Community Chat

[Moonchilde]

I'm in SoCal so didn't feel this one 😉

People who don't live in earthquake country (and some who do, apparently) don't seem to understand that the Richter scale # is not necessarily a measure of how any given person or household will experience a quake.

First it's how close you are to the epicenter, then how deep or shallow the quake was, then was it a roller or a shaker? THEN the Richter # comes into play.

I have felt 2.5's that were very close to me more than 4's only a little farther away. You will feel a shallow quake more and they do more damage.

You will feel it more upstairs. You probably won't feel it in your car, driving. And yes, the type of soil your house is built on definitely has an effect on how you feel a quake - and whether your house falls down in a bad one.

I never slight how anyone feels a given quake because being right on top of a 3 shaker can feel scary where a4.5 roller 20 miles away is yeahohwell.

[dulwich]

Thanks for posting this.  We have just got in and all our kids are in S.F, San Jose and Santa Cruz so we were worried.  We are moving back to Northern CA soon and also lived in S.F. When the big quake occurred and it is scarey - hope everyone is O.K.

[NoelSeven]

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@Moonchilde wrote:

I'm in SoCal so didn't feel this one 😉

People who don't live in earthquake country (and some who do, apparently) don't seem to understand that the Richter scale # is not necessarily a measure of how any given person or household will experience a quake.

First it's how close you are to the epicenter, then how deep or shallow the quake was, then was it a roller or a shaker? THEN the Richter # comes into play.

I have felt 2.5's that were very close to me more than 4's only a little farther away. You will feel a shallow quake more and they do more damage.

You will feel it more upstairs. You probably won't feel it in your car, driving. And yes, the type of soil your house is built on definitely has an effect on how you feel a quake - and whether your house falls down in a bad one.

I never slight how anyone feels a given quake because being right on top of a 3 shaker can feel scary where a4.5 roller 20 miles away is yeahohwell.

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You got it, moonchilde

My grandparents were here for the 1906 quake, I have pix of them visiting friends in tents in GG Park.

DD and I were together for the 7.1 quake of '89, she was little and still remembers it, but that's another story.

There are many different stories for earthquakes,It can't be brushed off just because someone didn't feel it.  DH was driving home across the bridge during the '89 quake and didn't feel a thing.  Obviously that didn't mean others also didn't feel anything.  The Marina was devastated, friends were trapped in condemned buildings.

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[Black Cat Back]

Hope all is well there.    I didn't hear anything about this on the news.  

It must be unnerving never to really know when one will hit.

[NoelSeven]

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@DARING GREATLY wrote:

Hope all is well there.    I didn't hear anything about this on the news.  

It must be unnerving never to really know when one will hit.

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I don't think it is, for the locals.  I grew up with quakes and I'd rather deal with them than hurricanes, tornadoes or floods.  The '89 quake was a bit of a shocker, what with a section of the Bay Bridge collapsing and a section of a  freeway pancaking, but we then worked to make it all safer.

[Moonchilde]

I have been through the Northridge quake and the San Fernando in 1971. 

For the Whittier Narrows quake in 1987 I was driving to work at 60 mph on the freeway and people at work were freaking out and I'm like 'what earthquake?'

[dulwich]

We lived right on the top of a Bernal Heights in S.F. During the 7.1 quake and my 82 y.o. Mother had arrived the day before the quake to stay with us.  I had to work day of earthquake then had time off to be with my mother.  Well our "new" medical building I worked in on Divisadero completely caved in so we were a few hours bring helped out.  I was very worried about my elderly mother -got home -and she was in the neighbors house with a cup of tea.  She said to me in her very Irish brogue "it is lovely dear, but does this happen everyday?  I was frantic and she was totally together - she stayed 6 mos.  our house was actually built on rock and not even a picture moved.  I think the after shocks are worst.

[NoelSeven]

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@dulwich wrote:

Thanks for posting this.  We have just got in and all our kids are in S.F, San Jose and Santa Cruz so we were worried.  We are moving back to Northern CA soon and also lived in S.F. When the big quake occurred and it is scarey - hope everyone is O.K.

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I almost missed this, sorry dulwich

Most likely, your family in SJ & SC didn't feel a thing, which is good.  I see you have another comment, I'll go check that one...

[Puzzle Piece]

No, didn't feel it. 

[NoelSeven]

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@dulwich wrote:

We lived right on the top of a Bernal Heights in S.F. During the 7.1 quake and my 82 y.o. Mother had arrived the day before the quake to stay with us.  I had to work day of earthquake then had time off to be with my mother.  Well our "new" medical building I worked in on Divisadero completely caved in so we were a few hours bring helped out.  I was very worried about my elderly mother -got home -and she was in the neighbors house with a cup of tea.  She said to me in her very Irish brogue "it is lovely dear, but does this happen everyday?  I was frantic and she was totally together - she stayed 6 mos.  our house was actually built on rock and not even a picture moved.  I think the after shocks are worst.

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That's a wonderful story, dulwich    Thank goodness your mother was all right!  She took it amazingly well.