earthquake right now in SAN FRAN

[ourbluenation]

huge!

[babylonsister]

1. Oh,no! Keep us posted please! nt

[ourbluenation]

6. I was on the phone with my sis in san fran - her bed moved.

shes been thru a million. said this was big - anyone else?

[Postman]

34. Was she there in 1989 and how does it compare?

eom

[ourbluenation]

not as big but lasted a long time - a roller not a jolter. n/t

[NuttyFluffers]

69. not too long, definite less than 10 seconds.

'89 was 35 seconds IIRC. started weak but had a strong finish, that one. this one, just a pleasant lightheadedness. oh my god, i'm beginning to sound like a 'pretentious wine connoisseur' of earthquakes.

[NuttyFluffers]

62. been thru loma prieta (1989). this was nothing like that.

you can sleep well. at most some heart attacks and the occasional stumble down the stairs. nothing too worrisome.

[Der Blaue Engel]

43. I was here for the Loma Prieta in '89

and this one felt big. Like another DUer, I'm hoping it was very close to feel that strong.

[Betsy Ross]

2. Long. Waiting for news. n/t

[ourbluenation]

13. she says it was the biggest one she's ever felt in san fran. she's in brisbane south of san fran

[Pachamama]

56. It felt so long that at first when it started, I wasn't sure what it was and if it was a quake

We recently had rebuilt our house following the flood that happened about 22 months ago on Dec 30 2005. The structural engineer on our house is notorious for "overengineering"...He built this house to withstand the largest of quakes and we've joked that this will be the last standing house when the "big one" comes (ie. 8.0+)....

So lets put it this way - the house was definitely moving and it was felt....and we are up here in the north....But again, it did feel pretty long....anyone know how long it was?

[alittlelark]

3. Felt it strong here in Los Altos.... wow.

[tekisui]

5. How far is that from SF?

[alittlelark]

10. 25 or so miles.

[truebrit71]

4. How big?

Are you alright?

[AlCzervik]

7. my husband just called from Cupertino, "Earth quake!" he said the whole building

was shaking big time.

[liberalmuse]

8. Nooo!

My daughter came up here from SF a week ago, but she has some very dear friends there. Shit. I knew it! I even woke up last night worrying about an EQ there. I hope it's not bad.

[jgraz]

9. Whoa -- I felt a little sway in Berkeley, but I could hardly notice.

[MonkeyFunk]

67. It was really noticeable

in santa cruz. And it just went on and on and on.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

11. Shit. Be safe. I was there in Santa Cuz for the Loma Prieta quake.

[Der Blaue Engel]

12. Zowie!

That was a big 'un! :o

[dg10348]

14. Verrrry Long in Diamond Heights 94131

Yipes

[piesRsquare]

15. Felt it about four minutes ago

Any word? Just got online...

[senseandsensibility]

16. I felt it south of san jose

It knocked my mouse off the desk. Hope it's over!

[Pachamama]

17. I was upstairs with the kids - it was big...atleast a 4.5!

:scared:

[Steepler0t]

I felt that too

I was upstairs in my house, I live in the city also.

It was not very strong imo.

But it was a good quick shake.

[Pachamama]

52. Where are you? I'm in Marin County and it felt pretty big...just checked and it was down in the

South Bay area...so far USGS says a 5.6....that would then feel about right like a 4.5-5 up here in the North Bay....

It felt like it lasted a minute....a long minute...

[Steepler0t]

120. Been wondering this

I live up on top of a hill in SF city itself. And I was on second floor, maybe it shook less to me. Dunno.

[Pachamama]

122. There are lots of factors - You might be on bedrock for example, as opposed to someone who lives in

the SF Marina and is on land fill, might have felt it several times more. Also, I wonder if I felt it so strongly because I was upstairs as opposed to downstairs or outside on the ground. I went outside last night and asked the neighbors across the street who were setting up their halloween decorations if they felt it, and they didn't realize it even happened.

[Bluebear]

18. Friend in Sunnyvale just texted me: "HUGE QUAKE"

[Kingshakabobo]

25. Yikes!

[Forkboy]

19. Been a couple in Alaska today, and Mexico as well.

One of the Alaska ones was a 5.1

Hope you're all safe. :scared:

[FredScuttle]

20. Best wishes to my peeps in SF

n/t

[Demobrat]

21. Holy crap this one is bad

I hope the epicenter is right underneath me (telegraph hill) because if not we're in trouble.

[devilgrrl]

22. Just called my brother, he said it was big, he and his family are fine.

More details when he calls back.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

23. k&r Good Luck over there guys.

[piesRsquare]

24. I'm in Belmont

One city south of San Mateo. It was long and pretty big--everything stayed on the shelves, power and phones still working.

[MsRedacted]

59. We once lived in Belmondo. (I mean Belmont).

[lonestarnot]

26. Damn sounds like a bad one. Poor California is getting hit with one thing after another.

Hope everyone is ok. :hug:

[alittlelark]

41. Not BAD... just freaky and unsettling

'89... THAT was a BAD one.

[lonestarnot]

75. Glad to hear that.

[Xithras]

27. Holy fuck that almost knocked me over.

USGS says it's in Northern San Jo, and I'm a good 60 miles from there. If it shook me that bad this must be BIG.

Big prayers for those in the Bay.

[ourbluenation]

28. she said it was a roller not a jolter. lasted long time. her house is on

bedrock and she usually doesn't feel them that bed.

[VenusRising]

29. Good thoughts to everyone!

Stay safe!

:grouphug:

[tyedyeto]

30. Still nothing at this site

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php

MAG UTC DATE-TIME
y/m/d h:m:s LAT
deg LON
deg DEPTH
km Region
MAP ? 2007/10/31 03:04:55 37.433 -121.776 8.8 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA

[tekisui]

39. Or on IRIS.

Here are others from today:
http://www.iris.edu/seismon/last30.html

[sakabatou]

31. It was kinda strong

Felt like being in my brother's old jeep.

[marmar]

32. Be safe my Bay Area peeps....

That's my favorite region on this continent.

[MonkeyFunk]

33. felt it here in santa Cruz

big one.

[goodgd_yall]

63. I have lots of friends in Monterey

I'll find out if they felt it.

[Betsy Ross]

35. Preliminary 5.6 South Bay area n/t

[IDemo]

36. Here's the page to watch from USGS on this one

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Quakes/nc40204628.php

Magnitude 5.6

[ourbluenation]

37. 5.6 roller. n/t

[Kingshakabobo]

50. Is a roller better than a jolter?

[Xithras]

58. Usually.

Jolters have a tendency to rip buildings apart. Rollers move more slowly, permitting the buildings to flex and sway instead of break apart.

[alittlelark]

60. Oh Yeah.... much better. '89 was a jolter

that kept going for a long time... Very Bad Scene.

[Gman]

38. Magnitude still undetermined

Magnitude ? (uncertain or not yet determined)
Date-Time

* Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 03:04:54 UTC
* Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 08:04:54 PM at epicenter

Location 37.433°N, 121.776°W
Depth 8.8 km (5.5 miles)
Region SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA
Distances

* 8 km (5 miles) NNE (31°) from Alum Rock, CA
* 11 km (6 miles) E (91°) from Milpitas, CA
* 15 km (9 miles) NE (45°) from San Jose City Hall, CA

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 0.2 km (0.1 miles); depth +/- 0.6 km (0.4 miles)
Parameters Nst= 25, Nph= 25, Dmin=3 km, Rmss=0.05 sec, Gp= 50°,
M-type=duration magnitude (Md), Version=0
Source

* California Integrated Seismic Net:
* USGS Caltech CGS UCB UCSD UNR

Event ID nc40204628

[Hobo]

45. Magnitude 5.6

Now its posted



Hobo

[MonkeyFunk]

40. a 5.6

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Quakes/nc40204628.html

[deminks]

42. Only link I have found so far

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Quakes/nc40204628.php

[knight_of_the_star]

44. I live on campus at SF State

It was noticeable and shocking but didn't do much more than shake the chandelier a bit.

[Renew Deal]

46. 5.6 near San Jose

[piesRsquare]

47. Everyone who felt the quake

Please report your experience to USGS here:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/dyfi.php

[Bluebear]

48. Epicenter: Alum Rock, San Jose

[TahitiNut]

96. That's the Hayward Fault, iirc.

Over the years, quite a few quakes have been epicentered near Alum Rock. I felt them when I was living in Cupertino and then again when I was living in Los Gatos. Nothing like Loma Prieta, though.

[MsRedacted]

49. Felt nothing in Santa Rosa: Thank God!

[mcscajun]

51. Most recent info from USGS - Magnitude established as 5.6

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Quakes/nc40204628.php

Distances to epicenter:
* 8 km (5 miles) NNE (31°) from Alum Rock, CA
* 11 km (6 miles) E (91°) from Milpitas, CA
* 15 km (9 miles) NE (45°) from San Jose City Hall, CA

[Kadie]

53. We felt it in the central valley!

I haven't felt an earthquake since we left the bay area years ago. Hope everyone in the bay area is doing ok tonight!

[Xithras]

55. Actually the first one I've felt since 1989

I'm surprised to find out it's only being pegged as a 5.8, because quakes usually have to be fairly large before they can be felt out here. I was guessing upper sixes.

I'm curious, where are you and what did you feel? I'm in Salida and am wondering at these descriptions of a "long rolling quake" that I'm reading here. I felt about a second of barely perceptible shaking followed by one LARGE roll, and about four seconds of rapidly fading shaking. I didn't feel the long rolling quake that everyone else is describing.

Did you? I'm wondering if the characteristics of the quake changed as it crossed the coast range.

[Tom Joad]

74. in the east bay of san francisco, it seems i feel one every few months.

interesting that there is so little activity out there.
there have been some major quakes in the central valley, but maybe not so close to you.

[Momgonepostal]

86. I remember the Coalinga quake...

but it's true, we don't seem to feel them as much out here as you do in the Bay Area or the mountains.

[Tom Joad]

95. It's the tetonic plate special.

[Xithras]

88. The Coast Range usually dampens them before they reach us.

The valley is far enough out, has enough intermediate faults, and has two distinct ranges sitting between it and the Bay Area, so that most of your faults are never felt here. They fact that the valley floor is comprised of several thousand feet of clay, silt, and sand also tends to mellow them out. Generally, only the big ones are felt here.

There are exceptions in the far southern reaches of the valley around Coalinga and Bakersfield where valley based faults do occasionally cause big shakes, but they are uncommon and are almost never felt this far north (Salida is just north of Modesto, and I'm a few miles outside of Salida). For the most part, we're the exception to earthquakes, so when we DO feel one there's an automatic assumption that it must have been big.

[Momgonepostal]

84. Xith...I was in the Raley's at Tully and Standiford and...

I felt it. It felt to me about like it felt to you. In the store, it moved things just enough to shake the shelves and make the hanging signs sway, but there was some discussion as to whether it had been an earthquake or not.

[alittlelark]

90. Isn't that kinda creepy... We had 3 or 4 of the 5.(1-7)

In the year and a half or so before '89. I Haven't really felt a quake in years.

[alittlelark]

107. Same here... if we get 2-3 more of these in the next year or so..

Foreshadowing.

[Pachamama]

99. Wow! You felt it all the way out there? That's amazing...

I wonder if because of the rolling nature that the waves ofcourse have to travel, but still, the fact that you felt it shows it was big...

[slutticus]

54. Didn't feel that big here in SF

5.6 is pretty decent.

[Pastiche423]

57. Where are you in SF?

(Which district)

[stimbox]

64. i'm in nob hill and i felt it. it was strong. no damage or anything. n/t

[Pastiche423]

71. Thanks

My daughter lives a hill over.

[slutticus]

73. I'm in Lower Haight

It felt like a roller....I could tell it was something big but far away.

I was starting to look for somewhere to duck under :D

[Pastiche423]

77. Were you there in '89?

I judge all earthquakes by that one. I lived in the Marina close to the big fire then.

[slutticus]

81. Nope. But I would guess this is peanuts!

Sort of like what a 7.9 would feel like in comparison to Loma Prieta.

I hope i'm not around when that happens :scared:


What did Loma Prieta feel like?

[Pastiche423]

92. At 5:04 pm on October 17th

it felt like a giant had grabbed the building I was in and shook the fucking hell out of it.

I lived in SF for twenty years and no other quake came close in comparison.

Would I move back there?

In a NY minute!

[femrap]

82. I was....about 2 miles north of the Ball Park

where the World Series was being played. UNBELIEVABLE THE POWER OF MOTHER NATURE....Scared me. Hope all is well in San Fran! I don't think there is a better city.

[Pastiche423]

89. I was a few miles south of Candlestick

Drove by it on the way back into the City I was terrified when I got to the Presidio hill and saw my neighborhood in flames.

[CreekDog]

116. I felt it big in South San Francisco up in Westborough (the hills)

I had time to pick which doorway to stand in. Then I watched my walls moving and the sound, people, if you don't know earthquakes, the sounds, they are freaky when your whole house moves around from top to bottom back and forth.

[NuttyFluffers]

61. felt it in the east bay. kinda pleasant discombobulation.

i expect some broken dishes and bottles around the bay, but nothing serious.

[Lebam in LA]

65. Shallow quake

5.7 miles

[RufusTFirefly]

66. Rockin' and rollin' here in Menlo Park

But everything's fine. The duration is often more alarming than the magnitude, and this one seemed kind of long.

[xiamiam]

68. im in the center of the monterey bay....scary for a second..quick however..nt

[goodgd_yall]

72. Hi!

I just called a friend in Monterey and she said she felt 2 short shakes.

[Oeditpus Rex]

93. You live on a boat?

Or in Marina or Castroville or thereabouts?

[stranger81]

70. whoa nelly . . . . that was kinda scary . . . . .

things falling off the shelves and everything in the room swaying . . . . that was maybe the biggest up here in a decade (at least from Redwood City, where we are).

[agent46]

76. Fremont (East Bay) Here

Building vibrated - not too bad.

[caligirl]

101. welcome to DU from a former Fremont Res. We sold our house a year ago and

moved to Santa Cruz. Why? other than the obvious(beaches) the Hayward fault. Well our house got a good shake and some rolling tonight. SCU had students exit their buildings fast for 20 minutes trhen went back in. They got a real shaking my son said. He's a student there.

[agent46]

129. greetings!

Hi caligirl! Santa Cruz is a great town - love the Halloween carnival parade every year!

We'd move down there in a heartbeat if it didn't mean that long commute over the mountain into San Jose everyday. In the meantime we've gotten earthquake-ready in Fremont for when one of the big ones eventually rolls in.

And thanks for the welcome too, but I've been a DUer since 2004. This is just a new nickname. I wear 'em out like old sneakers and make up new ones from time to time, that's all.

This one is my "Sixties ain't over yet" Bob Dylan tribute ID. Like it?:hippie:

[caligirl]

132. Love Dylan too. That drive over the hill for my hubby is working out fine

but recently he has been able to telecommute two days a week. Otherwise its a 40 minute commute through the woods as opposed to the parking lot of 680.

[piesRsquare]

78. So far no reports of damage or injuries throughout the SF Bay Area

according to KTVU news.

UPDATED: 8:33 pm PDT

"MILPITAS, Calif. -- The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting that a 5.6 earthquake centered in the Alum Rock area of San Jose struck the Bay Area at approximately 8:04 p.m. Tuesday night.

The quake's epicenter in the South Bay was some nine miles northeast of San Jose's city hall. Since the initial temblor, the USGS has reported four aftershocks all measuring under 2.0 within a span of four minutes.

USGS spokeswoman Leslie Gordon said geologists will be releasing more information throughout the evening.

The KTVU Channel 2 newsroom received calls from all over the Bay Area inquiring about the earthquake. Bay residents as far away as Danville and San Carlos reported feeling the tremor.

So far there are no reports of damage or injuries."
http://www.ktvu.com/earthquakes/14465798/detail.html

[troubleinwinter]

79. DU pal on the phone from Santa Cruz area

says it was sickening... the chandelier swayed, houseplants waved and floor was in waves. She & husband went for door frames. All is OK, but she did not like it one bit, as her home was entirely lost there in Loma Prieta. She says this was a "roller", and LOUD. Her mother 10 miles away felt it, but had no noise.

[Pachamama]

100. It was loud...its so eerie...there was a rumbling noise and then you can hear the creeking in the

house along with vibrations...But the weirdest thing, is that loud noise...the rumbling....I always wonder what makes that noise....is it the house? Is it the ground? Really weird....

[troubleinwinter]

111. Did you feel it/hear it as far as Marin Co.??

[Pachamama]

118. Yes...so much so, I thought the epicenter had to have been closer than it turns out to have been...

I know the rolling means your further away, but its the sound that is so eerie to me....It's almost as if the earth is "groaning" as it moves...

[troubleinwinter]

119. This thing seems to have gone up the Penninsula through Marin

...not so much through the East Bay, according to lots of posters.

[alfredo]

80. they just had an aftershock.

You can watch it real time using GEE

http://www.seis.sc.edu/gee/

[piesRsquare]

83. Yeah--just before you posted, one of my walls "crackled"...

CBS sez the quake was at 8:04 pm PDT, and that there were four aftershocks measuring under 2.0 within a span of four minutes.

Zowie!

[alfredo]

85. This was a long aftershock that is slowly attenuating.

your mention of the wall cracking reminds me of the movie "Day of the Locust."

Looks like another one that's seems sharper.

[slutticus]

87. KRON reporting quake was on Calaveras Fault

[TahitiNut]

97. Not the Hayward?

Strange. I thought the Hayward Fault went through Alum Rock (and Milpitas).

[alfredo]

98. Are you still seeing aftershocks? I am seeing a lot of activity

on my earth quake monitor.

[emlev]

110. Haven't felt any

[emlev]

112. USGS is reporting a few in the 1.1-1.4 range

USGS map

[alfredo]

123. The seismograph was bouncing all over the place for a long time

after the initial quake.

[emlev]

125. Is that typical?

I've never had a seismograph for a pet, so I wouldn't know.

[alfredo]

126. Aftershocks are normal. I was just wondering if anyone felt them.

[emlev]

127. Well, I know aftershocks are normal, but "jumping all over the place?"

[alfredo]

131. Real active over long periods, not real strong, just persistent.

[mvd]

91. Hope everyone is safe!

[piesRsquare]

94. Yup--we're fine!

Rattled buildings and rattled nerves...CHP sez no reports of injuries or damage so far.

Just another day in the wild, wild west!

I gotta find me an "earthquake" smiley...!

[piesRsquare]

102. Yee-Haw!

AFTERSHOCK FORECAST

Tue 30 Oct 2007 07:15 PM /usr/share/lib/zoneinfo/PST

U. S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California
U. C. Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, Berkeley, California

This forecast is based on the statistics of aftershocks typical for California. This is not an exact prediction, but only a rough guide to expected aftershock activity. This forecast may be revised as more information becomes available.

MAINSHOCK: Tue 30 Oct 2007 07:04:55 PM /usr/share/lib/zoneinfo/PST

MAGNITUDE 5.6 11 km ( 7 miles) E ( 88 degrees) of Milpitas, CA


STRONG AFTERSHOCKS (Magnitude 5 and larger)

At this time (immediately after the mainshock) the probability of a strong and possibly damaging aftershock IN THE NEXT 7 DAYS is approximately 30 PERCENT.


EARTHQUAKES LARGER THAN THE MAINSHOCK

Most likely, the recent mainshock will be the largest in the sequence. However, there is a small chance (APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 PERCENT) of an earthquake equal to or larger than this mainshock in the next 7 days.


WEAK AFTERSHOCKS (Magnitude 3 to 5)

In addition, approximately 15 to 40 SMALL AFTERSHOCKS are expected in the same 7-DAY PERIOD and may be felt locally.

from here: http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/QuakeAddons/nc40204628.afterwarn.html


******






******







******







******







from here: http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/waveforms/wavesall/nc40204628.rsec0.html

[Le Taz Hot]

103. Oh please!

5.6 is not HUGH!!!111!!!!11!!!!! :eyes: All a 5.6 warrants is a get out of bed and look out the window. You're not a native, are you? :smoke:

[troubleinwinter]

106. It can be excruciatingly painful

if you had lost everything in Loma Prieta, Northridge or other CA quakes. If you'd lost your home and all of your possesions, it can be a devastating experience to go through another strong quake close to home, even if this one isn't a killer.

I know (and you doubtless do too) two DUers who LOST EVERYTHING in CA quakes. One in Loma Prieta and one in Northridge. Homes gone. Everything gone. The one near tonight's quake told me she got her gramma's necklace... that's all... nothing else...no pictures, nothing. How do you suppose she feels watching her floor in waves and wondering if it will stop this time? She is feeling sick tonight. She is reliving having her world turned upsidedown and forever changed.

Wanna try that again?

On Edit: Where the fuck is "Fresburg", CA, where you claim to be from?

[EFerrari]

113. I didn't even feel it and I was walking my dog on the beach.

:shrug:

[CreekDog]

117. I was born in San Fran and 5.6 warrants respect

And when the shaking starts, you never know how big it's going to be.

I got under a doorway.

[emlev]

104. Felt quite significant here in Santa Cruz

Nothing fell. Did feel quite a lot of rippling under the floor. Seemed to go on a long time, which I guess means 20 seconds or so.

I wouldn't call it "huge." But then, I've lived through a lot of 'em, including the Loma Prieta quake centered not too far from here.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

108. Yes, me too, in Aptos

Scariest one in awhile here. There was one a few years back, my kids were small, and it was late, thankfully they slept through it, but it brought back memories of '89, which was horrible and awful.

This one was a longish roller, as others have described. My kids didn't know quite what to think. My daughter came upstairs, and my son went for a doorframe.

Reminded me of a local comic who did a riff on why do people go to doorframes: it's not like after a huge earthquake you see rubble...rubble...doorframe...rubble...rubble...doorframe.

I think the safest place for our family is outside, as I told the kids afterward -- there are no overhead power lines.

[emlev]

109. I like that joke

Latest I've heard is that one should either go into a very small room where if the walls fall they'll hit each other before hitting the floor, making a space underneath, or under heavy furniture like a big desk where there'd be space underneath even if the legs collapsed. We went for the doorframe of closet-sized bathroom.

And yes, it was reminiscent of '89. Especially the sound. I never knew what earthquakes sounded like before then, now it's a sound I don't expect to forget. Tonight's was quite loud, although I didn't hear the sound until the wavy motion near the end, whereas usually the sound comes before I feel any shaking. At least that's what I think I remember from tonight!

[warren pease]

128. Old home day...

before moving to Portland, I lived in Santa Cruz county from 1976 through 2000 -- in Aptos, Felton, Santa Cruz (3 different places), Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek. Was in SC for the '89 quake and in Ben Lomond for the '82 and '84 floods. Outside of random disasters, SC county is a great place to live.

Best to all and a quick end to the aftershocks.

wp

[Liberal_in_LA]

105. us poor californians! Fires then quake.

[JVS]

114. bake and shake

[Liberal_in_LA]

115. and flood and OJ and Britney/Paris/Nicole.

[malaise]

121. There was also a 7.2 in the Marianna islands

http://www.iris.edu/seismon/

[bdamomma]

124. take care you guys, hasn't California been through enough

already.

[Warren DeMontague]

130. 5.6 isn't usually anything to get that worked up about. Sounds like everyone is okay, thankfully.

But as for "hasn't California been through enough"- it's a nice sentiment, but people should remember that this is a very big state. San Jose is something like 400 miles away from San Diego.