Seeing a lot of bru-ha-ha over the little 5.6 earthquake that occurred in San Jose yesterday. Mostly from the new kids who aren't used to the ground moving hither-to-and-fro on its own accord, because nothing under a 6.4 is really anything to write home about.
So to you fault line-living n00bs I say: welcome to the Ring of Fire. You'll never get more than a two-second warning, so there's no need to worry needlessly. If the earth shakes, it shakes -- just ride it out as best you can and hope it's not going to turn into a 10.0+.
Also: Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
Ha ha ha! So true. I remember my first quake in school, it scared the crap out of me and crawling under neath the squeaky metal desks seemed like the worst place to be.
The upside of earth quakes is that they're great at demolition in certain places where you know you wanted to remove the homes anyway.
Sometimes I pray for a little 5.6 earthquake to rock my kids to sleep.
I JUST moved to San Francisco... and felt nothing. Lame! Was totally looking forward to my first quake.
I live in Pinole, east of Richmond and San Francisco. I didn't feel a thing. But apparently there were reports of the quake being felt everywhere around me. Darn. Guess I missed it.
Silly transplanted east coast kiddies, there is no need to live in fear.
I've lived the majority of my life right on top of the San Andreas fault line, which runs directly through my hometown in the San Gabriel Mtns here in Southern California. In fact, geologists (according to my HS geology teacher) come up to the area frequently so they can study the fault. Needless to say, I've never been afraid of earthquakes and never will.
For those of us who rode out the '89 one, 5.6 is definitely little to bru-ha-ha about...
Enjoyment depends on the kind of earthquake it is...
If it a rolly one, get under a desk and enjoy it like a rollercoaster. (Whittier 1987, other nice 5.0-6.0s)
If it is jolting one, stay under desk and either pray or swear. (any number of earthquakes either in LA or high desert in the last 15 years)
If is just plain big and lasts a long time, wonder at how vastly small we are and yell at roommates to get in doorway, laugh and make jokes while in doorway (Northridge 1994 6.7, Hector Mine 1999 7.1)
If you don't want any natural hazards, good luck finding a place to live in the US. I will fore go blizzards, tornadoes, and hurricanes for a little bit of earthshaking every so occasionally, esp. when the earthquakes are of the rolly variety. ;o)
Well, you young whippersnappers, the first memory of my life was the 7.7 Tehachapi Earthquake in '52!
Is it wrong to yell "yeehaw!" during a 5.6 rolly?
I heart California.
Greg, were you here in Orange County during 7 or 8 earthquake? This was a long time ago, but I still remember it lasting about 20 plus seconds.
To Cameron's point compared to the quake in '89, a 5.6 is nothing to bru-ha-ha about. I was there for '89 in the middle of piano lessons. My teacher thought it best to get under the grand piano. Not so smart. It's wonder I'm still alive.
> I JUST moved to San Francisco... and felt nothing.
Josh, turn right around and go back to Philly. if you can't at least feel them then you have no business living here pal!
> Enjoyment depends on the kind of earthquake it is...
Funny, because it's soooo true. Rollys are the best and everyone should do the wave when they come through.
> Greg, were you here in Orange County during 7 or 8 earthquake? This was a long time ago, but I still remember it lasting about 20 plus seconds.
I wasn't, but we had a 7.0 (or near 7.0) when I lived in Alaska. I can still see things falling off the shelves and watching telephone polls sway like palm trees in the Santa Ana winds.
Try living in Ohio!
We get floods, tornadoes, blizzards, wildfires and earthquakes. While we may not get hurricanes yet, that may change if Lake Erie decides to do something funky some day. Who knows what effects global warming will have on the Great Lakes? They might become an ocean in the Age of Melting.
Ohio's got it all, baby!
@ Greg - WAH! I have to leave already??? ... *sigh*
FWIW, getting under the desk, table or grand piano has been reported to be totally the WRONG thing to do. You want to be low to the ground and NEXT to these items so when they collapse to half their size, there is still air space next to them. A refrigerator or some bulk item like that is the best. If you are in bed, lay on the ground next to the bed, not under it.
Kinda funny to hear after all these years of getting under the desk.
> just ride it out as best you can and hope it's not going to turn into a 10.0+.
...who else says that?
(And no, it's never too early for a Frisky Dingo reference.)
> because nothing under a 6.4 is really anything to write home about.
You may have forgotten the Whittier earthquake which was just 6.2, killed some people and caused 350M+ in damage. The only earthquake that ever really scared me and I've been in Cali for 38 years.
Wife stood under a door for this one, but I told her to come out of the house with me. We lived in Mountain View, and the whole place was chugging about like it was on wheels and bad asphalt. Biggest quake I've personally felt since the '89 one.
But, as a true born-and-raised Bay Area native, the process was this:
* WTF is this? Oh, an earthquake.
* Anything to write home about? Hmm... maybe.
* Better grab the wife and kid and step outside a bit.
* Alright, back inside.
Fortunately, this one interrupted a fight, so it was more like Mother Earth lending a helping hand.
When are you competing in Layer Tennis? Oh come on already!