel. Kind of cool because I always wanted to feel one, but be safe. Worked out perfectly.
posted by amazingstill at 11:43 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Columbus, Ohio. Felt it.

Odd. I didn't. But I'm at ground level in a single-story building.
posted by Old'n'Busted at 11:44 AM on August 23, 2011


Cleveland here. It's a sad commentary on the constant vibration of my office that if it weren't for my friend in IM in DC saying "holy shit earthquake leaving" and the people out in the hall, I would have thought it was just the HVAC unit downstairs acting up.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 11:44 AM on August 23, 2011


OK, so how do we explain the people who did not feel it even if they were in the middle of the zone? What are the mitigating factors? Being in another moving vehicle - being on a soft sofa - being asleep - being prone to dizziness as a regular thing..? Because it's odd to see a few people on FB saying they didn't feel it at all, when they are not far from others who did?

Depends on a lot of things. If you were moving at the time (car/train/subway/walking) especially in an area far away from the epicenter, you likely won't feel it. It's also a matter of the ground you're on. If you're on the 25th floor of a building you're much more likely to feel it than on the first or second. And on Freview, what dame said...
posted by Sophie1 at 11:44 AM on August 23, 2011


Another Brooklyn person. And yeah. That's the strongest one I've ever been through. It took me a while to realize it wasn't my hangover.
posted by Skygazer at 11:45 AM on August 23, 2011


That's supposed to be "preview". Grr.
posted by Sophie1 at 11:45 AM on August 23, 2011


Stop being such a little schist, and be gneiss to those around you.
posted by Rock Steady


Epony-awesome.
posted by joe lisboa at 11:45 AM on August 23, 2011


Wait! I think I did feel it! Like 30-40 min ago I was like, man, the people upstairs are walking really loudly. My chair is actually shaking from the movement. Then, to my relief, it stopped. However, I failed to notice that no one was home.

I feel better now.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:46 AM on August 23, 2011


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