Earthquakes

[Raptor]

From CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/26/asia.quake/index.html). The magnitude of this disaster is just so hard to comprehend...

[Gorjirus]

I am especially concerned, as my "Aunt" Melody from Illinois has a brother and his wife who are currently in Sri Lanka at the moment. I only hope that he is okay. :(

[Raptor]

I was so glad to hear from fellow Ultra fan Soo Lee Min in Malaysia this AM!

Gorjirus, you might want to get in touch with your local Red Cross and see if they can make contact with your relatives. It could be a bit before communications in and out can be established but them and other relief efforts are under way.

[Melkor]

This is shocking indeed, especially since it happened just a day after Christmas. My condolences to the families of all those who died [ a massive 11,800 so far ], my prayers go out to them and their dead. I'm especially worried since my aunt's family left for Bangkok that very day. Thankfully, Bangkok is very far from Phuket, where majrity of the disaster in Thailand took place.



Peace,



Melkor



:darklord:

[Gorjirus]

Thank you Raptor, but my "Aunt" Melody called and said that they had heard from her bother and his wife and that they are both okay. I was very releaved.

Though, now the death tolls are upward of 20,000.

[EternalMothra]

Those poor people, my prayers go out to them as well. I have a friend in Thailand, I hope he's okay........I have no way to contact him though.....

[Saruman]

Death Toll is now up to the 22,000 range. This is truely horrible, and the death toll will continue to rise for quite some time I am sure. Though I don't know how they are going to know for certain just how many people were lost. Once again Mother Nature lets us know just how tiny we really are in the scheme of things.

[Mecha-Rodan]

This is probably the biggest disaster that some of us have ever seen (that we have memory of, at any rate...), myself included. The death toll has risen far above the people lost at 9/11, and yet the general public seems only midly concerned with it. They figure that since its "so far away" from them that it doesn't affect them, and that they shouldn't worry about it..... People sicken me. My hope goes out to those families and individuals still out their, sifting through the debris, looking for fellow survivors.

[Raptor]

This is probably the biggest disaster that some of us have ever seen (that we have memory of, at any rate...), myself included. The death toll has risen far above the people lost at 9/11, and yet the general public seems only midly concerned with it.Maybe not all. When the news came on at the restaurant we were at this PM, most folks stopped what they were doing and got a look of incomprehension and/or shock on their faces when the 20-something thousand death toll was given. They shook their heads in pity and disbelief and many discussed it at least briefly, expressing concern. They figure that since its "so far away" from them that it doesn't affect them, and that they shouldn't worry about it..... My hope goes out to those families and individuals still out their, sifting through the debris, looking for fellow survivors. Maybe it was the fact that it was earthquake related that the locals responded as they did, what with the New Madrid Fault right under our tables. I don't know how many of them are aware of some of the estimates that were made regarding our river, normally 8 miles away. Let's just say that my part of town is further west of where we were but if the figures are a little off, a block difference isn't that much of a margin of safety.
It always seems to be "too little too late" as the stricken countries NOW consider tsunami warning systems. Around here, if their tornado sirens don't go off at noon Fridays, many people call the PD about it.
For many of us, we CAN relate to other parts of the world, be it simply with concern for anyone in danger, having been there ourselves or worrying about friends and relatives. My mom and many friends were stationed in the Philippines and often mentioned earthquake activity, as well as visiting Thailand. Some of us have even gotten kaiju goodies from there via eBay. There are many Ultra fans also in Malaysia. In Alaska, I met folks who were there when the 1964 9.2 Good Friday quake hit. Over a decade later, some were still skittish.
EXN (http://exn.ca/stories/1999/12/14/53.asp) has a pretty good "world's worst natural disasters" reference. It doesn't cover the Alaskan and Mexico City earthquakes which may have occurred during some of our members' memory. A good comparison to tsunami effects is what the water does during bad hurricanes, ALMOST YEARLY. There have also been HUGE death tolls from disease over the centuries.
In many U.S. and more developed areas, good mitigation prevents great loss of life but we can also tend to take it for granted; a false sense of security IMO because the forces of nature themselves are by no means controlled or reduced. How many people pay attention when the stewardess on a plane goes over emergency procedures? Or bothers to check the evacuation plan on the back of a hotel room door when on a road trip? There are risks of some kind about everywhere and the most powerful and devastating ones can happen the fastest and without adequate warning.
That was indeed joyful news for Melody, I'm sure, Gorjirus! :thumbs: Thanks for letting us know also.

[Saruman]

The death toll took a huge spike and is now over 44,000 people dead. One town of 10,000 people was found to be completely wiped out and not a single person survived. This is definately one of the worst disasters in history, and what a horrible time of the year for something like this to happen. :(

[Archaic_Avenger]

the death tol is continually rising. there's so many dead bodies they dont have enough people to bury them and as a result an epidemic is starting. due to the epidemic, diseased food supplies are gorwing in numbers, and there's now too little food for the survivors to eat. this is an awful, horrible, terrible, and beyond words in badness situation and event.

and its ture.

its all happening as we speak/type.

its not happening to us, but to other people, so the majority of unnaffected people are just going to ignore it. but from these posts and replys, i see that these people, here at the Roost are mostly unaffected, and are taking the time to write a simple message about it. kudos to you all, and all my heart felt simpathies and condolenses to those who have died and are dying, and will die, and will survive this entire catastrophy. hat's off, moment silence, anything to be done to remember these people should be. as simple or complex, as helpful or unhelpful, as anything as it can be, just think about it. if that's all you can do, think about it. aggreeing with Saruman, this truly is one of the worst disasters in history. i ernestly hope with all i have that at least something can be done to help these people, the survivors and the dead/dying. nothing can be said to eradicate the pain, but a simple, honest, heartfelt thinking of them can definately ease it. i will stop now, only because i can think of nothing else to say. but i will say this. keep them in your thoughts and prayers, every one. i know i will.

Rodan2000

[Kaiser Kronos]

The death toll is now 52,000 according to yahoo, and 59,000 are possible. The real tragedy is that people in the world care so much for material things, and so little for matters of the heart. I hope this shows people just how puny we, Homo Sapiens are. God, I feel so sad....:(

[Saruman]

That number is going to easily double if not triple before this is over with. Not counting the outright deaths, now people have to worry about disease, starvation, clean water and so many other factors. I would really not be suprised to see the death toll top the 200,000 mark from this disaster by the time everything is over and done and things finally get back to normal.

[Raptor]

Tsunami death toll tops 56,000 (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/29/asia.quake/index.html)

For those who are asking "What can *I* do to help?", fellow kaiju fan Jeff Horne reminds us, "The enormity of this weekend's tsunami's can not be overstated. Those of us who are not directly impacted can certainly spare something to help these folks whose lives have been turned completely upside down. UNICEF (http://www.supportunicef.org/site/pp.asp?c=iuI1LdP0G&b=276341) is a very good place to start. There will be many, many orphans as a result of this tragedy.
"If you desire to donate to another organization, CNN has a large list of
charities welcoming aid (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/tsunami.aidsites/index.html)."

I don't think anyone can say enough about the Red Cross (http://redcross.org/). Disaster Services (http://redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_319_,00.html) used to be the "red jackets" rather than the grey. Like it says, "The (Congressional) Charter is not only a grant of power, but also an imposition of duties and obligations to the nation, to disaster victims, and to the people who generously support its work with their donations." They are all VOLUNTEERS, not paid or prompted by desire for gain or glory when called upon. They are friends and neighbors (Petra Baugh and Janet Davidson (http://www.mcagov.com/commcorp/petra.jpg)) who do extraordinary things like man the NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION HOTLINE (http://www.redcross.org/press/disaster/ds_pr/030214callcenter.html) and head up our county Emergency Response Shelter and Mass Feeding Teams. As a member of a local Red Cross Disaster Team, you'll be among the first to arrive at the scene of a disaster - typically a fire, flood, tornado, wind or ice storm. You'll bring comfort to people affected by the disaster, assess the damage to their homes and help meet their immediate needs for food, clothing, shelter, health services and counseling. This requires more than average commitment due to training requirements and availability to rapidly respond.
You'd be amazed what you can do with one of those Emergency Response Vehicles (http://threerivers.redcross.org/ERV.html). Mass Care training assures a volunteer can establish and operate an emergency shelter, efficiently feed large numbers of disaster victims and operate a $125,000 Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle. Small conversion (http://www.sjcnet.com/ervbook/erv.jpg). Many have their chapter name and location lettered on them. Large Mass Feeding Vehicle (http://charteroak.redcross.org/uploads/files/Spirit%20of%20America%20SNEDI%203.4.03.doc?PHPSESS ID=38f78b6ca9332e7615e92a982018f2b7) (details) (http://www.carlinmfg.com/henryinfo.htm). The Salvation Army (the second largest disaster relief agency in this country) also has a fleet of various straight truck and bus configurations.

Keeping in mind the human scale (http://www.peterme.com/archives/00000056.html) (9/11 Red Cross volunteer essay)

VOLUNTEER! IT'S THE BEST JOB YOU NEVER GOT PAID TO DO!

[Excelsior]

According to MSN, the death toll is nearing 70,000.

Seventy thousand people. God. It's borderline impossible to imagine that number of people, alive or dead.

[Melkor]

CNN reported that the countries afflicted by the tsunamis have reportedly stopped counting their dead. The death toll is now at an inconceivable 67,000. All of them dead. And there are probably many thousands more missing, and multitudes of coastal towns devastated. This is a dark hour indeed. I am still in shock at the sheer magnitude of the people killed by the tsunamis; like Overenthusiastic Pirate said, it's already hard enough to picture 70,000 people alive. May God bless all of the besieged, both the victims and the survivors.



Peace,



Melkor



:darklord:

[Saruman]

Up to 76,000 dead now and still counting. If it keeps going at this rate, the number of dead after the diseases, starvation and deaths related to injuries are all over and done with will simply be staggering, not that it isn't already. It truely is just an unthinkable amount of lives lost.

[Gorjirus]

It makes it seem worse as the death is very widespread, from Indonesia to India and Sri Lanka. As if the economies and such weren't in such a bad condition, now it is worse. Sri Lanka is one fo the worlds poorest countries, and now they have to deal with something like this. Even beyond the horrific loss of human lives, the lack of such neccesary facilities as hospitals and doctors will make the coming weeks that much worse. Long term, the damage is astronomical.

[Raptor]

The official death toll soared past 77,000 and the Red Cross predicted it could
exceed 100,000 (http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?floc=ne-main-9-l2&flok=FF-APO-1104&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20041229%2F2129985816.htm&sc=1104). At this stage, each hour it takes to reach survivors in need of medical care and basic necessities of life, the risk of further casualties increases.

[Angiru-San]

My God...

Last I had heard it was at 46,000. It just keep rising...

Its hard to comprehend and relate to something that is so far away. But 10,000 people...

I am truly saddened by this event. May God be with the survivors...

[RexRaptor]

Try 100,000..this is combineing all of them.

[Raptor]

http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/recenteqs/Quakes/nm722.html Thursdsay AM.
Instances of doors swinging, pictures falling off walls, windows breaking and a "loud roar followed by a big boom that felt like an explosion" were reported from the Milligan Ridge area where it was centered. Duration reports ranged from 5-30 seconds. This is one of the few instances where so many people in this area felt a quake go off, probably because they were up and halfway functional at the time. As noted on the report, there has since been another one but it IS NOT an aftershock; more of a local pattern as this map (http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/recenteqs/Maps/90-36.html) will show.
And no, the Office of Emergency Services DID NOT issue a tsunami warning for the Mississippi River. As for cracked concrete, the foundation was probably weak in the first place. :D
The 4.1 went off in time to make the front page of the local paper (above the fold and the headliner even) the very same day with EARTHQUAKE RATTLES REGION.
I still can't get over how nonchalant some folks are about them around here.
"Was than an earthquake?"
"Yup."
"OK. Thanks."
Figure a good five minutes after it lets go before the first calls start coming in.

[Cole Deschain]

You should see Alaska...

"Quake?"
"Maybe."
"Ground cracking open?"
"No."
"Okay. We'll just stay inside then."

[Raptor]

I can just imagine what OUR version of the DID YOU FEEL IT? (http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/cus/html/unknown_form.html) report would look like! :laugh:

1. What was your situation during the earthquake? Minding my own bizness
2. If you were inside please select the type of building or structure: County lock-up
3. Were you asleep during the earthquake? (It's in there already)
4. Did others nearby feel the earthquake? Just my buddy, the big white bunny rabbit
5. Your experience of the earthquake:
How would you best describe the ground shaking? Like riding in the back of a pick-up going west on I-40 out of Memphis over 80 MPH.
How would you best describe your reaction? (Don't remember is already on there)
How did you respond? (Ducked & covered and Don't remember are on there)
Was it difficult to stand or walk? (Did not try is on there)
Earthquake effects:

Did you notice the swinging/swaying of doors or hanging objects?
Did you notice creaking or other noises?
Did objects rattle, topple over, or fall off shelves?
Did pictures on walls move or get knocked askew?
Did any furniture or appliances slide, tip over, or become displaced?
Was a heavy appliance (refrigerator or range) affected?
Were free-standing walls or fences damaged? (Did not look/pay attention/was none options are provided)

If you were inside, was there any damage to the building? Check all that apply.

No damage
Hairline cracks in walls
A few large cracks in walls
Many large cracks in walls
Ceiling tiles or lighting fixtures fell
Cracks in chimney
One or several cracked windows
Many windows cracked or some broken out
Masonry fell from block or brick wall(s)
Old chimney, major damage or fell down
Modern chimney, major damage or fell down
Outside wall(s) tilted over or collapsed completely
Separation of porch, balcony, or other addition from building
Building permanently shifted over foundation

I'll let you know when I dig out of this sinkhole
The Fire Dept. only got there in time to save the lot
The neighbor's tree squooshed it

Additional Comments:
You may use the next box to clarify answers or to make observations that are not accommodated by other questions. You may also give first-person descriptions of how the earthquake affected you. USGS scientists may use some of the information that you enter in qualitative descriptions of shaking or damage in USGS publications. You would be identified as "an observer" and your location would be given in general terms. Parts of some first-person accounts may be reproduced as quotations in USGS publications.


How much is it worth to you?

[Cyber Bishop]

I was just wondering if any KP memebers living out in Southern California felt any of the four quakes eariler this morning. While I did not feel the first three, the last one around 6:35 AM PST shook me up outta bed. I just saw my local news station reporting on it, so I know I'm not insane or anything. While they weren't as big as say the Northridge or Hector earthquake, they sure snuck up on us!


Although I have a feeling a certain subtrannerainan kaiju is up to his certain tricks again :baragon:

Blaming Baragon.. shame on you!
I live in Louisiana and all we get down here is hurricanes (non-drinkable ones) and humidity :) ..

[Raptor]

I'm blaming Rodan for this LATEST ONE (http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/recenteqs/Quakes/nmhwb0501a.html)! So I'm late getting the TV listings (le.com/forums/calendar.php?s=&month=5&year=2005&do=&c=2) up for this month - I had a certification to do on short notice... :look:

[Raptor]

This is rather unusual as fas the the government goes but I think it's a great idea. (from the Jonesboro Sun):

On Friday, approximately 50 residents were able to express their concerns and ask questions about earthquakes at a town hall meeting at Arkansas Northeastern College. The meeting followed recent earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone which were felt in the area.

One man asked if the area would benefit from forming local groups to assist in the event of a major earthquake. David Maxwell, deputy director of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, replied that groups cut off from national and state assistance programs could encounter problems in a time of need.

"You should do everything you can locally to prepare ... but don't do it in isolation," he said.

Because Northeast Arkansas is mostly rural, some audience members were concerned about the attention that the area receives.

"I've taken your argument to Washington," said Jim Wilkinson, executive director at Central United States Earthquake Consortium. Wilkinson said that there are just as many people in rural communities in the New Madrid seismic zone as there are in larger cities like Memphis and St. Louis. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is beginning to focus on the central United States, including the rural communities.

Northeast Arkansas has not received as much attention as other earthquake-prone areas because "we haven't had a large damaging earthquake in several years," Wilkinson said. He explained that disasters that kill people or destroy property get the attention. However, with several small events happening in a short period of time, it's easier to make the argument that more aid is needed.

"I'm not comfortable that the people controlling the funding don't have the education," an audience member said, questioning whether legislators are aware of the earthquake probability.

"Rep. [Marion] Berry is from east Arkansas, so he is very aware of the problem," Maxwell said.

One of the most important things the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management can do is make the public aware, Maxwell said, citing the town meeting as an example.

Another concern about the May 1 earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 4.1, was that it did not occur during office hours. Dr. Joan Gomberg, research seismologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, Central Region Geologic Hazards Team, said the agency does have a pager and cellular telephone system by which people can be reached in minutes in the event of an earthquake. She said it depends on the quake, but when one hits around 3.0 on the Richter scale, someone is notified.

Dr. Steve Horton, research scientist at the Center for Earthquakes Research and Information at the University of Memphis, said Northeast Arkansas is well-monitored for earthquakes.

Dan Cicirello, a retired earthquake program manager from Searcy, noted that when an earthquake hits a certain magnitude, it automatically alerts units of the National Guard as well as the Civil Air Patrol.

Gomberg added that feedback from those who witnessed the earthquake, whether they felt it or not, is helpful in the research process. Feedback can be done over the Internet.

The safety of bridges and bypasses were also a major concern of those attending the meeting.

"It is not the event itself but how to get help afterwards," Wilkinson said. Most programs look at how a region's transportation system would hold up in the event of an earthquake.

Maxwell said that bridges are built to codes based on the probability of an earthquake -- but the codes are based on a map that is several years old.

Cicirello said that if just $1 of federal funding is spent to build a bridge, it has to meet codes.

Dams are also built and repaired to code. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is very active about testing dams for their vulnerability during an earthquake, Wilkinson said.

Experts agreed that the most important thing the public could do is be informed and ready.

"You as a person should be prepared to go at least 72 hours without help from the government," Maxwell said. He advised that he would stretch that time to four days because it never hurts to be overprepared.

"People get a little nervous after an earthquake," Horton said.

Horton added that he likes to hold town meetings within the first few days following a quake to let people affected by the event ask questions. One question he said he's frequently asked is "Does a magnitude of 4 mean that there will be a large earthquake coming?"

His answer is no -- "It doesn't mean that there will not be [another quake], but it doesn't mean that there will be."

-- 30 --

I would suggest preparations for TWO WEEKS' self sufficiency be made. Although there are many local contingencies, you have to basically consider hooking back up with the rest of the country. You cannot move masses of supplies with a tractor like you can a properly configured semi. Figure 50 miles to thge NEXT major town which has a larger population and will have its own problems. All that great Mid-America distribution center stuff is 70 miles away - and on the other side of a big river. Someone really needs to come up with a FEMA board game IMO. :hmmm:

[Raptor]

Here we go again... (http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/recenteqs/Quakes/nm737.html)
The aftershock (http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/recenteqs/Quakes/nmhwb0602a.html)
DYERSBURG, TN (KAIT-8 & AP) - A minor earthquake shook some residents on both sides of the Mississippi River in the New Madrid Fault zone this morning.

Among them was Dyer County, Tennessee fire chief and emergency management agency director James Paul Medling, who told The Associated Press that he was awakened by his house shaking. Then it shook again and he heard a loud boom. Medling says he went outside and saw the water in his dog's bucket swirling.

Medling says there have been a lot of phone calls to emergency agencies by anxious residents, but no reports of damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake as having a magnitude of 3.8 and being centered nine miles north-northwest of Dyersburg, near the Mississippi River. However, the quake was also felt on the Arkansas side of the river. The K8 newsroom got calls from concerned viewers in Blytheville, Paragould, and even as far south as Bald Knob. Most of the calls came in around 6:30 a.m.

The area is part of the New Madrid Fault zone, which runs along the river from New Madrid, Missouri to Marked Tree, Arkansas.

The zone spawned what is believed to be the greatest quake in North American history. Scientists says the quakes of 1811-12 caused the Mississippi to run backward, and created Reelfoot Lake in Tipton County, Tennessee.

Ironically, the quake occurs as a team of approximately 45 business executives and public policy makers plan to tour the New Madrid Fault zone for several hours today. The tour will make stops in the area of west Tennessee where this morning's quake occured, as well as New Madrid, Missouri and Mississippi County, Arkansas, which has had a significant increase in the amount of seismic activity in recent months.

It was also felt due north in Missouri, really rattling residents up there who happened to be awake. Locally, none of the usual flurry of queries and everyone goes back to sleep. I wouldn't be surprised if they start blaming the rash of MAJOR broken water mains we're experiencing on the faultline rather than ancient plumbing. Starting your day at 6 AM can get "interesting" sometimes, to say the least!
The local paper dubbed it a 4.0 but got the aftershock right and reminded everyone that it's the 3rd significant one in four months' time. CERI even cited it as "unusual" (for a change). It was felt clear from Carbondale, IL to Tunica, MS.

[Raptor]

A 7.0-magnitude quake struck this evening southwest of Crescent City and 300 miles northwest of San Francisco, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/usziae/) Web site. From Netscape (http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-1110&idq=/ff/story/0001/20050615/0033859892.htm&sc=1110).
If you're in the LA area, you might want to check this (http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=709) out. Also, Probability (http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=706). Rather interesting!
Alaska (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/uszhcb/) is also showing activity.

[Megabyte]

^ I hope this doesn't mean something big coming for California, since the one on Sunday shook me out of bed. I wonder if our Alaskan dellwing philes felt the 6.8 today?

[Raptor]

If they didn't, here (http://www.aeic.alaska.edu/Seis/recenteqs/) is their local equivalent of our earthquake info center.
For California (http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/latest.htm).

[Raptor]

THREE nations (http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/10/09/quake.pakistan/index.html) affected. Many challenges are going to make rescue difficult.
California (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9637439/) still has not stopped shaking, it seems...

[Gorjirus]

Wow. I didn't even know about it until I read the paper this morning. 32,000 dead I think I read somewhere. That's horrible. Worse than Katrina ever thought about being.

[Raptor]

Magnitude-7 earthquake kills 30,000 in Asia (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9626146/)

43,000 injured (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9626146/)

Pakistani officials say entire villages may have been destroyed. Landslides and rain hinder rescue efforts, blocking roads. Two primary schools also collapsed and more than 500 students were feared dead.
It seems that every new piece of information coming from the region is bad... :(

[Raptor]

And that death toll will rise as more bodies are found underneath the ruins. It is just so horrible, as they seem to have earthquakes every year, but they are too poor to build homes better suited to the events.
The Margala Tower apartment building in Islamabad, Pakistan appears to have completely collapsed, yet ones beside it remain standing. And the school buildings! That is especially horrible. Do they not have building codes there? And wasn't there previous quake activity in the area? At some point, I would think resistive measures would have been mandated, as well as areas prone to rockslides NOT be chosen to build houses. Is there so little area to build on that residents must put themselves at risk? I don't think we can view this area as that undeveloped or not advanced enough where some planning wouldn't be in place for public safety. Have these three countries simply been overlooked somehow in that respect? And what about Mexico City which also had a devastating earthquake? What if it happened again there?
Someone had mentioned that it always seems that the poorest people are affected the most by even natural disasters. It is bad enough that their fellow man often contributes to their situation in the first place, be it outright oppression or shoddy workmanship to feed their personal gain.

[Gorjirus]

A great deal of Pakistan at least is mountainous, or at least rocky and hilly. I am sure some villages just appear where ever, and people are too entrenched in tradition to move. Like some of the elderly in New Orleans, who had to be carried out of their homes because they refused to evacuated .

Also, I doubt their safety protocals are as strick as we have here, and most of the time I doubt they are even considered. In the poorer area's, they just looked like simply structures that wouldn't stand up to an earthquake, no matter the protocols because of their building materials. One village looked like a bunch of simple earth, rock structures.

In a very selfish sense, it is intances like these that make me glad I am an American, with land, materials, and guidelines that make our structures and homes safe (for the most part).

[Raptor]

In a very selfish sense, it is intances like these that make me glad I am an American, with land, materials, and guidelines that make our structures and homes safe (for the most part).
Do not regret having certain advantages that make life better. I wonder if even the poorest people over there were made aware of their hazardous locations.
It seems that with New Orleans, those who did not have their own transportation or could not afford it were forgotten. The Mayor said at one point he had no drivers for all those flooded buses we saw. DUH! AMTRAK pulled out their rolling stock EMPTY. The New Orleans "emergency plan" is available online but someone didn't check it out. On top of everything, a hurricane gives you ADVANCE NOTICE things are going to get messed up. Some people were more concerned about their houses getting looted than saving their own hides AND THEIR CHILDRENS' EVEN. What do you want to bet that if it ever comes to a true MANDATORY evacuation, they would be the same ones who scream about their constitutional rights to remain in harm's way?
With the Asian quake, scientists were well aware of how risky that faultline is. Governments have a responsibility to those they represent to protect them, be it from military aggression or other hazards to the best of their ability. THEY are the ones with the superior resources, not the poor and otherwise disadvantaged. The thing is, I gather these three countries don't have near the depth of support systems in place that the U.S. does to get people back on their feet after something like this. What I do believe is that the survivors will prove to be a lot more resilient and resourceful on their own than some of our evacuees who are still sitting in $100/day motel rooms.

[Gorjirus]

Well, while what you said about New Orleans being true, that wasn't what I was tlaking about. I was talking about those who, not that they couldn't evacuate, didn't want to. I remember one man said he hadn't been out of his house for 35 years and said he didn'tplan on doing it now. Of course, he was then carried out of the house. Alot of older folks seem to have felt that same way, they didn't want to leave.

The government over there simply doesn't CARE about teh people at all. They just function and look out for themselves for the most part. And, the survivors will re-build and regroup, as they always do (since this seems to happen about once a year). They seem to be used to it by now.

[Raptor]

Upcoming is the 100th anniversary of the Great San Francisco Earthquake. USA TODAY has an article (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-04-05-sf-earthquake-cover_x.htm) on their situation now.
Also, see the Homeland Security Council and Department of Homeland Security's NATIONAL PLANNING SCENARIOS (http://www.ap.org/california/planningscenarios.pdf), particulary Scenario 9: Natural Disaster – Major Earthquake (page 105). A recap is here (http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/31/news/state/16_58_343_30_06.txt).

Recent New Madrid (http://www.doi.gov/ocl/2006/RespondingToNewMadridEarthquake.htm) statement.

THE RED CROSS (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/modiv/arc.htm) (St. Louis)
The 7.9 Scenario (http://www.the79scenario.com/) (fiction but of interest)

[Raptor]

A 7.8 quake in the Pacific Ocean (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,194139,00.html). Good thing the warning system wasn't needed - this time. :O

[Raptor]

Aftershocks (http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/05/04/earthquake.tonga.ap/index.html). Good thing nothing was compromised where rescue workers could get caught trying to pull people out of damaged buildings...

[Raptor]

New Madrid research (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12823308/). The Central U.S. (http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/recenteqs/index.html) map. Local (http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/recenteqs/Maps/90-36.html) shakes.

[Raptor]

Check out the History Channel (http://www.historychannel.com/) this evening at 9 PM ET/PT for the Mega Disasters episode covering the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes.
They were out at the Archeological Station filming earlier this year. During their research on the Mississippian period (AD 900-1450) native population, new earthquake information was also uncovered. The "Big Dig" continues this summer. "Thumper" trucks have been making the rounds (again) so awareness is getting a much-needed boost from several fronts.

ADDITIONAL AIRINGS:

June 14 at 1:00 AM ET
June 18 at 11:00 PM ET
June 19 at 3:00 AM ET

You can also check out the "Making of... (http://www.historychannel.com/megadisasters/?page=video)" aspects, such as sfx involved. Dream jobs, anyone? ;)

[Cyndi]

I live in California where earthquakes are pretty common. Not that they're every day or seasonal like tornadoes, but every now and then we feel "All Shook Up", as Elvis would say...

I remember the Northridge quake. I woke up right before it and heard the earth moan right before the ground jolted side to side under my feet. My sense of balance is very unnatural and I was able to keep my top half stationary while my feet worked with the shaking(to take cover, though there was no damage), but my parents were stuck gripping the wall because they were afraid they'd fall.

Earthquakes are so scary. No warning, just BAM your house is rattling. To me there's always an innitial jolt and then everything just kind of shakes for a few seconds.

>.>() When I was little, my dad used to tell me earthquakes were Godzilla jumping rope. I'm dead serious, he said that because HE didn't know how exactly they worked(mom corrected him though ;p)

[Cyndi]

"Earthsounds" are indeed real:

Human beings can detect sounds in the frequency range 20-10,000 Hertz. If a P wave refracts out of the rock surface into the air, and it has a frequency in the audible range, it will be heard as a rumble. Most earthquake waves have a frequency of less than 20 Hz, so the waves themselves are usually not heard. Most of the rumbling noise heard during an earthquake is the building and its contents moving. - USGS (their explanation, should one be indoors at the time. Many local reports include "sound effects (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/faq.php?categoryID=8&faqID=122)", from "snaps" to "booms".

Seismic waves (http://web.ics.purdue.edu/%7Ebraile/edumod/waves/WaveDemo.htm); what's going on with the shaking. Thing is, it often takes longer to explain how they work than for a quake to be felt. Understanding the P- and S-waves should be sufficient for starts.
Everyone also needs to consider the ground they might be standing on when something lets go as the effects can be vastly different from one place to the next, even with the same magnitude. Liquefaction susceptibility maps are as important as ones for flood plains because soft ground shakes more than hard rock in an earthquake. Tennessee (http://www.tnema.org/EP/EP_EQ.htm) did a comparison (http://www.tnema.org/images/Disasters/EQComp.jpg) of the Northridge event to 1895's Charleston (MO) one, both being 6.7-6.8.

A handy short list (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/faq.php?categoryID=8) of earthquake info.

That is really interesting. I still haven't figured out what that moan was. It was kind of like a really, really rusty metal door being forced slowly open and I remember it sounded as if it came from below me. Very low pitched. It scared me more than the quake, I thought the floor was going to cave in ^^()

Maybe the planet did moan. I always did believe Earth itself is alive and once in awhile she needs to stretch, hence quakes and volcanoes and stuff.

[Cyndi]

Actually the range of human hearing goes up to 20 Khz, but most people can only hear up to a maximum of 17 or 18,000 Hz.

I'm thankful that I've never had to experience an earthquake myself. I honestly don't remember what you're supposed to do to stay safe when one hits.

LOL, well, you avoid glass(windows, mom's antique vase, skylights, etc) and gas lines(stoves, heaters, etc) and get under something sturdy and cover your head. Even getting just your head and shoulders under something is better than nothing. If you're outside just try to get away from buildings, but if you can't just get into as open a place as you can and duck and cover.

Contrary to popular belief, DOORWAYS ARE NOT SAFE. If the house collapses the doorway will collapse too, probably onto you! That myth is just as bad as the one about that news crew who survived a tornado by climbing into an overpass - lots of people got killed trying that because they got sucked right out or crushed by the wind.


Anyway, I always keep my chair to the side of my computer desk at night so if a quake hits I can just dive underneath and pull the chair in as an extra shield. Quakes are scary, but if you hold in the panic until the danger's over you'll be okay :)

[Raptor]

I'm thankful that I've never had to experience an earthquake myself. I honestly don't remember what you're supposed to do to stay safe when one hits.First of all, determine how likely a damaging earthquake is to occur where you're at. I believe there were only four states in the U.S. that haven't had any in the last ten years or so. The USGS (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/) is always a good place for an overview of geological matters. From there, regional focus, such as our Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI) office.
Might as well get with the Red Cross for basic survivor skills if you don't already know how to swim, do CPR, first aid, etc. Again, identifying hazards and mitigation. That's where the "duck and cover" comes in. ;)
A lot of this stuff can come in handy for about ANY adverse situation. Build on it to fit your particular circumstances and you'll be prepared for about anything. Check out what other parts of the country (and world) do also, especially Japan, when it comes to earthquakes. The Feds are trying to get the states to be prepared who then get on the county and then down to the city level but it all boils down to each individual being able to look out for themselves to a tremendous degree before, during and after such an event. Knowing what to expect and preparing for it helps everyone involved.

[Raptor]

Time to rock 'n' roll (http://www.jonesborosun.com/archivedstory.php?ID=23513&Search=earthquake) over in the next county. Actually, they got the real deal (http://www.dogpile.com/info.dogpl/clickit/search?r_aid=39C0238E91424391A10ED5F8C12A7A30&r_eop=1&r_sacop=1&r_spf=1&r_cop=main-title&r_snpp=0&r_spp=1&qqn=GwrXg6J%2BiuiD4&r_coid=372685&rawto=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,213221,00.html) to the south. Some background (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060911/ap_on_sc/gulf_earthquake_1) for Floridians. Gotta love the line, "You'd probably still be safe in Disney World." :laugh: Around here, we simply say, "It's not OUR fault!" :p

[Raptor]

The FOLLOW-UP (http://www.jonesborosun.com/story.php?ID=23554). Like it says, "The scenario for the exercise was simple. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on a mid-morning October day. The shaking of the ground would cause damage to nearby towns."
But things get complicated real quick, right? ;)

[Raptor]

Paragould, home of a "notorious" Earthquake festival one year, got serious yesterday with an exercise (http://www.jonesborosun.com/story.php?ID=26711).
One part of the "sister county" idea is assessment of availablle resources on both sides; pretty much what a given area/population needs to sustain itself under NORMAL conditions. Same goes for people, thus the personal "go bags" the Red Cross recommends.
One thing they do with about any scenario is knock out the roads so ground transport we take so much for granted becomes a factor. Small towns - LOW PRIORITY so suck it up, despite whatever the Chamber of Commerce/Mayor/feel good folks might be promoting. Big cities can have their own particular problems to deal with, namely more people so any way you look at it, the ultimate responsibility is on each individual.

[OniGojira]

Believe it or not I remember hearing on the news either last year or the year before Chicago had an earthquake. Not the first time for me as I recall one happenning a year or more before that one and all I felt was a big thump. It sounded like a big truck driving past the house.

IMO I wouldn't be surprised given I saw in a documentary on the New Madrid quakes in the 1800s some were so strong church bells in Boston were ringing. Reading the history on that geologic area is frightening. Some areas where the Missisippi river now go use to be dry land, and a lake was created during one strong quake. Not to mention, to thinkif it happened, the country would be split open and would resemble the Great Rift Valley in Africa.

[Raptor]

THE 7.9 SCENARIO (http://www.the79scenario.com/) provides a good update on how things might go via a fictional presentation. In the 1800s, the town of New Madrid itself got relocated, Reelfoot Lake created, sandblows appeared, etc. It was quite a wallop, indeed!
The Mississippi would indeed split the country nearly in half IMO with the bridges going down. I can't help but think of the Inland Sea of prehistory, although not as big.
An older article (pehaps in TIME magazine) supposed the lower delta around New Orleans would really look different, pretty much chopping off a good chunk of real estate.
Here is an Illinois link (http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/earthquakes/appgeophys_eq_home.htm) with some info.
Author Sam Penny's comments on the hurricanes (http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewblog.asp?AuthorID=20298). Disasters are about PEOPLE, after all. I don't know if he has been to Texas since but his comments ring true. I'm hoping he does complete the third book myself.
Remember “10.5”? A real hoot in many's opinion, including his (http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?AuthorID=20298&id=14093).

[OniGojira]

Surprising Illinois has them, as you'd not expect them to happen here.

The next biggest quakes would be subductrion zone quakes, such as the one that cause the tsunami in 2004. The US has them too. The volcanoes like in the Cascade Range are the most evident result of the Jaun de Fuca plate diving under the North American plate. If the plate gets stuck, it will snap and jerk back to normal, and cause a big shaker. It's happened in the 1700s in Washington State and some scientist say it's overdue.

The whole west coast is in danger if that happens. Scary to think of, but history says what happens. In geologic time time is the blink of an eye between sudden events.

[Raptor]

Unlike weather phenomena, there is no "five day forecast" for predicting when these things will go off and maybe giving folks a chance to get clear. Still, we can learn from history and not make the same mistakes twice.

[OniGojira]

Indeed.

Though some are ignorant of that fact and history does repeat. For example what about older buildings not built with earthquake proofing? How would that problem be worked?

[Raptor]

Some retrofitting might be possible, depending on the structure. "Earthquake-proofing" is rather a misnomener (or however you spell it). You probably don't want to be in Wally World should one go off! ;)
There should be plenty of data on how various types of structures (as well as the ground itself) will behave due to different magnitudes. Again, "stuff" can hurt you so think about what's around the house for starts and secure it. Wherever you might be on a regular basis, eyeball something sturdy to get under because what's over your head can easily come down. The laws of gravity aren't suspended during earthquakes.

[OniGojira]

I see.

The good news would be rocked to sleep. :)

[Raptor]

6.8 hits northwestern Japan (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070716/sc_nm/quake_japan_dc_14). Check the house, now at ground level. There is an AP photo in our paper of a section of highway in Nagaoka that is unpassible, going all whichways.

UPDATE (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/japan_quake;_ylt=ArLYvHn8vp8Wrb7QQwYugeeaK8MA). I think reports will only be getting worse as they come in... :(

[EternalMothra]

Yeah, it was pretty startling news....I hope everybody is okay over there.

[Raptor]

9 deaths reported, more than 1,000 injured, limited access (which is usually the case, especially in rural areas), bad weather forecast and aftershocks. Rescue/recovery can get daunting real quick.

[EternalMothra]

I heard there was a typhoon heading toward Japan too...which won't make the recovery efforts any better sadly. :(

[Raptor]

Went to check for updates (http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUST14801720070718) and came across a new piece of information on the New Madrid Fault (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,269683,00.html) I hadn't seen before. "The U.S. Geological Survey says there is a 9-in-10 chance of a magnitude 6 or 7 temblor occurring in this area within the next 50 years." Maybe that's why it didn't make the local news! :p

An essay (http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200707180118.html) from Japan on Nature and mankind. Something to think about ANYWHERE.
An editorial (http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200707180125.html) from Japan.

[Raptor]

Peru (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/15/world/main3172760.shtml). This is the first mention of it being an 8 I caught. It was on the news when I got to Jonesboro this AM and then I forgot about it (along with 90 mph winds hitting Texas and 2 tornados somewhere else).
The epicenter was offshore but check the strength of the aftershocks (http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-08-16-peru-quake_N.htm?csp=34). This looks to be a particularly bad one...

[EternalMothra]

Yeah I saw this on the news yesterday. Normally we don't hear of many in Peru, it is always in Asia or the Middle East.

[Raptor]

Now is a little late with some of the mitigation but this (http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6857770,00.html) report mentions a few things that should have been forseen. Does one of the most seismically active regions in the world not tell them something?
Yesterday, it was immediately realized overland relief efforts would have to contend with damaged roads. Maybe we don't hear much about seismic activity in Peru but if you lived there, wouldn't you want to be aware of the TRUE risks, which are mentioned at the bottom of almost every article? I think the New Madrid zone has better awareness (http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=6946890) than these people do...
36 hours is only HALF what many U.S. responses could be. Watch the blame for "slow response" fall on everyone from their President to ours and the Red Cross... :angry:
Two minutes can be a lifetime in an emergency but if there is no awareness of what might be happening, you can very well have the roof come down on your head.

[Raptor]

If FEMA's new earthquake plans (http://www.examiner.com/a-985506%7EFEMA_writes_disaster_plans_for_Missouri__ 3_other_states.html) are anything like the flood plain deal, "WE DON'T NEED THEM!" :angry:

[Raptor]

Missouri is on the ball with its National Guard (http://dailyjournalonline.com/articles/2007/10/15/news/doc4713843a38861163399692.txt). According the Ch. 8 and ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH reports on this, Major General King Sidwell says the Missouri National Guard will automatically mobilize if an earthquake registering 6.5 or higher on the Richter scale should strike.

[Raptor]

China (http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/13/china.quake/index.html) update. This is truly a massive disaster. :(

[Kaiser Kronos]

The earthquake in Japan in 1923 co-incided with the reign of Hirohito and the mass slaughter of Japan's Imperial Army. The earthquake as a phenomenon in China is associated with the end of eras and the beginnings of new ones. Such an easy thing to forget that terra firma is often not so firma......

The Chinese disaster and the Burmese disaster together with all the freaky weather worldwide...

Something's going on!:O

....










.....





Mwahahahahaha! My evil plan to take over the world is working!!!!:darklord:;)

[EternalMothra]

lol.

But yeah, it got pretty bad over in China, and still is. Funny with all the people they have, they are having troubles in the relief efforts. Goes to show you that having a lot of people doesn't make you as powerful as most think.

[Cyndi]

Skimmed this, but I wanted to butt in and add my thoughts.

First off it's probably stated in the link, but a 10.5 Earthquake is impossible because it requires a fault so large it wraps around the earth.

The quake in China was a thrust fault and I heard some parts of the ground moved thirty feet straight up. That's three stories of earth just shifting!

The largest quake I remember personally experiencing was the 6.8(I think) Northridge quake. When I think back now, I remember waking up for no apparent reason and feeling EXTREMELY uneasy. I just laid there in bed for about five or six minutes with this feeling like someone was playing a horribly tuned guitar and the strings were strung through the middle of my torso. My immediate thought was I'd come down with a stomach bug and in a few minutes that quivering sensation would turn into an all out vomit-fest. After those five or six minutes passed, the feeling of tension vanished...my whole body was a knuckle I just popped and man did it feel good. I heard this sickening groaning noise like a really heavy, rusty door being pushed open and then came a bump as though going over railroad tracks in a car. All was still...and then the real shaking started. I mean one second there was nothing and the next it seemed like Godzilla was failing at ballet right outside my house. Windows rattled and the house made scary creaking noises. I yelled "Earthquake!" and ran out of my room(no way in hell I was going to stay near a window, a mirror or the bookshelf that tipped over and missed my bed by inches!) to take cover under the kitchen table. All the pots and pans rattled in the cabinets, I could hear the Venetian blinds on the kitchen window clattering and the bag of cans waiting to be recycled tipped over in the garage with a huge BANG. The chandalier in the living room was swinging back and forth and the floor underneath me seemed to roll the way ocean swells do(and the ground does behave like water during a quake). I heard my parents call my name and yelled back from the kitchen. That quake scared me so bad and I cried every time we had an aftershock.


And I also remember how, around seven o'clock in the evening on Christmas in 2004, I'd recently eaten a huge dinner and I felt really weird and tingly while helping with the dishes. It got so bad that I had to take some Pepto and lay down. I thought I was just really tired from Christmas(which is Hell on me because I don't get much sleep). Right after I laid down I felt like something in my stomach snapped and, inexplicably, I felt suddenly better. I went to bed later that night and dreamed about water. Lots and lots of water. I was drowning.

I woke up the next morning to news of the quake and tsunami in Sumatra.


I didn't feel anything when the quake happened in China. Then again, it was a few hundred times smaller than the Sumatra quake, which released a HUUUUUUGE amount of energy and made the whole Earth ring like a bell.

Weird, eh?

[EternalMothra]

Sounds like you kinda have a sort of precognitive ability Cyndi when it comes to natural disaster, that sounds so cool!

The only earthquake I've ever felt was that one that occured near Chicago not long ago. We felt it all the way up here in Michigan! It was very scary...we aren't used to earthquakes but apparently we can have them due to that fault thingy.

[Cyndi]

Not really...just two events in my life. One with a lot of energy and one that was really close by. I didn't feel strange at all last Sunday evening when the China quake was happening.

Maybe I was feeling the tension and unrest or something and the relief was the fault breaking, seeing as that breaks the tension too.

And ironic that the very thing that brings me relief causes chaos everywhere in its path.

[Dr. Strangelove]

The earthquake in Japan in 1923 co-incided with the reign of Hirohito and the mass slaughter of Japan's Imperial Army. The earthquake as a phenomenon in China is associated with the end of eras and the beginnings of new ones. Such an easy thing to forget that terra firma is often not so firma......

The Chinese disaster and the Burmese disaster together with all the freaky weather worldwide...

Something's going on!:O

....










.....





Mwahahahahaha! My evil plan to take over the world is working!!!!:darklord:;)


Lies. It's obviously the Great Cthulhu slowly waking from his deathless slumber!

[EternalMothra]

Not really...just two events in my life. One with a lot of energy and one that was really close by. I didn't feel strange at all last Sunday evening when the China quake was happening.

Maybe I was feeling the tension and unrest or something and the relief was the fault breaking, seeing as that breaks the tension too.

And ironic that the very thing that brings me relief causes chaos everywhere in its path.

Fascinating how it has a relation to your emotions. ;)

I remember feeling something uneasy way back when those terrible tsunamis hit Sumatra and Sri Lanka, sorta similar to that as well.

[Cyndi]

http://www.yahoo.com/r/n7/*http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/local/Los_Angeles/Orange_County_Register/fp/SIG=12nolgvs9/**http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ocregister.com%2Focregister%2Fh omepage%2Fabox%2Farticle_2049396.php

Now I'm fricken scared. See that little patch right below the bend in California? That's Orange county. I live in the area where the red patch is touching the northern tip.

F*ck...

[UltraGojira]

Oh, my goodness!

I just felt an earthquake. This happened 15 minutes ago. According to this report, (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080729/ap_on_re_us/california_earthquake) it was a 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered 29 miles east-southeast of downtown Los Angeles near Chino Hills.

I live in the Orange County, but I really felt the ground shaking back and forth. Don't worry, I'm fine. I was surprised and stunned at first, but I simply went under a table to duck and cover. A couple of things in my house fell, but I'm all right.

[Hybrid Gojira]

Most of the reports so far indicate little to no damage, nor any injuries to civilians.

Woot!

[Cyndi]

I was on the phone with Donny when it hit and I smacked my head on the coffee table trying to get under it. That was NOT fun!

I got off the phone after a few minutes after the quake and the phones went out totally. Ugh.

[godzy]

I was on the road when it hit; it's was so scary, I thought we'd flip over or something!:crazy:

[Cyndi]

I got it on camera. I don't freaking believe this accident, but I have the shaking ON CAMERA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6IQ7K7wFjs

[EternalMothra]

Yeah...it was amazing hearing the Earthquake on the phone, Cyndi. XD Then I felt bad for being like, "That's so awesome" when you are freaking out. XDD

I'm glad you are ok though. I watched the news after we got done talking and it was reported instantly.

[Raptor]

Came across this while checking Zigra's link to a "Cosmic Hand":

Italy muzzled scientist who predicted quake (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090406/sc_nm/us_italy_quake_warning;_ylt=AmQnbDrewXslTcWITp.aAX z737YB;_ylu=X3oDMTE5NmVtZHJzBHBvcwMzBHNlYwN5bi1tb3 N0LXZpZXdlZARzbGsDaXRhbHltdXp6bGVk). Makes more sense than what Iben Browning came up with.

[UltraGojira]

Holy... cow...

Remember the 5.8 earthquake in Southern California last year? Well, just now, I felt yet ANOTHER earthquake!

The local news is confirming that it was a 5.0 magnitude earthquake! Now, granted it's not as big a last year, but I could still feel the shaking!

Sheesh, I just can't believe this. If there's one song that's on my mind right now, it's definitely this...

"I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you're around."

[Raptor]

WOAH! (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/) And I was looking at the two little tremblors in Texas...

[Raptor]

Interesting notes on the big quake in Chile (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100302-chile-earthquake-earth-axis-shortened-day/).

[Raptor]

Good morning California (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/california-shaken-44-magnitute-earthquake/story?id=10113081)!

[HolyGoji777]

THE END IS NIGH!

or maybe just more earthquakes are nigh. our planet has some indigestion apparently.

in all seriousness though they are showing up a bit more frequently lately...hopefully our planet can give us a break for a little bit.

[Raptor]

Probably just hiccups (http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0308/Turkey-earthquake-kills-51-scientists-say-earthquake-frequency-not-rising). ;)

Seems that when the Turkey one went off, there were a lot of articles saying everything was "normal" as far as quantity and frequency go.