EARTHQUAKE near DC

[happy medium]

Wow, just got off the phone with a friend who said she felt an earthquake here in Doylestown, Pa. Frankly, I thought she was nuts and had just felt the effects of some nearby quarry blasting or some such, even though she'd said the whole building was shaking.

I'm just a few miles north, and didn't feel a thing.

Doylestown is just 15 miles from me,and we definitly felt it.
Center City Philly evacuated buildings.

 

[Paladin]

Isn't the earth much softer back East than here in the West (mostly harder, granite). Would explain the larger reach, and intensity.

Seismic waves travel at different speeds in different types of rocks. Passing from rock to soil, the waves slow down but get bigger. A soft, loose soil will shake more intensely than hard rock at the same distance from the same earthquake. The looser and thicker the soil is, the greater the energy movement will be.

usgs

 

[vshah]

So power poles can fall on you?

i was always told to go under a piece of sturdy furniture

 

[busydude]

Nope, definitely the DC quake.

Oh.. that quake occurred yesterday night.. my bad.

But why didn't I feel it in Southern IL?

 

[Chiropteran]

Some of the big buildings in Rosslyn were briefly evacuated.

 

[Fear No Evil]

So power poles can fall on you?

From the USGS website:

Q: During an EQ should you head for the doorway?

A: Only if you live in an old, unreinforced adobe house. In modern homes doorways are no stronger than any other parts of the house and usually have doors that will swing and can injure you. YOU ARE SAFER PRACTICING THE DUCK, COVER, AND HOLD under a sturdy piece of furniture.

Like I said, I've thought I've heard that it isn't the recommended thing to do anymore.

 

[happy medium]

Isn't the earth much softer back East than here in the West (mostly harder, granite). Would explain the larger reach, and intensity.

usgs

They say it was a shallow (.6 miles deep) quake, thats why eveyone felt it so far away.

Airports are closed in Philly also..............

 

[CheerUpEmoKid]

felt it up here in Buffalo, NY. thought i was crazy for a few minutes, til i got a few texts asking if i felt a tremor lol

 

[Mitch101]

Do we really want government in Washington to go back into the building? The quake is the safest Ive felt in a long time.

 

[Wyndru]

Some of the big buildings in Rosslyn were briefly evacuated.

Is standing on the sidewalk safer than being inside? If something falls off the side of the building it's pretty much guaranteed to hit someone below, and if it collapses everyone is dead either way.

 

[Mitch101]

Is standing on the sidewalk safer than being inside? If something falls off the side of the building it's pretty much guaranteed to hit someone below, and if it collapses everyone is dead either way.

News crews dont go inside if you want to be on TV you have go out and wander.

 

[Imp]

Is standing on the sidewalk safer than being inside? If something falls off the side of the building it's pretty much guaranteed to hit someone below, and if it collapses everyone is dead either way.

No one would dare block traffic...

 

[Anubis]

:thumbsup:


didn't feel it here in NY, did you Anubis? I am in a building though, no shaking, rattling or rolling noticed here.

yea most of corning felt it, definitly felt it here in this building as did the people around me. another company downtown evaced we didnt do shit

felt like a few waves passing under a boat on a calm lake. really odd sensation. monitor vibrated a lil. stomach felt strange

i actually thought someone was fucking with me till someone else said something

 

[Regs]

felt it here in NJ... also have people in PA/NYC talking about it on facebook

Same here in Jersey. People were evacuated from a lot of places including NYC.

 

[Red Storm]

Damn. DC Metro trains will be going no faster than 15mph. I think I'll just stay at work...

 

[happy medium]

Nuke plant is shut down in Virginia.
9 other Nuke plants also effected, stating "unusual events"

I'm getting this from CNN news.

 

[MiniDoom]

Some of the big buildings in Rosslyn were briefly evacuated.

I use to work in that building

 

[Chiropteran]

Is standing on the sidewalk safer than being inside? If something falls off the side of the building it's pretty much guaranteed to hit someone below, and if it collapses everyone is dead either way.

Yeah I was thinking that too. I assume the quake set off some sort of alarm and it was mandatory that they evacuate.

 

[busydude]

Is standing on the sidewalk safer than being inside? If something falls off the side of the building it's pretty much guaranteed to hit someone below, and if it collapses everyone is dead either way.

It is not safe. There is a greater risk of death or injury by falling debris. Studies from Japan(Previous earthquakes, not the one that happened in 2011) suggest that most people died from falling debris/windows while trying to get out of the buildings.

 

[her209]

It is not safe. There is a greater risk of death or injury by falling debris. Studies from Japan(Previous earthquakes, not the one that happened in 2011) suggest that most people died from falling debris/windows while trying to get out of the buildings.

If you're going to go outside, you're supposed to go to an open area, not stand next to the building like pictured.

 

[happy medium]

Largest East Coast earthquake in over 100 years.

Virginia is reporting at least 5 aftershocks allready.

 

[Axon]

I'm on the 75th floor of the empire state building here. Shook like crazy. I got the hell out.

 

[busydude]

If you're going to go outside, you're supposed to go to an open area, not stand next to the building like pictured.

Here is a video that shows what you should not be doing during an earthquake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc4KT4AW-hw&feature=relmfu#t=0m41s

 

[dfuze]

DC Earthquake devestation

 

[Modelworks]

I'm on the 75th floor of the empire state building here. Shook like crazy. I got the hell out.

Tall buildings like that don't worry me. Those kind of buildings have dampers installed due to having to deal with wind loads. They are probably safer to be in than smaller buildings that are built solid with no room to move.