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Earthquake!

Oct 9, 2012#1

Jay

Did anyone else just feel that?

Montreal just got rocked by an Earthquake.

Lasted about 20 seconds.

Unreal.

Oct 10, 2012#2

Gusto

...Maybe? Although my desk chair is wobbly so that might've been it.

Oct 10, 2012#3

WasabiPoptart

It was a 3.9 from what I saw on the USGS site. Just enough to make you say "WTF was that?"

Oct 10, 2012#4

Jay

Looks like an Earthquake hit Montreal and was felt up to Ottawa.

4.5

Still, happy it was only that. It was my first Earthquake experience, any of you folks ever felt one before? It was my first.

Didn't like it.

Oct 10, 2012#5

sixpackshaker

I thought I was in an Earth Quake once, but it was just an explosion some 30-60 miles away.

Basically a small valley filled full of natural gas, and some poor sap drove through it.

Oct 10, 2012#6

bhamv3

I live on the Pacific rim, so earthquakes are part of life here.

Also, the way you immediately came online to post about the quake reminded me of this:

Oct 10, 2012#7

strawman

Jay said:
Looks like an Earthquake hit Montreal and was felt up to Ottawa.

4.5

Still, happy it was only that. It was my first Earthquake experience, any of you folks ever felt one before? It was my first.

Didn't like it.

I felt something odd one day at work, then noticed things on my desk swinging a bit. No one else noticed, but checking the USGS website the next day there was a minor earthquake in Pennsylvania that travelled underground and popped up in southeast Michigan. I wasn't the only report that it was felt this far away. There's some sort of geological conduit that transmitted some of that energy up here.

When the new Madrid fault slips the Midwest will know what a real earthquake is.

But yes, it is unsettling for your first time. Your brain notices the motion, but your eyes don't agree with the motion since your surroundings are also moving.

Oct 10, 2012#8

BananaHands

Oct 10, 2012#9

Rovewin

I'm always surprised by how many people have never felt an earthquake before. I am used to them happening at least every other year but when I left for school I took a geology class and when the teacher asked about those who had experienced an earthquake before it was only me and 1 other kid in a 40 person class who had.

Luckily the ones I have experienced have all been relatively small, at most knocking a glass off the counter.

Oct 10, 2012#10

blotsfan

There has been one earthquake in buffalo in my lifetime and I was in a moving car so I didn't even notice it (it was a small one)

Oct 10, 2012#11

Ravenpoe

I've never been in an earthquake.

But I can tell you a thing or two about hurricanes.

Oct 10, 2012#12

WasabiPoptart

Jay said:
It was my first Earthquake experience, any of you folks ever felt one before? It was my first.

Didn't like it.

We lived in San Diego before we moved to Hawaii. On Easter in 2010, a 7.2 struck across the border in Mexico. We were outside, heading to a nearby playground with our kids. My husband heard the lock on our neighbor's garage rattling and said something about an earthquake. I looked at the cars parked across the street. They started rocking back and forth like someone slamming on the brakes in rush hour traffic. It felt like I was standing on Jello. The aftershocks were crazy,
Also, my husband grew up just outside of San Francisco. The "World Series" earthquake was his birthday present in 1989.

My natural disaster experience so far are hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, tsunami, and volcanoes.(Edit: Blizzards and floods too!) No tornadoes yet.

Oct 10, 2012#13

Jay

Ravenpoe said:
I've never been in an earthquake.

But I can tell you a thing or two about hurricanes.

Tell me about it.

Oct 10, 2012#14

Ravenpoe

Jay said:
Tell me about it.

Well, it rains a lot, and then people like to brag about how they're not evacuating, so it's a great way to narrow down your Christmas list.

Oct 10, 2012#15

Tress

WasabiPoptart said:
Also, my husband grew up just outside of San Francisco. The "World Series" earthquake was his birthday present in 1989.

Everyone who grew up around here remembers that quite clearly. It was a not a fun experience. We're also due for another one of magnitude similar to that. It's been too long since we've had a big one, and it's starting to make people anxious. Retrofitting construction all over the place lately.

Oct 10, 2012#16

GasBandit

Never been in an earthquake either, but I, too, have experienced an explosion that literally rocked the house.

Oct 10, 2012#17

North_Ranger

Never been in an earthquake, but back in the army we spent a weekend firing an old recoilless bazooka. We were instructed to breathe out and clench our jaws when firing, so we wouldn't bite our own tongues off.

Motherfucker was felt as much as heard.

Oct 10, 2012#18

Officer_Charon

Been present for an earthquake (4.6 in Northern california... I forget where the epicenter was), several hurricanes (notably Irene, when I was stationed in North Carolina), volcanic eruption (part of life when you live in Sicily, within eyesight of Mt. Etna, but it's constantly flowing, so the eruptions are minor), tornados (to include the microburst that damned near speared me with a pine tree last year), small-scale explosions, a couple floods, but no blizzards or tsunamis yet...

Oct 10, 2012#19

WasabiPoptart

Officer_Charon said:
volcanic eruption (part of life when you live in Sicily, within eyesight of Mt. Etna, but it's constantly flowing, so the eruptions are minor)

When my husband was stationed there back in 2002-2004, while we were still dating, Etna had a pretty big eruption. The ash was coming down like snow.

Oct 10, 2012#20

Officer_Charon

Yeah, that was shortly after I left... for the most part, all I had to deal with was sweeping the patio clear every day. Black volcanic soot everywhere. *grins*

Oct 10, 2012#21

Necronic

Ravenpoe said:
I've never been in an earthquake.

But I can tell you a thing or two about hurricanes.

http://xkcd.com/1037/

Edit: I also have never experienced an earthquake. The hurricanes and tornados are enough.

Oct 10, 2012#22

GasBandit

Necronic said:
http://xkcd.com/1037/

Edit: I also have never experienced an earthquake. The hurricanes and tornados are enough.

Remember the "umwelt" strip shows you a different script based upon your location. Only those of us in texas see the texas tornado script.

Oct 10, 2012#23

Gusto

GasBandit said:
Remember the "umwelt" strip shows you a different script based upon your location. Only those of us in texas see the texas tornado script.

Oh, wow, I never knew that. Mine was about the dude going to watch the Aurora Borealis while the girl watched hockey.

Oct 10, 2012#24

Officer_Charon

I... should probably start reading xkcd

Oct 10, 2012#25

Gusto

As much as I'm ambivalent towrds the majority of xkcd strips, they're occasionally excellent explorations of the form., and I particularly enjoy the What Ifs.

Oct 10, 2012#26

blotsfan

This one is amazing.
http://xkcd.com/1110/

Oct 10, 2012#27

strawman

Here's the umwelt strip I got:

I never realized he had done that. That's a lot of comics to produce for one day...

Oct 10, 2012#28

bhamv3

I always get this Umwelt. It is disappointing to me.

Oct 10, 2012#29

Tress

bhamv3 said:
View attachment 8438

I always get this Umwelt. It is disappointing to me.

Oct 10, 2012#30

WasabiPoptart

bhamv3 said:
View attachment 8438

I always get this Umwelt. It is disappointing to me.

OMG did your phone ring right after you saw that?!?

Oct 10, 2012#31

ScytheRexx

I have been in so many earthquakes when I lived in California that I grew numb to them. Once I woke up early in the morning, as I was sitting in my office chair I felt the shakes start and I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. It was around a 4.0 so didn't even rush for the door frames.

Really, any type of natural disaster you get so used to it. When I moved out to Texas I was used to California coast thunderstorms, as in a little rain and maybe the rare thunder and lightening out over the ocean. When I had one of the first thunderstorms out here I was hiding in the corner as the thunder was shaking the window frame. I hide in the middle of the house scared that any minute my house was going to get cracked open by the wind.

Oct 11, 2012#32

Azurephoenix

I haven't experienced any natural disasters other than blizzards which I guess makes sense being in Canada and all.

The thing is... I have extreme cold weather gear so a blizzard to me isn't even nearly as big a deal as it probably should be. I've walked miles in -37 degree celsius weather with high windchill just to get back to my car when public transit has failed and the downtown roads are a disaster. Really though I don't know if these sorts of things even count as natural disasters... maybe if there was an ice storm that took out the power.

Oct 11, 2012#33

blotsfan

Azurephoenix said:
I haven't experienced any natural disasters other than blizzards which I guess makes sense being in Canada and all.

The thing is... I have extreme cold weather gear so a blizzard to me isn't even nearly as big a deal as it probably should be. I've walked miles in -37 degree celsius weather with high windchill, uphill both ways just to get back to my car when public transit has failed and the downtown roads are a disaster. Really though I don't know if these sorts of things even count as natural disasters... maybe if there was an ice storm that took out the power.

Fixed

Oct 11, 2012#34

sixpackshaker

Man, you guys need to be in Texas when there is an inch of ice on the ground... it's a major natural disaster.

Oct 11, 2012#35

GasBandit

sixpackshaker said:
Man, you guys need to be in Texas when there is an inch of ice on the ground... it's a major natural disaster.

In all fairness, when I lived in Colorado I never experienced a layer of ice sealing my car shut. I can't say the same for Texas. But I do acknowledge it was fun to drive around in CO after a frozen night and see all the Texans in 4WD trucks sitting in the ditches.

Oct 11, 2012#36

Gusto

In all fairness, there are plenty of people in SW Ontario who seem to forget "how snow works" the first time it falls each winter.

Oct 11, 2012#37

Ravenpoe

What is this snow you speak of? I've heard stories about that... it has to do with something called k'old, right? K'old is like air conditioning, except it's outside and always turned down low, or so I've heard.

Crazy talk.

Oct 11, 2012#38

ncts_dodge_man

Gusto said:
In all fairness, there are plenty of people in SW Ontario who seem to forget "how snow works" the first time it falls each winter.

People always forget here in Wisconsin - either have people who decide that they have to drive at least 20 mph under the speed limit when it's just flurrying or pass you like a bat out of hell when there's several inches on the roadway.

People also seem to think that 4x4 = unstoppable in snow. No, 4x4 is only helpful to start, doesn't do s#@$ to stop which is much more important.

Oct 11, 2012#39

Azurephoenix

Yeah, the only thing that's going to help you stop better on snow and ice is proper winter tires.

Oct 11, 2012#40

GasBandit

Azurephoenix said:
Yeah, the only thing that's going to help you stop better on snow and ice is proper winter tires.

Well, that and ABS. And knowing how to drive on freakin' snow and ice.

Oct 11, 2012#41

Azurephoenix

GasBandit said:
Well, that and ABS. And knowing how to drive on freakin' snow and ice.

Agreed, although ABS' chief benefit is not increased stopping speed... it's the ability to steer while stopping.

Oct 11, 2012#42

GasBandit

Azurephoenix said:
Agreed, although ABS' chief benefit is not increased stopping speed... it's the ability to steer while stopping.

Yes, that's true. I often find it more important in such circumstances, however.

(This happened less than a mile from where I lived in Colorado Springs)

Oct 11, 2012#43

strawman

In the south if you get a half inch of snow everything shuts down, but they can take care of an inch of ice.

In the north if you get a half inch of ice everything shuts down, but they can take care of 2 feet of snow.

And everyone drives like an idiot the first 2-3 snows/icy days. Although I have to admit I see more SUVs in ditches than I see cars on those days.

Oct 11, 2012#44

jwhouk

I dunno, we had some issues with a foot or two of snow back in February. Or at least I did.

Oct 11, 2012#45

bhamv3

All this is reminding me of what Dave Barry said about Washington DC:

The streets of Washington were full of potholes, which today are painstakingly maintained in their original condition by the Department of Historic Pothole Preservation. (Another road related tradition that has continued into modern times is that the entire city shuts down if it snows, or it looks like it might snow, or anybody named "Snow" is visiting the area.)

Also, I used to live in Maryland, quite close to DC, so yes this is true.

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