At work down East. Busy day. Babies raining down from the sky. The hospital/its staff are beginning to batten-down the hatches for a hurricane named Irene later this week.
I was minding my own business in the nursery, when the building began to rumble and the baby warmers started to sway. The Freaky Mennonite was freaking. It took a few seconds to realize that it wasn't those pesky nursery ghosts messing with us - but that I was experiencing my first earthquake (or at least the first one I've identified as an earthquake while it was happening).
And it was TOTALLY cool!
I have dutifully appraised the USGS of my experience in an online questionnaire. Still trying to raise my Aunt in Virginia, who apparently lives right on top of the epicenter. And friends who moved here from California, in part to escape from earthquakes, are not amused.
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2 comments:
Welcome to the "earthquake" club. Downright freaky isn't it?
Glad that you are ok. Hang on cause once the shakers get going, they don't just suddenly stop. Eastern US is not stranger to earthquakes but they are or have been so rare that most folks forget about them. The largest one formed Reelfoot Lake in West Tennessee in the early 1800's. Well that along with the meanderings of the Mississippi River that had been taking place for a number of years before the quake caused the rifts to fill with water.
So hang in there young lady, there will be more acoming.
Having worked in Memphis on several extended assignments, I am aware of the Mississippi's (fairly recent) earthquake history - enough so to heed my Father's warning (similar to the one he offered about New Orleans) not to live there permanently. Thar river, she's a beast.
"Cool" is in the eye of the beholder. My Aunt & Uncle live ten miles from the epicenter in Virginia. They were outside when the quake hit and spent a good 45 seconds guessing and dodging the projected paths of the giant/ancient trees they thought might fall on them or the house. My Aunt said it was like a massive "wave" of badness moving from East to West - sounding like a thousand trains.
Their old/beautiful/much-beloved-by-me farm-house was a mess when they got back in - cabinet doors open - broken lamps & wall fixtures, pottery and glass amashed on the floor - and the house itself had some "minor" structural damage.
"Minor" also being in the eye of the beholder.
They had felt four after-shocks as of yesterday.
I've felt nothing in Eastern NC, but yesterday evening turned to crap fairly quickly - I was very busy - in my "zone" - and would not have noticed anything.
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