Sep
22nd
2021
Shake, Rattle, & Roll · 12:45am Sep 22nd, 2021
About half past nine this morning while I was at work, the building started rattling and the floor started shaking. Yes, it was an earthquake - the first that wasn't a trivial tremor that I've ever felt. This region isn't really known for its quakes although obviously they do happen occasionally. It measured 6.0 but its epicentre was about 180 kilometres away in the country, so the consequences weren't too great. One building in Melbourne did have a wall collapse though.
that will wake you up :)
glad your ok and nobody was hurt
Hope you and yours are alright, Shire Goldfur.
Glad you are OK hope no one was hurt. little wonder you were shaken up. A 6.0 in an area not known for them is pretty intense
Once in a while around here the walls shake, windows clatter, and immense deep rumbles shake the ground for hours on end. We call it Ft. Riley Field Day for their Artillery Section. They like to practice Time On Target barrages for 6am.
Looking at the pictures in The Age, I'm glad you got off as light as you did. My one sister went through the Northridge quake in 1994. I noticed the Landers quake in 1992 (7.2), but that was disturbed water in a duck pond on a still morning. I didn't feel a thing.
The world suffer another Franchise dead... Perhaps?
wow. yeah earthquakes anywhere in australia are extremely rare. i'm glad you are ok.
Was at work in Tacoma, WA during the Nisqually quake in 2001. The ground shaking felt like riding a train on poor quality trackage.
Take care and stay safe.
Bet in times like that, you would love to be actually Goldfur
I'll share a story from my Junior year at college. An earthquake of the same magnitude 5.9 struck Southern California on October 1, 1987.
First of all, for the next week, everyone that you met, on the street or anywhere, felt a bit like family because we had all had this event happen to us. Talking to complete strangers about it was perfectly comfortable, somehow by mutual agreement.
Secondly, the school year had just started. Freshmen were undergoing "rotation" where they had dinner at each of the seven student dorms in turn. Each dorm or "house" had their own unique personality. At the end of seven days, students would be picked into houses, partly based on their own preference, partly on the preferences of the existing house members.
The earthquake happened at 7:42 AM. That evening, a new batch (1/7th) of the incoming freshmen were dining in our house's cafeteria. Each was asked to stand up, say their name, and tell everyone what they were doing during the earthquake.
One student was on the phone with his mom who lived in Redlands, about 90 km distant. He related his conversation, "Mom! Mom! There's an earthquake happening! Right now!"
His mom replied, "No there isn't. You're kidding... Wait! There is an earthquake! How did you know?!"
This happened again and again with aftershocks. "Mom! There's another one!"
"What are you talking about? You can't be...hey! How did you know that?"
It turned out Pasadena was 36 km closer to the epicenter and ground waves travel at around 6,000 mph.
Everyone else's story was boring, including "I slept through it." That was, until the last student to stand up. He was from Indonesia and his English was only so-so.
"OK. I set my alarm for 7:30. It go off and I turn it off then put my head back on my pillow. Next thing I know, alarm clock fall on my head!"