Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Rocking and Rumbling in LA
Yesterday I was watching a movie when the house started shaking, and kept on shaking… and shook some more. Not terribly hard, but it went on for a good 20 seconds - an interminable amount of time when your heart is racing and adrenaline is pumping. I actually got off the couch and started heading for a doorway. Today I was at the office when another one hit, this time feeling like a jolt in the ground.
It’s really unusual for earthquakes to be hitting Los Angeles directly. It’s usually along the larger fault lines about an hour east of here. The distance makes a huge difference. Last night’s earthquake was a 4.7 about five miles from my house. The rumbling was a little prolonged and felt like the ground was rocking. Today’s earthquake was a 4.1 about 3 miles from where I was working. It was very short, but sharper, like a jolt.
Imagine a pond when you throw a rock in it. The epicenter jolts the hardest but the briefest, while the surrounding areas are bombarded with ripples. This is the first time I’ve actually felt the difference. All the past earthquakes I’ve felt I’ve actually been at least 50 or more miles away. I’m glad it was fairly small. No damage.
The interesting thing is my reaction. We’re always told to duck and cover when an earthquake strikes, and I know this perfectly well. But when that fight or flight reflex kicks in, for some reason I always want to head for a doorway, which isn’t always the best place to be. Both times this happened, and afterwards I sit my butt back down and wonder why I did that. When you react without thinking, the best choice is not always made. That concerns me.
Yet another reason I should move to San Diego. Farther from all these fault lines.