# We just had an earthquake in Md.



## Riverrose28 (Aug 23, 2011)

OMG! We just had an earth quake here in Southern Maryland, my whole house shook and it almost took my feet out from under me. The little horses were running around like crazy, and the water sloshed out of their tubs. I'm so scared we could have another. Is everyone else OK, it's on the news now and said the empy center was Richmond, Va. and felt as far away as N.C. Hope everyone is OK! Terry


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## minimomNC (Aug 23, 2011)

It was centered in Va. Our news said it was felt up to Vermont but I have heard it was still farther north, we of course felt it here in NC but wasn't sure what it was at first, we live close to an airport. Did even make my animals wake up. Hope every one is ok. I also heard there was one in CO at the same time, anyone know about that one.


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## Reignmaker Miniatures (Aug 23, 2011)

Oh my!! I remember when we had one near here (not _really_near but close enough that we heard it and our city's taller building actually rocked back and forth) It was one of the scariest things I can recall. Didn't have a clue that they could be heard and couldn't figure out what the 'roar' was. I'm glad you are safe and well and hope the damage is minimal every where. Stay safe.


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## Jill (Aug 23, 2011)

It scared the H3LL out of me!!!!!!!!! It lasted so long and whole house shook, books fell on the floor, a little water splashed out of our big hooded aquariums. Horses whinnied heads off at me when I ran outside. We are 18mi from Mineral... probably not much more than 10mi as the crow flies, which apparently is the center of what happened? Scary as anything!


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## minimomNC (Aug 23, 2011)

Information from a friend that works in the Pentagon.

USGS says it was 5.9 Magnitude about 1/2 mile below the surface and 4 miles SW of Mineral, VA. Shake maps are reporting it from SC to NY


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## Jill (Aug 23, 2011)

Mary Lou - LB said:


> Wow.. did not know earthquakes happen that way.. Hope everyone is OK??


They typically don't. I felt one years ago but was just a short rumble. I thought maybe it was a tractor trailer accident on the road out front at first and that night, H did not believe me until he saw it on the news.

This really felt like it lasted a LONG time. I'll be interested to hear what they say about duration because it really felt long. My office is about 50 miles from here (not as the crow flies) and my assistant has lived in CA and Japan. She was scared and said she never felt one last that long.


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## Riverrose28 (Aug 23, 2011)

OMG! Jill I'm with you, I'm accross the river from Quantico, I thought a helicopter was crashing into my house, the shaking almost took my feet out from under me as I raced for the door. Poor little horses were just scared to death, running, screaming and water was slooshing every where. Hubby called he is working in P.G, they have lost computers and power. Daughter called she works for a Dr. at the Hosp. they evacuated. They just closed the schools in P.G country. I've checked all my guys and they are now OK! But I'm still shaking. I need a beer!


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## Jill (Aug 23, 2011)

I hear you, Terry!!! News just said they took two power plants down as a precaution and I bet the one at Lake Anna is one. That is 10min MAX from me. I don't like moving ground!!!


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## Riverrose28 (Aug 23, 2011)

They closed the NIce bridge over the POtomac to check for damage and are closing some other bridges in Va. as well to check for damage, and the news man said we could fell some after shocks till morning. Think I'll sleep with some horses in the indoor.


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## HGFarm (Aug 23, 2011)

There was one this morning outside of Denver CO also!! LOL, fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen!! It could be a bumpy ride!


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## Riverrose28 (Aug 23, 2011)

HGFarm said:


> There was one this morning outside of Denver CO also!! LOL, fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen!! It could be a bumpy ride!


Hubby used to work as a building code inspector, so when he gets home I'll have the check our foundation. Our house is very old and sits on locast posts in the boonies, hope it is ok. I'm an old lady and never ever felt the ground move like that.


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## Riverrose28 (Aug 23, 2011)

I guess I should add, funny how your instincts kick in! I was running for the door and shut it in the face of my farm help. I'm bad, he kept saying its a helicopter, and I said helicopter H3ll, got out, then I shut the door, now that I think back shame on me.


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## RenMac Farm (Aug 23, 2011)

We felt it here in WV as well.. just a small vibration but still kind of freaky!!! Listening to the radio saying it was a 5.9 and it was felt from North Carolina to Canada and as far west as Ohio. WVU buildings were evacuated for awhile so all the buildings could be checked before they allowed the employees/students back in.


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## HGFarm (Aug 23, 2011)

LOL Riverrose- I think that's called panic, LOL

I remember our first one as a teen in So Cal- we had a couple of doozies there early in the a.m. a couple of years apart. They were both 7. something--- that was a big shake! With one, the freeway overpasses collapsed out in the valley- things were pretty bad.

I remember my Dad yelling from the other room to stay where we were at (we were all still in bed) as I watched my bedroom door, hanging lamp, etc... swaying wildly back and forth- I was frozen with terror but his voice came just about the instant I was ready to snap 'back to' and get the H3ll out my own self- so I understand your feelings!


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## Riverrose28 (Aug 23, 2011)

HGFarm said:


> LOL Riverrose- I think that's called panic, LOL
> 
> I remember our first one as a teen in So Cal- we had a couple of doozies there early in the a.m. a couple of years apart. They were both 7. something--- that was a big shake! With one, the freeway overpasses collapsed out in the valley- things were pretty bad.
> 
> I remember my Dad yelling from the other room to stay where we were at (we were all still in bed) as I watched my bedroom door, hanging lamp, etc... swaying wildly back and forth- I was frozen with terror but his voice came just about the instant I was ready to snap 'back to' and get the H3ll out my own self- so I understand your feelings!


OMG how did you live like that? Yes I'm in a panic, still and it's been an hour and a half, I just want my husband to come home. I just went out to check on my guys again, and am totally freaking out because there are no birds! No chirping, no screaming, no flying! Horses are acting like nothing happened and I'm freaking out.


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## CKC (Aug 23, 2011)

OMG! I was freaking out. Trying to grab my kids. Just didn't know what to do.

A friend of mine only lives 4 miles from where it started. My mom is still feeling aftershocks and does have damage in her house. I don't have any damage, but it's a miracle. We haven't felt any aftershocks yet.

Just got a call that our county is in a local state of emergency. Schools are closed until further notice so they can inspect the buildings. They were supposed to start tomorrow.

Now we have a hurricane to worry about.

This is just so scary.

Kim


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## Riverrose28 (Aug 23, 2011)

CKC said:


> OMG! I was freaking out. Trying to grab my kids. Just didn't know what to do.
> 
> A friend of mine only lives 4 miles from where it started. My mom is still feeling aftershocks and does have damage in her house. I don't have any damage, but it's a miracle. We haven't felt any aftershocks yet.
> 
> ...


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## Jill (Aug 23, 2011)

OH, my checking around the house was not thorough enough. H is going to call our homeowners' insurance because bricks from our chimney fell and fell onto our heat pump / a/c unit and busted holes all in it. I did see a brick in the back yard, but wasn't sure where it came from (duh). Guess I know now!

Also, they showed footage on local Fox News over at Tysons Corner (shopping for those not local) and all these bricks fell and damaged cars in a parking lot. Not sure what that is from, maybe something was under construction? Not sure... Tysons is a ways from Madison and us.


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## Riverrose28 (Aug 23, 2011)

Jill said:


> OH, my checking around the house was not thorough enough. H is going to call our homeowners' insurance because bricks from our chimney fell and fell onto our heat pump / a/c unit and busted holes all in it. I did see a brick in the back yard, but wasn't sure where it came from (duh). Guess I know now!
> 
> Also, they showed footage on local Fox News over at Tysons Corner (shopping for those not local) and all these bricks fell and damaged cars in a parking lot. Not sure what that is from, maybe something was under construction? Not sure... Tysons is a ways from Madison and us.


I'm so sorry for you all, I'm too afraid to go check my house on the outside, the inside is bad enough, I'm waiting for hubby to get home for that. I'm afraid for the foundation so hope it's OK. At least my animals are alright, I wish the birds would come back, that is the thing that is freaking me out the most.


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## Equuisize (Aug 23, 2011)

I talked to Cheyenne just moment after and it hit New Jersey, too.

She said she heard it lasted 30 seconds which 30 seconds when you're

standing with the ground rolling under you is a LONG time.

Hope everyone is OK and received no damage.

Be prepared for some possible aftershocks.

There was a big one in Colorado, also, but they are not connected.


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## Riverrose28 (Aug 23, 2011)

OMG Jill you're not the only one, I just got up enough courage to go out, we have two chimneys one for each stove, the one on the front of the house has lost the whole center pipe and some bricks, I thought the only damage I had was a few of my family gallery pictures that fell and my horse show plaques. Farm help just came back and said they can't find the cattle from across the road. I may have to get on my polaris ranger and go help. Hope things don't get any worse.


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## kaykay (Aug 23, 2011)

I didnt even know until my sister called in a panic. I guess they felt it really good in columbus and cincinati but I didnt feel a thing. My daughter was at school in columbus and said it was bad there and windows etc broke.


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## Riverrose28 (Aug 23, 2011)

kaykay said:


> I didnt even know until my sister called in a panic. I guess they felt it really good in columbus and cincinati but I didnt feel a thing. My daughter was at school in columbus and said it was bad there and windows etc broke.


Oh no, all the way up, poor Jill it was only a few miles away from her!


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## bevann (Aug 23, 2011)

We felt it here in Delaware.I was standing at my kitchen sink and thought I was having a bad reaction to some new medicine.Glad it wasn't that.Then I realized what it was since I had been in earthquake situation once in CA.Not too bad here-just minor shaking of earth and house.Good thing since I'm getting older and house is very old-no footers just blocks laid on sand and flattened tress for supports under house.Hope everyone else is OK.I was thinking about Terry,Jill,Buster and Donna Gough when I heard where epicenter was.Keep in touch


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## Sterling (Aug 23, 2011)

Man...this was something ELSE!!! I was sitting in front of my computer and all of a sudden things got "wavy".




I looked up at the ceiling and the whole room was rolling!! My heart started beating hard and I yelled for my pups to come with me...they didn't react at first as they must've been napping very deeply. Was very surreal. They followed me out. I grabbed my cordless and cell phones and we high tailed it outside the house. I stood in the yard watching to see if I saw people activity, but nothing. That was pretty scary!! Felt like a scary movie. Everything real quiet yet a beautiful, blue skied day. At that point I got a call from my hubby and soon as he heard my voice he said "Are you Ok"? I think thats when I turned to butter.........but this was pretty scary. Horses were fine and kept grazing.

Nancy.....I heard on the news just a l ittle bit ago we did have an aftershock. Remember when I was talking to you on the phone and I said "uh oh...wait".....yep thats what it was. Thanks for being there.....you are very calm and reassuring to me! RiverRose....I can understand your freaking out. This is not a normal thing for us. lol...maybe we all need to go on a conference call to Nancy when things like this happen?


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## CKC (Aug 23, 2011)

It's really strange. I'm less than 50 miles from the center. My Mom is over 50 miles. We are both pretty much north of Mineral. She's been getting after shocks. We haven't had one yet.

My friend that lives close is getting them.

We have quite a bit of damage in my town.... Culpeper, VA. Rumours have been spreading that the roof on our Target collapsed, but that has not been confirmed.

Kim


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## Reignmaker Miniatures (Aug 23, 2011)

Sterling said:


> I stood in the yard watching to see if I saw people activity, but nothing. That was pretty scary!! Felt like a scary movie. Everything real quiet yet a beautiful, blue skied day. At that point I got a call from my hubby and soon as he heard my voice he said "Are you Ok"? I think thats when I turned to butter.........but this was pretty scary. Horses were fine and kept grazing.


I remember thinking that too. When the sound of the earth quake stopped it was just sooo quiet. No bird sounds, just nothing, but when I looked at my horses at the time, they were acting like nothing happened. Almost made me think I'd imagined the whole thing except for the silence.

I sure hope there have been no injuries anywhere.


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## ohmt (Aug 23, 2011)

Hope everyone is ok! We had an earthquake in my hometown of alexandria, MINNESOTA not that long ago. My boyfriend and I were visiting our parents. It was very strange, I had no idea earthquakes happened way up here. I lived in CA as a little girl so know what they're like-very scary!


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## Riverrose28 (Aug 23, 2011)

Well hopefully it is all over for me, the horses are back to their normal selves, but I have only seen a few birds, heard a crow call and saw a hummer at the vine, but no others, even the cicadas are being quite. Dogs are stuck to me like glue, and I'm stuck to hubby like glue. This kind of thing teaches me to respect life as it can be over in a matter of moments. I felt like a little kid wanting my husband like a six year old wanting their mommy. Hope the others in VA. are OK, haven't heard from Donna from Vanity Fair or from Wonder Horse. Maybe no news is good news.


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## CKC (Aug 23, 2011)

Just had our first aftershock.


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## weebiscuit (Aug 23, 2011)

I'm sorry for damage to the premises of those who were hit, but thank goodness there was no loss of life!

When i was in Ixtapa, Mex., an earthquake hit about 50 miles away. We were in a classy restaurant with the concierge of our hotel, a young man of 26 that we all just hit it off with. I was sitting there looking at the menu and started feeling as if I were getting nauseous. I happened to look at the black and white tiled floor and it was literally undulating in waves, and it still didn't register with we three women what was happening. Our waiter had been standing at the table and I saw our Mexican friend look up at him and he said, "tremblo" and I knew that meant earthquake!

It was an open air restaurant, and the street lamps outside were swaying back and forth as if they were in a hurricane. The entire restaurant became hushed, where you'd think everyone would be screaming, but parents were simply holding childrens' hands and looking at each other with concern, but no one panicked. Many were praying, though! Our friend put his hands out and held ours and said not to worry, that it wasn't happening here but somewhere else, and everything would be fine. After perhaps a full minute it all ended, and we went on with dinner, but when we went four miles up the coast back to our hotel, all the people were out on the beach. Apparently the elevator was jammed and other problems were happening, and many people chose to simply sleep on the beach, for fear an aftershock would come and do greater harm.

We found out the next morning, via newspapers, that it was a 7.0 quake! Very big one, but it hit in a mainly remote and unpopulated area with only one very small town, and no one was killed. I had called my husband, back in Wisconsin, to tell him we were OK, as I was sure he was hearing about this quake on the news back home, but he'd never heard a thing about it! Now if it had hit Mexico City, it would have been headlines, but since it didn't destroy any population centers I guess it wasn't newsworthy.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Aug 23, 2011)

Oh goodness. You poor things! Up here on the Ring of Fire earthquake safety is a big part of any elementary school curriculum with regular drills and such but we don't actually have them very often. Thank goodness, as when we do they tend to be catastrophic ones! I've been through three in my life, one here and two while visiting California, but all were relatively minor with no structural damage. The quiet birds and wildlife thing is pretty normal from what I've been taught, Terry. It scares them into hiding.

I think if I was ever at a beach and felt an earthquake, the LAST thing I'd do is sleep on the beach! What if there was a tsunami??



Yikes!

Hope things quiet down for you out there. I suspect you guys feel like I would if a tornado or hurricane suddenly hit the Pacific NW.





Leia


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## Bess Kelly (Aug 24, 2011)

I'm about 75 miles S and didn't feel anything --- but, riding a mower feels shaky anyway



My grdtr says the house shook just a little bit.

She thought it was a big train approaching (we are near a track)....so, wasn't "much" of a shaking.

I thought of Jill because I know she's in Spotsylvania!

These things are rare in VA. Guess it's "our week" for crap as Hurrican Irene is barreling toward us and I'm only 40 miles inland. Will get the wind/rain but if it stays the "just off coast" course it now predicts, that will be all.

Hmmmm, remember living RIGHT ON the beach in past years and hurricanes coming. This location is normally far better. That said, it CAN happen to come inland hard. Year I built this house was such a storm and the town I'm near was totally under water!!! Fortunately I am about 150' above them and dry.

Hope your damage is minimal, Jill.


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## susanne (Aug 24, 2011)

I'm so glad to see posts from those of you in the quake zone!

As Leia mentioned, here on the west coast earthquakes are to be expected. They actually take place constantly, but most barely register on the seismographs. We in western Oregon and Washington sit on a major subduction zone, with a fault not as famous but comparable to San Francisco's San Andreas Fault. We are constantly warned that we're long overdue for a big one, and building codes have been upgraded to much higher levels than in the past. Nonetheless, I tend to hold my breath while going over multi-level bridges and through tunnels...

CKC, it's not surprising that others at a similar distance from the epicenter have felt aftershocks to different degrees -- they likely also felt the primary temblor differently than you. The type of ground you are on and how it absorbs the shock determines what you will feel. Solid rock vs. sandy soil all transmit the earthquake differently.

Our last "biggie" felt like a truck had slammed into our house, whereas others reported a waving sensation. My sister, who lives near the top of an extinct volcano (Mt. Scott), felt nothing at all.

In my life I've been through several good sized earthquakes and numerous that were barely noticeable, but I've never gotten used to them...that old barfy, sky-is-falling sensation never lessens.

Chimneys are frequently affected, so I would get those checked even if everything else seems fine.

Take care!


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## Jill (Aug 24, 2011)

The damage looks to be pretty minimal. The chimney is actually for an oil furnace, which we have not used (but could) in a couple of years. We updated the heating system and had central a/c installed I guess about 6yrs ago.

One reason I think it seemed SO long that the earthquake was going on is that there were a few solid minutes after it where I was not sure what happened. I was demanding my mom (about 40mi from DC as crow flies, 50 miles in the car) to get the local news on b/c I was afraid maybe DC was blasted off the map! Urgh... It was a few minutes before I felt confident that the news was accurate and it was "just" an earthquake.

We had an aftershock after H got home. He was in his car when the REAL thing happened and didn't feel it. I do not think he beleived me, or grasped how STRONG it was, because he was talking to his little brother on the phone last night when we had the biggest of the aftershocks (which was just nothing, maybe 1/25th of the real thing) and he was stunned and all excited asking me did I feel, we had another one.

It's supposed to be a once in 100 years thing. I hope so!!!

It was funny though because I was telling another friend that when I ran out the house while it was going on, my horses are all whinnying at me like "Mom! What's going on?!?!" and the first call I make a minute after it stopped was to my mom "Mom??? What just happened???" (pretty much crying at the time). Funny... just thought last night how sometimes we ALL need our "moms".


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## Miniv (Aug 24, 2011)

Jill, One of the reasons why it felt like it lasted so long is that it was only a 1/2 mile below the surface. It's also why it was felt so far away. A 5.8 or 5.9 earthquake is usually considered a "moderate" one.

What's interesting is that Colorado also had a "moderate" earthquake just hours earlier. Theirs was a 5.3.


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## Riverrose28 (Aug 24, 2011)

Now that it is all over I feel like a big sissy! We are all fine and after I came back into the house I tried to call hubby at work, I'm the Mom around here, mines been gone for 30 yrs. Phone service was done, even my cell. Funny thing was I have dial up, so my only comfort was you guys on line as I could get through to you all to post. We only had minor damage, not much at all one of our old brick chimneys lost a couple of bricks, no big deal, and some siding under the roof feel on the North side. Best of all, the barns are fine nothing even feel down. I was so upset last night that I made myself sick. Kids did call me for reasurance and I was as usual a great Mom and calmed them all down while at the same time I was a mess. Now we have to prepare for Hurricain Irene. Generator is ready, extra water is ready, all I need to do now is set up my temporary stalls in case trees fall onto fences, but that should only take a few minutes. I need to watch the weather and see what track she is taking, that is the main thing for me. Jill, glad to hear you are OK, and believe me if I still had a Mom I would have called her as well. I totally sympathize as I only wanted my husband to be here and comfort me.


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## CKC (Aug 24, 2011)

Miniv said:


> Jill, One of the reasons why it felt like it lasted so long is that it was only a 1/2 mile below the surface. It's also why it was felt so far away. A 5.8 or 5.9 earthquake is usually considered a "moderate" one.
> 
> What's interesting is that Colorado also had a "moderate" earthquake just hours earlier. Theirs was a 5.3.



This website says it was 3.7 miles deep.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/se082311a.html


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## Jill (Aug 24, 2011)

Oh, one interesting thing I've observed concerns our water now. I'm not worried about drinking it, but we have a VERY deep artesian well that's drilled down through the rock. It's like spring water (I think that's why we do so well with our freshwater fish hobby).... We had it drilled in 2002 when our old (different type) well went dry. When H and I've taken showers and baths yesterday and today, there is a little "grit" on the bottom of the tub when it drains. I'm guessing that's a reflection of the ground disturbance.


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## CKC (Aug 25, 2011)

Jill-Mom just called and asked me if our water was dirty. Ours isn't, but hers is.

Buildings in Culpeper have been condemned. They are saying that some of the other buildings that were damaged as well as peoples homes won't be able to handle high winds. We will most likely be getting that today and this isn't even from the hurricane.


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