earthquake

Post by **DonnaT** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 12:55 pm

We just had an earthquake in D.C.

Post by **DonnaT** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:35 pm

http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2011/08 ... _multiline

Upgraded to 6.0

There's a Nuclear power plant near where the quake was centered.

Carolynn · Post by **Carolynn** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:50 pm

I understand it was pretty shallow, which is one reason it was felt over a wide area. 6.0 is enough to cause some problems. Did the nuke plant have generators tripped? Didn't sound strong enough to cause the plant to do a scram shut down.

We have small ones often, the largest of which in the last year was 5.1, centered just east of the town I live in. It was a loud shaking and disturbed places I hadn't dusted in awhile and opened cabinet and closet doors. Those in our area are also shallow, and there is no coherent theory for their cause like in the west, though some blame the oil industry.

Post by **DonnaT** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:00 pm

We've had some small ones, but that's the first one I've ever felt.

I thought I was getting the shakes from my diabetes, but then the shaking got heavier.

They are saying it's the largest ever felt here.

Just reported that two of the plant's systems shut down automatically.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:01 pm

Thank God there were no injuries and that damage was minimal

It will give you all something to talk about in the pub tonight

Davita · Post by **Davita** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 4:53 pm

It took about an hour to evacuate our building and we stood outside for about 1/2 hour or more. Then we were told we could go home and that the building will be closed in 1/2 an hour. So then it took some time to get back into the building to get my car keys. oops. So then I took 15 minutes at least to get out of the parking lot.

Getting home wasn't bad.

Post by **DonnaT** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:23 pm

Well I hope the traffic lets up by the time I leave to office. Metro trains are running at 15 mph while they make sure all the tracks are ok.

Then I'll have a 30 mile drive home from Pentagon City. The traffic cameras make the traffic look like it did when we had the last blizzard.

Carolynn · Post by **Carolynn** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 6:51 pm

Wow, I just realized. If a couple had got together for a quick "nooner", they would have both really felt the "earth move" today.

April Rose · Post by **April Rose** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 9:17 pm

I felt it in Massachusetts. I was out in the car, parked, about 2: pm when it started rocking. No damage up here, but a lot of people talking about it.

SilverLady(SO) · Post by **SilverLady(SO)** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 10:59 pm

The earthquake was felt here in Roanoke, happened about 1:50pm, shortly after I clocked in at work today. My boss was sitting down so he felt the quake, but as I was standing - and my body automatically adjusted to the tremors - I did not feel a thing, although I did hear some rumbling, similar to that of several tractor-trailers barreling down the road at the same time. Virginia was home on the mountain, and she said the tremors were enough to rattle our dishes and glasses in the cupboard, but that's all. Actually, she thought it was "kinda neat" to have experienced an earthquake where nothing was damaged and not be afraid of it.

The quake was all my customers were talking about today, and it was almost enough to drive me batty (luckily for them, Xanax chilled me right out and my customers are still alive). They could not understand why I was so 'nonchalant' about it all . . . I experienced it all before living in the Motor City area, and also while visiting in California, and this was no big deal!

I can imagine my customers will be talking non-stop about the hurricane as the week progresses, in addition to the earthquake. Ho-hum, boredom. Living in the Tampa area for 10 years, and having Cat 2 and 3 hurricanes, wind, rain, and the threat of severe tornadoes pummel my house every summer, well, this hurricane will be another non-event for me, too.

- SL

DeeDee · Post by **DeeDee** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:27 pm

Hi all...tsk tsk SL. The earthquake thingie was really nothing, but you should be concerned about Irene. Sure, us Floridians are used to them, but this is an unusual storm...passed us by but still had squall lines 300 miles away...so huge. NEasters aren't used to sustained high winds and especially the storm surge. Now I lived in NJ for many years and we had NEasters, but a hurricane is different. I'm not playing your comment down, just be prepared for power outages, panic from people who never saw a hurricane before, and other things. As you know a "cane can move this way or that when it feels like it, but this looks like a serious one for ya'all. So take care, stock up on brewskies and get back to us when the power comes back!!!!
Hugs
DeeDee

Post by **DonnaT** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 4:54 pm

Yes, there will be a lot of people losing power, that happens even in minor storms. Luckily, so far, our lines are underground and we rarely lose power.

One good note, this is a weekend event.

Absaroka · Post by **Absaroka** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:25 pm

My inlaws lived in South Florida and experienced quite a few very bad hurricanes. They came through them all unscathed but that was because they took them seriously and did what they were supposed to do.

I had a friend who lived on the shore up here in New England. You could see the waves break a hundred yards from his house on a calm day. He stayed put for a very bad noreaster about 17 years ago. Eventually the waves took out his lower level doors and windows. He had 6 feet of water in the first floor with waves rolling in one side and out the other (and over a foot of sand the next day). At that point it was too late too leave. Eventually the coast guard came and got him, but they really have better things to do than rescue people who don't listen.

I'm not in a flood zone so my worry is falling trees and downed power lines. Stay home, don't go out, make life easy for the folks who are supposed to be taking care of things during the storm. It's really that simple.

Zari

SilverLady(SO) · Post by **SilverLady(SO)** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 10:06 pm

Hi, DeeDee -

We are not unprepared for any potential outages due to the hurricane, both Virginia and I have lived through them in FL, we know the routines and we're fully aware that our neighbors most likely are not as 'seasoned' as us.

Irene would have to shift quite a bit westward for us to get any of the wind or rain, but we could definitely use the rain; it also helps that our house is protected by a mountain (literally, as it's our backyard). The current forecast doesn't have Irene coming anywhere near us, and yes, we know she can shift at will . . . experienced that in 2004 with the 'cane that made landfall in Punta Gorda instead of Tampa (close call for me, whew!). Besides, I've got an Italian aunt by the same name and she's one mean witch ... this hurricane has nothing on her.

Still, we're stocked up on all the essentials, most notably wine, Hard Mike's, Kahlua, Schnapps ('Hot Damn!') and of course my 181-proof rum and whiskey. Oh, yeah, we've also a got lot of food (steak, burgers, pizza, chips and salsa), the makings for S'Mores, water, batteries, and propane gas for the grill.

Unless Irene makes a hard-left westward, we're going out on the boat tomorrow and paying a visit to our friends who live on the lake . . . call it a Hurricane Party on SML - sans alcohol, of course, because we *never* drink and drive!!

((Hugs))

Carol Ann · Post by **Carol Ann** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 7:10 am

Gee SL sounds like you are ready for and old fashion hurricane party