5.7 in Chino Hills, CA
Tell us about it Adam, or did you sleep through it? 😀 It was rock and roll here in Santa Clarita, but it didn’t rearrange anything that I know of.
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Steve, I’m kinda thinking most of us would be glad to take that 250 year interval you speak of lol.
I came across this, it’s the account of a woman who was alive at the time of the 1857 event in San Bernadino. I doubt her experience would be something she would soon forget. By the way, some scientists say this quake could have been as high as a 8.0
San Bernardino
“One pleasant morning I was searching through garden paths for roses I heard a far off smothered, rumbling sound, that I scarcely noticed, for I thought I was growing dizzy, and not understanding why I should feel so, I started for the house. As I stepped across a narrow stream, the opposite bank seemed first to recede from me, then instantly to heave upward against my feet. As this threw me from my equilibrium, the water emptied out on either bank, and hearing an Indian’s voice in loud supplication. I turned and saw our Lothario on his knees, the ground rising and falling in billows around him. At the same instant I saw my parents and sisters clinging to large trees, whose branches lashed the ground, birds flew irregularly through the air shrieking, horses screamed, cattle fell bellowing on their knees, even the domestic feathered tribe were filled with consternation. Voices of all creatures, the rattling of household articles, the cracking of boards, the falling of bricks, the splashing of water in wells, the falling of rocks in the mountains and the artillery-like voice of the earthquake, and even that awful sound of the earth rending open—all at once, all within a few seconds, with the skies darkened and the earth rising and falling beneath the feet—were the work of an earthquake. It passed—we rejoined each other, thankful that life was spared, and looked around with trembling. upon the scene, where utmost terror had reigned.”
Reminiscence by Augusta J. Crocheron, 1885
And this was miles from the San Andreas fault line. Well, at least I don’t live in Palmdale.
The geology class that I took talked about 150 to 250 years. And you are right, the Northridge quake was a thrust fault the the geologists didn’t even know was there! That focus point was shalllow at just five miles deep. Adam’s little quake was also shallow at seven miles deep. What bothers me is all of the major quakes that have occured around the world in the last few years. In geologic time, they are happening in rapid succession. Our number has got to be comming up.
Here’s some ‘unsettling’ info that I have understood for some time now, if anyone knows different, please chime in.
The last “Great Quake” to hit So Cal was in 1857, (Fort Tejon) the biggest quake in this areas history, 7.8. The San Andreas cracked wrecking buildings from Ventura to LA, and beyond. Geologists have somehow learned that quakes of this magnitude can happen every 150 years or so, give or take 10, 20 years.
Pretty easy math, 1857 + 150 = 2007.
If what they say is correct, we’re smack dab in the time frame for this to happen again. I have no idea what the population here was back then, but we can only imagine what kind devastation would happen now. It’s also my understanding that the worst quakes we’ve felt over many years has had nothing to do with the monster San Andreas fault, only with much smaller fissures that branch off it, so the pressure has been building for a very long time. As already mentioned here, I guess all you can do is be as prepared as possible, and hope for the best. Like we’ve heard many times before, it’s not IF, but WHEN.
Akula, you are absolutely right. That scenerio is one that we don’t want to consider. It is psychologicaly unsettling to contemplate. That in and of itself elevates the concept of “where to meet” very high on the list.
Gents; Don’t forget to have a rendesvous point for you and yours in your back pocket. If you or one of your family is not around during a disaster….and your house goes away, where do you all meet up? Just a consideration. AKULA
Saugus you’re right about the car alarm thing. They were all screaming away. It was also interesting how they died away one by one until eventually all was quiet. The sky reminded me of the monolith from 2001/2010: A Space Oddessy “…my God, it’s full of stars.” And then the after shocks began, or I just started to notice them. Yes I’ll admit it, that event scared the hell out of me. But at the same time it was just so cool and amazing!
The apartments on Victory at Tampa looked like a picture from a Dr. Suess book. They all sat squat and leaned to one side. The apartments along Reseda looked like a bomb had gone off inside and had blown out the windows and the walls. The Northridge Meadows apartments that looked like a perfectly normal two story building except that it had been a three story building. (That’s why you run out of a building during an earthquake… while you can). The parking structure at Cal State Northridge just seemed to recline as if it were made out of play dough. I’m not looking forward to the 200 to 250 miles of the San Andreas that is due east of us slipping. There hasn’t been been very much stress relieving along that stretch of the fault. It’s going to be another one for the books. But I haven’t moved away either. Like Adam said, it happens then it’s over with, (I hpoe).
Good advice Steve… you know, how often does it happen that an entire city like LA goes totally black… it was the weirdest thing, and the sound of a zillion car alarms going off all at once. And I remember being amazed at the stars as well, as you never get to see them like that in normal city lighting! All in all, a very dangerous, strange, spooky night for sure.
Cyg…google 1906 San Francisco quake. Also 1989 Loma Preita?…also in SF. “What should be in an emergency kit?” To start with you should have emergency lighting in your livng space. Those lights that you plug into an outlet, that will come on when the power goes off. Coleman makes a great battery powered lantern that works well also. Immediately following the ’94 quake, everything was dark…black dark! It would have been nice to have had one of those things then. I told my wife to get the flashlight out of the waterbed drawer. She sad, “where’s the waterbed?” It was right next to her. I turned on the maglight, handed it to her and said GO! There was a million stars and it was very cold that morning at 4:30 am.
Food for two weeks; MRE’s if you like, (stay away from the omlet…they’re nasty). Batteries, sleeping bags, tent, camp stove, generator if possible, air mattresses with pump, more food and water, 12 gauge pump gun like Akula suggests, distress whistle, transistor radio, a well stocked first aid kit with basic medicines; asprin,tylenol, ibuprofen, vallium, anti-dirreha, sudefed, bandages, eye wash solution, polysporin, tequila (sometimes a shot is a good thing). More water, water purification tablets, toilet paper, granola bars, trail mix canned peaches, pineapple, mixed fruit, chili, soup, tuna fish (protein), powdered Gatorade mix.
There’s really quite a lot but if you just buy a little extra whatever it is so that you are never too close to being completely out, then it is more managable.
Study the reports from the good people who survived hurricane Katrina. Being armed is good, the authorities disarming you is bad. So, a cocealable sidearm is a real comfort.
Google disaster preparedness, the American Red Cross, USGS.gov, Caltech.com. All of these have links to, or lists of necessary supp;ies.
You are a smart guy Cyg, trust your instincts. What you do to prepare will help you stay cool after a big quake.
synopsys, yes I’ve lived in CA since ’77 and that’s the worst one I’ve felt yet. I lived right on Hollywood Blvd at the time. We lost many buildings, including a popular club, a eatery right next to me, and many more that would later be condemned, and mowed down. The building I lived in had a huge crack on the side of it. A couple of landmark buildings were lost as well. I forgot how many died.
Unfortunately that was nothing compared to what they expect in the next 10 years or so. To be honest, I hope I’m somewhere else when that happens, because it surely ain’t gonna be pretty.
Now that’s timing!!!!!!!!!! 😯 That quake was pretty bad, my exgirlfriend called moments after (I was in the bay area) and asked if I felt it!!! You know it shakes hard when reason goes out the window! All I could hear in the background were sirens and helicopters, sounded like a war zone, the images of the street as a wall of flames were beyond belief!
That was a pretty good jolt today, but nothing like ’94. When that one hit I was still up fully dressed partying with my band. I went to the bathroom, began to take a piss, and the quake hit mid stream. It shook so hard I couldn’t aim straight in the bowl anymore lol, it splashed on the floor, on my shoes, pretty scary. Just glad I didn’t crap my pants.
but scientist is saying a huge one will hit within 10 years…so what should ones emergency rations be ?
what is to be expected as a bare minimum….
Water for several days. Can food, batteries, Can opener, Gun and ammunition so you can take what you dont have 😛
my mom called from denmark to hear if i had noticed anything….nothing up here near san jose…that i noticed anyway…i could imagine a 5+ could be a bit of a ride…
but scientist is saying a huge one will hit within 10 years…so what should ones emergency rations be ?
what is to be expected as a bare minimum….
I consider that a training quake. It was strong enough to get my attention but not strong enough to do any real damage, (at least not here). It is a good reminder to remove any hazards and check emergency supplies. We haven’t had a real quake since ’94 and it is easy to get complacent. I loked at USGS.gov…quake maps and noticed that there haven’t been hardly any activity on the southern San Andreas in quite some time. So, when it lets go, it’s going to be a real doozy.
I’m glad that you’re ok down there Adam. It is always a little different ride when you are close to the epicenter. I was right above the epicenter for the ’94 quake, and it quite a ride!
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Sagus; Go out the 14 and just past Pearblossom Hwy off ramp there is a roadcut on the right, (when going North). The rock layers are twisted and bent. This demonstrates the tremendous pressure that this part of the world is under. It demonstrates the concept that rock would rather bend than break.
Have you seen this USGS map? Notice that due East of us there is very little activity on the San Andreas fault while north and South of us there is plenty of stress reieving going on.
http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/latestfault.htm