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29 July 2008

My first Southern California earthquake. 5.8 on the Richter. Our whole building rumbled around for about ten seconds. That was fun!
Me and my boyfriend, working 25 miles further away from the epicenter:


(11:42:59 AM) AV: earthquake???
(11:43:06 AM) contraption: i didn't feel anything
(11:43:11 AM) contraption: oh hey
(11:43:42 AM) contraption: CRAZY
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur 29 July | 14:03
w00t! Congrats. Is that like crossing the international date line? Is a hazing in order?

10 seconds is a LOOONG time! (Hope the infrastructure damage is minimal.)
posted by small_ruminant 29 July | 14:18
So any damage? I tried to call my mom and the lines are jammed.
posted by danf 29 July | 14:20
Latest info.

No damage here, danf, but mileage may vary depending on where your mom is. By all accounts, it wasn't too big.
posted by mykescipark 29 July | 14:26
I was thinking of the LA bunnies! Glad all is well and no significant damage so far.
posted by LoriFLA 29 July | 14:29
The quake disconnected my phone call with my mother, just as we were in the middle of an argument. Thank you, plate tectonics!
posted by HotPatatta 29 July | 14:32
I'm 100 miles from the epicenter, and have the LA local news on. There's no reported injuries or major damage yet. There's a ruptured water main south of the 10. This was a broken windows and minor damage type deal.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur 29 July | 14:33
that. was. scary.

we just moved into a place not 10 miles from the epicenter. our building is from 1910 and there seems to be no real damage -- lost some plaster in the hallway. other tenants had a lot of breakage but we're not unpacked yet so we didn't. this is my 4th earthquake but definitely the longest and strongest and scariest.

my emergency plan didn't really happen. instead of going straight to get under the table i ran around chasing the dog because i was freaking out that she was under the skylights and by the 10ft pane of glass! by the time i caught her, it was all over and i forgot what i was supposed to do.

excuse grammar and spelling. i'm still shaking. eep.
posted by simbiotic 29 July | 14:41
oh p.s. my dog puked a few seconds before it hit. i had just stood up to get a rag and nearly fell down while i was walking.

now every time she pukes, which is often, i'm going to have to prepare for an earthquake emergency!
posted by simbiotic 29 July | 14:43
Read the vomit for the name of your future spouse!
Magic dog vomit!
posted by ethylene 29 July | 14:46
A friend of mine on the L.A. Burners Tribe only acknowledged the earthquake by saying that his air-conditioning installation held up perfectly. Then I remembered that I'm the type of guy who does the "Put in window, close window" installation. Now I'm wondering if I'll come home tonight to find it in the back yard!
posted by mykescipark 29 July | 14:51
i read it and it says "you're already married and you should not wait for your husband to come home and clean this up"
posted by simbiotic 29 July | 14:52
5.8 on the Richter

Ah, fun! Big enough to really get your heart pounding, not big enough to cause any lasting damage. I'm glad everyone is safe and sound so far.

Is it sick that I sort of miss California quakes? Yeah, probably. Damn, looking at the location I would have totally felt that, if I was still in college...

posted by muddgirl 29 July | 15:10
Yup, I just looked at my phone and saw I had a couple of emergency notification system calls from my college, which is about 15 miles away from the epicenter. I also got a Earthquake Notification System text from the USGS that I'd signed up for earlier this summer and forgotten about.
posted by unsurprising 29 July | 15:28
Earthquakes hold a similar fascination for me as thunderstorms. They're just entropy's way of saying hi.
posted by Ardiril 29 July | 15:41
entropy's way of saying hi -- Excellent.

Glad everyone is okay.
posted by MonkeyButter 29 July | 15:52
Woah! Glad you're all okay.
posted by goo 29 July | 16:47
This was my first earthquake as well. I'm in Santa Barbara, so far enough that it wasn't strong enough to actually do anything but close enough that you could definitely feel it. Good to hear that everyone's okay.
posted by The Pusher Robot 29 July | 17:01
I was driving through the ATM on the way to pick up some lunch and had just shut off the car when these massive rumbling sounds came from what I thought was the engine...it sounded like it was going to explode! Then I looked up and saw the lightpoles across the parking lot swaying and thought, "whew, just an earthquake."

When damage to your brother's purple Neon is more frightening than an earthquake, I think that means you're a local. :)
posted by mdonley 29 July | 17:18
I was at a memorial service this morning in Pasadena when it hit... just as someone got up to speak, the rumble came. A large urn of flowers started teetering on the altar; being on the aisle of the second pew, I went into a crouch to dash forward to try to catch it in case it tumbled to the floor. But it just swayed... kept swaying... and then righted itself.

It lightened the moment, in a strange way. From that point on in the service, there was a lot more laughter.
posted by scody 29 July | 18:00
It was my first earthquake and totally sweet. Our boss ran out of the building like Forest Gump.
posted by klangklangston 29 July | 22:53
Our boss ran out of the building like Forrest Gump.

1. That image makes any structural damage suffered anywhere completely worth it.

2. Wait, I think I know which building you work in. How the hell did he get to the ground floor fast enough?!
posted by mykescipark 29 July | 23:01
OMG teh kyoot! || Philip Seymour Hoffman is the Mattress Man

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