Virginia Earthquake: ~5.8

[Bobsama]

So there was just an earthquake in Virginia. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquak...usc0005ild.php

[Manicdan]

in other news... facebook goes down from all of america posting about the earthquake at the same time

[Bobsama]

It's not November 5th yet. In other news, it's the largest earthquake in that area in over 135 years.

[defect9]

I hope everyone is alright through this. earthquakes aren't the most fun things to go through if you're close to the epicenter

In other news, couch surfers near earthquake have massive wipeout.

[sin0822]

I live in northern VA, right next to DC, and i work in VA right below DC. i was at work when it happened, no one thought it was an earthquake, but then after there was no heat or sonic blast (from a potential terrorist attack) we figured it was an earthquake and we felt better. No one was hurt and there seems to be no damage really in DC or in northern VA, people are kind of shook up, but it wasn't something to throw you off your feet. I think people are just happy with was an earthquake and nothing else. This is probably the only place in the world you'd hear that. I have lived in this region almost all my life, and I haven't felt a quake as strong. I am just hoping nothing my house broke.

My parents live much closer to where it happened, probably 30 miles south, and i called them and they are ok, so I am happy.

The earthquake took place about 60 miles from here, and was felt up into NYC?

Anyways no aftershocks here, not yet at least.

They already brought us back into the building.

[tbone8ty]

Yeah I work at a machine shop in CT and my machine was swaying I was like wtf to many vodka shots at lunch lol.

2012! Yikes!

[Janus67]

A lot of people posted about it that live here in Columbus but I didn't feel anything in my office.

[deachus]

I am at work about 45 miles west of Philadelphia and my office and entire building was shaking back and forth for a good 25 seconds. Didn't know what was going on until I heard it was a quake. I lived in this area my entire life and don't recall this happening.

[phantomferrari]

i live in gaithersburg md which isnt that far away from dc or richmond (where roughly the epicenter was) and i thought a bunch of garbage trucks were going down the street

[Stewie007]

The shelves at the grocery store shook a bit down here in Huntersville, NC. It was a very very feint rocking. I'm sure the news is blowing it up to be a big thing. They already stressed very loudly about the nuclear power plants around there.... As if a 5.8 is going to do the kind of damage that happened in Japan....

[halofanman]

It's not November 5th yet. In other news, it's the largest earthquake in that area in over 135 years.

did they have Richter Scales 135 years ago?

[Bobsama]

I live in northern VA, right next to DC, and i work in VA right below DC. i was at work when it happened, no one thought it was an earthquake, but then after there was no heat or sonic blast (from a potential terrorist attack) we figured it was an earthquake and we felt better. No one was hurt and there seems to be no damage really in DC or in northern VA, people are kind of shook up, but it wasn't something to throw you off your feet. I think people are just happy with was an earthquake and nothing else. This is probably the only place in the world you'd hear that. I have lived in this region almost all my life, and I haven't felt a quake as strong. I am just hoping nothing my house broke.

My parents live much closer to where it happened, probably 30 miles south, and i called them and they are ok, so I am happy.

The earthquake took place about 60 miles from here, and was felt up into NYC?

Anyways no aftershocks here, not yet at least.

They already brought us back into the building.

I felt it a few miles north of Albany, NY. Anyways, seems like USGS downgraded it back to 5.8. It was initially listed as 5.8 and upgraded to 5.9 just before I posted.

Anyways, that's what the USGS said.

Since at least 1774, people in central Virginia have felt small earthquakes and suffered damage from infrequent larger ones. The largest damaging earthquake (magnitude 4.8) in the seismic zone occurred in 1875. Smaller earthquakes that cause little or no damage are felt each year or two.

[keithlm]

So there was just an earthquake in Virginia

Earthquake? Is that the cover story... er... I mean... Oh yeah... an Earthquake!

That's what "they" want you to think. "They" were really just testing out H.A.A.R.P.

[zanzabar]

oh wow an earthquake whatever will u guys do, its not like u guys have granite that all of the large buildings are anchored to so little to no damage would come out of it since there was no liquefaction or reverberation.

[Stewie007]

did they have Richter Scales 135 years ago?

No, wise guy. However, the Richter scale didn't invent the idea of recording history.

[StAndrew]

The entire state of California is rolling its eyes right now...

[Buckeye]

oh wow an earthquake whatever will u guys do, its not like u guys have granite that all of the large buildings are anchored to so little to no damage would come out of it since there was no liquefaction or reverberation.

Yeah Zan I remember the 1989 quake in SF, it was a 6.9 one I believe. I live in Stockton and felt it very strong over here.
If I remember right there was a Oakland A's game going on at the time which caused a bit of a problem. Also so much other damage, Oakland and Interstate 880/Cypress Viaduct collapse, Bay Bridge damage, the ground in the Marina District turned like liquid and caused a ton of damage there. It was pretty bad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Lo...eta_earthquake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GfHkRNnZDE

Then years before that, 1980 I was working at LLNL back then and a 5.9 hit the Livermore valley. I was standing in our weapons engineering lab when it hit, the steel I-Beams in the ceiling had ripples going through them. 30 ton shakers in the test bay were moved over a foot. The highway going up into the altamont pass had ground drop 6" away from the overpasses. Lucky I drove into work that day and a friend and I jammed out as fast as we could and had to find a small section on the overpass we could drive over.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquak...1980_01_24.php

A 5.9 is nothing to sneeze at, trust me. Happy all are safe over there !

[Power5]

The entire state of CA can suck my then. Oh, yeah, wasn't as bad as what the morons that live on a fault line experience, but that does not mean its trivial. Buildings are not made as earthquake resistant in the north east so some damage can easily be done.

[redrumy3]

First time living in NY that I felt ground shake like that :X My room was shaking for about 2 minutes, thought I was dizzy at first lol.

[Buckeye]

@ Power5, Then you don't want to live in Holister, CA "Earthquake Capital of the World" which isn't to far away from San Francisco.

http://www.homefacts.com/earthquakes...Hollister.html

[zanzabar]

Yeah Zan I remember the 1989 quake in SF, it was a 6.9 one I believe. I live in Stockton and felt it very strong over here.
If I remember right there was a Oakland A's game going on at the time which caused a bit of a problem. Also so much other damage, Oakland and Interstate 880/Cypress Viaduct collapse, Bay Bridge damage, the ground in the Marina District turned like liquid and caused a ton of damage there. It was pretty bad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Lo...eta_earthquake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GfHkRNnZDE

Then years before that, 1980 I was working at LLNL back then and a 5.9 hit the Livermore valley. I was standing in our weapons engineering lab when it hit, the steel I-Beams in the ceiling had ripples going through them. 30 ton shakers in the test bay were moved over a foot. The highway going up into the altamont pass had ground drop 6" away from the overpasses. Lucky I drove into work that day and a friend and I jammed out as fast as we could and had to find a small section on the overpass we could drive over.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquak...1980_01_24.php

A 5.9 is nothing to sneeze at, trust me. Happy all are safe over there !

im not saying it was nothing but i have not been able to watch the news (financial or political) since they are all freaking out over the earthquake that had no major damage other than a church loosing the top of a couple of towers.

if u have to have an earth quake, when u are seated on granite and have no liquefaction and u have no mountain ranges that trap the waves into bouncing back onto loose substrate valleys (like the LA or loma quakes) its not a big deal. they also evacuated alot of building in NY and thats a big nono if there was damage there would have been lots of dead people from roaming the streets with falling derbies

The entire state of CA can suck my then. Oh, yeah, wasn't as bad as what the morons that live on a fault line experience, but that does not mean its trivial. Buildings are not made as earthquake resistant in the north east so some damage can easily be done.

we get a big one every 100 years, u guys get a big one every 100 years so... ill take a few little ones every decade over that nasty humidity

[miahallen]

The entire state of California is rolling its eyes right now...

As is Japan

We had 6 earthquakes 6.0 and above (7.0 max on the 10th) in the month of July (and that's JUST the Tohoku region, I'm sure there were a few more down south)

[Bobsama]

Though you are looking at far different levels of preparedness. I remember a "cold snap" in Miami, FL when temperatures reached the low 40s. Not even freezing yet. It was hilarious to see the reactions.

[crash5s]

I work in DC and live two blocks outside of it, we felt it for sure, not as bad as some of the other ones I've been through in other places though.

As for people from Cali... there are some differences. A lot of the residential areas in this places are well over 100 years old and were never brought up to earthquake code because that sort of crap just doesn't happen around here. Our problems are floods and the odd blizzard. So the area isn't really equipped for anything like this at all. And the last time there was a large shake that people felt all over the place it was 9/11 from the blast of the plane hitting the Pentagon. Also the East Coast is on sold bedrock that's really old, the West Coast by Cali is mostly sand, so not the same. Think of having a tennis ball hit you at 50mph and then having a pool table ball hit you at 50mph.

It's all fine though, some structural damage to historical buildings and a bit of a fiasco to get out of the city. I walked rather than screw around with the subway. Got out of work early though

[sin0822]

they said the reason it was felt so widely around the east coast is becuase it was a very shallow earthquake, not deep like those on the west coast. There isn't even a fault line where it happened.

The news is now saying the USGS is stating that following larger earthquake is possible within the next fews days or weeks.

I have never felt an earthquake before, but it wasn't that bad, a few files fell from desks.

Many building has structural damage now, like the nation cathedral, some schools and so forth. Its also voting night tonight too.

Yea i wrote that when i was on my break, i just got home, and its only a usually 30min drive turned into a 3 hour commute. Everyone leaving at once, usually a 5 hour traffic jam is now all at once, its stupid.