You Felt the Earthquake? And Hurricane Irene [East Coast USA]

[Asahina]

In New York, I was on a date eating at an Italian restaurant having some fun while reading some manga on my laptop. And then it happened. The vibration was intense. Tables were falling, chairs were collapsing. Wasn't the restaurant constructed well? Was the building about to fall? My thoughts were going wild!

I ran out of the restaurant doors, and I saw my car shaking like it was in the movies or something. I then went back inside and went to my laptop and connected to Google and searched "Earthquake Today". The staffs of the restaurant turned the TVs on and put on CNN.

This was a "Virginia" earthquake? Was this really happening? I'm glad it wasn't a terrorist attack. This was the first time in my life to ever experience this.

Who else felt it, and where were you at the time? What were you doing?

Link to what happened: here (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/08/58-earthquake-hits-virginia.html)

[Charlie]

The whole thing lasted for 10 - 20 seconds and at first I thought the windows were rustling due to a wind gust. Recently there has been cases like that with heavy rain or sudden gusts and the windows would shake due to that. A few seconds into the start of the window shaking, the bed I was sitting on started to vibrate (not like the ones at cheap hotels) followed by the shaking of the house and its walls. I realized immediately it was an earthquake.

I recall another earthquake reported on the news that happened here sometime back, maybe almost a month or so ago but that one was not felt by everyone like this was. So this was my first experience with the real thing as well.

I was not concerned enough to run out of the house as the news shown people doing so from restaurants and other buildings like Asahina mentioned.

Anyway as the walls continued to shake and the ground under me rumbled, I can say it was a surreal moment for me.

[Kaiten]

I thought there was something wrong with my AC at first :XD

First thing they thought was that a bomb went off, so all the government offices were emptied out. If anyone is wondering: in the last 25 years the east coast has experienced more terrorist attacks than moderate size earth quakes. Assuming the former was happening was logical, assuming a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in the DC area would have been jumping to conclusions. All told the damage was modest. My house is fine, though my headphone jack was still in my CD player and was damaged by the shaking. The Capital, White House, monuments, and museums were unharmed, though a spire fell off the National Cathedral >.>

http://i56.tinypic.com/29nez5w.jpg

[xi0]

Apparently there are reports of a crack in the Washington Monument...

Honestly, I didn't feel it here in Baltimore probably because I was napping :XD It may have woke me up, but I don't really remember as I didn't look at a clock. I feel sort of bummed that I missed out on it, but I suppose it's better that I did for my own sanity :s

Californians are all probably laughing at us. It sort of reminds me how people react to snow around here, while people from New England and the Great Lakes areas all "meh" at a foot or two of snow :rofl

[Asarii]

Nope. /lives in the West Coast

I was still surprised though because I wouldn't have expected an earthquake to happen there (obviously). I'm glad there are no reports of injuries or fatalities.


Californians are all probably laughing at us. It sort of reminds me how people react to snow around here, while people from New England and the Great Lakes areas all "meh" at a foot or two of snow :rofl
This applies to Vancouver too. Damn you, Cascadia fault line!

[Roflkopt3r]

http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/technik/0,1518,782129,00.html

At least one american nuclear power plant reported severe problems. Safety questionable. Reminds of Fukushima. Even though it is not to expect that such a disaster will follow (seems safe for now), it awakens doubt for the general safety- what if a heavier earthquake follows?

Overall twelve nuclear power plants reported "irregularities".

[earthforge]

I live on the West Coast and the local newspaper loves to report if we have a 3.0 earthquake, but not that the East Coast has a 5.8 earthquake.

I think 5.8 was the same magnitude as the spanish quake, the epicenter also wasn't deep.

Sigh, as for earthquake safety, I'd rather be in Japan. They weathered the earthquake really well, it was the tsunami and nuclear problems that hit them. The important thing is to take cover and not run outside (where things go flying, like bikes and whatnot.)

[Kaiten]

http://i.imgur.com/7xCOg.jpg

Every time I look at this picture I can not help but remember the suffering of 8/23/11.

---------- Post added at 01:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:28 PM ----------


http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/technik/0,1518,782129,00.html

Regional power plants are built to withstand 6.2 magnitude earthquakes, which would be the largest earthquake in the recorded history of the east coast. The worst that happened yesterday was switching to back up generators while safety crews inspected the plants. Unlike Japan there is no concern for tsunami's or other secondary damage. The Fukushima plant withstood the Japanese earthquake, all of the damage was from the tsunami.

At least one american nuclear power plant reported severe problems. Safety questionable. Reminds of Fukushima. Even though it is not to expect that such a disaster will follow (seems safe for now), it awakens doubt for the general safety- what if a heavier earthquake follows?

Overall twelve nuclear power plants reported "irregularities".

In all likelihood a stronger quake is not coming. The eastern United States is in the middle of the North American tectonic plate, California forms one edge while the other is in the mid-Atlantic. There is no chance of a strike-slip quake (two plates rubbing together) like California. There is no chance of a subduction zone quake (one plate sliding under another) like the Japanese quake either. Mid-plate regions like the eastern United States get much weaker quakes, this was the strongest in Virginia since 1897. And that was only a 5.9 magnitude quake.

[k-dom]

I had no idea earth quake were even possible on the east coast.
And i love how Rofl immediatly looked for nuclear info. That's German for you :-))

[Kaiten]

They're usually to weak to feel. We're the butt of global jokes for getting so scared from such a wimpy quake.

[Roflkopt3r]

In all likelihood a stronger quake is not coming. The eastern United States is in the middle of the North American tectonic plate, California forms one edge while the other is in the mid-Atlantic. There is no chance of a strike-slip quake (two plates rubbing together) like California. There is no chance of a subduction zone quake (one plate sliding under another) like the Japanese quake either. Mid-plate regions like the eastern United States get much weaker quakes, this was the strongest in Virginia since 1897. And that was only a 5.9 magnitude quake.

Article also claims that the earthquake risk has been severely underestimated.
And noteworthy trouble in twelve power plants after such a weak quake? Doesn't sound good.

[Asahina]

There was a hurricane 3-4 days later ...right?
I went over to New Jersey to see what happened. I saw like broken tree branches everywhere...

So I was walking down major road filled with people, and I saw this middle aged man sitting on the bench.
Sorta like this:
http://i.imgur.com/suFa8.gif

He was mumbling to himself...I think he was saying, "2012 is coming," or something like that.
The guy looked like he was on crack.

Anyways, I thinking of moving to a different state or different country. That man's words kinda had an effect on me.
You think Canada is a good choice? I hear Australia is pretty cool. Or maybe Paris.
Not Japan, for obvious reasons like:
http://i.imgur.com/KflQ6.gif...they party too much? You believe me, right?

[M3J]

I wish I was home to experience the earthquake, would have been fun.
But noo, I made it back in time to experience the hurricane. Good thing I'm fearless and slept soundly in front of a window durin the worst part of the hurricane.

Powers were out in so many areas in New Jersey, and many just got their power back on today. My power never went out for long, maybe an hour or two at most. When hurricane was going on, it was going off, on, off, on, and etc. Made me gave up interneting and go to sleep since broadband took a while to start up again. -.-


Dirty Jerze is getting dangerous to live in. ._.

[Charlie]

There wasn't much to feel on the earthquake, more of a rumble like vibration for 20 seconds or so.

As for the hurricane, no problems either, fortunately as other places took the brunt of the force.

[M3J]

How was your area? Power stay stable? Roads get flooded? Roads got holes like swiss cheese?

I wonder how women who were sitting found the earthquake. :x

[Charlie]

How was your area? Power stay stable? Roads get flooded? Roads got holes like swiss cheese?

I wonder how women who were sitting found the earthquake. :x

No, nothing like that. It was pretty much a none event. If I recall I think there was a case of an old house that crumbled.

[M3J]

Lucky you. Did your state/area get damaged at all by the earthquake?

Or did you just talk about the earthquake and not hurricane like I thought we were discussing?

[Drmke]

I was affected by neither o/ Just barely outta the way of both ftw?

[Charlie]

Lucky you. Did your state/area get damaged at all by the earthquake?

Or did you just talk about the earthquake and not hurricane like I thought we were discussing?


There was talk of both but it wasn't a big deal as it thought it would be or expected from the news predictions.


I was affected by neither o/ Just barely outta the way of both ftw?

That is fortunate, glad to hear you were not affected.

[kkck]

I was in north carolina but the weather couldn't have been better this week. Were it not for the news I would not have suspected a thing in the least.

[Charlie]

Looking at the positive perspectives from this, its given people who'd normally would be unprepared about things like happening a serious look at being prepared for natural disasters. Always having some sort of contingency plan is never a bad thing.

[Asahina]

It was reported that a new Hurricane is coming to the East Coast...(Wednesday or Friday)
We're doomed I tell you...DOOOMED!!!

[xi0]

It was reported that a new Hurricane is coming to the East Coast...(Wednesday or Friday)
We're doomed I tell you...DOOOMED!!!

You mean next week right? So far they're saying Katia is going to stay out at sea, but if the forecast has changed I wasn't aware.

Yikes...plus we're getting all this rain from Lee too :s

[M3J]

Apparently so are we.

I meant what Gary said, the hurricane will stay out at the sea, so we're safe enough. The rain is basically all we need to worry about if I recall. I thought it was this week though, tomorrow or this Friday. X_x

[xi0]

Yeah, they're saying that the biggest problem Katia will cause is a strong riptide on the coasts...I can live with that :sweat

[Spartacus]

Wow, I've experienced the Earthquake. An since the summer was almost ending, I wanted to have some experience, so I drove from Connecticut and drove to the shores of New Jersey.

The experience was sanely awesome. I want it to happen again. But unfortunately, I'm moving to California in a week from now. No new dangers at that area...

Only stupid small gentle earthquakes.