August 23 Earthquake and now waiting on the Hurricane to hit. It's been a fun week, really. As an engineer, I was so exited when I realized it was an earthquake. I learn how to make buildings for earthquakes, but I never had experienced one. So this is not very new news for other East-Coasters, but I thought I'd quickly share my experience.
I felt it a lot! (I guess because it was a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, even if it was 130 miles away.) There was an initial shake and I looked out the window to see if a truck hit the building or something. Then my office mate was pretty certain it was an earthquake and told me to get out of the window (I was standing up on a heater leaning out the window, since it is not at normal height). Then there was a bunch more shaking, lots of strong back and forth. Only little things fell - like a small bottle of glasses cleaner I had, probably from the movement of the liquid inside. But I just finally examined my bookshelf and the books had slid forward, so they could have fell in some places, but mine stayed on the shelf. I was really excited since I have learned about earthquakes and stuff but never felt one, and this felt pretty substantial.
Then I went outside to talk with people. Anyway, when I was outside, I tried to make calls but I was only able to successfully send and receive texts. Some people had their computers outside and looked up information and found the earthquake was in Virginia, though I had a hard time believing it was that far away because we really felt a lot. But that was it, and apparently people have felt it up to New York and Toronto, Canada. So I am just excited about having been in an earthquake and can't believe it was felt so far away. I was also looking forward to maybe some aftershocks, but have mostly been smaller (though there was a 4.5), and it seems those have mostly only been felt closer to the earthquake origins in Virginia.
I heard from other people I know who felt it in Columbus, Ohio (380 miles from the earthquake), and Dayton, Ohio (440 miles from it). My husband was working near DC and he thought the ceiling was going to cave in (it didn't, the buildings were fine just shaky, since it was 80 miles from the earthquake).
So now we are waiting for hurricane Irene which is still projected to be hurricane-level (not downgraded to tropical storm) as it hits along the coast. Expecting lots of rain, flooding in some places, and power outage.
And for the incoming students moving in this weekend and getting ready to start school Monday (weather-permitting), welcome to Baltimore! It is never like this here, but it sure is an interesting way to experience the city. Up next: volcanoes, landslides, and tsunamis...
I felt it a lot! (I guess because it was a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, even if it was 130 miles away.) There was an initial shake and I looked out the window to see if a truck hit the building or something. Then my office mate was pretty certain it was an earthquake and told me to get out of the window (I was standing up on a heater leaning out the window, since it is not at normal height). Then there was a bunch more shaking, lots of strong back and forth. Only little things fell - like a small bottle of glasses cleaner I had, probably from the movement of the liquid inside. But I just finally examined my bookshelf and the books had slid forward, so they could have fell in some places, but mine stayed on the shelf. I was really excited since I have learned about earthquakes and stuff but never felt one, and this felt pretty substantial.
My bookshelf
Then I went outside to talk with people. Anyway, when I was outside, I tried to make calls but I was only able to successfully send and receive texts. Some people had their computers outside and looked up information and found the earthquake was in Virginia, though I had a hard time believing it was that far away because we really felt a lot. But that was it, and apparently people have felt it up to New York and Toronto, Canada. So I am just excited about having been in an earthquake and can't believe it was felt so far away. I was also looking forward to maybe some aftershocks, but have mostly been smaller (though there was a 4.5), and it seems those have mostly only been felt closer to the earthquake origins in Virginia.
I heard from other people I know who felt it in Columbus, Ohio (380 miles from the earthquake), and Dayton, Ohio (440 miles from it). My husband was working near DC and he thought the ceiling was going to cave in (it didn't, the buildings were fine just shaky, since it was 80 miles from the earthquake).
So now we are waiting for hurricane Irene which is still projected to be hurricane-level (not downgraded to tropical storm) as it hits along the coast. Expecting lots of rain, flooding in some places, and power outage.
And for the incoming students moving in this weekend and getting ready to start school Monday (weather-permitting), welcome to Baltimore! It is never like this here, but it sure is an interesting way to experience the city. Up next: volcanoes, landslides, and tsunamis...
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