I feel the earth...move...under my feet...

OK, I've got to ask -- what's with all the earthquakes???? I've been here over a month and haven't felt a single shake, and now, over the course of three days, there's been two of them. Where I'm from, our big fears are tornadoes and blizzards. Right now, it's really both, because the weather in Northwest Indiana is fluctuating. It has been really cold there over the weekend, with temps in the 0s and below. The wind chill makes your face burn, and you can get frostbite in a matter of a very short time. It's really not pretty. And when it's not so cold, there's the tornadoes, which can hit unexpectedly and knock down rows of houses. I'm used to those conditions. But earthquakes, that's a new one for me. I'm not a big fan of wild weather, and blizzards and tornadoes both scare me, because you can die from either. Let me add earthquakes to that. On Friday night, I was upstairs in my apartment when I heard a big boom and then the building started to rock. The clothes hangers in the closet started swaying, and the bedroom and bathroom door began to lightly tap the walls. It was a very odd feeling. My cat was totally freaked out, looking around and on high alert. And I was freaked out, too, because I've never experienced something like that. I called my daughter at 1:30 a.m. her time (it was 11:30 p.m. our time) and said "Dude, it's an earthquake!!!!" which of course, woke her right up. I stayed on the phone with her a little bit, in fact, long enough to feel another aftershock that just lasted a few seconds. And now there was another one today, in generally the same place in Mexico as the last one. I was on the phone with Cathy Kennerson at the El Centro Chamber of Commerce, and she said "Oh, we're having another earthquake" and then I felt it. I think everyone is a little freaked out about it, actually, even though this is California and we're supposed to have them here. It's a very weird feeling to have the ground moving underneath you. A little scary to me. But it's part of living here, so I'll grin and bear it!!!! :)

Comments

[me]

Yeah that's pretty much all we can do-grin and bear it. These quakes, other than scare a little bit really haven't done much damage, at least not that I've heard of. Back in the late 80's though there was a really big one, where they closed down schools and such.

[JBrad]

Hang on and enjoy the ride ... unless it lasts longer than a few seconds. Then you can worry.

[Kim]

OK. I feel a little better now. It's just difficult when you have no control over it or no way to run from it. :)

[Rodrigo]

I hate earthquakes. Hate them. Although, with home prices dropping locally I was looking at my house thinking, "Fall apart, damn it. Cave in!" No such luck.

[Kim]

I imagine you weren't the only person around here wishing for that... :D

[Rodrigo]

Some folks go beyond wishing. I heard that a local real estate agent who has been in business for decades and is now almost 90 years old once said, 'You know what the most common cause of home fires is? Friction. The friction created by the mortage payments rubbing up against the insurance policy'. I guess we can look for more and more houses to spontaneously combust around here. Sadly, I own a townhouse that has a fire suspension sprinkler head every freaking two feet!

[Me]

I am enjoying your blog. Welcome to our Valley. It is a great place to live and much different than other places I have lived,
yet all places in CA have had earthquakes. I never got used to knowing destruction could be in my path and get ready. With the earth movin & shakn you just get a jolt & some rockin & rollin but no time in advance to worry. This is where we are thankful we have above standard building codes. Hang in there and enjoy the ride!

[Kim]

Thanks!!!! I'm having fun here. Learning lots. Definitely enjoying the weather!!!!!

[soulman]

I thought that there was no earthquake insurance in California?

[Kim]

Hmmmm. I don't know. I rent, so I don't worry about stuff like that. :)