Musings on Earthquakes

About a half hour I posted yesterday's blog on Hurricane Kate, we had an earthquake.  Not a very big one, but considering I live on the East Coast of the US, it doesn't have to be very big to become a Big Story.    Heck, even Wolf Blitzer devoted some of his show to it.

Now I know that everybody's experience was a little different, and depending on the kind of building you were in, this quake may have seemed pretty scary.  I lived in Europe while the Red Brigade and the Bader-Meinhoff Gangs were pretty active, so I don't scare easily.  If I seem a little flippant, sorry.

So, what was my first conscious earthquake experience like?  Kinda felt like someone had dropped a quarter into the Magic Fingers machine at a motel.  Really.  By the time I realized that it wasn't one of my kids jumping on the bed next to me, it was almost over.  I didn't even lose a drop of Coke from the can on my nightstand.  Now that would've upset me.  Really.

To put things in a little bit of perspective, the quake yesterday (epicenter in Mineral, Va, which is about 41 miles NW of Richmond) was a 5.8.  The World Series Earthquake (more properly known as the Loma Pietra Earthquake) of 1989 was a 6.9.  (I'm sure you can find video on YouTube.)  The Tokyo Earthquake that hit earlier this year was a 9.0.  A friend of a friend on Facebook linked to an Earthquake Energy Converter, which is pretty cool.  You can check out the amount of joules released and the TNT equivalent.

Here's one thing I love about people... as long as the situation isn't too serious, the jokes start flying.  A friend posted a link to the "13 Best Tweets".  Personal favorite:  "Earthquake made me spill my tea...I'm available for interviews."

Someone else has posted this picture:

I'm not sure who took the picture, or added the words, but I thought it was pretty funny.

Another friend of a friend posted this as her status update on Facebook:
tonight for dinner: tossed salad, shake-n-bake chicken, mixed veggies, and pineapple upside down cake...


(Thanks, Duey)




Another friend found this YouTube video.  I'm not sure what all it means, but it looks cool.

So, here's more information on what to do Before, During and After an Earthquake.




Remember, even in an emergency or a natural disaster, keep a sense of humor and stay aMused.  It really will help make everything a little more bearable.