Californians! and former Californians, what is your most memorable Earthquake?

[SidneyCarton]

For me it's a tossup between Northridge and the 1988 Whittier Narrows quake (it was my first quake, I was 5). Got any stories?

[bertha katzenengel]

1. Ahem - FORMER Californians?

Once a Californian . . . . :)

The Sylmar Earthquake, Feb. 9, 1971, was on my mother's 30th birthday. I was almost eight. My little sister woke up and said, "Kim, quit shaking my bed!"

But it's a 3-way toss up for me: Whittier Narrows, Northridge, and Landers/Big Bear. If I had to choose one, I'd say Northridge. My bedroom twisted like a paper cube in a child's hands.

[SidneyCarton]

5. I agree, there are no former Californians

Dang, you had it bad during Northridge. I lived in the San Gabriel Valley when it happened, so no trouble for us. My dad was working at the Jensen Water Treatment plant up at Granada Hills that day, he went in to work anyway to survey the damage, I thought my mom was going to kill him.

[KitchenWitch]

2. Today's

I am still freaking.

[Shakespeare]

4. Today's was the second-strongest I've felt here, but the first one where I sustained a boo-boo.

(knocked me off balance just enough to slip and land hard on my knee)

We had a 5.5 right under West Hollywood (where I lived at the time) on September NINTH 2001. I felt like I was in a shoebox that somebody picked up and shook violently for about 30 seconds. Did a little damage around Hollywood and the west side, but that was all forgotten 2 days later (for obvious reasons).

They do make life here interesting!

[SidneyCarton]

8. Oh yeah.

We Californians have a slightly different view of disaster preparedness, as it happens all the time without warning, and there's nowhere to evacuate to.

[ronnykmarshall]

30. My phone call to my mom while it happened.

I was on the phone to my mom (another Cal native):

Me - Oh hang on. We're having an earthquake.

Mom - Really?

Me - I've got to go to Sears and take back this god-damn crock
pot .... shit this earthquake is still going.

Mom - Is it pretty strong? What's wrong with that god-damn crock
pot? Is it still shaking.

Me - Oh the fucker doesn't work for shit. Still shaking. Oh cool
it stopped. I'll go get lunch after I got to Sears.

Mom - Well where are you going to lunch?

[SidneyCarton]

32. This is the beauty of California,

meh, it wasn't even a 6.

[ronnykmarshall]

33. I remember the one in Weho too.

It was a "big" story for a while. Then 2 days later ......

[Shakespeare]

36. NOBODY remembers that one!

I'm always like "no, but it was a BIG one, right under WeHo!"

[EFerrari]

55. I remember that. I was in Santa Monica. But only now did. n/t

[SidneyCarton]

7. You okay?

Were you close to the epicenter?
Out here in Riverside we had a good shake, but we're okay.

[KitchenWitch]

13. I am in Irvine.

Not really close but this is like the 4th earthquake I have felt, and it was by far the strongest.

[bertha katzenengel]

11. I wish i had your number - but then, it's not good to be on the phone

unless an emergency.

I know you're shook up, and I wish I were there to sit with you. :hug: :hug:

[KitchenWitch]

17. I have your number

I will call you later, when I can get an outside line.

:hug:

I actually started to cry today right after it was over.

[SidneyCarton]

19. It's going to be all right.

The worst is over, this one was not such a bad one. It usually takes a couple of days to unwind again, loud door slams, big trucks, they'll shake you up for a while, but things will settle down again. If it helps, try to go outside, get some air, We'll laugh about this in a few months...

[Shakespeare]

23. That earthquakes make noise is something I never thought about until I heard one.

The very first quake I felt in LA was a 4-ish shaker out at Big Bear about nine years ago. I heard a very loud BLAM, and had just enough time to think "WTF is my upstair neighbor doing?" before things began to roll gently. They're fascinating phenomena (and easier to appreciate when they're teeny, of course).

[SidneyCarton]

26. Yep.

The home I grew up in was a 40+ year old wood frame house, when an earthquake hit it was like having a train running down the hallway. I think the sound was scarier than the shaking.

[KitchenWitch]

44. I heard the rumbling...

:yoiks:

[EFerrari]

57. I thought kids were running on our roof to get a ball

during one quake -- it was big and, iirc, centered near Morgan Hill in 1983 or so. It was the Coalinga Quake. By the time I figured out what was happening, we were rocking really well. I tried to go get my kids out of their room and the quake kept pushing me backward and away from them. Scary.

But it did sound like an army tromping across the roof.

[bertha katzenengel]

27. please do call!!

Call after about 2:20 PDT.

If I miss you, I will call you back.

I don't blame you for crying, I really don't. :hug:

[ronnykmarshall]

34. Oh sweetie!

It's ok. Don't worry. :hug:

[KitchenWitch]

43. Thanks...

:hug:

There I was blubbering like a complete fool, in public even.

:hide:

[Kutjara]

3. The 1971 Sylmar quake.

I was nine at the time and living in Sierra Madre. The quake woke me up and scared me witless. One of my model airplanes fell off the ceiling and beaned me on the head, further denting my sang froid. Until today, that's the only quake I've directly experienced, and I can confidently say that two is quite enough, thank you very much.

[SidneyCarton]

10. We all ran into the hallway for Whittier.

I was so scared I spent much of the rest of the day there. I remember eating my breakfast cereal sitting in that hall.

[Kutjara]

14. I don't blame you.

My father worked for the US Forest Service at the time, and I remember him telling me that a large stretch of the San Gabriel Mountains moved 3' up and 3' north. That's a lot of power.

[SidneyCarton]

18. Damn. I didn't know that.

[begin_within]

69. Same here - see my post #68 below.

That was a quake with a lot of up-and-down movement.

[skygazer]

6. I haven't been here long enough to feel a very big one

We had a 5.5 (I think) last year that was pretty cool - it was like a roller coaster.

[SidneyCarton]

12. Fives aren't that bad, Sixes and Sevens are considerably less fun.

Particularly if you're close. Folks living in the valley during Northridge describe it as a biblical level event.

[petronius]

9. Loma Prieta is most memorable, because that was the quake when I learned

not to try and catch the glassware when it's cascading out of the kitchen cabinet. Whitter is #2, because it made physics class a lot more fun that day...

[SidneyCarton]

16. I'll bet, a real physics lesson that day.

[hvn_nbr_2]

29. Loma Prieta for me too

So far (I've been in CA for 30 years now), that's the only time I've seen people actually get under desks or doorways. I got under a doorway once at home alone too. But generally, we just shrug and think, "Oh, an earthquake," and then it's done.

But Loma Prieta went on and on, and all of us at work finally thought, "Oh, this is a real one and got under desks. It's also the only time everyone left the building after it was done.

There was another one (5.2 on Richter scale) in SoCal that kind of rolled and swayed for quite awhile. I was in a restaurant, and after awhile everyone started looking at each other wondering if we should get under tables, but it ended before anyone actually did.

[petronius]

41. I've never actually done the duck-and-cover either, although we practiced it

a lot in elementary school. I braced myself in an interior doorway for most of LP, but mainly because that's where I was standing when it started...

[Starry Messenger]

50. Hey!

You might be my brother! J/K. But I was upstairs holding on for dear life in my bedroom doorway and he was in the kitchen doorway downstairs screaming up if he should try to save my mother's Irish crystal that was flying out of the hutch. I was screaming down to stay put and out of the path of the shrapnel. Loma Prieta. Scary. My mom was on her way home from work and came home to the house in total disarray.

That sucker galloped.

MPK

[petronius]

64. I wish I had that good of an excuse: I was grabbing crappy mismatched

undergrad-apartment quality stuff... :rofl:

Your instincts were right on target; the shrapnel was impressive. I think "Leave the kitchen!" should be added to the standard advice for what to do in a quake...

[Starry Messenger]

65. I'm thinking some pretty interesting signage

possibilities here!

An open cabinet with martini glasses bouncing out. Where are the resident DU graphic designers?

MPK

[LeftyMom]

15. I've never even felt one. I'm in Sacramento so nowhere near a fault.

Most people in Sacto felt the '89 Loma Prieta quake (on edit, I recall that people in RENO felt it, and that's what, six hours drive from the epicenter?!?!) but I was in a car, so I didn't notice any extra rumbling. The first clue I had that anything was wrong was getting to my house and seeing that my neighbor's pool had sloshed all over and there was a ton of water running into the gutter.

[Shakespeare]

21. You'll probably feel the Rodgers Creek fault if that one ever goes.

I sat right on top of that one when I lived in Rohnert Park, and was VERY glad there was no activity while I was there. It's an extension of the Hayward fault, and allegedly primed for a major temblor.

I sit halfway up the Hollywood hills now, which means I rarely feel any shaking during a quake. And I'm quite fine with that, thank you very much.

[SidneyCarton]

22. That makes you quite a rarity among Californians.

I remember when I thought of applying to UC Davis that Davis was nowhere near a major fault line, I guess Sacramento is like that too. You're not missing much, these are sensations I would just as soon not experience with any regularity.

[LeftyMom]

24. Yeah, we're just east of Davis.

I think there are some little ones up in the foothills, but the closest ones of size are in the East Bay. We'd feel one if it went off in a big way, but we're too far away from any decent sized ones to take any more than incidental damage.

We get flooding like it's going out of style though. :shrug:

[SidneyCarton]

31. Always a trade off...

I once explained that in California:

What the earthquake does not knock down, the fire burned.
What the fire did not burn, the mudslides crushed.
What the mudslides did not crush, got torn down for condos anyway.

Or in SoCal:

What the mudslides did not crush, you can't see because of the Smog.

Speaking of floods, how are the levees up there in the delta, have there been any repairs done?

[LeftyMom]

37. Oh, they're always repairing something.

But usually for every levee they fix, ten more crackerbox subdivisions get built someplace that floods. It's a losing battle.

[SidneyCarton]

38. Someday we'll learn...

nah, probably not.

[huskerlaw]

20. Today's was enough, thanks.

I've lived in LA for three years and this was by FAR the largest I've felt. I'd like to keep it that way. ;)

[SidneyCarton]

25. I understand,

After my first quake I never wanted to feel one again. If you're here for any length of time you'll likely feel some larger ones (the San Andres is due for a big jolt in SoCal sometime in the next 20-50 years, such a quake will be a magnitude 8.0 or more.) The trick is preparation, we make duck and cover second nature, bolt in our bookshelves and just be ready.

[ronnykmarshall]

28. Loma Preita 1989.

I was in downtown SF when it hit.

[SidneyCarton]

35. Dang.

I remember watching the World Series, when the quake hit Candlestick Park.

I had a penpal in Watsonville for a while in elementary school, our Elementary School class raised money for them.

[pink-o]

63. Thank God you weren't on the Bay Bridge or the Cypress Overpass!!

I was living on the Peninsula at the time, near to SFO, and my 2 roommates and I were all home watching the Series. When the Quake hit, I assured my out-of-town roommate that it was nothing to worry about--then the whole house started rocking!!!! We stood in doorways freakin out and every time there was an aftershock, we ran back to the doors.

But the most amazing part?? Our neighbourhood never lost electricity or phone service. We had one land line, and it worked!! We were able to get in touch with all our loved ones, we got TV reception and were glued to the news, and all of our boyfriends showed up a couple hours later without consequence. For many people it was a whole lot worse!

Anyway, that was almost 20 years ago, and I learned never to be so cavalier about Mother Nature's little tremors ever again!

[Sequoia]

39. Northridge.

What was strange for me was the glasses flew out of the kitchen cabinet and when I put the unbroken ones back in all that were broke was one glass of each set...champange, wine, juice glasses..had broke. Plus an egg shaped rock I picked up in Mexico had completely disappeared. When we moved I thought about that rock but never found it behind the stove or anywhere. It had been lying on a counter in the kitchen.

[SidneyCarton]

40. I remember Northridge.

My brother was sleeping on the floor in my bedroom. I was half awake when the house started shaking, I grabbed my bro and dragged him and crammed both of us under my desk.

[Sequoia]

46. Crammed did ya? Not like cramming for a test that's for sure.

He was going like..."Whoa bro, what's happenin'?" One story I heard that day was the cop(?) who was on his motorcycle when the freeway split apart and he went sailing into the air, and those poor people who were pancacked flat in that Northridge apartment building. I checked out the 10 Freeway in Santa Monica the following Sunday with that gaping hole. It was all so strange. It was a really beautiful day and the sky was full of clouds that were gold, pink and orange. Unusual since SM didn't get much of rain clouds like that. I knew then I was missing my Kodak Moment...would've been a prize winning photo that day.

[Beaverhausen]

47. Yeah- that was the most memorable for me too. I slept with the lights on for 6 months

actually I slept on my couch with the TV on for 3 months. That was one scary mofo. Today's was pretty bad, but nothing like 94.

[XemaSab]

42. Loma Prieta, '89

:scared:

[ronnykmarshall]

45. Did you have any after earthquake depression?

I did. For days I was so hyper because of all the news and just sharing stories with people. Plus I had to work almost for over 24 hours straight to get caught up (check processing for Bank of Cal).

I hit the fall phyiscally and emotionally about two weeks after.

[XemaSab]

48. I was very nervous for quite a while

We didn't get it as bad as some people, but everything in the house did get thrown around... as I watched. :o

[EFerrari]

58. I didn't let my son go to school for a few days.

I was so rattled but he was only 9 and I was a single mom and you can't know when it's over.

I kept him with me and took him to my classes and he got really pissed at me. (Maybe I should apologize to him.) How long after was the Oakland fire? Damn, the whole time I was at Cal, some disaster was brewing.

[ronnykmarshall]

62. The fire!

Oh man! I'll never forget that as well. I was out and about in the City doing polical shit for Angela Alioto when she ran for mayor that year. I was doing door to door stuff and I saw all the way in SF big chunks of ash. Curly looking stuff floating down.

This is SO shallow, but I don't care. That was the night of the "Dynasty Reunion" on TV and I was going to party to watch it. My ex boyfriend kept paging me getting all pissed off about how Ch 7 said they would carry the show. He was all high and mighty trying to put his spin on it. I said "So you're not gonna watch?"

[EFerrari]

52. You know what was much worse for me? When that thing collapsed,

I can't even remember the name but was a two tiered thing that connected to the free way. The skyway? Overpass? I've suppressed the name.

I'd just started back to Cal for grad school, and it collapsed at exactly the time I had been commuting home from San Jose every day. It happened the very first week that I stopped commuting. :scared:

[XemaSab]

53. The Cypress Structure?

That was too creepy and sad. :(

[EFerrari]

54. Yeah, The Cypress. I had to drive it twice a day for two years

and the hair on the back of my neck stood up the whole time. Man, that was way too close and those poor people. That shook me up much more than Loma Prieta because I remembered being on the damn thing and knowing there was no way to pull over or get off. :(

[litlady]

49. Northridge definitely - very scary in the Valley

I was in Northridge at a friend's house in high school and the dresser came crashing down right as I jumped up because the dog was barking. My friend's next door neighbor passed away due to heart failure during the earthquake. My mom was in the hospital but because of the earthquake I couldn't talk to her for two days. My cat was alone for a week because we couldn't get there and he was so terrified when I finally got back (hiding in the closet). Our apartment was a total mess when we got back and all the parking structures had collapsed. People were literally sleeping in the store parking lots because of fear of returning to their homes. My mom's work was right next to one of the apartments that collapsed and killed many and her store was trashed. What a scary time.

[EFerrari]

51. Loma Prieta. I almost got stomped to death by 300 freshman in Wheeler Hall

and my house had slid on its foundation when I got home. The worst part is you never know when it's over.

And there were road problems around here for years after. It was pretty bad.

[Tektonik]

56. Northridge

I was living in Palmdale atm, I was 9, and I remember my dad's commute to LA took 2 or three times as long as it used to.

[Arugula Latte]

59. 1989 Loma Prieta

That spooked the hell out of me for months and months

[Awsi Dooger]

60. Nothing major until I moved to Las Vegas

I went to USC then lived in Southern California for about a year post-graduation. That was early to mid '80s. I can't remember anything but minor tremors.

By far the most significant quake I've ever felt was early '90s in Las Vegas. Had to be '91 or '92. It was centered in the middle of the desert and I think it was known as the Landers earthquake. Incredible. I awoke about 5 AM and the ground felt like liquid. It was like we were going to be swallowed. I looked out my window and there were waves in the pool. This lasted for about 30 seconds but it seemed forever. I can remember thinking what it was going to like when the ground parted and the building tumbled into it. I can't even imagine what that one must have been like near the epicenter.

We also felt the Northridge quake in Las Vegas but that was merely rocking chandeliers, not scary like the swishy Landers quake.

[livetohike]

61. Toss up between Loma Prieta and the Whittier quake

Loma Prieta because it was impressive that I was in Ventura County in my driveway listening to the World Series on the car radio (I had just gotten home from work). I heard the radio announcers talking that they just had a big earthquake. Seconds later, my car started rocking in the driveway! For those who don't know, Ventura County is 300+ miles south of the quake.

The Whittier quake was memorable because I was at work and it was the strongest quake I ever felt. The I-beams looked like rubber bands swaying in the wind....everything looked as if it was under water. It was strange. I was a manager and a member of the Emergency Response Team. It's funny now, but I remember trying to secure my armband that identified me as an ERT member on my arm and I was so nervous I couldn't get the velcro to adhere :-).

[EFerrari]

73. Half of my family was at a Giants-As game at Candlestick

on the upper deck when Loma Prieta hit. :scared:

[livetohike]

74. Oh my God....I hope they were all okay

That must have been horrible :scared:. I was scared just sitting in my driveway when I realized I was feeling it too.

[EFerrari]

75. I think the worst part for them was that it took hours to get home.

Power outages and public transportation was a mess. It took my mom 4+ hours to get home, usually an hour away.

And that was before everyone carried cell phones, not to mention, the phone lines were on tilt. It was pretty exciting.

[Bullwinkle925]

66. '89 Loma Preita . . . . .

:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

[1]

67. actually it was the tiniest little earthquake...

like a 3 maybe a 4.

i was lying in my bed. the quake was a making my bed shake. i could hear the glassware "tinkle" in the cupboards. i ran out (naked) to watch the pool go to and fro.

then i decided to put myself in a doorway.

i didn't piss myself. i was proud of that...

[begin_within]

68. 1971 Sylmar quake

And we were 75 miles away from the epicenter. My bed bounced up and down and woke me up. I thought someone was trying to wake me up, but there was nobody else in the room. I heard voices in the hallway and went out there, and my whole family was up and standing there. It was in the middle of the night - I'm not sure what time, but it was still dark. It was all over so the parents decided we should all go back to bed. In the morning, we turned on the TV and coverage of it was all over every channel.

[bridgit]

70. Northridge

[Born_A_Truman]

71. Landers followed by Big Bear

I was a few miles from the epicenters of both. I ran outside during the Landers quak and it was like I was standing on a trampoline. I actually watched the desert move like when you shake a blanket. It seemed unreal. Hours later Big Bear went off and it was closer and a tremendous quake. Hundreds of aftershocks. Luckily very sparce populations because had that been a big city it would have been a huge disaster.

[bumblebee1]

72. Lived in California for 8 yrs

We were living in the Long Beach area when both the Landers and Northridge quakes hit. Both times we were in bed. Our upstairs apartment started swaying. I remember asking my husband if this is an earthquake. He told me "Yes."

We then moved to San Pedro. It was approximately 4a.m. when the Northridge quake hit. It went on for about 40 seconds and woke us up. I remember commenting that the epicenter must be quite close. A couple of hours later, some friends of ours from the Atlanta area called to see if we were alright. I then called my older sister at work to let her know we were okay. I only use her 800 number for situations such as that. My sister had been asking her co-workers if she should call us. She was afraid she'd wake us. Her co-workers told her they doubted we'd be asleep.