Disaster
I'm pretty sure we just experienced an earthquake this morning. I can't get this confirmed anywhere but Twitter, but hey if Aubrey felt it as far west as St. Charles, then I'm convinced. My Belleek plate fell over; I heard other things fall. The windows shook, and I really need to check on the status of the window upstairs (already slightly cracked, but epoxied). I wondered about the wisdom of staying here on the middle floor of the building. What if the floor above me falls? Am I safer on top? Should I go upstairs? (I just watched the end of The Mothman Prophecies, and though I know nothing of the prophecies, I do know what I'd do if I was on a bridge that was breaking apart. Living in the midwest, and having lived in the southeast, I'm well versed in the taking of shelter during hurricanes and tornadoes, but despite living in California and Alaska, I am unprepared for acts of god like Earthquakes.
(It's official, now. 5.4, epicentered in West Salem, IL).
The birds are singing again. I think it's safe to go back in the water.
Submitted by TransDutch
at 4/18/2008 5:38:09 AM- My bed shook. And I was the only one in it.
Submitted by tubeless
at 4/18/2008 6:00:06 AM- I love things like this that happen with nature and catch us off guard. Now you know the rush on people prepping for another earthquake will happen again. no damage here in our house in South St. L City
Submitted by TheQueen
at 4/18/2008 6:03:43 AM- Damn it! I missed it entirely, and I was awake when it happened.
Submitted by TheQueen
at 4/18/2008 6:17:32 AM- Oh wait - I did wake up before 5 because my laptop was rattling, but I assumed it was the hard drive. Oh good.
Submitted by ricket
at 4/18/2008 7:37:22 AM- I was up and felt it quite a bit. It started with my office chair rocking without my effort. The some knocking in the walls. Nothing near as bad as the one we had in cdale.
Submitted by Retsknif
at 4/18/2008 7:57:29 AM- And I thought it was just me gett'n busy with the Mrs. So much for having her think it was ME who made the earth move.
Submitted by JRod
at 4/18/2008 9:00:41 AM- I wasn't sure what was going on at first! We live close to train tracks and it took a few seconds for it to register in my sleepy head that it wasn't just a really big train passing by!
Submitted by ben
at 4/18/2008 9:28:24 AM- Felt it in Ballwin. Woke us both up right away. That was my first (awake) earthquake too.
Submitted by Annie
at 4/18/2008 10:39:40 AM- totally didn't feel it. Simon woke me up and said...we just had an earthquake. I didn't believe him until I got a text from Steve S....I'll believe Steve S.
Just felt some aftershock here in the hospital. spooky
Submitted by christy
at 4/21/2008 8:45:59 AM- I wasn't sure it was an earthquake until I twittered. I heard a police siren and thought perhaps it was an explosion (okay, I even considered a nuclear explosion, because I do, after all, live right down the street from the NGA, and the Brewery. Good terrorist targets, both).
It showed up on the USGS site about a half hour after it happene, and it took another 15 minutes to show up on any of the local news sites.