kikahead

...did you know it was an earthquake? It seems almost everyone I talked to did not realize it was an earthquake until they watched the news this evening. When I felt it (up in San Francisco) I just thought that I was lightheaded and didn't realize it was a quake until my boss mentioned it. And I call my self a native San Franciscan... #-o

soquel

I felt it and KNEW it was an earthquake, but then I work in a 2nd story building in Santa Cruz. I think the 2nd story makes the difference......I felt the building MOVE! But friends traveling in cars did not!

Marilyn

Never felt a thing up here in Marin.

travdog

I thought I was fainting. I am a native Californian and I have never, ever felt an earthquake like this one.

I had the same experience you did, kikahead. I was sitting at the computer at home, and I literally grabbed onto the edge of the desk because I thought I was going to pass out. NOTHING in my house moved. I even had a glass of water in front of me and didn't notice it move. I had no idea it was a quake until I got an email from my husband asking if I'd felt it. Very weird sensation. I prefer the rolling and shaking.

Marilyn

Oooo, I think those rollers are the worst. Where were you for the '89 Loma Prieta quake, travdog? We sure did feel that one up here!

Barbara

Didn't feel it down here in San Diego at all. I remember the Northridge one though. It was the kind that sounds like a train coming.

Patrick

Just a word of warning for all you Californians from a "scolded" Floridian. Be aware that you are now likely to be bombarded by the posts where people tell you God is punishing Californians and that you all deserve what you get for living where you know there are earthquakes. It seems to be the nature of some people here.

Grasshopper

I was chatting online with my daughter in Foster City. She said "Whoa! And earthquake! A big one!" According to her the cats looked around and the hanging plant shook for quite awhile. She said it was rolling. That's about 140 miles north of the epicenter.

Kal

Didn't feel it in our neck o' the woods.
But there may be an aftershock with the epicenter around our place around 9:19pm.
Mrs Kal is getting back from a 4 day belated B'day trip to the Midwest.

utahtea

I was exercising so I didn't feel it but I heard it! My indoor wind chimes started to make noise and I knew we had an earthquake. The rocking chandelier over the dining room table confirmed it. That chandelier swung for the longest time! I live in the east bay of SF.

I call those wind chimes my earthquake detector! LOL

Did you know that there have been over 500 smaller earthquakes since the big 6.0 one at 10:15 yesterday and four of them have been at least 4.0. This link will take you to a page with two sections. On the bottom section scroll down and see how many quakes Parkfield has had!!!!

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/M...-36_frames.htm

Utahtea

joan

Wow, are you guys saying each quake has its own feel? Is it related to your distance from the epicenter or what? I didn't know they were "different"...that's weird that two of your thought you were fainting! What a strange sensation that must've been.

Glad you're all ok!

PamSF

I did not feel it over here in Oakland!
I was hoome (in our 1912 house) which is being retrofitted in the next few weeks. Hooray!

travdog

Marilyn, I was being sort of sarcastic about the rollers/shakers. But, I do prefer them because 1) I don't feel like I'm going to faint and 2) I actually know I'm in an earthquake.

I do remember the 89 quake! The moment it hit I was throwing a pot on my ceramics wheel. Needless to say, I'm still find hardened bits of it in the garage.

I live in Santa Barbara, so I can only imagine what it felt like up near you, Marilyn. The Northridge quake of the early 90s actually threw me off my bed.

Usually, they don't bother me. My normal reaction is to look around and go back to sleep (don't most of them seem to happen in the wee hours?)

OO

I had no idea they had different feels either, Joan, nor that any made a noise! Noise???? (Like Barbara's post re Loma Linda).

I was talking with someone from San Francisco yesterday and she was saying how sorry she was for what we've gone through with the hurricanes. I think if had to pick which natural disaster to live with, I'd pick earthquakes (this said safely from such a possibility in my cozy FL home), simply because you don't worry about them for days beforehand, whether or not they are going to hit you, if you have done what you need to prepare adequately. They hit with no warning...they last seconds, then they are gone (except for after shocks).

Trust me...I am in no way, shape, or from, diminishing the fear involved nor the destruction. It's just that I'd rather not have days and days of dread prior to the event. Perhaps though, the lack of warning makes them worse for you, that there is no time to prepare, that you never know when it might happen?? Then too...there's no way to take shelter safely either in an earthquake, as there generally is with a hurricane. Hmmm...perhaps my initial thoughts were wrong. What do you all think?

I could not handle living in a fire prone area either. That threat is so similar to hurricanes, worrying constantly for days which way it will move, and it's worse with fires because you can pretty much count on total destruction if it moves over you. You've lost everything near and dear to you.

I lived in Long Beach for a while and never felt one...although one occurred while I lived here, and my roommates, who were at the theater at the time did feel it. I felt "cheated". That was when I was in my 20's though...doubt "cheated" would be the way I'd describe missing one today!

dovima

Dear joan,
Each earthquake or tremor experience does indeed have its unique characteristics. It depends on which plates are moving, in which direction, where you are in relation to the epicenter, and to some extent, whether you are on bedrock, landfill or sand.

There are quakes that feel like one hard slam - as if a truck hit the building. Others feel like a slam and then a sway back and forth. I've been in quakes here in S.F. where it felt like someone lifted the building I was in and bounced up and down a couple of times. The Loma Prieta was a intense wavy sensation - I'll never forget seeing the hardwood floors in my house writhe as if there was a giant snake underneath them.

Yesterday's quake felt quivery, and the comment I kept hearing in downtown S.F. was that people felt "sick" or "disoriented" - very interesting. I have to admit, even though I know firsthand the destruction and chaos that can follow, there's always a moment for me when I think "wow!".

J_Correa

I didn't feel it, but my office mate did. I guess he was sitting still and I was not - LOL.

During the Loma Prieta Quake (15 year anniversary in a couple weeks), I was in downtown Santa Cruz - 1 block east of Pacific Ave. That was an experience.

I'll take earthquakes any day over hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, and everything else. Maybe it has to do with what you are used to. I've lived in CA all my life.

yale

I heard on the news that they are predicting a similar/larger sized earthquake within the next 7 days. I don't live in CA, but leave Saturday for a 2 week visit. I've only experienced one earthquake in my life and it was a small one. Eeeek!

Barbara

I haven't heard that prediction, but I did read this morning that there was so much monitoring of the particular area in which yesterday's quake happened that they expect to learn a lot from it.

kimamom

I live in Central Ca( I really do have a home!) & didn't feel a thing. I found out about it when we were watching the news last night!! ***kim***

travdog

I have a friend who is a geologist and the idea behind the predictions is based on similar earthquake patterns from the late 1800's.

Pressure builds up and is released after each earthquake. So, the theory is that earthquakes of similar magnitude in the same locations could potentially be a "pattern."

In the late 1800's, there was a "pre" quake of the same size in the exact area this quake was in, and it was followed within 24 hours (not seven days!) by a larger quake, a shaker (not roller, which this one apparently was.)

But, he said that the chances of that are actually reduced within hours of the earthquake, if there is no significant aftershock activity and the chances COMPLETELY DISAPPEAR within 48 hours for this particular quake.

Don't worry Yale, I think there's more to worry about on your drive to the airport than falling down a crack in the ground when you get to sunny California.