Folks...It was just a 5.8 Earthquake..Out West We....

[rsmith6621]

...hardly blink an eye or miss a sip of Starbucks.....relax it's over for another 40 years.

[uppityperson]

1. Unrec for mocking an unusual happening.

[City Lights]

3. Ditto. eom

[proud patriot]

2. knock it off

California Native here ... 5.8 can do some serious damage . Let's hope people are okay.

[AndyTiedye]

7. I Don't Think Virginia Building Codes Consider Earthquakes

Don't they have lots of old unreinforced masonry buildings?

[Gormy Cuss]

53. +1

[Tommy_Carcetti]

4. Yeah, wait until a stray Catagory 1 hurricane spins towards California.

Then us East Coasters will go on and on about how we slept through the last Catagory 1.

Serious note: Unlikely to happen in Cali given the cold water temps, but there is some history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_California_hurricanes

[seabeyond]

15. lol. ok, we will just wait. nt

[kick-ass-bob]

31. I was shocked the first time I saw the coast in California.

All the buildings completely even with the beach, no protection at all. I was like "what the hell do they do when a hurricane comes???" Then I remembered, oh yeah. ;)

[seabeyond]

45. ah hahahhaa. lol. location, location, location. it is funny

demographic issues so different.

[Cleita]

25. It has almost happened in the past. We lost a lot of the pier

in Santa Monica more than twenty years ago with such a fierce storm that it could have been almost a hurricane. btw, they are called typhoons in the Pacific.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

28. I thought they were called typhoons only in the Asian Pacific.

I believe tropical storms originating in the North American Pacific are still called hurricanes,IIRC.

[Cleita]

30. Tomatoes, tomatohs. I'm sure a lot of people do call

them hurricanes. They are the same animal. I met a lady in Kansas who still called tornadoes cyclones. It's still a tornado.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

50. Wrong.....

....it's a twister! Auntie Em! It's a twister!





:)

[onehandle]

5. I know what you mean, but it is likely that somebody was injured or even killed.

A 5.8 can take down 'poorly constructed buildings,' of which there are plenty in Virginia.

[lildreamer316]

6.0, actually.

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE77M67120110823?irpc=932

[jwirr]

40. From Virginia to Toronto? I didn't know they could hit in that long a

line. When it is only 5.8 how does it hit that large an area. I know it moved Japan but that was a 9.0. Interesting.

[Dreamer Tatum]

6. K&R. Welcome to California, East Coasters. Sheesh. nt

[muffin1]

13. You're used to them. We AREN'T.

I am home alone with a bad back - everything starts rumbling and shaking all around me. Sorry, it's fucking scary if you've never been through it. SHEESH is right.

Welcome to kiss my ass.

[Dreamer Tatum]

17. California is known for its complete lack of people alone with bad backs. You got me there. nt

[muffin1]

20. delete/dupe

[muffin1]

23. Yeah...THAT'S what I said.

I had no idea what was happening. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR FIFTY YEARS AND WE'VE NEVER HAD AN EARTHQUAKE. Yes, it scared me. The whole house was shaking and rumbling, and I can barely move.

:middlefinger:

[Robb]

8. Poor taste.

Western building codes have requirements that reflect the unstable ground. Not so much east of Nevada.

It will be much more damaging than a similar quake in California.

[pintobean]

9. Know anything about building codes?

The east coast doesn't build for this shit.

[PVnRT]

10. Dickish statement

But one I've come to expect from Californians.

http://www.seinstitute.org/files/pdf/ibc1615-1us-b.pdf

Maximum design horizontal acceleration values (due to earthquakes) - 100+ in California. The maximum in Virginia is 35. Incidentally, the maximum I see is 300 around New Madrid, MO. In other words, this earthquake is a big deal and dismissing it because you live in California and are used to it is regionalism at its finest.

[AndyTiedye]

27. Plenty of Californians Bashing the OP Right Along With You

I'm a former East Coaster who moved to California.

[comtec]

48. While I agree it was a dickish statement, you should see the crap Californians have to put up with..

E V E R Y W H E R E else!!!

Suck it up, we don't get to gloat much.


ok that aside, i'm very worried for the buildings and people on the east coast.
To mu understanding there are no known faults before like 15 years ago?

And even then, no one started to retrofit building code.
a 5.0 in California is where damage stars for under-code buildings (since more buildings are built for 6.0+ a 5 is nothing)

Also i heard this was a 30 sec quake.
With quakes the size is not as important as the duration. a HARD FAST quake actually leaves less damage than a longer weaker quake. then there are the after shocks.

I Hope no one is hurt, but I would point out that the Washington monument is FREE STANDING (I had the pleasure of walking down inside it when Clinton was pres, and it's an awesome sight to behold) and could, in theory, be toppled over given a nasty enough quake!

But yeah, I hope everyone on the east coast is ok... even the racist fucks!

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. You do realize that quakes are not that common in the east cost

and the big one in the East coat (1in 1812) was larger than any we have had in the West Coast and that includes the 1906 quake.

Google New Madrid Fault

[Occulus]

not so much the east coast

There are two areas of concern in the Midwest. The worse of the pair is the New Madrid Fault, whose seismic activity stretches from northeastern Arkansas to the northeast, including western Tennessee, southeastern Missouri, and western Kentucky. Its center of activity lies directly on the Mississippi River.

Further northeast is the less-talked-about Wabash Valley zone. Taken together, this hot spot of activity stretches up through half of Indiana.

Honestly, earthquakes are common throughout the continental US and we should from time to time expect mild tremblors such as what we felt today. The New Madrid fault is worrisome because of its proximity to Chicago; if the fault were to 'let go' as it did in 1811-12, Chicago (and a great many small cities and towns across several states) could be severely damaged.

None of our buildings here are hardened against earthquakes. Older brick buildings are especially vulnerable. A 'big one', in the Midwest, would be a Very Bad Thing.

[nadinbrzezinski]

47. as much as I know in Cali a seven pointer will do damage

a seven pointer in the midwest will do LOTS OF DAMAGE.

We don't even need the proverbial big one.

[Lucinda]

54. FWIW the New Madrid fault isn't on the east coast

It produces quakes from Il & IN down thru Mississippi.

[IndyPragmatist]

12. The geology is different on the east coast...

A 5.8M will be felt stronger and much further away than a comparable earthquake in California. There probably isn't a lot of structural damage, but its enough to knock over furniture and cause some injuries.

[myrna minx]

14. You also have city planning and retro-fitting. The east coast is not prepared for such a thing.

But go ahead, mock away. :eyes:


On edit - Would you appreciate such callousness the next time you have a fire, mudslide or earthquake? Wow. I'm just stunned.

[fishwax]

16. smaller earthquakes are more severe east of the rockies than they are in California

Building codes in the Midwest and East generally aren't as concerned with earthquakes, so they have the potential to do more damage.

Also, I remember reading back in 2008 after that year's Illinois Earthquake (a 5.2) that the terrain is more rigid and while California has numerous fault lines to absorb and dissipate vibrations, that doesn't happen in the Midwest. So a 5.2 in southern Illinois has an impact over a broader geographic range than a 5.2 earthquake in southern California. (I'm not a geologist, so perhaps this information is wrong, but that's what I remember reading/hearing at the time.)

[muffin1]

18. How...pragmatic of you.

:thumbsdown:

[w8liftinglady]

19. Yeah...and in Texas, we barely blink at tornados...sarcasm

Not cool. Our architecture is not designed to accomodate earthquakes. From what I understand, the architecture IS different in states where earthquakes are common. I stand corrected if wrong.

[seabeyond]

21. i duck, lol. live in calif two decades. lived in texas two decades. give me an earthquake anytime

getting sucked up in a tornado is scary....

[Cleita]

24. I agree. Having lived in both Kansas and Texas, I find

tornadoes more liable to kill you than an earthquake.

[Cleita]

22. Out West we have stringent building codes.

Back East has a lot of old brick buildings and centuries old infrastructures. They have a reason to be concerned.

[JustAnotherGen]

26. You don't have the NUMBER

Of extremely old bridges and buildings we have. They exist - but California was not nearly as populated as the north east circa 1600, 1700. Hell- just think about a town like Princeton. Get the concern now? We live on TOP of each other out here . . .

[Cleita]

36. Also, the San Francisco earthquake at the turn of

the last century nearly flattened the whole city. You do have a problem with your older infrastructure and old brick buildings. Try to be safe by doing as much earthquake proofing in your homes as you can. I use museum wax to anchor down ornamental stuff on surfaces and have baby proof hardware on my cabinets. If another quake comes get under a door jamb or under something solid like a desk. Stay away from windows, which can result in broken glass.

[KamaAina]

29. Well now. That's about the size of the 1987 Whittier quake.

Much of historic uptown Whittier was rubbled. So far, though, no reports of damage even from right on top of the epicenter (I actuially have a correspondent in Louisa, VA!).

[truebrit71]

32. And as with everything else, because this happened on the East Coast it's all the M$M will talk..

..about for days and days....

Just like every fucking blizzard, every fucking year that POUNDS the midwest but gets fuck-all coverage until some yuppie fuckwit gets snow on the top of his loafers in the Hamptons and then it's BLIZZARD 2011!!!! SNOW_STORM OF THE MILLENIUM!!!! :eyes:

I lived 6 miles from the epicentre of the Northdridge quake, so yeah, I fell your pain from an anxiety standpoint, but please...a 5.8??? Settle down....

[ohheckyeah]

33. Please...

piss off.

[Beaverhausen]

34. This Californian is sending warm thoughts to all east coasters

Earthquakes are scary, especially if you haven't felt one before.

When I first moved here, from the east coast, the first few we had scared the crap out of me...they still do.

:hug:

[muffin1]

37. Thank you, This Virginian appreciates it.

:hug:

[AndyTiedye]

35. Just Heard that a Couple of NUKES Scrammed During the Quake

I hope they're keeping those babies cool. :nuke: :nuke: :hide:

[OhioChick]

38. Get 4 feet of snow and get back to me....n/t

[CleanGreenFuture]

39. Seems the boss himself has weighed in on your pomposity...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1798983

[GentryDixon]

41. Uncalled for.

[FedUpWithIt All]

42. It was felt in Toronto and Fla.. WV, MA, TN, NC, OH, NY, RI, PA...

Not your typical 5.8

[Scout]

44. Michigan too.n/t

[Cleita]

46. That's a really large area. I will be interested in hearing

what the seismic experts have to say. I do believe it's global warming that is shaking things up and creating the monster storms that have come up. The next time some tea bagging elected representative says there is no global warming, throw him out of office. We need real leadership with real solutions to these problems not idiots.

[HappyMe]

43. Bit too snarky there, rs.

Try the 'hide thread' thingy. Works like a charm.

[Patriot 76]

49. Learn to swim. See you down in Arizona Bay!

:headbang:

[freeplessinseattle]

51. really? n/t

[freeplessinseattle]

52. Yet LAers freak out over a light rain. go figure. n/t

[JI7]

55. Drive in Los Angeles when it rains and you will see why

[JI7]

56. Drive in Los Angeles when it rains and you will see why

[freeplessinseattle]

59. yeah, we get the slick pavement after no rain for awhile

like yesterday, and the predictable accidents that accompany it. Last night got caught up in a traffic jam from a fresh accident, I don't like driving past such a scene, but didn't seem too bad, thankfully.....

On the other hand you sure don't see (most of) us racing around on foot with a newspaper over our heads and expressions of such fear and confusion;)

(I kid, I kid)

[kwassa]

57. I was in LA for the Northridge quake. This one was pretty respectable.

here in Maryland. It was a very looooonggg quake, though I thought it about a 4.5.

I spent 17 years in LA through many quakes.

A true Californian doesn't trust any land that doesn't move, any trees that don't burn, and any air that he can't see.

[Nailzberg]

58. 5.8 actually does considerable damage in California.

My bong fell over during the last one.

[krispos42]

60. It's just an inch of snow...

...yet if it fell on SoCal on a school day, most of the state would panic and shut down.

And while all of the damage and confusion an inch of snow in SoCal would cause would be ONLY and DIRECTLY related to the inexperience of the SoCalifornians in dealing with driving in snow, the same cannot be said for an East Coast earthquake. A earthquake causes direct and immediate damage irrespective of any human activity or lack thereof.

And have fun when The Big One hits, as you know it will in the next 30 years or so. Of course, the way things are going in the Pacific a tsunami will wipe out SoCal before The Big One hits.

So how's your tsunami-proofing, anyway? I'm in Connecticut; I've got Long Island keeping me high and dry. Before that, I lived in Minnesota and South Dakota, where the closest salt water was at the other end of I-35, way down in the Gulf of Mexico.

[Waiting For Everyman]

61. The Sylmar quake in L.A., 1971 was a 6.0. Look it up

and see if it was bad enough for you. I lived there for that one, now I live not too far from the one today. In 1971 I was asleep when it struck about 6 in the morning and got knocked out of bed. I looked out the window and nothing seemed damaged and it seemed to be over, so I went back to sleep. Later, on the news, I was shocked to hear that there was a lot of damage not far from me at all, and a lot of people killed and injured. And that was L.A., an area of mostly one-story buildings, which didn't have far to fall.

The point is, sometimes we people are lucky and sometimes we're not. This time we were lucky. It doesn't pay to take any earthquake for granted.